Retail Rush Brand Connect™
The reward-led partner network for brand-funded, measurable shopper promotions.
Brand Connect™ is a collaboration between Retail Rush and epay that helps brands and campaign funders identify the most relevant reward partner or reward category for a measurable shopper promotion.
ShopperProof™ validates whether the required shopper action meets the campaign conditions before the reward is handled through epay.
Connect. Validate. Reward. Measure.
The opportunity
Brands are under pressure to deliver measurable growth. Retailers and Commerce partners need more traffic, stronger conversion and deeper shopper engagement. Agencies are expected to create activations that prove their impact. Promotional partners need relevant campaigns and audiences. Reward partners need meaningful transactions. Consumers respond when rewards are relevant, timely and easy to redeem.
Brand Connect™ brings these interests together through a reward-led promotion model.
Created by Retail Rush and epay, Brand Connect™ combines reward partner matching for brands and campaign funders, campaign logic and validation with epay’s reward, redemption and settlement infrastructure.
The model is simple:
Brand/campaign funded
Brand funds the promotion and defines the objective
Brand Connect™™
Identifies the reward route: the right reward partner or category.
Agency & media partners
Support campaign creation and activation where relevant.
Retailer or commerce context
Provides the retail, commerce or activation environment where the shopper action takes place.
ShopperProof™™
Validates whether the required shopper action meets the campaign conditions.
epay
Handles reward issuing, redemption, reconciliation and settlement.
The result is a connected promotion model where the brand or campaign funder is matched with a relevant reward route, the shopper action is validated, and performance is measured by validated outcomes.
What Brand Connect™ does and does not
The reward-led promotional solution connecting campaign objectives, rewards and validated shopper actions
What Brand Connect™ is
Brand Connect™ is a reward-led partner model for brand-funded, measurable shopper promotions.
It connects brand budgets, retail or commerce moments, agency activation, promotional reach and reward mechanics around real shopper actions.
Retailers, agencies, media partners, dealer networks, platforms and activation partners can be included as campaign context where relevant, but they are not the primary match.
It can support AI-enabled reward partner matching based on campaign objective, audience, category, channel, market and commercial fit.
These recommendations can be captured in a Partner Match Report: a practical recommendation that matches a brand or campaign funder with the most relevant reward partner or reward category, and outlines reward options, activation fit, campaign context, validation logic and next steps.
What Brand Connect™ is not
Brand Connect™ is not a media agency, retailer, payment provider or standalone reward platform.
It does not replace the brands, retailers, agencies, activation partners or reward partners that make campaigns work. Each party keeps its own role, expertise, relationship and approval process.
Brand Connect™ does not automatically select, approve or contract partners. Partner involvement depends on campaign objectives, market fit, approval processes and commercial agreements.
In short:
Brand Connect™ matches brands or campaign funders with the right reward route.
ShopperProof™ proves the shopper action.
epay supports reward handling after validation.
Together, they turn promotional activity into validated shopper outcomes. Where useful, Brand Connect™ can summarise the recommended partner route in a Partner Match Report, covering reward partner fit, campaign context, validation logic and next steps.
How Brand Connect™ works
Connect
Brand Connect™ identifies the most relevant reward partner, reward category or incentive route for the brand or campaign funder.
Reward partner matching can be based on campaign objective, category, audience, channel, market and commercial fit. The outcome can be summarised in a Partner Match Report before the campaign moves into creation.
Create
Campaign partners define the mechanic, offer, reward, partner roles, activation channels and validation rules.
Activate
The promotion is activated through approved retail, media, agency, loyalty, wallet, delivery, brand, digital or partner channels.
Brand Connect™ does not replace the channel owner.
Validate
ShopperProof™ validates whether the required shopper action meets the campaign conditions.
Where relevant, this validation can take place at SKU level, linking the reward to the purchase of a specific participating product.
Reward
After validation, the reward is handled through epay.
Measure
Campaign partners receive performance insight based on validated shopper outcomes.
Example campaign
Soft drink brand × gaming reward partner
A soft drink brand wants to stimulate product trial among young shoppers and families.
Through Brand Connect™, the soft drink brand is matched with a gaming reward partner as the best-fit reward route for the campaign objective, audience, category and reward relevance.
The campaign partners define and approve the campaign mechanic, offer, reward, activation channels, validation rules and operational requirements before launch.
A shopper buys a participating soft drink product at the grocery retailer. ShopperProof™ validates the purchase against the campaign conditions, including whether the participating SKU was bought. After validation, the digital game gift card is handled through epay.
The result
A retailer-safe, reward-led, brand-funded promotion that drives verified retail purchase, rewards the shopper with a relevant digital incentive and gives all partners measurable performance insight.
The partner roles
Soft drink brand
Funds the promotion and defines the campaign objective..
Retail Rush Brand Connect™
Identifies the reward route for the brand or campaign funder and structures the campaign roles.
Gaming reward partner
Provides the relevant digital incentive.
Agency/activation partner
Supports campaign creation, media or activation where relevant.
Retailer
Provides the retail environment where the shopper action takes place.
ShopperProof™
Validates the required shopper action, controls reward release and measures performance.
epay
Handles reward issuing, redemption, reconciliation and settlement where relevant.
ShopperProof™
Validation, reward-control and measurable shopper outcomes
ShopperProof™ is the collaboration between Retail Rush and epay that powers validation, reward-control, redemption, settlement and measurable shopper outcomes.
Validation can take place at SKU level, so ShopperProof™ can confirm not only whether a purchase was made, but also whether the specific participating product, variant, pack or bundle was bought.
This gives brands stronger proof of product-level trial, repeat purchase and campaign performance, while retailers and partners benefit from tighter campaign control, less reward waste and clearer insight into which products, variants, channels or regions drive validated outcomes.
Retail Rush contributes campaign logic, reward route structuring, shopper validation, governance, reporting and performance measurement. epay contributes reward issuing, redemption, reconciliation, settlement, financial processing and commerce infrastructure.
Built for partner ecosystems
ShopperProof™ can work with existing agencies, retail media networks, coupon platforms, loyalty providers, wallets, fintech apps, cashback platforms, delivery platforms and commerce partners.
Depending on the campaign setup, ShopperProof™ can work as a white-label layer, embedded module or connected validation, reward and measurement layer alongside existing partner platforms.
It supports existing partner platforms without replacing the channels, relationships or campaign execution they already provide.
ShopperProof™ can validate actions such as:
- purchase
- receipt upload
- SKU/EAN product match
- coupon claim
- registration
- redemption
- repeat purchase
- partner or platform action
Who uses ShopperProof™
Brands
Prove which campaigns drive validated trial, purchase, repeat purchase or acquisition.
Retailers and commerce partners
Turn retail media and shopper promotions into validated, outcome-based activation.
Agencies
Show which media, content, influencer, QR, social or performance campaigns drive validated shopper action.
Activation partners
Make claims, coupons, cashback, sampling and co-promotions measurable and reward-controlled.
Platforms
Add brand-funded shopper activation without replacing the existing user experience.
Reward partners
Provide relevant incentives that are handled only after validated action.
Shopper activation models
One ShopperProof™ layer. Multiple ways to activate.
Retail-led does not mean retail-only.
It means putting commerce proof at the centre of every activation model.
Shopper intelligence
From campaign reporting to better partner selection
Brand Connect™ turns promotional activity into reusable shopper, reward and performance intelligence through ShopperProof™ validation, reward-control, settlement data and performance measurement.
Brands, retailers, agencies and promotional partners can understand:
- which channels drive validated actions;
- which retailers, regions or SKUs perform best;
- which reward partners and rewards categories work best by audience, category or objective;
- what the cost per validated action is;
- where to scale the next campaign.
This intelligence can also support AI-enabled partner matching for future Brand Connect™ campaigns and improve future Partner Match Reports.
Partner ecosystem
Clear roles. Connected partners. Measurable promotions.
Brand Connect™ focuses on matching brand and campaign funders with relevant reward partners for measurable shopper promotions.
Brand Connect™ structures the campaign route. ShopperProof™ validates shopper actions, controls reward release and measures outcomes. epay supports reward issuing, redemption, reconciliation and settlement where relevant.
Ecosystem roles
epay network scale
Scalable reward, commerce and settlement infrastructure
Within ShopperProof™, epay contributes scalable commerce infrastructure and network reach across:
- brand partners and payment methods
- connected touchpoints
- retail and commerce partners
- countries and markets
This gives campaigns a scalable foundation for reward fulfilment, redemption, reconciliation and settlement across markets, retailers and channels.
epay network in short:
Brand partners and payment methods
Connected touchpoints
Retail and commerce partners
Countries (services)
Create your next Brand Connect™ campaign
Build your next brand-funded, measurable shopper promotion.
Want to connect your campaign objective with the right reward partner, required shopper action and validation logic?
Talk to Retail Rush about your next Brand Connect™ promotion, delivered in collaboration with epay — from reward route identification to validation, rewards, settlement and measurement.
Graaf Engelbertlaan 75
4837 DS Breda, the Netherlands
+31 (0)6 22379107
Chamber of Commerce: 82747741
VAT Identification Number: 8625.89.290.B.01
© 2026 Retail Rush — All rights reserved