“Retail media, despite all of its potential, is currently an immature marketplace that is in too many instances taking advantage of naïve marketers.”
That’s what Anthony Costanzo, our Chief Analytics Officer, recently shared in AdExchanger. In addition to discussing the evolving retail media landscape, he shared insights on how brands can navigate the growing pains of this rapidly expanding space.
Retail media networks (RMNs) have become a key player in the digital advertising ecosystem, but Anthony highlights how the industry is still in its infancy. Despite its growth, there’s still a lot of opacity in the space. One of the major issues, according to Anthony, is the over-reliance on misleading metrics like return on ad spend (ROAS) and the “new to brand” metric, both of which can be deceptive and fail to capture the full picture.
In his piece, Anthony points out how the lack of consistency across RMNs makes it challenging for marketers to understand the real impact of their investments. Retailers often offer fragmented data and don’t always provide a clear view of the total sales and category growth. This leaves brands struggling to assess whether they are driving new customers or just reinforcing existing behavior.
One of the most critical pieces of advice Anthony offers is for brands to “think clear-eyed” and not get distracted by easy metrics. Instead, they need to be diligent in understanding the full picture of their retail media buys, digging into the right data, and ensuring they’re getting the value they need. With brands pushing for more accountability, it’s essential that the retail media industry grows up and matures, addressing transparency and measurement challenges as it evolves.
This is an important read for anyone navigating the complexities of retail media today.
To get all of the takeaways, check out the full article on AdExchanger here.
If you’re looking for a partner that can help you navigate retail media with clarity and insight, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mile Marker!
We’re here to help you make smarter, more informed media decisions.
