Retail media is one of the buzziest trends in retail. Circulars, coupons, and print advertising have evolved into a sophisticated digital platform that is content-driven as well as promotional. All the savvy majors have jumped on their own Retail Media Network (RMN) as part of a unified commerce strategy to inform customers wherever they are whenever they want. And this now-established trend has spawned any number of media brands catering to retailers. Costco and Wawa have cracked the RMN code and Placer.ai has the full report. 

Today, as retailers jump on the bandwagon in the hope that their solution can motivate their shoppers to purchase more or switch brands, CPG marketers are faced with the challenge of evaluating RMNs with different criteria than they used to evaluate traditional media outlets.

Screen Time

Every retailer is promoting their own RMN to CPG brands to shift their ad dollars to their proprietary retail platform. Media and personalized technologies have advanced since 1996 when Walmart first launched their in-store TV network, “Walmart TV.” Their pioneer network brought brand advertising directly to Walmart shoppers through screens placed within their stores. We’ve come a long way since then.

Today an estimate from various marketing research firms suggests that the average person in the U.S. might see anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 ads in total daily, including all forms of advertising across various media channels — screens, smartphones, computers, digital billboards, and in-store displays. The challenge for marketers is to have their message break through.

As retailers jump on the bandwagon in the hope that their solution can motivate their shoppers to purchase more or switch brands, CPG marketers are faced with the challenge of evaluating RMNs with different criteria than they used to evaluate traditional media outlets. With pressure from retailers to participate, conventional media metrics won’t cut it. It takes a systemic analytical approach to leverage an RMN holistically.

The Information Age

We’ve reported on the power of next gens to shift the conversation at retail. They want transparency in everything from sourcing and manufacturing to the sustainability footprint of every product. But in an era of misinformation, fake facts, and blatant promotionalism, who to trust? Will customers rely on their retailer of choice?  How will shoppers deal with the impending deluge of in-store screens, where some retailers have installed over 100 screens per store? Is this new in-store media destined for success or will screen-overload make it dead on arrival?

The good news is that Placer.ai, one of The Robin Report’s Innovators, has a new report on the successes of Wawa’s and Costco’s retail media efforts that gives both retailers and CPG brands a roadmap to build their own RMN platforms and learn from these two leading retailers how to achieve success. Read the report to find out the key advantages Costco and Wawa bring to the retail media table, how Wawa’s expansion strategy can be harnessed by partners to reach more diverse audiences … plus more. Download a free copy of the report to get your actionable RMN playbook.