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Retail Media Networks: A Comprehensive Handbook for Sellers and Brands

More and more people are making purchases online as the e-commerce sector expands quickly.   The way that brands advertise their items...

Retail Media Networks


More and more people are making purchases online as the e-commerce sector expands quickly.

 

The way that brands advertise their items online is likewise influenced by this change in consumer behavior.

 

Retail media networks have become the driving force in the midst of this, changing how companies market their goods and establish connections with final consumers.

 

Still, a large number of vendors and marketers are unaware of the specifics of retail media.

 

This article will explain retail media networks and explain how using them might benefit your company's expansion.

 

Quick Guide

A Retail Media Network: What Is It?

How Are Retail Media Operated?

Retail Media Networks' Advantages

What Kinds of Retail Media Ads Are There?

Top 2024 Retail Media Networks

Trends in Retail Media Networks

Final Thoughts

 

A Retail Media Network: What Is It?

Retailers can sell third-party companies advertising space on their digital platforms through the use of a retail media network.

 

The retail media environment is growing in tandem with the growth of e-commerce shopping.

 

A survey published by Insider Intelligence estimates that by 2023, US advertisers would have spent about $30 billion on retail media search ads, or more than 27% of all search ad spending.

 

Moreover, by 2025, this expense is projected to double.

 

It's interesting to note that Amazon alone pays for 21% of these advertisements.

 

These figures demonstrate the enormous potential that Amazon offers to advertisers. Brands can contact their target audience precisely at the moment when they are prepared to make a purchase thanks to the platform's wide reach.

 

How Are Retail Media Operated?

Retailers can sell third-party brands advertising space on their digital channels through a retail media network.

 

Advertisers work together with the retail media network to choose their target audience and develop advertising strategies.

 

Next, in order to build audience groups and present highly targeted advertisements, the network obtains consumer data from the retailer.

 

Advertisers can target particular product categories, attract a large audience, or show up in search results by carefully placing their advertising on merchant platforms.

 

In order to monitor the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, the network also offers analytics and reporting tools.

 

The network and the retailers both benefit from this scenario. Additional revenue streams help retailers, and the network gets paid a commission to handle advertising transactions.

 

All things considered, a retail media network gives businesses the opportunity to advertise where customers are already spending their time and offers data that can be used to enhance marketing plans.

 

Retail Media Networks' Advantages

Retail media networks have an enormous effect on all parties involved in the eCommerce sector.

 

Given the shrinking profit margins in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, it offers Amazon merchants a fresh avenue for advertising.

 

Since merchants want to prevent abrupt price hikes that could have a negative impact on conversion and advertising revenue, this translates for customers into more consistent and lower costs.

 

These highly tailored ads also have the tendency to be less obtrusive and more relevant.

 

Additionally altering the relationship between consumers and brands is retail media. Retail media offers distinct benefits that make it well worth investing in, even though it can take some time for companies to adapt to this paradigm shift.

 

Here are a few of them:

 

Comprehensive Data

Unlike third-party cookies, which internet browsers are gradually eliminating, retail media networks are able to get first-party data directly from their platforms. This data is more trustworthy and adaptable.

 

Retail media networks may gather quite different kinds of data. Should the network of your choice offer a loyalty program, you might get access to comprehensive and enlightening data about consumers. To optimize the impact of your advertisements, you can utilize this information to target and customize them.

 

According to eMarketer research, retail media networks are preferred by 62% of CPG brands because to their extensive datasets. But not just CPG companies are making use of retail media networks. According to a recent McKinsey survey, 75% of non-CPG advertisers intend to increase their future spending on retail media networks.

 

Extreme Personalization

In retail media, hyper-personalization extends beyond just tailoring messages to boost revenue and boost return on investment. Additionally, it gives them the chance to tailor their messaging and offers to appeal to various audience segments.

 

Walmart Connect serves as a prime illustration of that. Customers can be targeted by advertisers according to several factors such as location and purchasing habits. Highly customized advertisements can improve brand engagement and conversion rates.

 

Retail media networks can enable marketers to reach consumers with coupons, highly targeted email promos, and alluring deals. Personalized goods promote growth and brand loyalty by bringing in new clients and introducing existing ones to new offerings.

 

Display Ads at Appropriate Times

Retail media networks put you in front of potential customers at their most likely-to-buy moment. These folks peruse the marketplaces in search of something to purchase. They will convert quickly if your product advertisement captures their interest during this stage.

 

Retail media advertisements are made to appear appealing and captivating on the internet. They can assist you in raising brand recognition and online presence.

 

Simple Analysis of Conversations

A retail media network such as Amazon or Walmart hosts both sales and ad impressions on the same platform. The precise advertisements, campaigns, or media outlets that fueled the sales might also be held accountable for them.

 

This gives you precise ROI information and permits you to allocate more funds to highly effective advertising tactics that generate the greatest revenue.

 

What Kinds of Retail Media Ads Are There?

Three primary categories can be used to categorize retail media ads:

 

On-site

On the retailer's platform, like Amazon or Walmart, on-site advertisements are displayed. These could be search or display advertising that provide shoppers with relevant goods and services.

 

Off-side

Through agreements with retail media, off-site advertisements utilize the retailer's data to display adverts on other platforms. They can aid in expanding the retailer's consumer base and bringing them back to the website.

 

In-store

In-store advertisements are those that are displayed within the retailers' actual physical locations. These advertisements, which improve the shopping experience and have an impact on decisions to buy, might be traditional or digital.

 

Top 2024 Retail Media Networks

The retail media market is predicted to be more competitive than ever in 2023 as more stores open up or establish their own media networks in an attempt to take a piece of the rising e-commerce ad spend.

 

Based on their capabilities, reach, and creativity, these are some of the leading retail media networks for 2024.

 

Amazon:

With over 200 million active shoppers each month in the US alone, Amazon is without a doubt the market leader in retail media. A wide range of advertising formats and options are available on all of Amazon's properties, including video, audio, sponsored brands, sponsored items, sponsored displays, and Amazon DSP.

 

eBay: 

With more than 180 million customers and sellers, eBay is a significant participant in the retail media market. For companies and agencies, eBay provides a variety of advertising options, such as eBay Partner Network, promoted listings, display advertisements, video ads, and native ads. In order to maximize their effectiveness, eBay also gives marketers access to its first-party data and analytics tools.

 

Criteo: 

Dynamic creative optimization and retargeting are the areas of expertise for this top advertising network. Delivering customized and pertinent online, mobile, and linked TV advertisements, Criteo collaborates with more than 20,000 merchants and brands globally.

 

Walmart: 

With more than 11,000 locations and an expanding online presence, Walmart is one of the biggest merchants in the world. In 2019, Walmart Connect, its own retail media network, was introduced.

 

Via Walmart's online and physical channels, such as Walmart.com, Walmart app, Walmart+, Walmart shops, Vudu, and Roku, advertisers may connect with millions of consumers. In order to assist advertisers in targeting and measuring their ads, Walmart Connect also makes use of powerful analytics and first-party data from Walmart.

 

Wayfair: 

With more than 20 million active users in the US, Wayfair is one of the top online sellers of furniture and home goods. Wayfair Media Solutions, its own retail media network, was introduced.

 

Through email advertisements, native ads, video ads, sponsored products, display ads, and native ads on all of Wayfair's websites and apps, advertisers may reach consumers who are home buyers. Additionally, Wayfair Media Solutions uses its own algorithms and private data to show shoppers relevant and customized advertisements.

 

Home Depot: 

With more than 2,200 locations and a strong online presence, Home Depot is the biggest home improvement retailer in the United States. In 2020, Home Depot established Home Depot Media Network, a retail media network of its own. Through display ads, sponsored items, video ads, native ads, and email ads on all of Home Depot's websites and applications, Home Depot Media Network gives marketers the opportunity to reach both experts and do-it-yourselfers.


Numerous more retail marketing networks are available in the market, including Best Buy Ads, CVS marketing Exchange, CitrusAd, Instacart, ePRICE, Roundel, and The Trade Desk.

 

Trends in Retail Media Networks

The following are some of the major themes influencing the retail media environment in 2023:

 

One issue facing retail media is the fragmentation of publishers.

Brands must navigate a complicated and fragmented ecosystem of publishers, each with unique formats, analytics, and capabilities, as more retailers enter the retail media field.

 

Furthermore, every month for a period of one to two months, a new retail media network appears, according to Merkle.

 

As a result, it becomes more difficult for companies to organize, carry out, and evaluate their campaigns across many channels and platforms.

 

Whether you do it manually or through a third-party platform, the fragmentation issue is out of control.

 

Brands must take a comprehensive and integrated approach to overcome this obstacle.

 

More controls are necessary due to rapid growth.

The Boston Consulting Group projects that the retail media market will reach $100 billion by 2026, growing at a rate of 25% annually.

 

It implies that in the upcoming years, retail media will draw the interest of regulators, customers, and trade associations.

 

Retailers and brands must get ready for modifications to data governance, industry standards, privacy regulations, and consumer expectations. Additionally, in order for team members to successfully navigate the changing retail media landscape, brands must invest in their education and training.

 

Amazon Attribution will grow significantly.

It was previously impossible for brands to market to consumers across various platforms, but retail media has made it possible.

 

However, it has become more challenging to gauge the effectiveness of these advertisements due to their multiplatform distribution.

 

Brands can assess how these non-Amazon advertisements affect sales with the help of Amazon Attribution. Brands are able to increase their advertising efforts and develop better strategies thanks to this knowledge.

 

Additionally, in order to make Amazon Attribution more accessible to companies of all sizes and categories, Amazon is trying to increase its functionality and availability compared to previous years.

 

Improved automation and AI are necessary for success.

2023's keywords are automation and artificial intelligence. In order to improve the effectiveness and performance of their campaigns, retailers and brands are adopting these technologies.

 

AI has the potential to greatly enhance campaign management for marketers and companies. For example, sellers can use AI automation algorithms to tailor bids according to context, consumer preferences, and business objectives.

 

Additionally, you may use Picsart to rapidly and efficiently make professional product images using AI, or ChatGPT to generate original ad copy for your products.

 

Social commerce is becoming more widely used.

The practice of social commerce has grown in popularity in recent years. Accenture predicts that social commerce will increase three times faster than traditional e-commerce, from $492 billion in 2021 to $1.2 trillion by 2025.

 

By 2025, it is anticipated that social commerce in the US would grow to $107.17 billion.

 

Users can now find, explore, and purchase things straight from their feeds on social networking sites like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok. These platforms are also developing their e-commerce capabilities.

 

Influencer marketing is a tactic used by retailers and companies to connect with potential customers on social media platforms.

 

As social media platforms become more accessible to consumers, brands should consider how they can use this information to better understand their target market and develop more customized products.

 

Final Thoughts

Retail media network companies and marketers had a busy year in 2023, and they will continue to do so in 2024.


Retail media networks give brands new chances for advertising and help them sell more goods, but are they able to handle the additional complexity?


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