Imagine being able to influence a customer at the exact moment they’re deciding what to buy. That’s the promise of retail media—a booming channel that’s transforming how brands connect with shoppers in the digital age. With consumers expecting to shop anywhere, anytime, and brands striving to make every advertising dollar count, retail media is becoming an essential tool in the modern marketer’s arsenal.
To better understand this topic, we spoke with Sarah Mansfield, former VP of Global Media at Unilever and now the founder of Barcarolle consultancy. With over a decade of experience driving innovation in media and marketing, Sarah shared her insights on why retail media is capturing so much attention and how brands can make the most of it. Watch the full podcast below, or read on for the highlights.
Why is retail media booming?
“Think about how consumers are shopping now and how brands are responding to that,” Sarah begins. “Consumers now have so many options about where they can buy and how they shop. Online shopping has significantly increased in importance, and with that, how brands communicate with their consumers has changed as well. A consumer's expectations are that they be able to shop and buy anywhere at any time.”
Sarah emphasizes the unique advantage retail media offers: the ability to influence purchasing decisions right at the point of sale. “The opportunity for a brand to influence a consumer closer to the point of purchase via a retail media site is super exciting. If you combine that with the richness of purchase data and the ability to directly attribute ROI, it’s incredibly attractive for brands.”
The surge in retail media is also fueled by the increasing inventory and data-targeting opportunities from retail platforms. “It’s a golden age for retail media,” Sarah declares.
How are marketers using retail media?
Brands are keen to maximize returns from retail media, but Sarah notes a shift in objectives. “Most retailer media that's bought and sold is sales driven, and sales is the primary objective. Having said that, a lot of brands with retailers are exploring how they can not just convert to purchase via retail media, but also leverage retail media sites to build brands as well.”
The granular data retail media data offers advertisers can help them understand customer behavior at a deeper level.Real-time measurement is another hot topic. “A lot of the sales data that you get is maybe on a deferred window. So being able to have more real-time data, more granular data, is key,” she explains. This immediacy allows brands to respond quickly to consumer behaviors and tailor their messaging in near real-time, whether it’s adjusting offers to drive conversions or refining creative to reinforce brand perception. With granular insights, marketers can better understand which campaigns resonate at each stage of the funnel, ensuring both short-term sales and long-term brand equity are maximized.
Think full funnel when integrating retail media into your strategy
Sarah’s advice for integrating retail media into a broader strategy is clear: think full funnel. “Don’t look at retail media in isolation. Think about how you go through from awareness to conversion, and what that whole full funnel looks like in terms of measuring outcomes.
“Also, ensure you’re comparing apples to apples. Every retailer has different ways of evaluating a sale, different attribution windows, what they account in a sale and what they don't.”
Data needs to be clean and standardized so you can get a clear picture of what's working and what isn't.
She stresses the importance of cross-referencing data points. “Don’t look at one data point in isolation. Cross-reference it against other data points. Look at a trend and track it over time. See how much deviation there is between what you’ve seen before, and if it’s too low or too high, retest it. And think about how you trust the data you’re getting from retailers—are they marking their own homework? Should you be thinking about verifying it through a third party?”
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is
According to Sarah, one of the biggest pitfalls in retail media is failing to analyze how campaigns truly influence consumer behavior.
“If an ROI looks too good to be true, it probably is. Always think about attribution. Ask yourself: What else might have influenced this sale?”
When asked about overlooked metrics, Sarah doesn’t hesitate. “Incrementality. You need to be able to know that actually, that ad, what actually truly it did drive in terms of revenue returns for you? Would a consumer already have bought that product, without you buying that impression?"
Sarah urges marketers, “Don't just rely on last touch point attribution, it's not enough.”
Final thoughts
For marketers feeling overwhelmed by data, Sarah’s advice is straightforward: take a step back and focus on what truly matters. "Think about how you can make the complex simple. And think consumer first.”
With so much information available, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Sarah emphasizes the importance of prioritizing what drives real impact.“There are many data points out there. And I think you really, really need to single down and think, okay, what are the primary metrics? What are the real metrics that matter? And how am I really going to focus on those and leverage those to optimize my outcomes.”
Retail media isn’t just a trend; it’s a transformative channel offering unique opportunities for brands to connect with consumers and drive measurable results. By focusing on metrics like incrementality, integrating retail media into full-funnel strategies, and staying curious, marketers can navigate this golden age with confidence.
