Retail media RFPs: questions worth asking

An RFP is only as good as its questions. A retail media RFP, or request for proposal, is the document a brand or agency sends to retail media networks asking them to propose a plan and describe their capabilities. The answers shape which network gets the budget. If the questions are vague, the answers will be too, and comparing proposals becomes guesswork.

Well-chosen questions make the differences between networks visible.

What should an RFP ask about the network?

Start with footprint. How many stores and screens does the network include? Where are they, by market or zip code? What kinds of stores are they, and does the network include chains, independents or both?

Then ask about the screens themselves. Where in the store are they placed? How are they measured? How is uptime monitored, and what happens when a screen goes dark during a campaign?

A good RFP asks for supporting material, not just totals. A store list or map for the target markets lets you check the footprint against your distribution. For reference on how an RFP is typically structured, the general overview is useful.

What should it ask about targeting and measurement?

Targeting options: how can a campaign be focused? By geography, by store type, by product, by audience? What data underlies each option, and at what level is it aggregated?

Delivery reporting: what will the network report during and after the campaign? Plays, screens live, dates, locations?

Outcome measurement: how can the campaign's effect on sales be assessed? What data is used, and how are comparison groups chosen? Ask for a sample report, and ask how the network handles results that come in below expectations.

Privacy: what data is involved, and how is it handled? For in-store media based on store-level and product-level data, the answers should be clear and specific.

What should it ask about buying terms?

How inventory can be bought: directly, programmatically or both. If programmatic, which arrangements are supported.

Minimums: is there a minimum spend, a minimum number of stores or a required package? Some networks require buying a fixed bundle. Others don't.

Flexibility: can a campaign be paused, extended or adjusted mid-flight? What are the terms if delivery falls short?

Pricing basis: how is inventory priced, and what's included? Ask networks to explain their pricing in terms that let you compare proposals fairly.

For reference, NRS Digital Media campaigns can be bought directly or by PMP, with no forced networks or minimums, and can be activated by audience index, retail channel, SKU level, or geography down to the zip code.

What should it ask about creative and operations?

Specs: what file types, sizes and durations are accepted? The creative specs page is where NRS Digital Media publishes its requirements.

Approvals: what review process applies, and how long does it take? Are there categories with additional requirements?

Lead times: how far ahead must creative be delivered? How quickly can a campaign launch after approval?

Support: who is the day-to-day contact, and how are issues handled?

How should you evaluate the answers?

Side by side, against the same criteria. Build a simple scoring grid before the responses arrive, weighting the factors that matter most to your objective. A campaign aimed at SKU sales should weight footprint in stores that carry the product and outcome measurement heavily.

Watch for vague answers. Broad claims about measurement or reach without specifics are a signal to ask follow-up questions. Specifics are what separate a strong proposal from a well-written one.

And talk to people. A short call with each shortlisted network can clarify answers that looked similar on paper. To request information from NRS Digital Media, contact the NRS Digital Media team, and see the store locations page for the network's footprint.