Getting the sales team behind your retail media plan

Retail media plans fail quietly when the sales team hears about them last. A campaign launches in stores where the product isn't stocked, or during weeks when a distributor is running a conflicting promotion, and nobody on the sales side knew to flag it. Sales and marketing alignment on retail media means bringing sales in early, sharing the plan in terms they can use, and giving them results they can take to their accounts.

Done well, alignment turns a media plan into a sales tool.

Why should sales be involved from the start?

Because sales knows the shelves. Sales teams and their distributor partners know where products are stocked, where distribution is growing and where it's struggling. That knowledge is essential for choosing where in-store media should run.

Because sales knows the calendar. Promotions, resets and distributor programs are often planned by sales. A media campaign that ignores them can conflict or miss a chance to reinforce them.

Because sales can use the campaign. A salesperson who can tell a distributor that in-store media will support a product in their stores has a stronger case for placement.

Because sales hears from store owners. Feedback about what's selling, what's missing and what shoppers ask for can shape which products and stores a campaign should focus on.

What does the sales team need to know?

The store list. Which stores or zip codes will the campaign run in? The store locations page shows where the NRS Digital Media network operates, and campaigns can be activated by geography down to the zip code.

The products. Which SKUs will be advertised? Sales can confirm they're stocked where the ads will run.

The timing. When does the campaign start and end? Sales can line it up with distributor activity and flag conflicts.

The objective. What is the campaign meant to achieve? If sales knows it's about trial of a new item, they can focus placement efforts accordingly.

The contacts. Who on the media side can answer questions if a distributor asks about the campaign?

Keep it short. A one-page summary with these points is more likely to be read and used than a full media plan.

How can the plan help in distributor conversations?

As support for placement. A distributor considering a new item may be more willing if in-store media will support it in their stores. Sales can present the campaign as part of the launch.

As evidence for the category. If the campaign is designed with category growth in mind, sales can frame it around the distributor's interests, not just the brand's.

As a reason to check stock. A campaign is a natural prompt to confirm that stores are stocked and ready. Sales can coordinate with distributors so the shelf matches the screen.

How should results be shared?

In terms sales can use. Store-level comparisons, showing how advertised stores performed against similar stores, are easy to explain to distributors. Store-level scan data, such as the data analyzed by NRS Insights, supports those comparisons.

A short summary written for sales, with one chart and a few plain sentences, is usually more useful to them than the full wrap report.

Promptly. Results shared months later are less useful than results shared soon after the flight, when conversations are still active.

Honestly. If the campaign underperformed in some stores, say so. Sales teams lose credibility with distributors when results are oversold. The broader practice of retail media planning benefits from that honesty.

And with next steps. What should sales do with the results? Expand distribution, adjust placement, plan the next campaign? To plan with your sales team in the loop, contact the NRS Digital Media team.