Retail Media 101

Common retail media mistakes and how to avoid them

Common retail media mistakes, from vague briefs to overclaimed results, and the practical habits that help buyers avoid each one.

Sep 16, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Retail media trends to watch, without the hype

Retail media trends to watch, without the hype: measurement standards, in-store screens, programmatic buying and what each means for buyers.

Sep 14, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Walking the store: auditing your campaign in person

An in-store campaign audit means visiting stores to check that screens run and creative reads well. How to plan the visit and record findings.

Sep 12, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Privacy in retail media: what advertisers should expect

Retail media privacy for in-store campaigns: what data is involved, what advertisers should ask a network, and what to expect in contracts.

Sep 11, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

How to evaluate a retail media network: a buyer's checklist

How to evaluate a retail media network: a buyer's checklist covering footprint, data, measurement, buying terms and creative operations.

Sep 5, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Retail media glossary: terms buyers should know

A retail media glossary for buyers: plain definitions of the planning, buying, measurement and creative terms that come up in in-store media.

Sep 2, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

A short history of out-of-home advertising

A short history of out-of-home advertising, from posters and painted walls to billboards and digital screens inside neighborhood stores.

Aug 31, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Pacing and delivery: keeping a campaign on track

Campaign pacing tracks whether delivery is on schedule. How to read a pacing report for in-store media and what to do when a flight falls behind.

Aug 29, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

CPM in DOOH: what it means and how to compare

DOOH CPM is the cost of 1,000 impressions, but impressions are counted differently across networks. How to compare CPMs on a like-for-like basis.

Aug 28, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

First-party data and in-store media: how they connect

First-party data can guide an in-store media plan without matching individuals. How advertisers can use their own data for planning and measurement.

Aug 24, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Data clean rooms and retail media, explained

A data clean room lets two parties analyze combined data without sharing raw records. How clean rooms work in retail media and what to ask.

Aug 22, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

The post-campaign wrap report: a checklist

Post-campaign analysis works best as a checklist: delivery, comparison, results, caveats and next steps. What a useful wrap report should include.

Aug 21, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Short-term vs. long-term effects of in-store advertising

Long-term advertising effects are harder to measure than short-term sales. What in-store data can show, what it can't, and how to report both.

Aug 17, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Share of category: reading a campaign's effect on the shelf

Share of category compares your brand's sales with the whole category in the same stores. How to measure a campaign's effect on it fairly.

Aug 15, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Halo effects: when advertising one product lifts another

A halo effect is when advertising one product appears to lift sales of another. How to look for it in store-level data and report it with care.

Aug 12, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

ROAS for in-store media: calculating it honestly

Retail media ROAS divides attributed sales by ad spend, but the inputs decide whether it means anything. How to calculate it honestly for in-store.

Aug 10, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Brand safety in physical retail

Brand safety in DOOH and physical retail covers the store setting, nearby messages and creative fit. What to ask and how to check in person.

Aug 8, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Co-marketing: bundling brands in one in-store campaign

Co-marketing bundles two or more brands into one in-store campaign. Which pairings make sense, how to split costs and credit, and how to measure it.

Aug 7, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Back-to-school campaigns through neighborhood stores

Back to school advertising through neighborhood stores: why timing varies by region, which categories fit, and how to plan the flight.

Aug 5, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Timing campaigns around big games and sports seasons

Sports marketing in neighborhood stores follows the game calendar. How to time in-store campaigns around big games and seasons.

Aug 3, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Public service campaigns on in-store screens

Public service advertising on in-store screens can share civic and community information locally. How to plan, write and place these campaigns.

Aug 1, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Pet food and pet care brands in neighborhood stores

Pet brand advertising in neighborhood stores meets owners on the fill-in trip. How pet food and care brands can plan messages, packs and geography.

Jul 31, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Consumer electronics accessory brands at the counter

Electronics accessory advertising at the counter: how chargers, cables and earbuds brands can plan clear, need-based messages in small stores.

Jul 29, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Fresh, dairy, and bakery brands at the point of purchase

Fresh food brand advertising at the point of purchase works best when supply keeps up. How dairy and bakery brands can plan in-store campaigns.

Jul 27, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Prepaid wireless and telecom advertising at the counter

Prepaid wireless advertising at the counter: how to make plans and cards easy to understand, time campaigns well, and keep claims accurate.

Jul 25, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Reaching commuters on the way to work

Commuter advertising in neighborhood stores reaches people on habitual morning trips. Which categories fit and how to plan by location.

Jul 20, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

QR codes on in-store screens: when they make sense

QR codes in DOOH make sense when shoppers have a reason and a moment to scan. When to use one on in-store screens and how to design it.

Jul 10, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Product shots that read at a glance

Product shots for ads on POS screens need a clear front, strong contrast and simple backgrounds. How to make a pack readable at a glance.

Jul 4, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Copywriting for screens: fewer words, clearer offers

DOOH copywriting for in-store screens: how to cut words, lead with one clear offer, and test whether a line reads in a single glance.

Jul 1, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Retail media RFPs: questions worth asking

A retail media RFP is only as useful as its questions. What to ask about the network, measurement, buying terms and creative before you commit.

Jun 27, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

How media agencies plan retail media

How media agencies plan retail media: where in-store screens fit a plan, how buying works directly or by PMP, and what planners ask networks.

Jun 26, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Non-endemic advertising: brands the store doesn't sell

Non-endemic advertising comes from brands the store doesn't sell. Why they buy in-store screens, how to plan it, and how to measure results.

Jun 22, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Contextual DOOH: matching the message to the moment

Contextual DOOH matches the message to the place and moment it's seen. What context means inside a store and how to write creative for it.

Jun 20, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Planning around cultural moments and holidays

Cultural moments marketing on in-store screens: how to build a calendar, plan lead times, and make respectful creative without assumptions.

Jun 19, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Competitive conquesting at the shelf, done fairly

Competitive conquesting puts your message where shoppers weigh a rival's product. How to do it at the shelf fairly, truthfully and within the rules.

Jun 17, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Entering a new market with in-store media

Market entry advertising with in-store media: how to sequence distribution and ads, choose zip codes, and read early results in a new market.

Jun 15, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Choosing KPIs for a DOOH campaign

Choosing DOOH KPIs starts with the campaign objective. Which delivery and outcome measures fit in-store screens, and which numbers need care.

Jun 12, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Setting objectives for an in-store media campaign

Campaign objectives for in-store media should name one change you want to see and how you'll judge it. How to write objectives planners can use.

Jun 10, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Writing a retail media brief that gets a better plan back

A retail media brief should state the problem, products, markets, budget and success measures. What to include so planners send back a better plan.

Jun 8, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Geographic overlap between roadside and in-store formats

A roadside panel and a store screen can reach the same people in the same trip. Planning the pair without double counting.

Jun 6, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

When in-store media is the wrong channel

The channel suits some objectives and not others. Recognising the cases where it should not be recommended.

May 16, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Sequential messaging across visits

A daily-visit channel can tell a story across trips. What that requires and how reliably it works.

May 15, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Working with an agency on an in-store buy

Most agencies have less experience of this channel than of digital. What to establish and where the gaps usually are.

May 8, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Brand safety in a physical environment

Brand safety in a store is about environment and adjacency rather than about content feeds. What actually applies.

May 2, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Comparing costs across channels that are not comparable

Cross-channel cost comparisons are made constantly and are rarely valid. What can be compared and what cannot.

Apr 22, 20264 min read

Retail Media 101

Cost per thousand in a store network

CPM in a store network rests on an audience estimate. What goes into it and what a buyer should check.

Apr 20, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Media mix contribution for a physical channel

Mix models struggle with small channels. What in-store media can and cannot expect from a marketing mix model.

Apr 17, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

New buyers and existing buyers

A sales increase can come from more buyers or from the same buyers buying more. Separating them without shopper identifiers.

Apr 15, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Sample size for a store-level media test

A test too small cannot detect the effect it is looking for. How to size a store-level test before running it.

Apr 8, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Holdout stores in an in-store media test

A holdout is the cleanest evidence available in this channel. How to choose one and what invalidates it.

Apr 6, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

In-store media for a local service business

A local business advertising in nearby stores reaches a tightly defined area. What suits this use and what does not.

Apr 3, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Retail media for a regional brand

A regional brand's constraint is matching media to its distribution footprint. Why a store channel suits that shape.

Apr 1, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Double counting across channels

Adding reach across channels overstates it. Where double counting comes from and how to present a combined figure honestly.

Mar 25, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Incremental reach against a digital-only plan

The strongest case for in-store media is the people a digital plan does not reach. How to frame and check that claim.

Mar 23, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Reach curves in a fixed-location channel

Reach builds differently when the audience comes to the medium. How reach accumulates in store networks and what that changes.

Mar 20, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Co-op advertising through a retail network

Co-op funding lets a brand and a retailer share media cost. What it requires, how it is documented, and where it goes wrong.

Mar 14, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Age-restricted categories on in-store screens

Some categories carry restrictions that a general-audience screen cannot satisfy. What to establish before planning a campaign.

Mar 13, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Content standards on a retail screen network

A screen in a neighbourhood store plays to a general audience including children. What that means for what can run.

Mar 11, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

Where a screen actually gets seen

Placement decides whether an in-store screen is seen at all. The positions that work, the ones that do not, and why.

Feb 23, 20265 min read

Retail Media 101

How in-store screens complement social and mobile campaigns

In-store screens add what social and mobile can't: presence at the register when buying happens. How the channels fit together in one plan.

Nov 26, 20255 min read

Retail Media 101

Retail media networks vs. traditional DOOH: the practical difference

Retail media networks and traditional DOOH both sell screens. The real differences: context, measurement, and what each does best on a media plan.

Nov 21, 20255 min read

Retail Media 101

Why bodegas and corner stores are a brand-building venue

Bodegas and corner stores build brands through daily visits and neighborhood trust. The case for corner store advertising as a brand channel.

Nov 17, 20255 min read

Retail Media 101

Digital out-of-home advertising, explained

Digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH), explained: how it differs from static billboards, where the screens live, how it's bought, and where in-store fits.

Nov 12, 20255 min read

Retail Media 101

What is retail media? A plain-English guide for brands

Retail media, explained in plain English: what the term covers, why brand budgets are moving to it, and how on-site, off-site, and in-store buys work.

Nov 10, 20255 min read

All topics

Retail Media 101

Common retail media mistakes and how to avoid them

Retail media trends to watch, without the hype

Walking the store: auditing your campaign in person

Privacy in retail media: what advertisers should expect

How to evaluate a retail media network: a buyer's checklist

Retail media glossary: terms buyers should know

A short history of out-of-home advertising

Pacing and delivery: keeping a campaign on track

CPM in DOOH: what it means and how to compare

First-party data and in-store media: how they connect

Data clean rooms and retail media, explained

The post-campaign wrap report: a checklist

Short-term vs. long-term effects of in-store advertising

Share of category: reading a campaign's effect on the shelf

Halo effects: when advertising one product lifts another

ROAS for in-store media: calculating it honestly

Brand safety in physical retail

Co-marketing: bundling brands in one in-store campaign

Back-to-school campaigns through neighborhood stores

Timing campaigns around big games and sports seasons

Public service campaigns on in-store screens

Pet food and pet care brands in neighborhood stores

Consumer electronics accessory brands at the counter

Fresh, dairy, and bakery brands at the point of purchase

Prepaid wireless and telecom advertising at the counter

Reaching commuters on the way to work

QR codes on in-store screens: when they make sense

Product shots that read at a glance

Copywriting for screens: fewer words, clearer offers

Retail media RFPs: questions worth asking

How media agencies plan retail media

Non-endemic advertising: brands the store doesn't sell

Contextual DOOH: matching the message to the moment

Planning around cultural moments and holidays

Competitive conquesting at the shelf, done fairly

Entering a new market with in-store media

Choosing KPIs for a DOOH campaign

Setting objectives for an in-store media campaign

Writing a retail media brief that gets a better plan back

Geographic overlap between roadside and in-store formats

When in-store media is the wrong channel

Sequential messaging across visits

Working with an agency on an in-store buy

Brand safety in a physical environment

Comparing costs across channels that are not comparable

Cost per thousand in a store network

Media mix contribution for a physical channel

New buyers and existing buyers

Sample size for a store-level media test

Holdout stores in an in-store media test

In-store media for a local service business

Retail media for a regional brand

Double counting across channels

Incremental reach against a digital-only plan

Reach curves in a fixed-location channel

Co-op advertising through a retail network

Age-restricted categories on in-store screens

Content standards on a retail screen network

Where a screen actually gets seen

How in-store screens complement social and mobile campaigns

Retail media networks vs. traditional DOOH: the practical difference

Why bodegas and corner stores are a brand-building venue

Digital out-of-home advertising, explained

What is retail media? A plain-English guide for brands