In my recent LinkedIn Live with Andreas Reiffen, co-founder and CEO of adtech company Pentaleap, we dove into one of the most intriguing shifts happening in retail media right now: the rise of multi-retailer ad networks. This isn’t just about another layer of technology, it’s about simplifying one of the biggest pain points for brands and media buyers: the crushing complexity of managing ad spend across dozens of disconnected retailer systems.

We explored how these syndicated and programmatic retail media models are reshaping the landscape. From Amazon’s new retail ad service with Macy’s, to Instacart’s Carrot Ads and Best Buy’s ambitions to become a true ad network. Andreas and I discussed the historical irony of retail media returning to its ad network roots (just with more sophisticated tech and better use of first-party retail data).

If you’ve been wondering where retail media is heading next, this conversation is a must-listen.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[0:15] - The problem with fragmented retail media and the promise of multi-retailer networks
[1:20] - Revisiting pre-Amazon ad network models and why they might be making a comeback
[2:15] - Andreas on how programmatic buying could transform retail media
[4:40] - Why even large CPGs hesitate to expand across multiple RMNs
[6:45] - Amazon’s partnership with Macy’s and the emergence of three network models
[7:23] - Instacart’s Carrot Ads and other players joining the race
[8:35] - The irony of Amazon fixing the fragmentation problem it helped create
[10:15] - How programmatic networks and direct retail relationships will likely coexist

Links & Resources

• Watch the full livestream replay on LinkedIn
• Follow Andreas Reiffen on LinkedIn
• Read my article Meet The First Retail Media Federations & Consortiums
• Read my article Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMN
• Read my article Underrated Ecommerce Metrics That Tell The Real Story
• Read my article How Alliances Could Solve Retail Media's Fragmentation Problem (Part 1)
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn