Retail Media keeps growing, but for agencies, one problem hasn’t gone away: how do you confidently assess performance when measurement varies by retailer?
That was the starting point for our recent agency breakfast, hosted in partnership with one of our audit partners, ABC UK, earlier this week. Not a sales session. Not a product demo. Just an open conversation with leading agency representatives at the forefront of Retail and Commerce media.
As Jason Wescott, Global Head of Commerce at WPP Media & Chair of our Retail & Commerce Media Committee, set out at the start of the discussion, “Fragmentation is the enemy of scale”.
With Retail Media increasingly moving into core media plans rather than sitting in a silo, agencies are under growing pressure to compare performance, justify investment, and scale activity across retailers and markets. Doing that becomes extremely difficult if measurement is inconsistent across media networks.
Retail Media Certification didn’t appear overnight.
At the beginning of 2024, we brought together 15 Retail Media Networks (RMNs) to talk openly about shared measurement challenges. Everyone agreed on the problem - alignment was needed. This work led to the release of the first Retail Media Measurement Standards in April 2024.
The reaction was positive, but pragmatic. Agencies and buyers welcomed the standards, while asking a critical question: how does this improve day-to-day decision making?
That challenge directly informed the next phase. In October 2024, the Certification Programme was announced, setting out how retailers could be audited against the standards. Two retailers later entered a beta phase, helping shape how the process works in practice.
In 2025, certification expanded to include ad tech, and agencies were brought into the conversation through an initial roadshow. A key milestone followed in September, when the first RMN, Albert Heijn, achieved certification.
Earlier this year, Version 2 of the Measurement Standards was released, extending the scope beyond RMNs into Commerce Media, with quick commerce firmly included.
The breakfast provided an opportunity to step back and reflect on the journey so far and dive into the value of certification from an agency point of view.
Retail Media is no longer experimental. Budgets are real, and scrutiny is real, too.
As Jason noted during the discussion, “The biggest challenge is how we scale the process of buying, and that’s very difficult if we’re not speaking the same language.” Without consistent measurement, comparing performance across retailers becomes complex and time-consuming, limiting its ability to scale.
Industry standards and certification address this by providing a clear, independent reference point for evaluating performance. Audited standards make Retail Media easier to compare without adding layers of normalisation, help establish clear baselines, and protect buyers from opaque measurement practices.
When measurement is consistent, conversations move away from debating definitions and towards outcomes. That shift is critical for trust.
For agencies, certification is not abstract. It creates a clear reference point when evaluating Retail Media performance. It makes it easier to compare results across retailers, challenge numbers when needed, and defend recommendations in front of clients.
In practical terms, agencies are already using certification to reduce reconciliation cycles, support QBR discussions, inform RFPs and procurement decisions, and accelerate approvals. When everyone agrees on how results are measured, less time is spent validating the numbers, and more time is spent improving performance.
That came through clearly in the discussion.
Agencies sit at the centre of the Retail Media ecosystem, acting as the intermediary between retailers and brands.
With finite budgets and increasing focus on ROI, agencies have a responsibility to ensure Retail Media operates with the same professionalism and consistency as other verified channels. As Jason emphasised, “Agencies are stewards for a large amount of spend. Our job is to protect clients from inconsistencies.”
Certification directly supports that role. Certified retailers make life easier for agencies: budgets are simpler to justify, scaling is more straightforward, and multi-retailer campaigns become less risky. When measurement is independently verified, agencies are better placed to challenge results, optimise activity, and have more constructive conversations with both clients and partners.
As more retailers achieve certification, Retail Media begins to behave like a mature media ‘channel’ - comparable, defensible, and easier to plan against within a total media strategy.
A key part of the conversation focused on trust.
Andy Flint, Head of Business Development at ABC UK, highlighted the risks created by self-reporting in an area of this scale. When definitions and methodologies aren’t applied consistently, reporting diverges, confidence in the data drops, and the ability to scale investment is undermined.
Certification addresses this through an independent audit. Certification is not self-declared. Auditors work directly with the organisations being certified, operating under shared guidance to ensure consistency across the programme. Their role includes defining the audit approach, reviewing documentation and deliverables, and aligning with other auditors to ensure certification outcomes are consistent across the market.
That independent layer is what turns standards into something agencies can rely on. By creating a trusted, comparable baseline, an audit reduces uncertainty for buyers. As Andy put it, “As buyers, certification means you have fewer unknowns.”
The discussion also acknowledged a broader shift underway.
Historically, Retail Media has often been sold on features rather than value. Agencies agreed that standards and certification must be value-led, clearly articulating what good measurement enables, from comparability and scalability to proving incrementality.
There was also strong recognition that measurement capability is driven by the underlying tech stack, making the inclusion of ad tech within the certification framework essential. Greater transparency at this level will significantly improve brand understanding and confidence.
There’s no need to wait for the market to catch up.
Agencies can already ask retailers whether their measurement is certified, reference certification in RFPs and procurement discussions, and encourage uncertified Retail Media Networks to engage with the programme. Certification status can be used today as a signal of readiness for scaled, multi-retailer, or multi-market investment.
Education also emerged as a priority. Upskilling teams on metrics, clearly communicating what the standards mean, and reinforcing the agency's role as strategic advisors, not just buyers, were highlighted as important.
The message from the breakfast was clear.
For Retail Media to mature, it must be measured and audited with the same rigour as other major media channels. Standards create alignment, but audit creates confidence, enabling Retail and Commerce Media to be planned, evaluated, and scaled alongside other verified investments.
That independent layer is what turns standards into something agencies can rely on.
The Retail Media Certification Programme is open to all retailers and ad tech companies. Visit our Certification page to learn more about the programme, understand the audit requirements, and find out how to start the process today.
You can also email the team at retailmediastandards [at] iabeurope.eu.
