What a start to 2025! On 22nd January, we headed to London for our first Retailer Council for the year, where we brought some of the brightest minds in the industry together to tackle the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of Retail Media from a Retailer perspective.
From emerging trends to evolving buyer needs, the insights shared were nothing short of inspiring.
Thank you to SMG for hosting the session and to our Retailer Leaders’s Council members including those from Ahold Delhaize, Bol.com, Rewe Group, Uber Ads, Unlimitail, Ica Gruppen, and Allegro who joined us.
For those interested in learning more about what the session covered, check out the highlights below:
Daniel kicked things off with an insightful update on the ad economy and how this is impacting retail media development, highlighting shifts in growth and challenges across regions. Some key takeaways included:
With Retail Media spend concentrated within a small number of players, differentiation is critical. This calls for stronger industry standards and increased data sharing amongst retailers to foster competition and innovation.
After a period of reflection on the information Daniel shared, guest speakers from GroupM, Uber Advertising and SMG shared key insights with the group.
Here are some of the key takeaways that were shared by GroupM to provide Retailers with an agency perspective on what brands are looking for from Retail Media.
Key Challenges for Agencies:
1. Pressure to prioritise: With more limited ad budgets, agencies are facing increasing demands to prioritise projects and allocate spend strategically. Thie requires more granular planning, especially in high-potential areas like Retail Media.
2. Audience Targeting and Insights:
3. Balancing Ad Load with Experience: Retailers were advised to diversify beyond sponsored ads and consider organic placements and contextual targeting to optimise both performance and customer experience.
4. Off-Site Retail Media Growth: Off-site channels offer significant potential for audience curation and upper-funnel opportunities. However, agencies are finding that they must carefully manage audience and supply parameters to ensure brand safety and access premium inventory.
Opportunities for Agencies:
1. Omnichannel Attribution: Connected, cross-channel attribution is the future of Retail Media. Agencies are looking to push for more sophisticated measurement systems to link on-site, off-site, and in-store media to clear business outcomes.
2. Non-Endemic Brands: For non-endemic brands, Retail Media presents a chance to stand out. Agencies can help these brands leverage data points to prove audience relevance and drive awareness in a unique space.
3. Collaborative Partnerships: Agencies have a growing role as orchestrators, collaborating with retailers and brands to align strategies and maximise returns.
The GroupM representatives rounded everything up by encouraging the Retailers to unlock new opportunities by experimenting with innovative ad formats beyond traditional approaches. Video and contextual targeting, in particular, offer significant potential to enhance engagement and performance. In-store media also presents unique advantages, providing brands with opportunities for high-impact reach and engagement.
The final part of the day brought an open discussion between participants on what Retailers felt should be the priority areas for 2025 and how IAB Europe can support this.
Here are some of the areas of focus that were discussed:
1. Importance of Incrementality Measurement: Recognising that Retail Media needs to move beyond Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) the group discussed alignment on defining incremental sales measurement. This workstream will be led by IAB Europe with measurement guidelines coming out in the next couple of months.
2. Building the Retail Media Narrative: The group discussed the need to build the narrative of Retail Media and its USPs in the broader media landscape and IAB Europe encourages all ecosystem participants to lean in on this initiative.
“It was my first time attending and I enjoyed it. The speakers and presentations really portrayed Retail Media from different angles and the chance for lots of informal talk amongst retail media experts was great!” Christian Raveaux, Head of Retail Media Connect, REWE Group
"Relevant, high-quality presentations and discussions on standards, certification, incrementally, and more. Joint surfing lessons on The Third Wave, professionalising our industry step by step. Important and fun." Maurits Priem, VP Monetisation Europe & Indonesia, Ahold Delhaize
If you are a retailer or a key player in the advertising ecosystem interested in shaping the future of Retail Media, discover more about IAB Europe’s Retail Media initiatives here and connect with Marie-Clare Puffett at puffett@iabeurope.eu to learn about membership opportunities and how to get involved.
Have you secured your space to attend Advertising Horizons 2025? Taking place on 4th February in Brussels, IAB Europe’s flagship policy event promises to be an unmissable experience for anyone navigating the fast-paced world of advertising and policy.
Here are 5 reasons you can’t afford to miss it:
Want a sneak peek at what makes this event so special? Don’t miss our latest podcast episode, as our Marketing & Communications Director, Lauren Wakefield, and Inés Talavera de la Esperanza, Public Policy Manager, discuss the story behind the event, its agenda, and the exceptional speakers.
Spaces are filling up fast, so don’t delay! Find out more about the event via the link below and register now to secure your free spot, before it’s too late.
Brussels, Belgium, 16th January 2025 - IAB Europe, Alliance Digitale, BVDW, IAB Finland, IAB Ireland, IAB Italia, IAB Polska, IAB Spain, and SPIR have submitted to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) a feedback paper outlining key remarks and concerns after the EDPB’s stakeholder event on the forthcoming draft Guidelines concerning “Consent or Pay” (CorP) models, organised on November 18, 2024.
The undersigned trade associations emphasise the need for a unified European approach consistent with existing legal frameworks, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It has to be noted that CorP models have already been recognised in various jurisdictions, demonstrating their legality and alignment with GDPR principles.
A major concern is the assessment of "freely given consent" in the context of CorP. CorP models inherently provide users with autonomy by offering clear options for accessing an online service involving paying a fee or accepting the processing of personal data for personalised advertising purposes to have free access. Users also retain full freedom to choose neither option and seek alternative services instead.
Additionally, there is no obligation for businesses to provide their services for free, nor is there any obligation for businesses to provide their services at a loss which would inevitably be the case should a third, free alternative without personalised advertising be required where CorP models are used. Personalised advertising is a significant revenue driver for many online services, with contextual advertising falling short as a viable alternative. Studies indicate that contextual ads generate significantly less revenue and are less effective in filling available ad slots. It will therefore no longer be feasible for many businesses to maintain a free (or lower-priced) access option funded by advertising due to much lower revenues should such an alternative be required - which would ultimately be to the detriment of users.
The undersigned trade associations therefore encourage the EDPB to adopt a balanced, evidence-based approach to CorP models, recognising their role in sustaining access to free online services while respecting user autonomy. Given the significant economic implications that may result from the EDPB’s evaluation of CorP, any guidance should also be adequately based on empirical research as well as appropriate consultation with competition authorities and consumer protection authorities.
The feedback paper can be found here. For more information, please contact Gosia Kowalska, Privacy & Compliance Manager, IAB Europe - kowalska@iabeurope.eu / Ninon Vagner, Privacy Director, IAB Europe - vagner@iabeurope.eu.
What’s in store for Retail Media in 2025? We asked members of our Retail Media Committee to share their predictions on the trends and themes that will shape the industry over the next 12 months. Take a look below to see their insights, including their buzzword predictions.
A big thank you to the following contributors for sharing their thoughts:
Jason Wescott, Global Head of Commerce Solutions, GroupM & IAB Europe’s Retail Media Committee Chair
Tanguy Le Falher, Head of Retail Partnerships, Unlimitail
Katie Streeter Hurle, CSO, SMG
Lucie Laurendon, Head of Product Marketing, Equativ
Troy Townsend, CEO, Zitcha
Jason: “Innovation will be a key trend that shapes 2025. This can be interpreted broadly in the way that industry players will seek growth through differentiation as markets become more saturated. Data collaboration, automation, AI creative tools, and incrementality are key innovation fields promising bigger, better, and faster. I also think opportunism will be a trend, and I use this without negative connotation, but more in the sense of striking whilst the iron is hot. Retail Media is in demand and FOMO is in full effect for retailers who have been slow to mobilise. AdTech providers are well positioned to capitalise, with Amazon even throwing their hat in the ring recently announcing their Amazon Retail Ad Service rollout, in the US for on-site search, initially.”
Tanguy: “Retail Media will accelerate its transformation to be omnichannel. It is making a lot of sense for shoppers, retailers, and brands. Many omnichannel retailers are now becoming mature in Retail Media, enabling them to invest in-store and create opportunities for brands to connect with shoppers at the point of purchase where the large majority of sales still happen. This trend also corresponds to the key need to connect digital and physical touchpoints and measure the contribution of each interaction on total sales to reflect shopper behaviour.”
Katie: “I think the major trend we’ll see is Retail Media consolidation and partnerships. We know that the buy-side is finding it hard to navigate the explosion in Retail Media Network (RMN) launches that have cropped up across Europe in the last 2 years, yet there are still further retailers with interesting data and media propositions who could play an interesting role for advertisers. I believe that we’ll see a combination of smaller retail players partnering with larger networks, as well as new market propositions being launched that help to create more aggregated and integrated Retail Media offers. This should be good for everyone - it’ll drive simplification and ease of buying for agencies and brands, and it’ll create a role in the market for those with valuable media capabilities who can’t win on their own.”
Lucie: “Retail Media Goes Programmatic: Break Down Silos
Even if Retail Media will still be a gated garden, to increase revenue and fill rate, retailers will open their inventory to a certain extent. Bringing programmatic demand from standard DSPs through deals helps retailers meet their goals without relying solely on their internal sales house teams.
CTV Will Play a Big Role in Retail Media
Connected TV is poised to be a big driver in the next phase of Retail Media. With streaming becoming increasingly dominant, CTV offers retailers a new medium to capture consumers’ attention within the home.”
Troy: “I think we’re going to see European retailers level up when it comes to using data to deliver real value to their customers. They’ll focus on meeting shoppers where they’re spending their time—whether that’s Connected TV, social platforms, or other emerging channels—and using Retail Media to make those touchpoints more meaningful. The store is also going to play a much bigger role, with more retailers doubling down on store measurement. By connecting brand spend to in-store transactions, they’ll unlock some of the most valuable insights and opportunities for growth. It’s all about creating smarter, more connected retail experiences.”
Jason: “Data clean rooms will significantly impact Retail Media growth in 2025 by enabling secure data collaboration between retailers and brands without compromising consumer privacy. Using encrypted data, both parties can gain deeper insights into consumer behavior and optimise advertising strategies. For example, Amazon Marketing Cloud allows advertisers to perform analytics on their Amazon advertising data. Criteo’s partnership with LiveRamp enables Boots Media Group to offer transparent attribution by uniting loyalty card data with online exposure and in-store sales. As more retailers and brands adopt these capabilities, more effective advertising campaigns will drive further growth in the Retail Media sector.”
Tanguy: “Identity Resolution is the technological backbone to develop enriched experiences for brands. Having a robust identity resolution technology opens for retailers the offsite Retail Media opportunity by recognising shoppers not only on retailer websites but also in all publisher environments. Likewise, identity resolution connects offline signals and purchases with online customer behaviours. This is the only way to power and measure a robust ROPO effect on Retail Media activities to follow shoppers across channels and reflect their behaviour. This advancement in tech is already live but its usage will undoubtedly grow a lot in 2025.”
Katie: “Much of the existing Retail Media technology is still digital only but over the next year I hope we’ll start to see more seamless integration of in-store and digital media into single commerce media platforms as this is what both retailers and brands need. Perhaps we could even get to the point where these platforms enable a single customer view using loyalty data so that campaigns can be planned, activated, and measured on a genuinely 1-2-1 customer basis. That would be a significant advancement but it’s not out of the realms of possibility in the next 12 months”
Lucie: “Advancements in technology will significantly shape Retail Media strategies this year, driven by AI and machine learning. AI-powered tools will enable retailers to optimise creative assets dynamically, tailoring ads to specific audiences for better engagement. Machine learning will automate budget allocation and campaign performance optimisation across various Retail Media channels, ensuring efficient spending and maximizing ROI. These advancements will empower retailers to execute more precise, data-driven strategies, offering personalised experiences at scale while improving operational efficiency.”
Troy: “The next wave of technology will focus on integrating Retail Media operations seamlessly. Unified platforms are becoming essential, connecting planning, execution, and reporting into a single view. Automation will play a big role in reducing manual work, freeing up teams to focus on strategic goals. AI-driven analytics will deliver real-time insights, enabling smarter decision-making and more precise omnichannel execution. These advancements will also prioritise privacy-first architectures, ensuring first-party data remains secure while empowering retailers and brands to optimise campaigns and drive meaningful growth.”
Jason: “I’m optimistic the industry can make strides forward on more standardised measurement and reporting this year. Publishing Retail Media measurement standards last year was a positive start, but there is much to be done to facilitate widespread adoption. Our Retail Media Measurement Certification programme (currently in beta testing) will help progress standardisation by offering retailers the chance to substantiate (and promote) their adherence, and thus offer assurance to advertisers.”
Tanguy: “We have seen tremendous effort over the last two years on measurement standardisation, which is a good sign. As Unlimitail we are seeing a common and shared interest from retailers and brands to reach the goal of having the same definitions and structure regarding standards. More and more mature retailers do understand the need for a standardised approach to measurement and their benefits. For 2025 I expect to see more retailers using the same measurement framework via the same KPI definitions such as shared by IAB Europe and the work of local entities like Alliance Digitale in France.”
Katie: “Retailers are working hard behind the scenes to adopt the measurement frameworks developed and championed by the IAB. This takes time (it’s often far more about the practical realities of systems inside retailers rather than appetite or desire to standardise), but I think we’ll see progress in adoption, particularly in the second half of 2025.”
Troy: “In 2025, real-time reporting will become more prominent, giving stakeholders actionable insights to optimise campaigns dynamically. Standardisation will also take center stage, as retailers and platforms push for greater transparency and consistency in how performance is tracked and evaluated. Efforts by organisations like IAB Europe will play a key role in driving the adoption of uniform metrics, building trust, and making it easier for buyers to understand the direct impact of their retail media investments across all channels.”
Jason: “As the sector continues to mature and advertisers (and their agencies) are becoming savvier in relation to the value and context of Retail Media performance metrics, ostensible claims of success through an inflated ROAS without broader context on campaign objectives, targeting and placements will no longer fly. This progression is an undoubtedly positive development but will make buying more complex as advertisers demand the use of more sophisticated and commercially robust KPIs i.e. sales uplift, iROAS.”
Tanguy: “There are two big challenges on the buy side in 2025. First, concerns on the budget allocation by the retailer. With the improved options offered by retailers in Europe, brands and agencies have multiple relevant choices regarding where to put their focus. Buyers will need to consider their retailers and marketplace turnover to balance their investments correctly and invest where their shoppers are. The second challenge concerns attribution with the need for buyers to have a deep look at their performance metrics and the scope of attributed sales. It is key to compare apples with apples and to be able to gain precise performance metrics such as standardised post view and post click lookback windows and ROAS.”
Katie: “I think internal alignment and structures are a growing challenge. Retail Media is disrupting the traditional categorisation of media and that means that bridging gaps between brand, shopper, and media teams (plus, of course, agencies) to build cohesive Retail Media strategies is crucial but also incredibly difficult. It often takes a single brand-side champion to connect the dots manually which is a great short-term intervention, but we will likely need more systemic reorganisation inside brands to make this truly work. I also think a key challenge is balancing short-term performance with long-term brand building. I’d love advertisers to properly rethink Retail Media's role beyond lower-funnel objectives, and that will mean a whole new planning and measurement approach.”
Troy: “We will continue to see the critical challenge of fragmented teams, with marketing, merchandising, and operations often working in silos, leading to misaligned strategies and inefficiencies. To succeed, organisations must prioritise unifying these teams through platforms or systems that enable seamless collaboration and shared visibility. This internal fragmentation is compounded by external challenges like the lack of standardisation across Retail Media networks, concerns around data ownership, and rising costs for premium placements. Overcoming these hurdles requires a focus on integrated solutions that bring teams together, ensure transparency, and empower buyers to make data-driven decisions with confidence.”
Jason: “Incrementality (this is my favourite), full-funnel (I loathe this one but keep hearing it), offsite and in-store (these two will be ubiquitous), and non-endemic advertiser (just rolls off the tongue?!)”
Tanguy: “Omnichannel will be much more part of the conversations to reflect shopper behaviour through advanced technologies. Regarding measurement, incrementality will be a hot topic and surely be covered by professional associations.”
Katie: “It’s got to be consolidation and upper-funnel right?! Plus, standardisation will still be high in the Retail Media conversation agenda”
Lucie: “In-store and sustainability. Retailers will expand interactive digital displays to personalise in-store promotions, increasing real-time relevancy based on shopper data and behavior. In-Store Data Integration: Expect deeper integration of in-store shopping behavior with online profiles, enabling more unified omnichannel campaigns. Sustainability will be a growing concern in advertising in general.”
Troy: In 2025, "merch" is definitely going to be a buzzword to watch—it’s where merchandising and Retail Media finally come together in a meaningful way. JBP (Joint Business Planning) isn’t going anywhere either; it’s still the backbone of strong retailer-brand partnerships. Omnichannel will keep making waves as businesses focus on tying together in-store, online, and offsite experiences seamlessly. And, of course, ROAS is here to stay—it’s the metric everyone loves to rely on for measuring campaign success.”
The 9th edition of E-commerce Berlin Expo, the trade fair and conference for the B2B e-commerce industry in Berlin, is approaching. This year’s expo will span two days - 19th - 20th February. Attendees can look forward to many networking opportunities, rare insights, and forward-thinking discussions.
Industry leaders from giants like Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, and TikTok, along with renowned brands such as Zalando, flaconi, and IKEA, will talk about the future of online retail. Plus IAB Europe's Industry Development & Insights Director, Marie-Clare Puffett will be taking to the stage on day two to discuss Retail Media Growth Trends & Opportunities.
The event will be inaugurated by Franziska Giffey, Berlin’s State Senator for Economy, Energy, and Enterprise.
E-commerce Berlin Expo is one of Europe’s leading events for the e-commerce and digital industries, providing a platform for professionals to network, learn from industry leaders, and explore the latest trends shaping the sector. Its 9th edition will take place on 19th-20th February in Berlin. In addition to an exhibition showcasing 290 service providers presenting the latest solutions, the event will include an extensive conference program featuring e-commerce professionals from the DACH region and beyond.
The upcoming expo will aim to tackle the most pressing challenges facing the e-commerce sector, focusing on strategies for differentiation and innovation in a rapidly shifting environment. The agenda will delve into a variety of topics, including AI, emerging technologies, international expansion, logistics, payments, the customer journey, marketing, and leadership.
More than 150 industry experts will deliver presentations and workshops across five conference stages and two masterclass tracks. Talks will be held in either English or German, catering to a broad audience. Among them attendees will find presentations and case studies from representatives of globally recognised brands and retailers such as REWE, Zalando, MediaMarktSaturn, OTTO, Fielmann, flaconi, Philips, Lampenwelt, Deutsche Telekom, and IKEA, as well as new-com players like Snocks, Waterdrop, KoRo, ON, and Amorelie. Giants including Microsoft, Google, TikTok, Deloitte, and Amazon will also deliver insights on the latest innovations driving the industry forward. Additionally, industry associations such as HDE and IAB Europe will contribute to shaping the discussions.
In addition to keynote speeches and masterclasses, the event will feature panel discussions. This year, special attention is given to the AI panel, considering its growing role in today’s world. Insights will come from top players in the field, including Meta and OTTO.
For the first time, organisers are also introducing a Shop-tech block, offering e-commerce platforms a chance to share their knowledge and experience. Key speakers, including the Co-CEO of Shopware, CTO Central Europe of Adobe, and CEO of JTL Software, will explore how technology and platforms are revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape.
For more information and to register as a visitor, please visit the official event website: https://tinyurl.com/4bpredvn. Registration is free of charge. The event takes place on 19th-20th Febraury at STATION Berlin. The expo starts at 9:00 AM and runs until 6:00 PM on the first day and 5:00 PM on the second day.
Last month, IAB Europe and TikTok hosted a roundtable discussion to explore the impact of creative content looking at how it can be used as a mechanism for success, and how AI can help creativity to scale. Featuring experts from GroupM Nexus, Glo Motion Studios, Spark Foundry, Social Element Agency, TikTok, and IAB Europe, the session explored how brands, creators, and agencies are navigating creativity and what we can expect next.
The insights gathered during this discussion will form part of a comprehensive Playbook that IAB Europe and TikTok will release in Q1. The Playbook will offer actionable guidance and strategies to help industry stakeholders leverage creative content effectively.
Here are some of the themes we explored:
With attention spans shrinking and users empowered to skip content, the bar for engagement has never been higher. The group discussed how creativity today must deliver instant impact, but also adapt to more long-form, audience-interactive approaches.
It was also discussed how campaigns now demand channel-specific strategies, where creativity and media planning converge, and how performance marketing is becoming more dependent on high-quality creativity to achieve its goals.
The conversation then shifted to the rise of creators and how they have redefined how brands connect with audiences. Once focused on long-form content, creators have evolved to meet the demands of dynamic, short-form platforms.
“Creators are synonymous with community,” said one participant. “They live and breathe the audience’s world, making them invaluable partners in relaying a brand’s message.” However, it was suggested that this approach isn’t without challenges and that agencies play a critical role in ensuring safety and aligning brand objectives with creator-driven campaigns.
Finally, authenticity remains a buzzword, but the discussion revealed a deeper shift toward relatability. Consumers increasingly demand value exchanges from content, which for brands, means staying consistent while remaining brave enough to take risks.
AI emerged as both a tool and a topic of debate. While it has revolutionised operational aspects of advertising, like audience targeting and campaign measurement, it also acts as a co-pilot in the creative process. AI can refine ideas, generate novel concepts, and democratise creativity by lowering barriers for small brands. However, the consensus is clear: AI isn’t replacing human creativity but augmenting it.
As the boundaries of creativity, technology, and performance marketing blur, the central takeaway is: creativity thrives on collaboration, authenticity, and a willingness to adapt. Whether through creators, AI, or data-driven insights, the future of digital advertising will rely on blending art with science to forge meaningful connections.
Stay tuned for the release of the Playbook in Q1, where these insights and more will be shared in greater detail to help guide the industry forward in creativity and innovation.
Leaders from across the digital advertising ecosystem, EU Commission, and education institutions, including Criteo, Meta, DG JUST, and Télécom Paris, are among the first speakers to be announced for IAB Europe's new policy event Advertising Horizones in Brussels in February 2025.
IAB Europe is thrilled to reveal the first confirmed speakers for its new policy event, Advertising Horizons: Fuelling Europe’s Digital Future, taking place on 4 February 2025 at Sparks, Brussels.
Advertising Horizons will feature engaging panel debates, thought-provoking keynote speeches, and interactive sessions designed to explore the key trends and technologies revolutionising the digital advertising landscape. Attendees will gain actionable insights on topics such as privacy, innovation, creativity, and digital transformation.
The first speaker announcements highlight an impressive line-up of experts who will lead discussions across pivotal themes:
This is not your average policy event. Advertising Horizons goes beyond traditional discussions, offering a day packed with:
Register your interest to join policymakers, advertisers, and industry leaders in shaping the future of Europe’s digital advertising landscape.
For the full line-up of speakers and agenda updates, visit our event page here.
Stay tuned as we announce more speakers and session highlights in the coming weeks!
It is no secret that the data retailers have is unparalleled and the growth of Retail Media Networks (RMNs) is interlinked with this. This blog dives into the utilisation of retailer data, how it can be used across other media channels, and how the insights can enable brands to sharpen their advertising campaigns.
A big thank you to the following contributors for sharing their thoughts:
Helen Johnson, Group Director at SMG
Esme Robinson, Director Platform Solutions at Epsilon
Jakub Rutkowski, Head of Digital Media at Allegro
Ollie Walls, Director Commerce Media at PubMatic
Esme: “We all know retailer first party-data is the cornerstone of a Retail Media offering, and this can encompass multiple things – who is buying, what are they buying, when are they buying, trends, performance, and insights – all sorts of invaluable data that can be used to deliver impactful messages to build a trusting relationship between consumers and brands, and measure impact. In addition to this, RMNs can partner with vendors with second or third-party data bringing further intelligence and insights to brands, to create more relevant and personalised messages across the whole funnel. Even with users who may be new to the retailer or brand.”
Jakub: “RMNs uniquely combine media performance metrics with deep insights into customer behaviour, offering a level of data that other sources cannot provide. This combination enables brands to better understand their audience, craft personalised communication, and verify what works, driving meaningful engagement and measurable impact.”
Helen: “Retailer data has always held high value to brands, from historic CRM programmes to general EPOS data. However, the landscape has transformed over the past 5 years with the explosion of rich, large-scale loyalty card schemes and critically the development of technology which has made this data available to advertisers in a sophisticated way across instore, onsite, and offsite.
Taking the UK as an example, with 80% of British shoppers being members of at least one loyalty scheme and thus many UK retailers having millions of consumers as an addressable audience, this has cemented retailer first-party data as a powerhouse in delivering superior insights, precision targeting at scale and the holy grail of closed-loop measurement to brands.”
Ollie: “RMNs provide brands with comprehensive shopper data, including transaction details, real-time inventory, and loyalty programme insights. The data covers customer demographics, purchase frequency, preferences, and lifetime value analysis. Brands gain access to basket composition patterns, product competitive intelligence, price sensitivity and sales performance metrics, and online purchasing behaviour including basket abandonment.”
Jakub: “IAB Europe’s standardised metrics, provide robust tools for most campaign needs, offering valuable insights into performance. Additionally, there is an opportunity for brands to collaborate closely with RMNs to develop tailored campaigns that align with specific goals. For example, in partnership with Pampers, we focused on engaging new customers by using RMN data (developed by the Data Science team) to expand the brand’s audience, focusing on the audience with the highest growth potential. This collaborative approach in setting up a campaign highlights how working together can maximise results, creating a win-win dynamic between RMNs and brands."
Helen: “Retailer data has transformed the advertising process and net output for brands and consumers. From a targeting perspective, brands can not only target their consumers with superior precision but also target consumers who have a high propensity to buy or engage with their brand, limiting media wastage. With closed-loop measurement, brands can measure if their campaigns deliver incremental sales based on real (not claimed or inferred) purchases across both in-store and online and critically this can be done in real-time, allowing optimisation across touchpoints and creative executions.”
Esme: “Beyond the expected performance metrics, which are becoming increasingly standardised thanks to work by organisations such as IAB Europe, there are a host of other insights that can be provided to brands. For example, basket analysis to showcase what other products/categories customers are shopping alongside a brand, or share analysis to see how a brand is trending against the wider category or even how frequently customers are purchasing a brand (vs other brands/the category) – these examples all create actionable insights.”
Ollie: “Retailer data delivers actionable campaign insights, enabling precise customer segmentation and a deeper understanding of purchase behaviours. Through detailed analytics, brands can develop targeted advertising strategies, uncover cross-category patterns, and benchmark against market dynamics. This data-driven approach maximises ad relevance, engagement, and conversion rates.”
Helen: “Some of the UK’s retail loyalty schemes have been around for decades, often meaning that some are operating in clunky legacy data systems, and thus connecting these to third-party channels can be challenging. There are multiple data tech partners available but retailers have three key need areas 1) a simple way of sorting and having visibility of data internally; 2) a clean room that provides a secure, privacy-compliant way for data to be analysed and/or shared with other data sets; 3) an interoperable identifier such as EUID or RampID that allows retailer data to be matched and used across non retailer inventory such as the open web in a GDPR compliant way.”
Esme: “Identity resolution has to be the number one priority here – to create audiences of real people tied to real transactions, connected to attributes or insights to create a segmentation, to control frequency, to tie channels back to conversions without double-counting, all of this relies on tying touchpoints to a real person. This is easier said than done, and working with a vendor who can offer both identity resolution and activation allows brands and retailers to minimise wastage and signal loss and have more control over the end-to-end process.”
Jakub: “Here we face two sides of the Retail Media coin. The good news for brands is that even without their own data, RMNs can provide all the necessary insights and tools to drive success. On the other hand, this places responsibility on retailers to understand, manage, and continually enhance these capabilities. At Allegro, being at the forefront of MarTech innovation is a key priority—not just in advertising but across the entire organisation. This includes unifying our user ID graph, implementing a CDP by year-end, and more still to come. From a brand perspective, if they don’t have their own data, the RMN can provide the necessary data and tools to deliver successful campaigns.”
Ollie: “Retailers need a robust data strategy built on either a CDP (Customer Data Platform) or DMP (Data Management Platform) to develop their desired taxonomy. Retailers can share their data through direct integration with supply-side platforms (SSPs) to enable targeting for media buyers and advertisers, or by partnering with data onboarding specialists to facilitate secure data transfer. The recommendation here is for partners to offer buyers core targeting options plus custom segment capabilities. This approach generates market demand and interest for their data without having to upload the full catalogue.”
Jakub: “Standardisation and transparency. These are the homework RMNs must complete to succeed, especially as over 50% of brands see them as key challenges. Establishing these foundations builds trust and attracts advertisers’ investment. I've highlighted data capabilities and MarTech implementation, but the Retail Media wave also requires retailers to think and act like media owners. Offsite means that no inventory is within retailer ownership, making partnerships with publishers essential. At Allegro, we prioritise collaboration with major local and global platforms such as Google (YouTube), Meta, and TikTok to deliver impactful and scalable campaigns.”
Helen: "There are three core strategies retailers are driving – firstly, ensuring that they have a sizable (in terms of breadth and depth) addressable audience, ensuring that their first-party data is competitive and has a clear proposition usage for brands. Secondly, they have been creating alliances with third-party media owners such as CTV, social platforms and open web DSPs ensuring that they are offering brands a full omnichannel proposition to activate against and elevating their capabilities in planning, activation and measurement to deliver this. Lastly, they are looking at broadening their access to brand investment, creating partnerships with media agencies and developing their non-endemic strategy."
Esme: “For brands to invest, retailers need to be competitive in what they offer. This can be anything from data hygiene and organisation, to channels offered, and measurement capabilities. Regardless of the individual capabilities, what RMNs need to do is reduce fragmentation. Fragmentation was the number one investment barrier (58% of respondents) according to IAB Europe’s ‘Attitudes to Retail Media Report’. By working with the right partners, retailers can reduce fragmentation for a better experience and will be rewarded with increased investment.”
Ollie: “UK retailers are expanding offsite data strategies through partnerships with DSPs, SSPs, social platforms, and broadcasters. Using data clean rooms enables secure insight sharing for targeted advertising across digital, social, and CTV platforms. The integration of in-store and online data drives personalised offsite campaigns, enhancing customer engagement and omnichannel strategy. While larger retailers already monetise their data for offsite use, others seek guidance on activation. The convergence of retail data and CTV has created direct partnerships with broadcasters for first-party data measurement and monetisation. Success depends on maintaining customer trust through relevant advertising that enhances the shopping experience.”
Ollie: “I have seen this successful typically when the advertiser, agency, and retailer collaborate in their approach. An example would be a health and beauty brand that partnered with a retailer to leverage first-party data for market share growth. They analysed purchase history to deliver personalised ads across digital, social, and in-store channels. Customers who bought specific products received targeted ads for complementary items, creating cross-selling opportunities. This integrated approach significantly increased both online and in-store sales, with clear measurements, showing digital ads' impact on physical purchases—proving the value and effectiveness of retailer data in offsite advertising.“
Jakub: “I’ve already mentioned the Pampers case, and we also have recent examples of collaboration with a cosmetic brand (achieving a ROAS of 10), and a cleaning supplies brand (reaching 5.5 million category buyers). Leveraging first-party data is the sine qua non of digital campaign success. 85% of our campaigns are powered by this data, delivering a twofold increase in ROI compared to those without it. Our MarTech implementations enable a 90% customer match rate for offsite activities. With 20 million monthly users, our data drives an average of 50% better ROAS than industry benchmarks while reducing media waste by targeting only relevant audiences.”
Helen: “A360, which is Boots’ award-winning first-party data proposition, connects the 16MM users of Boots’ Advantage Card to both Boots’ owned and third-party media channels. This allows brands to deliver audience-led campaigns across instore, online and offsite with precision planning, real-time optimisation and closed-loop measurement within the AI-enabled proprietary software platform Plan Apps, both at a managed and self-service level. This has been used by brands such as L’Oreal, Oral B, Dior, Dove, Phillips and Estée Lauder. It has proven to deliver positively against short-term conversion in incremental ROI as well as measures such as new to brand and category and longer-term customer value, transforming the role Boots can play for brands across the total media funnel.”
Esme: “Currys, representing the largest consumer transactional database for electrical purchases began to leverage their first-party data with Epsilon – linking to Epsilon’s COREid and enhanced with contextual and buyer demographic information to provide deeper understandings and message the most relevant in-market individuals to ensure better targeting, performance and more efficient media spend. By connecting in-store data, Currys was able to see the impact of the advertising on offline sales, with 26% of tracked purchases occurring in-store and achieving a total of 8:1 SKU-level ROAS with 65% of buyers being new-to-brand. By taking advantage of the retailer’s rich first-party data and Epsilon’s offsite behavioural information, it was able to reach a large audience in a short period, driving real revenue and value for Currys and Currys brands.”
IAB Europe’s Retail Media Committee is at the forefront of the Retail Media industry. Members are driving Retail Media growth and shaping the landscape by:
All of the committee's work can be found in our Retail Media Hub here.
Find out more about getting involved by contacting Marie-Clare Puffett - puffett@iabeurope.eu.
With the festive season in full swing and a new year fast approaching, we invite you to join us in reflecting on what has shaped 2024 for us, our members, and the industry overall.
This blog post showcases some of IAB Europe’s best bits and all the great work we have accomplished with our wonderful members and partners this year. Thank you all for your hard work, support, and expertise and for helping us make 2024 a great success.
So, let’s dive in…
From our flagship conference Interact in Milan to newly added Great Debates, Virtual Programmatic Days, and dedicated webinars on topics such as DE&I, we have covered a variety of interesting topics through our virtual and in-person events this year.
Below we have highlighted some of our most popular events. If you want to watch any of our events on demand, simply head to our Knowledge Hub and select ‘Watch on Demand’ in the side menu.
Interact 2024 in Milan - The Big Questions. The Sharp Answers
This year we headed to the vibrant city of Milan for Interact 2024, where we brought industry leaders, innovators, and experts together to answer the big questions shaping the future of digital advertising. Going beyond standard keynote presentations and panel discussions, we brought the ‘interactive’ back to Interact, with each session framed around a key question that our elite, expert speakers endeavoured to answer.
From the demise of third-party cookies and Retail Media to sustainability, policy, measurement, and more, we had the smart, sharp answers to our industry's biggest questions of today. Check out the event wrap-up here.
One Virtual and One Hybrid Virtual Programmatic Day
Our Virtual Programmatic Day (VPD) is one of our most popular events, bringing industry experts and thought leaders together to explore the latest trends, drives, and barriers impacting programmatic trading in Europe.
This year our H1 virtual event covered the hottest topics in the news, the new programmatic ecosystem, media quality, attention, and more.
Check out the session recordings and highlights from our H1 event here.
For our H2 hybrid event, we headed to Berlin, where topics included the results of and thoughts on our 10th annual Attitudes to Programmatic Report, the future of personalisation, the impact of MFAs, and how prepared the industry is for the addressability era.
Check out the session recordings and highlights from our H2 event here.
The Great Debate Series
Our Great Debate series of events brings industry experts together to discuss and debate the industry’s hottest topics of the moment. This year we added AI to the agenda and also hosted a hybrid event on Retail Media.
Check out our Great Debate event recordings and highlights below:
More Bespoke Events
As well as our main events, we hosted several bespoke events and webinars on critical topics including Connected TV, Quality, DE&I, and Programmatic Outcomes. Check out some of them below:
We have a passion for research, and our wealth of experience conducting industry attitudes and benchmarking studies across various digital advertising topics speaks for itself. Here are our top five research highlights from 2024:
All of our guides are created with the help and expertise of our industry committee members. Check out some of our top trending pieces below:
In collaboration with our Retail Media Committee, we have been actively driving initiatives to educate and elevate the Retail Media landscape in Europe, focusing specifically on the development of standards such as:
Jason Wescott, Global Head of Commerce Solutions, GroupM & IAB Europe’s Retail Media Committee Chair
"2024 marked a transformative year for IAB Europe in Retail Media, as our focus on the category intensified. Witnessing the positive impact and influence of our efforts across the industry has been immensely gratifying, as we united to enhance understanding of digital Retail Media and establish standards to enable its growth and success across Europe.
Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited to announce that In-Store Measurement Standards, Certification for Measurement Standards, and a Retail Media Training Programme are all in the pipeline. These accomplishments are a testament to the knowledge and dedication of our exceptional committee members and industry network, along with our efficacious collaboration."
You can explore all of this great content and more of the work from our committee on our Retail Media Hub.
In collaboration with our Sustainability Standards Committee, we have continued our great work to help reduce the carbon emissions produced by the delivery of digital advertising this year. Here are some of the new tools and key outputs we have produced to support this important topic:
Steffen Hubert, Associate Director and Lead Sustainability, Seven.One Entertainment Group & Vice-Chair of IAB Europe's Sustainability Standards Committee
"Sustainability is a multifaceted journey—one that resembles a marathon more than a sprint. It requires resilience, innovation, and the courage to navigate complexity. I am deeply grateful to our IAB Europe Sustainability Standards Committee, a passionate and driven group that continues to embrace every challenge with enthusiasm. No task has proven too big, no solution too ambitious.
As we reflect on 2024, we celebrate the tangible progress made. From tools like CreativeLi and OpenGHG to our educational Guide to the CSRD, we have provided even more essential resources to help navigate through the challenges of the industry. Furthermore, we are proud to have played a key role in shaping the digital component of the Global Media Sustainability Framework (GMSF), marking another significant step forward. These achievements are milestones in a long-term effort and demonstrate what is possible when collaboration and determination come together.
Looking ahead to 2025, the road may become even more intricate, but I am confident in this team’s ability to face the challenges head-on. Together, we will continue to push boundaries, drive meaningful change, and make sustainability not just a goal, but a shared success."
You can explore more of this great work and valuable resources on our Sustainability Hub.
This year, we also welcomed two new working groups, expanding our knowledge and expertise across two key areas for progress:
Stay tuned for the 2025 plans in which we’re ramping up on industry education and outreach in both addressability and AI topics.
Let’s dive into policy! This year, we have maintained our focus on policy advocacy, showcasing the industry's value, actively engaging in discussions on key EU policy dossiers, and updating the industry on the new EU Commission.
Here are some of the key highlights:
As we set our sights on 2025, get ready for even more outstanding content, valuable insights, dynamic events, and exciting updates from IAB Europe.
From expanding our work in Retail Media and Sustainability to exploring new areas such as AI, programmatic advancements, and other key topics, we’re eager to collaborate with our members as we tackle the industry's most pressing and innovative challenges in the coming year.
We’re also thrilled to announce that our annual Interact conference will take place in an exciting new location—stay tuned for more details soon!
That wraps up 2024! A heartfelt thank you to all our members for engaging with our initiatives this year and helping us deliver content that continues to inspire and provoke thought.
If you’re interested in joining IAB Europe or are already a member and want to get more involved in our committees, task forces, outputs, or content, don’t hesitate to reach out at communication@iabeurope.eu.
Wishing you a joyful festive season and a well-deserved break. We’re excited to reconnect and collaborate in the new year as we drive the industry forward in 2025 and beyond.
What's in store for the programmatic world in 2025? We asked members of our Programmatic Trading Committee (PTC) for their predictions on the trends and themes that will shape the industry over the next 12 months. Take a look below to see their insights, including 2025 buzzword predictions!
We’re grateful to our PTC members for their valuable contributions. Check out their predictions, quotes, and perspectives below:
Josephine Howe, Senior Marketing Manager, Microsoft Advertising
"2025 will mark a technologically innovative year in programmatic advertising. Machine learning has played an important role for many years in our industry, yet we will start to see the adoption of further AI capabilities to make existing business models more effective and introduce new, exciting ad formats we have not thought of before.
Programmatic advertising has traditionally been a fast-evolving field where upskilling at pace is a table stake - this will enhance adoption even further. Beyond that, I believe 2025 will be a significant year for highly efficient personalised, yet privacy-safe advertising solutions. Browser APIs are to stand the test of time with the chance of being introduced at a broader scale."
Alex Still, Chief Commercial Officer, Verve
"Gamified advertising is set to experience a revival in 2025, with in-app ads seamlessly integrating into platform experiences. This reflects a shift toward greater media efficiency, as underutilised channels like in-app, DOOH, and audio gain prominence, offering brands opportunities for meaningful engagement with less competition. At the same time, privacy updates on platforms like iOS and Android will push brands to adopt advanced contextual targeting solutions to maintain effectiveness while respecting user privacy."
Jörg Vogelsang, Chief Digital Officer, BCN Brand Community Network & Vice Chair of IAB Europe’s Programmatic Trading Committee
"In the field of digital advertising, AI is, for now, mainly used for creation. In 2025, I expect further application possibilities, which will lead to significant improvements and efficiency increases in the backend for instance in the area of campaign management and campaign strategy.
Also, contextual targeting is something I would expect to develop further as well as hyper-personalisation. A negative aspect of AI is that websites and content can be generated very easily and cheaply, which benefits made for advertising websites. This is already a major issue in the US and the UK. In Germany, the proportion of MFA websites is expected to increase – awareness of the risks of MFA sites needs to be raised among advertisers. Alongside programmatic I assume that the proportion of curated marketplaces will increase."
Samir Chabab VP, Global Field Marketing, Ogury
"In 2025, AI and addressability will be key drivers of growth in the advertising industry. While 2024 focused on discovering and targeting audiences, this trend will accelerate as privacy concerns continue to rise. With more consumers opting out of data-sharing requests, advertisers will need to find innovative ways to reach their audience without compromising privacy.
AI will be at the forefront of this shift, enhancing real-time bidding, optimising ad placements, and predicting user behavior with greater precision. In this privacy-conscious environment, leveraging zero-party data—information willingly shared by consumers—will be crucial for creating personalised, performance-driven campaigns that respect user preferences, while ensuring effective targeting."
Ben Geach, Advertising Tech Lead, Google
"2024 was the year that marketers became comfortable with the advantages that AI gave them to compliment their own skillset, and 2025 we will see the adoption of these tools into every stage of the advertising workflow - from creative asset generation, through scaling campaign set-up to optimising & analysing results in real-time - AI tooling can provide this (& more) at scale, getting the right message, to the right customers, at the right time. Allowing marketers to be more responsive, highly innovative & results orientated."
Ekkehardt Schlottbohm, Regional VP, Northern Europe, PubMatic
"In 2025, the digital advertising industry will continue to evolve with a strong emphasis on transparency, efficiency, and audience-driven strategies. Agencies and brands will increasingly prioritise gaining control of the programmatic supply chain to ensure fair distribution of ad spend and improve publisher compensation."
Key trends include:
Supply Path Optimization (SPO) and Unlocking Working Media: Buyers will focus on tools and partnerships that provide deeper insights into the ad spend journey. By eliminating inefficient intermediaries and promoting open collaboration, the industry will enhance transparency and optimise media investments.
Curation: Organising premium inventory aligned with audience data will enable buyers to access high-quality, fraud-free, and brand-safe inventory. This approach, supported by advanced technology, will drive scalability, reduce costs, and maximise performance.
Connected TV (CTV) Evolution: Programmatic technology will continue to integrate into CTV buying, bridging traditional IO models with modern programmatic solutions. This shift will empower advertisers to achieve addressability and frequency control while maintaining the quality of direct deals."
Sam Matharu, EMEA Director of Analytics, Marketing Science
"Generative Creative - 2025 will be the year that programmatic creatives become boosted by Generative AI. We will move from dynamic creative optimisation (DCO) to GCO (Generative Creative Optimisation). Brands like Coca-Cola have already made hero adverts such as their Christmas TV Campaign with AI and we will see more of this next year - allowing scale, relevance, and applied creativity."
Franziska Motta Ferraz, VP, Media Owner Development, EMEA, Criteo
"In 2025, programmatic advertising will play a pivotal role in unlocking the potential of commerce media. By leveraging automation, data-driven insights, and real-time decision-making, programmatic will empower advertisers to connect with consumers more effectively and drive growth."
Consumer Behaviour Shifts - Adapting to Evolving Journeys: Consumer shopping behaviour has undergone significant changes, with more touchpoints and channels shaping the buyer’s journey. To address these shifts, new supply, signals, and experiences are being created to foster the change in consumer behaviour. Programmatic advertising tools need to adapt to stay attuned to consumer needs to ensure brands can effectively build trust, engagement, and long-term loyalty. The next iteration of commerce of the open web will emphasise ubiquity and frictionless shopping experiences across publisher content, social networks, and retailer websites. It will integrate advanced technologies, such as AI and identity signals, to create hyper-connected ecosystems where every interaction can potentially lead to a purchase.
Commerce Everywhere: Enabling Seamless Shopping Experiences: As consumer expectations lean heavily towards convenience, 2025 will likely see a surge in shoppable ad formats and commerce content. These formats and commerce will enable consumers to become closer to the point of purchase, minimising friction in the shopping journey.
Moreover, commerce media networks will further integrate advertising into retail environments—both onsite and offsite—blurring the lines between discovery and purchase.
The Power of AI Prediction Models in Advertising:
As commerce becomes intertwined into the consumer shopping journey, a whole new host of commerce-focused signals are created. Everything from products viewed, categories explored, time spent on specific product pages to brands engaged with on social platforms, and search terms used to create wish list, are all commerce-focused signals that are now at our fingertips.
With the increase in the number of signals, AI prediction models will revolutionise how brands deliver targeted and relevant ads. By analysing patterns and predicting consumer intent, AI is set to become a key driver in 2025, enabling hyper-personalised messaging tailored to individual preferences and providing contextually relevant ad placements during ideal points of purchase for better user experiences.
The integration of real-time insights, personalisation, and deep learning will not only improve ad effectiveness but also help brands build stronger emotional connections with their audiences.
Tanya Field, CPO and Co-founder, Novatiq
"2025 will prove decisive as regulators determine how to manage Google's influence in the advertising realm. This could manifest either as a sell-off, a breakup of its business, or a push for greater openness, with the aim of fostering healthier competition within the ad tech ecosystem.
Concurrently, expect further challenges to emerge around the methods marketers use to reach consumers online, with a likely crackdown on third-party solutions and a greater drive towards first-party alternatives. AI will, of course, continue to be a major trend in the year ahead but expect greater scrutiny into its workings. The focus will shift to integrating AI with robust privacy standards, ensuring that consumer protection and data privacy are not compromised. Finally, the re-election of Trump could potentially result in privacy challenges in the US, with the balance between consumer rights and the ability of businesses to use their data coming under pressure."
Josephine: "Generative artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, personalisation."
Alex: "Gamified advertising, contextual targeting, media efficiency."
Jörg: "Evolution of AI, made for advertising, curated marketplaces, cookieless future / post cookie."
Giulia: "Personified advertising, privacy, addressability."
Ben: "Consumer choice, AI-powered campaigns, Creative x GenAI."
Ekkehardt: "Media curation."
Sam: "AI, addressability, incremental reach."
Franziska: "Commerce media, data signals, AI prediction models
Tanya: "Hyper personalisation, CTV dominance, media efficiency, AI privacy challenges, telco data, telco-verified IDs, telco-verification services."
Josephine: "Adoption, upskilling, innovation, privacy, security."
Alex: "Transition."
Jörg: "Change & evolution."
Giulia: "Consumer trust."
Ben: "Evolving consumer habits."
Ekkehardt: "Unlocking Working Media."
Sam: "Mainstream AI."
Franziska: "Commerce everywhere."
Tanya: "Turbulent and regressive."
CTV, Retail Media, DOOH... Where will brands invest in 2025 and what developments will be made? We asked our Brand Advertising Committee (BAC) for their predictions on the trends and themes that will shape the industry over the next 12 months. Take a look below to see their insights, including 2025 buzzword predictions!
A big thanks to Anita Caras, VP of Insights & Measurement, Teads, Jacques Cazin, Viznet Advisor, IAB Europe VP BAC and Emmanuel Josserand, Sr Dir, Brand, Agency and Industry Relations, FreeWheel, members of the BAC!
Jacques:
Anita:
Emmanuel:
Jacques:
Anita:
Emmanuel:
Jacques:
Anita:
Emmanuel:
If you'd like to find out more and get involved in IAB Europe's committee work in 2025, please reach out to the team at communications@iabeurope.eu.
The E-commerce Germany Awards (EGA) contest returns, welcoming both industry leaders and emerging players from the DACH e-commerce landscape who would like to showcase their unique solutions for the online shopping market and take part in the competition.
The EGA contest was founded in 2018, it attracts over 350 contestants and engages more than 80,000 industry professionals annually. The awards program highlights companies pushing boundaries, solving industry challenges, and defining trends in the DACH e-commerce landscape. Each year, the EGA contest offers participants valuable visibility, enhanced brand recognition, and a chance to connect with a broad network of industry experts.
New Year, New Categories to Compete in
The EGA 2025 contest consists of 12 categories. They are annually updated to align with the latest industry developments, ensuring that each facet of e-commerce is recognised. The categories for the 2025’s competition include:
The competition entries will be evaluated by a jury of e-commerce experts. This time it includes professionals from companies such as KoRo, Jack Wolfskin, RECUP, GREENFORCE, Kickerkult, heycater!, and many more, as well as members of industry associations. This diverse panel ensures a fair and insightful evaluation, identifying excellence across all categories.
How to Compete
Any company active in the DACH region e-commerce market is eligible to participate. The submission process is straightforward. First, the company that wishes to participate in the contest should select up to two categories that best represent their solution's strengths. Then they should prepare their entry, highlighting their company’s achievements, innovations, and contributions to the industry, backed by data and case studies. After that, all that’s left is submitting their application, following the guidelines on the EGA website to complete their entry.
It’s important to note that the initial submission is free, ensuring accessibility for everyone to apply. Fees only apply to the TOP 10 finalists in each category: €400 for one category and €250 for a second category.
Key dates and stages
Submissions are now open and close on the 20th of December 2024. Then there’s time for verification of applications and on the 7th of January, the public voting round will allow the e-commerce community to support their favorite companies on LinkedIn till 23th of January at 3 P.M. The TOP 10 in each category will then advance to the jury evaluation phase. The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala taking place on the 19 February 2025 in Berlin which also gives a great opportunity for connecting with other industry leaders along with celebrating outstanding achievements in e-commerce from the DACH region.
