Nicole LalevaE-commerce’s explosive expansion has transformed Retail Media into what many call the third wave of digital advertising. In 2024 alone, more than 2.5 billion people shopped online, generating a wealth of behavioural data that advertisers can harness to reach audiences with greater precision than ever before.
With on-site Retail Media ad spend growing by 22.2% to over €10 billion, it’s no surprise that over 90% of advertisers are now partnering with retailers to drive performance and engage customers along the path to purchase.
What's Inside the Updated Guide
As Retail Media continues to grow, so too does the need for clarity, best practices, and standardisation.
This Guide to Retail Media, first developed by experts from our Retail & Commerce Media Committee in September 2023, continues to be updated on an annual basis to ensure the content serves as a relevant educational 101 Guide to Retail Media.
The latest version of the guide covers:
Key Definitions: Harmonised definitions that drill down into digital on-site, digital off-site, and digital in-store.
How to Buy Retail Media Campaigns: An overview of the different ways campaigns can be bought, how each method works across on-site, off-site, and in-store environments, and the platforms and tools available.
The Value of Retail Media to Brands & What is Available: An exploration of why Retail Media is strategically important for brands and the range of ad formats available.
How to Measure and Target: The different key metrics available, as well as the growing role of first-party data. It also includes targeting strategies across on-site, off-site, and in-store environments.
Retail Media Standards: In-depth insight into IAB Europe's Retail Media Measurement Standards.
Best Practice Guidance: A collection of best practices for operating within this space.
Programmatic Retail Media: A new section dedicated to approaches in programmatic Retail Media.
Case Studies: A series of new case studies showcasing how leading brands, retailers, and tech partners have successfully executed Retail Media campaigns.
Whether you're just getting started or aiming to advance your expertise, this guide provides the essential insights and practical tools to help you succeed.
A big thank you to the following contributors for helping with this Guide:
