What is the buy-side looking for when it comes to Retail Media in 2025? We asked members of our Retail & Commerce Media Committee to share their thoughts on this in our latest Q&A blog.
Brands and agencies desire less friction and more streamlined workflows, which could be achieved through API access, self-serve tools, and standardised measurement. Transparency in audience data and campaign performance is crucial for gaining trust, and industry-aligned standards would enhance credibility. Innovations like self-serve platforms for new channels and data clean rooms are exciting trends that could drive greater investment by connecting online and offline touchpoints and focusing on customer lifetime value.
IAB Europe is supporting the Retail and Commerce Media ecosystem through the development of industry standards for on and off-site measurement, and in-store digital media campaigns.
A big thank you to the following contributors for sharing their thoughts:
Claude Spasevski, SVP Data and Retail Media, Equativ
Sarah Mackinnon, Director of Product Marketing, Pentaleap
Yara El Saadani, EMEA Commerce Strategy Director, GroupM Nexus
Liam Russell, EMEA eCommerce Director, Kinesso
Q. What key challenges do brands and agencies face when activating Retail Media campaigns, and how can retailers better support their needs?
Sarah - “Retail Media needs to meet advertisers where they are. What we see is that agencies and brands are already juggling complex digital media strategies. Retail Media should fit into that workflow, not create friction. Right now, many RMNs operate in a silo - reporting metrics differently, limiting audience controls, and making cross-channel integration difficult. The retailers that succeed will be the ones that make activation easier, whether through API access, standardised measurement (see IAB Europe’s Retail Media Measurement Standards above), or self-serve tools that give brands real control over their investments. If Retail Media is going to secure a bigger share of ad budgets, it needs to start acting like the digital channel advertisers expect it to be.
Liam - “Retailers can offer spend-based added value or preferential rates, as another way to better support the needs of agencies. At present, the benefits that agencies can offer brands are limited to the abundance of Retail Media talent & expertise they have. Whilst this is important, the lack of agency-oriented benefits contribute to multiple silos of media buying per retailer. This is a challenge for both agencies and the brands they represent, who yearn for a stronger value proposition, making the decision to centralise Retail Media buying easier.
Yara - “The trickiest part is comparing apples to oranges when it comes to data across different retailers. Brands and agencies aren’t looking at Retail Media in a silo anymore - it’s part of a bigger ecosystem. Retailers partnering with Retail Media Networks (RMNs) make life easier, but for those who don’t standardised metrics and attribution windows are non-negotiable. Beyond that, retailers can step up by enabling richer audience targeting - not just search-driven - and proving the full-funnel impact through innovative studies like offline sales lift. These efforts bridge the gap between online and offline, making Retail Media activation smoother and more appealing.
Claude - “Brands and agencies are looking for scale and precision, while RMNs can bring precision in targeting their intent buyers, unless you are Amazon or Walmart in the USA it is difficult to have scale through the rest of RMNs. Access to Retail Media ad formats (sponsored products and display) at scale across RMNs is key for the buy-side alongside transparent measurement practices.
Q. How important is measurement and attribution in Retail Media, and what improvements are buyers looking for in this space?
Yara - “Measurement and attribution are everything - they’re the backbone of decision-making for brands and agencies. They not only help fine-tune strategies but also dictate where budgets go. It’s a two-way street: advertisers need clarity on ROI, and retailers need to deliver it. Buyers have become resourceful, building their own tools to manage data, but that’s not enough. The industry needs to catch up with consistent standards - API integrations, for example, should be table stakes, not a bonus.”
Liam - “The most important improvement we seek is access to data feeds. We have the resources to create measurement and attribution solutions for brands, but access to adequate data is the common blocker. That said, retailers can also improve by developing their own solutions. Often this comes in the form of reporting portals/dashboards, where buyers can help themselves to performance data, on demand. Either way, the ideal data product includes SKU-level sales data by week, in addition to campaign performance data. Today, often only the latter is available and with only basic granularity.
Claude - “Measurement and attribution in Retail Media are key in the setup of your campaign and product needs. For example, we do not need the same attribution window for a yogurt or a car campaign. It is critical to be able to set up your own attribution windows and measurements. Additionally, measurement needs to be actionable for advertisers to fine-tune their campaign setups based on the campaign's performance. And it is even more important to offer the choice to share this data within a unified advertisers dashboard if needed.
Q.What level of transparency do brands expect from retailers in terms of audience data, and campaign performance? How important are industry-aligned standards?
Sarah - “Transparency or Bust: Brands expect full visibility into where their money is going—no more black-box reporting. They want to know who saw their ads, where they ran, how much was actually spent, and whether their campaigns are driving real, incremental sales. In walled-garden environments, the lack of transparency breeds skepticism. Industry-aligned standards would help, but right now, retailers that offer deeper reporting and data access have the competitive edge. Trust isn’t given—it’s earned through clear, auditable performance data.”
Yara - “Transparency expectations vary depending on the brand and its goals. Take non-endemic brands like automotive - they’re used to broad reach and less granular audience insights. On the other hand, FMCG or beauty brands often demand closed-loop measurement: who bought what, where, and which ad drove the sale. Campaign performance metrics must be standardised; otherwise, the system risks breaking down, jeopardising Retail Media’s future. When it comes to audience data, it’s less about precision and more about access. Retailers opening up to DSPs unlock exciting opportunities for cross-channel planning, ensuring retail media stays competitive and compelling.”
Liam - “Focusing on audience data, the expectation is we should have access to audience sizing, particularly for category/aisle shopping behavior, and ideally, brand-level data. The segmentation is only part of the story, though. Equally important is transparency, in terms of how the data is collected and how it’s provided to buyers. Clear definitions/methodologies would go a long way to making retailer claims less opaque.”
Claude - “Transparency is trust.”
Q. How do buyers view the role of Retail Media in their broader omnichannel marketing strategy, and what integrations are most valuable to them?
Liam - “We view Retail Media as a collection of new touchpoints that weren’t available to us before. And a way to improve the effectiveness of our omnichannel marketing strategies. Both allow us to play a greater and more measurable role in driving unit sales for the brands we work with. Retailer integrations with video platforms like YouTube are particularly valuable, from the standpoint of giving Retail Media a big role in driving brand & product awareness. Often dwell times are longer, offsetting CPM premiums associated with retailer data costs.”
Yara - “Retail Media is having its moment - it’s no longer a niche channel but a key player in omnichannel strategies. It touches everything, from OOH to programmatic to AV/trading teams. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in five years, every team has a commerce specialist guiding the way. Planners and strategists are already leaning on these experts, showcasing how Retail Media is evolving into a full-funnel tactic. To support this shift, data needs to work harder. Buyers want bid management tools and benchmarks, while planners crave cross-channel audience mapping. Retail Media’s value lies in connecting all these dots seamlessly.”
Claude - “Retail Media is a media buying channel targeting buyers or intent buyers within a preferred contextual environment known as being accurate with your advertising message, hence being less disruptive for the user experience and bringing better conversion rates. For marketers and agencies, it needs to be part of an omnichannel tactic, which includes other capacities to reach their audiences and customers.”
Q. What innovations or emerging trends in Retail Media are most exciting to the buy side, and what would make them invest more?
Yara - “This is a tough one - there’s so much potential! Self-serve platforms for new channels, like in-store activations, could be a game-changer. Giving agencies and brands more control transforms how we approach buying and selling in the omnichannel world. I’m also excited about moving beyond ROAS as the go-to metric. Imagine focusing on lifetime value or repeat purchases - especially if we can link it to offline media. That kind of insight would be a powerful tool. Ultimately, the buy side wants innovation that connects the dots between online and offline, making investments feel smarter and more future-proof.”
Liam - “For me, it’s about solutions to uncover the full value of Retail Media, i.e. the customer lifetime value of media influencing that initial purchase. Even better should this encompass purchases made both online and in physical stores (where relevant). The more advanced retailers seem to be getting closer to this, but up until now, the value of Retail Media has largely been about the immediate ROAS driven and little else. Data clean rooms within Retail Media is another innovation we’re predicting to become more commonplace. If it serves as a tool to uncover the full value, I think we’ll see a cap lifted on confidence to invest more.”
Claude - “Simplification, transparency, and precision are key for better and more investments. I would add that the combination of the retailer's first-party data and high-performing CTV ad formats will make CTV an exciting investment channel for buyers.”
