Next in Media

What Happens to Retail Media When Agents Start Taking Over Shopping?

Episode Summary

This episode is brought to you by Walmart Connect. From homepage to home improvement. Win Carts and Minds with Walmart Connect. Next in Media spoke with Sarah Hofstetter, chairwoman of Profitero, a division of Publicis, about the haves and have nots in retail media, whether the big players TV presence is going to cause a bifurcation in the market, and what agentic shopping might do to the whole category.

Episode Notes

This episode is brought to you by Walmart Connect. From homepage to home improvement. Win Carts and Minds with Walmart Connect.

Next in Media spoke with Sarah Hofstetter, chairwoman of Profitero, a division of Publicis, about the haves and have nots in retail media, whether the big players TV presence is going to cause a bifurcation in the market, and what agentic shopping might do to the whole category.

💡Takeaways:

• 💸 Retail Media Explosion & Consolidation: The retail media sector has seen significant growth, with major players like Amazon and Walmart developing substantial advertising businesses, leading to a tiered market with a few dominant players and a long tail of smaller networks.
• 🔄 Buyer vs. Seller Disconnect: There's a fundamental disconnect between media buyers who desire consolidation and retailers who view retail media as a crucial revenue stream from suppliers, creating tension in the market.
• 🛍️ Shifting Budget Allocation & Mindset: Traditional shopper marketing budgets, historically controlled by sales teams for in-store presence, are now clashing with digital media spending, requiring a shift in mindset within brands to prioritize "digital end-caps" like search and display.
• 🛒 Omnichannel Attribution Complexity: Measuring the impact of digital shelf presence on in-store purchases and vice-versa is a significant challenge, as current attribution models often fail to connect these fluid customer journeys.
• 🤖 AI's Impact on Shopping & Search: Agentic AI is poised to disrupt traditional search and shopping behaviors, compelling retailers, agencies, and brands to collaborate on co-creating future shopping experiences and leveraging AI for workflow automation and efficiency.

🎙 Guest: Sarah Hofstetter

🎤 Host: Mike Shields

📺 Sponsor: Walmart Connect

🎬 Producer: FEL Creative