David A Liebler, MBA

Advanced measurement is moving from a “nice to have” to a requirement for brands that want to prove how marketing drives real business outcomes.✅ Nowhere is this more visible than in Retail Media Networks. RMNs like Instacart give brands access to closed-loop performance data tied to actual purchases. That data is powerful, but it also raises an important question for marketing leaders: How do we validate results beyond platform-reported metrics and understand true incremental impact? This is why third-party measurement is becoming a critical part of the RMN conversation. Circana has emerged as a leading independent measurement partner for retail media performance, including Instacart. By combining retailer point-of-sale data with broader market and category intelligence, Circana helps brands understand not just what sold, but what actually changed because of advertising. https://lnkd.in/gp4CghWf For food and beverage brands, this matters because RMN performance rarely exists in isolation. Retail media influences household penetration, repeat rates, brand switching, and category growth, not just attributed sales within a single platform. Third-party measurement helps separate signal from noise by providing a consistent view across retailers, channels, and time. The broader industry trend is clear. As RMN budgets grow, marketers are being asked to answer harder questions around incrementality, brand impact, and long-term growth. Platform dashboards alone are no longer enough. At Effective, we see advanced media performance reporting as a layered system. Platform data shows what happened. Third-party measurement helps explain why it happened and whether it was truly incremental. Together, they create a clearer connection between media investment and business results. This is how performance reporting evolves from tracking activity to proving impact. Jeff O'Shaughnessy Joelle Kaplan #MarketingMeasurement #RetailMedia #MediaPerformance #Incrementality #F&B #MarketingEffectiveness

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Jennifer Kattula, could not agree more -> "Generative AI is transforming marketing and how brands engage with their audiences. As much as I love AI, robots will not replace human taste, craft, curation, or nuance" What a wonderful conversation with Kristin Reagan from Annalect. Highly recommend this read.

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CMOs Are More Focused On Growing Revenue Than Brand Awareness https://lnkd.in/g8jyVmuY Chief marketing officers are increasingly prioritizing direct revenue outcomes over traditional brand awareness efforts, influenced by economic pressures, performance measurement demands, and AI‑enabled tracking. This shift reflects a need for more measurable impact on business performance, with revenue growth becoming a leading strategic metric for modern marketing leaders. #CMOInsights #RevenueGrowth #MarketingStrategy #BrandVsPerformance #BusinessImpact #DataDrivenMarketing

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Until recently, channels like Roku, Paramount, Pandora, or iHeartMedia were reserved for enterprise-scale advertisers with advanced programmatic infrastructures. For emerging and mid-sized CPGs, these platforms were too complex, too fragmented, or too expensive to navigate. Some recent announcements from Kroger Precision Marketing have changed that. Service-Led Activation Model: KPM provides a managed-service approach - handling all the technical complexity of programmatic buying on behalf of the brand. This removes the barrier of entry for brands lacking in-house programmatic expertise. Data-Powered Precision: Campaigns are entirely fueled by Kroger’s massive first-party data set (over 60 million households), ensuring that ads on CTV or audio platforms are precisely targeted to verified, high-value shoppers. Closed-Loop Accountability: KPM is not just selling reach; it’s selling a measurable outcome. The managed service is tied directly to Kroger’s sales data, allowing brands to prove that an ad seen on a streaming platform led directly to a product purchase in a physical or digital store. #RetailMedia #CommerceMedia #CPGMarketing #AdTech #KrogerPrecisionMarketing #ConnectedTV

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The rise of retail media networks (RMNs) has been meteoric. By 2028, it is expected to account for almost a quarter of all U.S. media spend, according to eMarketer. As RMNs position themselves as media companies, making them both performance and brand marketing channels, advertisers are debating who holds the purse strings. The approach today is mostly trial and error. Some brands are using existing budgets, while others are testing brand awareness through retail media. Even with rapidly growing demand, RMNs still lack standardization in measurement and budget allocation. As these networks push for more brand dollars (and likewise brands increasingly concentrate spend), establishing transparency in pricing and measurement will be crucial to the success of both RMNs and brands. #Marketing #Adtech #Advertising

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Only 15% of marketers are confident in their retail media measurement. The barrier isn’t data. It’s ownership. My quote in @Skai’s 2026 State of Retail Media report says the rest. 👇

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I got quoted in Skai 2026 State of Retail Media report this week - this one is all about measurement. According to Skai, only 15% of brands say they're highly effective at measuring retail media performance. From all my conversations... that sounds about right. But the tools are out there, and the agencies to support you are out there (hint... we do this extremely well). It's not because the tools or the knowledge don't exist. It's not because the methodology is too complex. It's not even a data access problem. The real barrier? People and ownership. 56% said they lack internal analytics or data science resources. Nearly 1 in 5 said there's no clear cross-functional ownership between sales, media, and analytics. In my opinion lack of analytics access is the excuse. Lack of ownership is the problem. I stand by that. Here's what I see constantly with brands: the retail media budget grows, the channel count grows, the retailer portals multiply and the analytics infrastructure stays exactly the same. We keep pouring spending into the machine and then wonder why we can't explain what it's doing. And the incrementality gap is brutal. 75% of brands say incrementality measurement is their #1 challenge. But only 20% are actually good at both measuring AND applying those insights to decisions. Everyone knows it's the north star. Almost no one has operationalized it. The aspirations vs. reality data were the most telling part of the whole report. Brands hope incrementality will unlock profit margin improvements (68% said so). Only 24% have actually achieved that. That gap isn't a measurement problem. It's an organizational design problem. If you're a Head of #eCommerce staring down a budget conversation right now, here's the honest takeaway: You don't need another dashboard. You need to invest in this and give authority to someone who owns #incrementality end to end, standardize definitions your media, finance, and analytics teams all agree on, and a decision cadence that actually changes what you do next. As always, I'm here to help. DM me with any questions.

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Marketers don’t need to wait for the cookie to crumble. LiveRamp's Travis Clinger breaks down how authenticated identity is already enabling seamless, scalable, and responsible engagement across display, CTV, commerce media, and more.

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#WednesdayWisdom Mercedes-Benz partnered with Amazon Ads to launch custom creative spots during NBA games on Prime Video, featuring basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki enjoying the luxury features of the Mercedes GLS. The campaign blends storytelling with product highlights, showing how brands can connect emotionally with audiences during high-attention live sports moments. #MercedesBenz #AmazonAds

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Retail media is moving beyond the shelf. DSP, CTV, and social commerce are becoming standalone growth engines powered by commerce data according to Skai & Stratably's 2026 State of Retail Media Report. But as industry leaders told us, this requires dedicated strategy, expertise, and investment. Explore what this means for you: https://okt.to/SN9Jnd

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A strong example of how #AI is changing how #marketing decisions get made at scale, even for one of the world’s largest advertisers. Great discussion between Norm de Greve, SVP & Chief Growth Officer at General Motors, and my colleague Shelby Senzer -- who share how AI, demand-based targeting, and rapid testing are reshaping how GM focuses investment, activates more precisely, and learns faster. Worth a watch for anyone thinking about how marketing needs to operate at enterprise scale: https://lnkd.in/e5rq64wb #GrowthStrategy #MarketingLeadership #DataDrivenMarketing #MarketingTransformation

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None of us have crystal balls, especially when it comes to Retail Media, but I think Sarah Marzano probably has one of those magic 8 balls and it's pretty accurate....All kidding aside, this report form eMarketer does a phenomenal job at summarizing some of the trends we're seeing relative to offsite growth and the need to invest beyond onsite (despite less favorable revenue share), programmatic and it's role in retail media growth and the opportunity for smaller networks to compete with innovation versus focusing on scale. I've included some thoughts in a companion article alongside this amazing piece and hope you'll download our checklist for Future Proofing RMN strategies. Each recommendation comes from the key takeaways from this eMarketer report. Enjoy! #retailmedia #creatormarketing #socialcommerce

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Turning transactions into loyalty. 🤝 In this episode of LiveRamp's "Here’s the deal...", Lori (O'Neal) Johnshoy shares why commerce media networks are redefining how brands connect with customers, and why any company with rich first-party data should get in on the action.

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As brands and agencies brace for economic volatility, proactive steps are essential for ensuring media investments remain effective. From scenario planning and prioritizing transparency to competitive intelligence, it’s vital to prepare for varying economic conditions. Historical insights show that brands maintaining advertising spending fare better and recover faster. Marketing leaders must keep tone sensitivity in mind as consumers become more deliberate about spending. Adaptation is key. #MarketingStrategy #EconomicUncertainty #Advertising #BrandGrowth #MediaInvestments #Leadership #ScenarioPlanning

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#Walmart is stepping confidently into the TV advertising arena, presenting a powerful new opportunity for marketers. Since closing its $2.3 billion acquisition of #Vizio in December, Walmart has begun testing the integration of its robust shopper data with Vizio’s smart TV platform—and showing promise. For advertisers, the pairing of America’s largest retailer with a leading smart TV manufacturer signals a bold new frontier for precision targeting and performance at scale. The potential to reach audiences in the living room, backed by real-world purchase behavior, is quickly turning heads across the industry. #AVOD #SVOD #CTV #videostreaming #newfront

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AI Is Reshaping Marketing Roles Amid Budget Constraints Gartner's latest CMO Spend Survey, highlighted in AdExchanger, reveals a pressing trend: while marketing budgets remain stagnant, the adoption of AI is accelerating, leading to significant shifts in team structures and roles. As marketing leaders, we're navigating a landscape where efficiency is paramount. AI offers tools to streamline operations, but it also challenges us to redefine our teams' value propositions. This evolution isn't about replacement—it's about adaptation. By embracing AI, we can free our teams from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth. Let's lead this transformation with foresight and empathy, ensuring our teams are equipped and empowered for the future. Read the full article here: https://ow.ly/9ZKg50VSgvk #B2BMarketing #AIinMarketing #CMOInsights #MarketingLeadership #DigitalTransformation

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Measurement Is a Strategy, Not an Afterthought Retail Media Networks are radically changing how we measure advertising success, and brands can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. With budgets under pressure, advertisers need to demand smarter, full-funnel insights to drive growth — or risk falling behind. As Kevin Dunn, LiveRamp’s SVP of Brands & Agencies, says in this article: Measurement can’t be just a post-campaign review; it needs to be a core part of your strategy. Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP) and Gopuff get it—two great examples of companies leveraging their media networks to increase brand awareness, predict total customer lifetime value, and measure true impact of campaigns. The brands that seize this moment and embrace advanced data collaboration tools will be the ones making smarter, data-driven decisions — and setting themselves up for long-term success. https://lnkd.in/gHZnf3uF

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Love any excuse to chat with Jon Wallett, even (especially!) when it's being recorded. Listen to this episode of #AdTechHeroes, where we dug into how AI is accelerating change in media and why long-term strategy, loyalty, and context still matter. We also unpacked what real media convergence looks like and how smarter audience planning is shaping the future. 🎧 https://bit.ly/4nWriGf

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