Leah Meranus

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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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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For years, we've watched retail media continue to fragment often operating on the promise of "closed-loop data" rather than verifiable, standardized results. In 2025, with IAB's new Commerce Media Standards going live, we're seeing the inevitable fallout: brand satisfaction with RMN transparency has plummeted from 66% to 44%. The market is demanding accountability. Brands are done asking for proprietary dashboards; they're demanding shared, IAB-aligned proof. The old JBP (Joint Business Plan) is evolving into something more like the JVP (Joint Value Partnership), where outcomes replace obligations and standardization is the currency. 👉 Read the full perspective : https://lnkd.in/giDQc9jY #RetailMedia #JBP #JVP #CommerceMedia #Transparency #MediaAMP

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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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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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For years, digital advertising has claimed to be “contextual,” but most solutions have relied on keywords, not a true understanding. That approach overlooks nuance, culture, and emotion, particularly in non-English-speaking markets. AI is finally changing that. By reading meaning, tone, and context, AI-powered tools allow brands to engage audiences with relevance and respect, not just data points. This is how we move from talking at people to speaking with them and why OOH and premium media can lead the way in human-centered advertising.

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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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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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The Four Factors Behind DigitasAI’s Impact At Digitas North America, we’re obsessed with proving DigitasAI's value—not just promising it. That’s why we measure the impact of DigitasAI across four factors that actually move the needle: Accuracy: Are we seeing the full picture—unbiased, holistic, and real? Efficiency: How much precious time does AI save our teams, freeing us for lateral leaps and bigger ideas? Impact: Is there measurable lift—for our clients’ business, and for ours? Sparkle: (Yes, you read that right.) Does AI unlock creative magic—unexpected thinking, inspiring ideas, that “wow” factor? And this has direct line to our core principles: Networked Experiences—integrating brand, platforms, and people in ways that earn attention. Earn Your Way In—using intelligence to create real value, not just noise. Integrated Intelligence—where every solution is powered by insight, not instinct alone. We want AI to deliver more than efficiency theatre, so we're measuring what matters. I'll be posting updates on how we're tracking as regularly as possible! #NetworkedExperiences #DigitasAI #EarnYourWayIn

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Josh Brown reveals that local retail advertisers are turning away from social media because it has "become crowded, chaotic," packed with so many ads that consumers don't notice and pay attention. New research from Adelaide, the attentiveness measurement firm, finds that $1,000 of AM/FM Radio ads requires $2,635 worth of Facebook ads to achieve the same level of attention. Adelaide also found that audio platforms generate nearly the same attentiveness as TV.

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At #PortadaChicago we will learn how cultural relevance can significantly boost advertising performance across different target segments. Sonia Morales, EVP, Head of Agile Planning, Starcom, John Marson, SVP, Managing Director, Horizon Media, and Sergio Leon, SVP Group Creative Director, VML will discuss the crucial role of cultural relevance in: - Messaging (creative) - Advertising around tentpole events - Engagement provided by the media used   - Programmatic vs. non-programmatic buys  - AI: Incorporating a Predictive View into the Media Planning Process 👉 👉 👉 https://lnkd.in/ei6XY_2y

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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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#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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CMO’s and agencies are so enamored with bottom-funnel targeting tactics that they totally lost the ability to move people effectively—their judgement is out of balance with real needs today. The targeting down funnel ‘disease’ gives marketers a feeling that they aren’t being wasteful but so much is showing they aren’t being effective either. “This ….reveals …a fundamental mismatch. Respondents are applying bottom-of-funnel tactics to what they've identified as top-of-funnel brand building objectives.”

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Retail Media Networks came up repeatedly at #CES2026, especially in a session with Instacart, TikTok, and The Trade Desk. What stood out wasn’t just performance. It was how much consumer data RMNs now sit on, and how that data can be applied beyond retailer-owned environments. As retail data is increasingly used to inform media on platforms like social, CTV, and programmatic, the opportunity is less about replicating on-platform efficiency and more about using those signals to guide broader marketing decisions. That only works if the impact of those signals is measured in the context of the total media investment. Who to reach, when to reach them, and in what environment. For CPG brands that rely on retailers as the front line of sales, this is an important evolution. Retail media is moving from a buying tactic into a strategic input for both marketing execution and cross-channel measurement. Thanks to panelists Ali Miller, Lorry Destainville, Elliott Nix and moderator Max Willens for sharing their insights!

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#WednesdayWisdom Consumers want AI-driven convenience and unplugged, analog simplicity. For marketers, 2026 will demand a balance of tech innovation and human connection. The real win? Campaigns that pair intelligence with empathy. How is your brand preparing for this shift? #MarketingTrends #2026Trends

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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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If you haven't had a chance to check out this breakthrough report, please do so! Smart brands are prioritizing the #AANHPI consumers, and here's why: 43% of AANHPI shoppers have clicked on a link from a social media ad, compared to 36% of the total U.S. population. That's higher engagement and higher potential ROI! #DigitalMarketing #RetailMedia #AANHPI Nielsen

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For the first time in a decade, CMOs predict an increase in traditional ad spend (Harvard Business Review, CMO Survey). It’s not about digital vs. print anymore. It’s about using both, together. 🔑 What’s driving the shift? Digital fatigue — consumers tune out online ads. Trust — print, TV, radio, and direct mail rank higher in credibility. The cookie phase-out — less data targeting means broader reach matters. Podcast growth — a hybrid of traditional + digital audio. Tech-enhanced print — QR codes and tracking prove ROI for offline ads. B2C services are leading the trend, with some sectors planning double-digit increases in traditional media spend. 📊 The takeaway: when digital and traditional work together, brands reach more people, build trust, and drive stronger results. https://lnkd.in/gwZk7fi5

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