Commerce media has spent years building networks, data, measurement technology and inventory. Now comes a different challenge: what do marketers actually do with all of it?
In Episode 008 of Commerce Media Minute, Shaun Ayala looks at three stories that suggest the industry may be entering a new stage of maturity.
Commerce media gets its own upfront
Ascendant Network held SHOWCASE in New York, billed as the first retail and commerce media upfront.
More than 15 retail and commerce media networks participated, alongside representatives from major agency groups.
But some of the most interesting conversations weren’t simply about new advertising products. They centered on bigger questions facing the industry: measurement, transparency, differentiation and whether commerce media can earn a larger share of brand-building budgets.
As commerce media grows, marketers may increasingly expect it to prove not only that advertising drove a sale, but what incremental value that investment actually created.
Does retail media have a creativity problem?
Ipsos’ Creativity Over Clicks research raises another important question: has retail media spent so much time improving targeting, attribution and measurement that the actual advertising hasn’t received enough attention?
If commerce media wants to compete for larger brand budgets, creative quality may become increasingly important.
The opportunity isn’t simply to put traditional advertising closer to a transaction. It’s to explore what brands can create when retail environments, shopper understanding and creative ideas come together.
Nike experiments with product discovery inside ChatGPT
Nike is experimenting with another emerging commerce environment: AI conversations.
Mario Turza, Nike’s Head of Marketing AI, shared a new Running Shoe Finder experience inside ChatGPT designed to help consumers navigate running style, terrain and preferences when exploring Nike footwear.
It raises a fascinating question for commerce marketers.
As consumers increasingly use AI to research and discover products, how should brands show up inside those conversations?
The answer may not always be another advertisement. Sometimes it could be something useful.
The takeaway
Commerce media has built much of the infrastructure.
Now the opportunity may be figuring out how to make the experiences running on top of that infrastructure more creative, more useful and more valuable to consumers.
In this episode:
- The evolution of commerce and retail media
- Ascendant Network SHOWCASE
- Retail and commerce media upfronts
- Measurement and transparency
- Brand-building through commerce media
- Ipsos’ Creativity Over Clicks
- Creative quality in retail media
- Nike’s Running Shoe Finder
- Product discovery inside ChatGPT
- AI and the future of commerce
Commerce Media Minute is an independent ShaunAyala.com production hosted by Shaun Ayala, exploring commerce media, retail media, advertising, AI, measurement and the changing future of marketing.
Visit ShaunAyala.com for more.
Sources & Further Reading
Ascendant Network — SHOWCASE: Retail + Commerce Media Upfront
Official information on the inaugural SHOWCASE event, participating commerce media networks and event format.
Ascendant Network — SHOWCASE
Ascendant Network — SHOWCASE Newsroom
Coverage and announcements surrounding SHOWCASE, including industry discussion around measurement, transparency, brand budgets and differentiation.
SHOWCASE Newsroom
Ipsos — Creativity Over Clicks: Reclaiming Retail Media for Brand Building
Research examining how creative quality can contribute to upper-funnel growth, influence undecided shoppers and build longer-term brand equity in retail media.
Ipsos — Creativity Over Clicks
Nike Running Shoe Finder in ChatGPT
Nike’s new interactive product-discovery experience helps runners explore shoes based on factors including running style, terrain and preferences. The experience is currently available in the U.S.