The WARC Podcast Retail media’s creative conundrum
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Jul 15, 2025 Andrew Lipsman, founder and chief analyst of Media, Ads and Commerce, and Colin Lewis, director of Retail Media Works, discuss the creative challenges facing retail media. They highlight the industry's explosive growth, projected to surpass $176 billion by 2025. The pair address the need for retail media to shift from traditional marketing strategies to innovative creativity. They explore evolving partnerships, data-driven insights, and the integration of advertising across platforms, urging marketers to embrace fresh technologies to enhance brand engagement.
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Retail Media's Cannes Growth & Lack of Creativity
- Retail media has become highly visible at Cannes and is growing fast with big players present.
- However, the focus has shifted heavily towards data and AI, losing the creativity element expected at a creativity festival.
Lack of CMO Presence in Retail Media
- Marketing directors and CMOs are notably absent from retail media events, indicating a gap in brand leadership involvement.
- Retail media events mainly attract retailers, ad tech vendors, and mid-level brand managers rather than senior marketers.
Reframe Retail Media for CMOs
- Retail media must reframe itself beyond performance media to attract brand marketers.
- Infusing traditional media thinking and creativity is crucial to gaining CMO attention and moving up the marketing funnel.