In this episode of The Garage podcast, hosts Dan Massimino and Evan Hovorka are joined by Dan Hight, business development and partnerships executive at market intelligence firm Placer.ai, and Paul Brenner, svp of global retail media and partnerships at shopper analytics company Vibenomics. 

Join as they explore the transformative power of in-store retail media and its impact on brands and retailers, as well as how innovations in in-store media are reshaping the consumer shopping experience and driving strategic changes in how retailers engage with shoppers in physical spaces.

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should, or with great power comes great responsibility,” Hight says on the podcast. “You really have to balance those opportunities to engage with consumers, but not interrupt and disrupt that natural path to purchase, whether it’s in a digital format or in a physical format.”

Hight and Brenner also cover the importance of integrating technology, measuring effectiveness, and establishing standardized metrics in the evolving retail landscape.

Key takeaways:

[09:38] Hight emphasizes the importance of digitizing physical retail spaces to enhance the shopping experience without disrupting it. He notes that the key is to digitize physical stores (to bring the online experience into a physical world) in a way that doesn’t interrupt the shopping experience. This approach aligns with the increasing interest in in-store media, leveraging location analytics to understand consumer behavior. The shift toward a privacy-safe, cohort-based advertising strategy is essential as the landscape of retail media evolves, allowing brands to optimize their reach and engagement within physical locations.

[22:19] Brenner emphasizes the importance of trust and practical examples when engaging with retail merchants. He highlights the need to provide tangible scenarios that can excite them about innovative marketing initiatives. By creating visual representations—like fly-throughs of in-store formats that showcase placement and branded content—he ensures merchants understand how these new approaches can improve their sales strategies. This approach not only builds confidence in new concepts but also helps merchants see the potential for elevating customer experiences beyond traditional static displays.

[26:13] Hight addresses the complexities of identity management in retail media, particularly in the in-store context. He points out that while digital platforms have established frameworks for identifying consumers, physical retail environments lack similar mechanisms. He advocates for understanding audience composition on a store-by-store basis to effectively tailor marketing strategies. He suggests leveraging insights about demographic and psychographic profiles to optimize ad resonance, stressing the importance of balancing privacy with effective targeting in an increasingly regulated landscape.