{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/66912ea5fbb3fc8e8060b63c/69a608f8c6f68bd589a5f946?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"EP38 – Does size matter? Has Bayer got it wrong? Should you in-house?","description":"<p>Retail Media Therapy – EP38</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Open Letters, Big vs Small Networks &amp; The In-Housing Dilemma</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Welcome back to the couch. In this episode of <em>Retail Media Therapy</em>, Viv and Colin tackle three topics that are dominating boardrooms, conference stages and LinkedIn threads:</p><ol><li>The measurement obsession in retail media</li><li>Whether size really matters for retail media networks</li><li>The rise of in-housing – and what it means for brands</li></ol><p>Expect metaphors. Mild football confusion. And a lifetime supply of Berocca at stake.</p><p><br></p><p>🧨 Topic 1: An Open Letter to Bayer on Measurement</p><p>After comments from Bayer’s retail media lead suggesting retail media must improve measurement before budgets increase further, Viv responds with an open letter.</p><p>The central question:</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Why are we holding retail media networks to a higher measurement standard than the rest of advertising ever faced?</strong></p><p><br></p><p>Key discussion points:</p><ul><li>Retail media now commands 25% of some brand media budgets</li><li>Calls for “holistic measurement” and cross-retailer comparisons</li><li>The industry's obsession with incrementality</li><li>Whether measurement is genuinely the blocker - or just the latest conference cliché</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Colin’s take?</p><p>No TV network in history was ever asked for perfect incrementality modelling before getting a budget.</p><p><br></p><p>Viv’s take?</p><p>We’ve confused efficiency with effectiveness.</p><p><br></p><p>And yes, there may be aspirin involved.</p><p><br></p><p>📏 Topic 2: Does Size Matter in Retail Media?</p><p><br></p><p>Two case studies spark the debate:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>A UK Co-Op retail media network launching with ~500 stores and 1 million members</li><li>Australia Post launching a network with limited rollout</li><li><br></li></ul><p>So how big is “big enough”?</p><p>Is scale essential?</p><p>Or is audience quality and retailer relationship what really matters?</p><p><br></p><p>Key considerations:</p><ul><li>CPM economics at smaller scale</li><li>Regional strength vs national reach</li><li>Specialist audiences vs mass audiences</li><li>The myth that “more networks” equals “too many networks”</li><li><br></li></ul><p>Conclusion?</p><p>Size doesn’t automatically determine value. Relevance does.</p><p><br></p><p>🏠 Topic 3: In-Housing – Retail Media’s Next Shift</p><p><br></p><p>In-housing is accelerating – particularly driven by retail media.</p><p>Why?</p><ul><li>Speed requirements</li><li>Exponential growth in creative demand</li><li>Cost pressure</li><li>Need for commercial alignment</li><li>AI enabling scale</li><li><br></li></ul><p>Colin shares examples including:</p><ul><li>P&amp;G dynamically optimising sponsored products every 15 minutes</li><li>Arla’s “The Barn” in-house model</li><li>L’Oréal’s Retail team moving to 100% programmatic in-house</li><li><br></li></ul><p>But it’s not all upside.</p><p>Viv raises the key risks:</p><ul><li>Talent churn</li><li>Cultural clash</li><li>Creative stagnation</li><li>Owning underperformance internally</li><li><br></li></ul><p>The likely answer?</p><p>Hybrid models. Keep strategic creativity external. Bring operational scale closer.</p><p><br></p><p>💡 Episode Takeaways</p><ul><li>Retail media measurement is improving – but the narrative is exaggerated.</li><li>Smaller networks can still offer meaningful value.</li><li>In-housing is accelerating – but managing talent and performance is complex.</li><li>The future likely belongs to hybrid models.</li><li><br></li></ul><p>🛋️ Join the Conversation</p><p>Is measurement really retail media’s biggest problem?</p><p>How big is big enough?</p><p>Would you in-house retail media?</p><p>Lie down on the couch and let us know.</p>","author_name":"Grace & Co | Retail Media Experts"}