To Brand or not to brand

Retail media are at the point of sale, so the widely believed statistic that 70% of purchase decisions are made at PoS makes people think of them as pure sales media. Even if the statistic is accurate this need not be the case. If you are looking to promote your branding then a medium such as TV is the first to come to mind. But hold on one moment! The Screens in a major retailer will have as much reach as a terrestrial advert. The number of people who view a six sheet at the entrance to a store is at least as large as the same six sheet at the roadside, but with added relevance. Why would retail media not have a larger effect than general media?

This is not to say that retail media should be the only media types that you use. That would be short sighted. What is important is to understand that they are a valid part of the optimal media mix for branding as well as for sales uplift. There are statistics to support this, but understandably the retail media experts are playing things close to their chest. If the group can get permission a later article may publish some of the data, but no promises for now.


Rufus Evison

Retail Media Summary

This list is neither complete nor definitive but does strive to represent the current sore of what is generally considered as the retail media space.

The list is divided into two parts. The first are those for which the following details have been added:

Title: Retail media type
Subtitle (optional): Retail media type subdivision
Body: Description
Bullet 1: Major vendors
Bullet 2: Typical users

The second are those for which these details have not yet been written. It is envisaged that this will be an evolving list with new entries being added into the second category as they gain acceptance and then migrating to the first category as time permits.

Till Receipts (Coupons at Till, Loyalty card bonus)
Vouchers either printed on the reverse of a till receipt or appended to the bottom. Typically printing is basic and often monochrome. Till receipts are sometimes targeted based on the current contents of the basket/transaction or on loyalty card purchase history, sometimes completely non-targeted and occasionally geographically targeted on store location or perceived customer catchment area.
* include Catalina and Dunnhumby.
* Tesco, Boots, and Kroger.


Baskets
Basket media fall into three categories. Retail media creative on the base of the basket (inside), retail media creative on the outside of the basket wall and retail media creative on the inside of the basket wall. Typically the purchaser is not given a choice of type, but buys whatever combination exists on a retailer's baskets. This retail media has contextual targeting (it is in store at point of purchase) but no targeting beyond that.
* Redbus, Dunnhumby
* Sainsbury, Tesco

Billboards
6 Sheets
Posters measuring approximately 2m (81") square. In order to be counted as retail media these would generally be within the retail environment and so would be contextually targeted. No other targeting comes as standard though electronically enabled 6 sheets are now becoming more prevalent. These include, but are not limited to those with Blue Tooth, RFID and QR codes. For more information on this see the separate entries below as they are completed.
* JC Decaux
* Asda (Walmart), Sainsbury

48 Sheets
Posters measuring approximately 3m x 6m (120"x240"). In order to be counted as retail media these would generally be within the retail environment, typically around driveways or car parks. These would be contextually targeted. No other targeting is generally available.
* JC Decaux
* Tesco

Specials boards


Trolleys
Trolley media fall into categories. Retail media creative on trolley handle, augmented handles with space for shopping list, retail media creative on the sides of the trolley (inside or outside or both), retail media creative on either end of the trolley. Strangely creatives are rarely placed on the trolley floor (though leaflets are often placed in trolleys or baskets, see leaflets below). Typically the purchaser is not given a choice of type, but buys whatever combination exists on a retailer's trolleys. This retail media has contextual targeting (it is in store at point of purchase) but no targeting beyond that.
* Redbus, Dunnhumby
* Sainsbury, Tesco

Gondolas
Gondolas, or more properly gondola ends are prime retail real estate. It is generally accepted that simply placing your merchandise with the separation and prominence that a gondola end supplies. Technically almost all the shelving in your standard retailer will be gondola shelving, but the term has come to be used for the gondola ends, and even more for displays at gondola ends. This has sometimes led to the product being used as a retail media in and of itself. That said custom gondola ends to showcase your product or to highlight special offers are more effective. Use of these can generally be purchased as part of a large promotion. Typically the gondola ends belong to the category managers of the category shelved on the gondola itself. First you convince the category manager that you have a relevant offer then that it is a good offer to have in the space and finally that you are willing to pay for enough gondola ends to make a sufficiently effective promotion. You then pay per gondola end.

This form of media offers little space to explain your proposition but does a great deal towards catching the customer's attention. This can be used for increasing branding but is more commonly used for products with a large component of "impulse buy-ability". Whether this is an impulse purchase or an impulse brand switch is relevant to the category manager but either works well. Once the customer's attention is focused these sorts of products have a simple call to action. An explanation of shop layouts for gondola shelving showing the likely placement for gondola ends is available from discount shelving's website.
* Large retailers with specialists within each category
* Big Brands


Screens
Screens are flat screen displays with looped content running in store. Usually placed above shelf height. The only targeting is contextual and geographic, though there is talk of blue tooth, mobile or other proximity based targeting in the near future. There has been significant research into optimal programming and the length of the advertisement is generally related to where in store a screen is placed. The reach is significant and compares favourably with many terrestrial channels as well as effectively being at the point of sale.
* TBC
* Best Buy


In-Store Magazines
In Store Radio
Floor Graphics
Self Scanners (Portable)
Self Scanners (fixed)
Display Stands
Hanging signs
Bluetooth Zones
Petrol Pumps (Nozzles)
Online (More specifics required as to types)
Mailings:
Thank you mailings
Loyalty Statement mailings
Store club mailings
Sample Booths
Shelf edges
Shelf Barkers
Shelf Wobblers
Point of Sale Leaflets
Kiosks
Staff badges/clothing
Till Questions?
Inflatables?

What are Retail Media?

The term Retail Media comes originally from the media available within the retail environment.

As the area of Retail media has developed into a segment in its own right new media have been added. This has taken the media included outside the strict retail envionment whilst retaining strong retail links. A good example of this is fleet media. Fleet media is the term used to refer to advertisements on the sides of the fleet of lorries, trucks and vans used by a retailer for logistical purposes. While these vehicles do deliver to retailers it would be a fairly large stretch to consider them as a part of the retail environment. Despite this fleet media is a tool in the retail media consulting toolbox and so a valid retail medium.

Though many retail media are owned by retailers this is, again, not always the case. Many of the billboards that are considered as retail media are independantly owned by specialists who also manage other media outside of the retail sphere.

There is no canonical list of retail media, but the ones listed in the retail media summary are generally accepted to represent the core of the retail media space.


Rufus Evison