Today, I’m digging into a question that has been coming up more and more as retail media expands into a broader commerce media ecosystem: does commerce media really need to be tied to the cart?

I’m narrating a guest contribution essay from Tom Limongello of The Middlemen Podcast that got me thinking differently about the distinction between retail media and commerce media. Specifically why SKUs and assortments are useful ways to understand retail media, but may not actually define it (and why the more important concept could be the shopper mission). Tom's essay also looks at travel media, where the network may own the audience and the moment of attention without owning the products ultimately purchased. And that raises some fascinating questions about measurement, attribution and who gets credit when multiple commerce media networks influence the same customer journey.

This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoop

Timeline

[01:45] - Questioning why the definition of commerce media is so focused on the cart

[02:15] - Why a retail media ad can influence an in-store purchase even when the exposure happens on social

[03:15] - Introducing “assortment” as a key piece of the retail media vocabulary

[04:30] - Why SKUs are useful for operating retail media, but don’t necessarily define it

[05:45] - How travel media demonstrates the value of shopper missions beyond a retailer’s own assortment

[08:45] - The measurement challenge when one network owns the media exposure but another business records the transaction

[09:45] - A broader definition of commerce media, and the questions this creates for travel, financial services and mobility

Links & Resources

• Today's post is a guest contribution from Tom Limongello, host of The Middlemen Podcast. Read Tom Limongello's essay on Substack: Retail Media Isn’t a Cart. Commerce Media Can’t Mean Everything
• Subscribe to The Middlemen Podcast
• Subscribe to Tom's Substack Shopper Missions
• Follow Tom Limongello, host of The Middlemen Podcast, on LinkedIn
• Listen to Collin Colburn from the IAB on The Middlemen: What Does Commerce Media Look Like Beyond Amazon? – Collin Colburn, IAB
• Read my related articles:
  • Offsite vs onsite retail media
  • Did we overcook in-store retail media measurement?
  • The retailer magazine: commerce media's most defensible surface?
• Check out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series where we talk shop.
• I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclub
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn