Last week, I had the honor of moderating a session at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit called “How to Supercharge Your Creative Strategy with AI.” Joining me on stage were Mike Brunick, SVP, Head of Commerce Media at Yahoo; Devrie DeMarco, Managing Director at MediaLink/UTA; and Wendi Dunlap, EVP, Business Intelligence and Audience Science at Mediahub Worldwide.

Together, we dove into how AI is reshaping creative strategies and, most importantly, how it’s knitting together the online and offline worlds to build seamless customer experiences.

One of the most compelling moments came from DeMarco, who reminded us that it’s not just about optimizing workflows, it’s about crafting journeys that resonate across every touchpoint. She said it powerfully: “If AI can free people from manual tasks, imagine the potential of a better in-store experience.”That struck a chord. We’re not just using AI for efficiency’s sake; we’re using it to enrich the entire shopping experience, connecting the digital and physical realms.

Brunick emphasized that personalization needs to go beyond immediate transactions. It’s about fostering long-term relationships. Picture a customer’s journey as a continuous thread weaving through both online and in-store experiences. AI helps us analyze behaviors, build meaningful touchpoints, and drive engagement that resonates across channels. But it’s most effective when it amplifies our ability to connect on a human level. We can’t let data and automation drown out the personal touch.

Dunlap added another layer, urging us not to overlook the ethical implications of AI in creative strategies. While AI can enhance creativity, without vigilance, we risk introducing bias into the strategies we create to connect with diverse audiences. “Bias” and “inclusivity” must be at the forefront of any AI-driven approach, Dunlap explained. The technology is only as good as the data it’s fed. Without human insight, we can easily miss the mark in reflecting our diverse audiences and their varied consumer experiences.  This isn’t just about algorithms; it’s about responsibility.

AI Strategy in Three Key Points

Our panel boiled down AI strategy to three essential takeaways:

1. Bridge the Online and In-Store Experience: It’s not about separate channels; it’s about guiding customers through a unified journey.
2. Enhance Creativity, Don’t Replace It: AI should augment the human touch, but always keep a sharp eye on data-driven biases.
3. Start Small: Test a few use cases, learn, and then scale up thoughtfully. Don’t try to boil the ocean.

The Power of Experience

After my panel, I attended several discussions that expanded on these ideas. But the last session of the day — “Unlock the Power of Innovation through Creativity in Commerce” — truly drove everything home for me. Featuring Michael Olaye, EVP, Managing Director at Hero Digital, and Lauren Chesley, Head of Industry, Retail + Restaurants at SiriusXM Media, and moderated by Pam Zucker, Chief Strategy Officer at IAB<, this session wrapped up many of the themes we’d explored throughout the day.

They picked up right where our panel left off and closed the loop on what Walter T. Geer III touched upon earlier in the day during his fireside chat: We need to be creating experiences. It’s not just about selling products; it’s about crafting a journey that resonates on multiple sensory levels and stays with the consumer long after.

Olaye framed it perfectly: “Creativity stays the same, but the canvas changes.” We’ve moved from TV and print to automation and digital platforms, and it’s about using technology to drive human thinking. His words encapsulated what we’d been circling all day — AI isn’t here to replace creativity; it’s here to enhance it, giving us new canvases to paint on.

Chesley illustrated this idea deeper, painting a vivid picture of a European hotel where every detail was designed to engage the senses. The scent in the lobby, the jazz music playing softly, the warm towel handed to guests, and the champagne toast at check-in. “The more senses you activate, the more connected you are to someone,” she explained. It clicked. The same principles apply to retail. She argued that audio is a powerful yet often underused channel, creating emotional connections in a world saturated with visuals. When was the last time you thought about a brand’s sonic identity?

Olaye also introduced the idea of Zero UI — a world that moves beyond screens and traditional interfaces. Imagine stores where sensors, AI, and connected devices know your preferences without you having to input anything. Zero UI is about blending the physical and digital worlds in seamless ways. This dovetailed perfectly with what we discussed during the session I moderated: AI is a tool to build customer journeys that speak to how people want to interact with brands, online or offline.

Key Takeaways from the IAB Connected Commerce Summit

1. Phygital Experiences Are Key: Rose Ferraro of Rockbot emphasized that consistency between online and in-store environments is crucial. Unified media across audio, signage, and other touchpoints strengthens the brand narrative and keeps consumers engaged.
2. In-Store Digitization as a Business Enabler: Nick Ashley of Tesco Media nailed it when he said that digitization isn’t just about media revenue; it’s about enhancing the overall business. Elevating the look and feel of stores fosters long-term customer loyalty.
3. Retail Data Drives Better Impact: Elizabeth Cotogno of Kroger Precision Marketing noted that incorporating retail data earlier in media planning can boost business impact by 50%. But the real challenge? Moving beyond outdated metrics like CPMs and focusing on real-world outcomes.
4. Creativity and Technology Must Work Hand-in-Hand: Walter T. Geer III reminded us that while AI and automation provide incredible tools, it’s the human element — our stories, ethics, and passion — that ultimately drives compelling campaigns.
5. Personalization, but Not at the Expense of Privacy: The summit repeatedly highlighted that AI should personalize and enhance consumer experiences while keeping privacy and ethics at the forefront of every interaction.

Creating the Connected Experience

If there’s one major lesson I walked away from the IAB Connected Commerce Summit with, it’s this: AI is an enabler, not the end goal. Whether we’re streamlining creative processes or building phygital retail environments, the focus should always be on crafting meaningful, holistic experiences.

AI can free us from mundane tasks, drive deeper insights, and open up new possibilities. But at its core, it’s the human touch that keeps the heartbeat of creative strategy alive. It’s about understanding what truly resonates with people and using technology to amplify those connections.

The post Supercharging Creative Strategies with AI: Top Takeaways from IAB Connected Commerce Summit appeared first on AdMonsters.

AI is a crucial growth driver across various aspects of commerce advertising, from content creation to targeting and personalization, according to mrge’s latest State of Commerce Advertising Report.

To learn more about the transformative role of AI in commerce advertising, we chatted with Felix Witte, General Manager and SVP Publishers & Advertisers at mrge. He gave us an in-depth look at the report, showcasing specific examples of revenue increases and operational improvements.

In our conversation, Witte also addressed the challenges posed by Google’s anticipated updates, which are expected to significantly impact content quality and data protection. Transparency is also a crucial concern for the industry, with 94.4% of respondents citing so.

Dig into the Q&A for a comprehensive view of the current and future state of commerce advertising backed by data and insights from the report.

AI as a Revenue Driver

Lynne d Johnson: The report highlights AI as a significant growth driver. Can you provide specific examples or case studies where AI has substantially increased revenue for commerce advertisers?

Felix Witte: AI is extensively being used in managing product listings on search engines. Tools like GPT-4 and Jasper.ai can generate product descriptions, specifications, and listings automatically. By inputting basic product information, AI can produce detailed, SEO-friendly descriptions that save time and maintain consistency for publishers. When looking at the advertiser side, we noticed that AI is being employed across the whole value chain.

For example, a large sports apparel company is using AI and machine learning to analyze customer data and predict future purchasing behaviors. They use these insights to tailor their marketing efforts more effectively.

A large beverage company utilizes AI-driven analytics and machine learning to analyze social media interactions and customer feedback. This allows them to create more targeted and personalized ad campaigns.

A leading online publisher uses AI to create a dynamic content recommendation engine that adapts to user preferences in real time. They also employ AI to optimize their native advertising, ensuring that ads are more relevant to readers.

At mrge, we use AI to optimize partner program selection as well as using automated bidding to ensure the best traffic is directed to our partners.

The AI market is expected to grow from $184.00 billion in 2024 to $826.7 billion in 2030. We believe a large part of this growth will be driven by the commercial and operational upsides that AI offers.

AI’s Expected Impact: AI is viewed as having high potential in advanced targeting and personalization, content creation, and campaign optimization.

Navigating Google Updates

LdJ: The anticipated Google updates are a major concern for the industry. What specific changes are expected, and how should advertisers and publishers prepare to mitigate potential negative impacts?

FW: In the second quarter of 2024, Google severely penalized performance marketing outside its walled gardens. Content white-label solutions have been effectively eliminated. Content sites have lost one of their key growth drivers (commerce content on their sites) and are now struggling to determine new growth strategies. AI regulation has been tightened to favor the classic Google search, which coincidentally started experimenting with the inclusion of coupon and discount codes. Industry experts believe Google will continue to become more restrictive regarding the types of traffic, specifically:

• Content quality: Emphasis on original, high-quality content over thin, low-quality content.
• EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Continued focus on E-A-T criteria, particularly for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) sites, which include many affiliate marketing websites.
• Page experience: Incorporation of Core Web Vitals into ranking signals, affecting how pages are assessed based on user experience metrics.
• Product review: Enhanced algorithms to evaluate the depth, quality, and authenticity of product reviews, favoring comprehensive, insightful content.

Additionally, past Google changes were focused on English-speaking countries only. We expect that Google will extend its policy to all languages.

Google Updates Impact: Emphasis on high-quality content and strict data protection rules.

Enhancing Transparency​

LdJ: With 94.4% of respondents highlighting the importance of transparency, what measures are being implemented to enhance transparency within the industry, particularly in ad placements and revenue reporting? What steps is mrge taking to improve transparency in Commerce Advertising transactions and reporting?

FW: To improve transparency and efficiency at scale, we have implemented direct integrations with affiliate networks. These integrations allow for seamless data exchange and real-time tracking, ensuring that all parties have immediate access to performance metrics and detailed insights. This level of transparency helps in building trust between advertisers and affiliates, as it provides a clear view of traffic sources, conversion rates, and overall campaign effectiveness.

Our approach also includes maintaining a high level of responsiveness to advertiser requests. We understand that timely and effective communication is crucial for successful campaign management. By prioritizing advertiser needs and swiftly addressing their inquiries, we ensure that their campaigns run smoothly and any issues are resolved promptly. This proactive stance not only improves campaign performance but also fosters long-term partnerships with our clients.

Additionally, we employ proactive click screening through 24metrics, a sophisticated tool designed to detect and prevent fraudulent activities. This tool continuously monitors clicks and conversions, identifying any anomalies or suspicious patterns. By filtering out invalid traffic and ensuring that only genuine clicks are counted, we protect advertisers from fraud and enhance the overall quality of the traffic we deliver. This proactive approach to fraud prevention reinforces our commitment to providing reliable and effective affiliate marketing solutions.

Transparency Importance: 94.4% of respondents consider transparency crucial​.

Investing in Partnerships

LdJ: The report mentions increased investment in partnerships as a key opportunity for revenue growth. Can you elaborate on the types of partnerships that are most effective and provide examples of successful collaborations?

FW: The most relevant partnerships are between advertisers and suitable publishers, including:

• Coupon and deal sites
• Product comparison and review sites
• Buy Now Pay Later sites
• Social media platforms, blogs, forums, and niche content sites

We believe that successful partnerships are based on regular communication, a clear exchange of partnership goals, and a strong alignment between the publisher’s audience and the advertiser’s products.

Partnership Growth: Increased investment in strategic partnerships is seen as a key revenue growth driver.

Capitalizing on Emerging Trends

LdJ: Considering the optimistic outlook for the second half of 2024, what key factors does mrge believe are driving this positive sentiment, and how can advertisers and publishers best capitalize on this anticipated growth? What emerging trends or technologies do you foresee shaping the future of commerce advertising beyond AI and Google updates?

FW: In the second half of the year, several factors drive growth:

Economic stabilization and recovery, characterized by lower inflation and a return to growth, play a significant role. Changing consumer patterns also contribute, with a higher share of spending allocated to essential items like food, electricity, and heating. Additionally, consumers are becoming more cost-conscious, showing a preference for value products, which leads to lower basket values but increased interest in coupons and discounts. The Q4 seasonality, marked by major commercial events such as Black Friday and Christmas, further boosts e-commerce and affiliate marketing.

To capitalize on these trends, businesses should focus on helping consumers mitigate the impact of inflation by providing money-saving opportunities. Planning ahead by forging partnerships with publishers early ensures a strong reach during the crucial Q4 period. Adapting to emerging product trends is essential, as identifying in-demand products based on changing consumer patterns can enhance success.

Moreover, several other trends are shaping the landscape. Video marketing continues to grow in relevance, while AI-driven customer support and interactions are becoming more commonplace, with a shift towards direct messages instead of traditional email or chatbots. There is also a continued trend towards eco-friendly products and conscious travel. Lastly, the upcoming US elections are expected to have a significant impact on e-commerce and overall economic development.

Emerging Trends: Approaches to maximize growth through upper- and mid-funnel activities, such as strategic partnerships, social media engagement, and creating valuable content.

The post AI Boosts Commerce Ad Revenue by 32%: Insights from mrge’s State of Commerce Advertising Report appeared first on AdMonsters.

While there is a ton of opportunity in the retail media world, there are still challenges. Those opportunities and challenges were top of mind at the 2023 IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Reimagining Retail Media event, where industry experts expressed their views on prioritizing consumers’ needs and the importance of privacy as a trend and strategic imperative.

Driven by technological advancements, changing consumer behaviors, and the need for effective audience engagement, brands are embracing that the future of retail is omnichannel. Likewise, publishers — as partners of retail media networks, providing offsite access to an extended audience — are walking the customer-centric walk. 

Prioritizing a Consumer-Centric Approach

During the “Building Consumer Trust in Retail Media” session, all panelists agreed that putting consumers first does wonders for your business. Yes, your relationship with your partners and intermediaries is essential, but the most important relationship a brand or publisher can have is the relationship with their audience. 

“Consumers need to be at the center of everything, as your relationship with consumers is more important than the advertising,” explained Peter Barry, Vice President of Addressability at PubMatic. “What you do with data, what sort of partners you work with, you have to look through that consumer lens.”

The value exchange you demonstrate with your consumers is a win-win because retailers benefit from profitable business lines that allow them to reduce sales fees, which is a plus for the consumer. 

Danielle Brown, Senior Vice President, Data Enablement and Category Strategy at Disney Advertising Sales, made it clear that at Disney, the customer experience always comes first, from their theme parks to their streaming platforms. 

“We have spent years building a proprietary audience graph, allowing us to target consumers with highly relevant ads,” Brown said. “The goal is to provide consumers with content and advertising that resonates with their true needs and preferences.”

Transparency and building consumer trust are primary aspects of the retail media business. Since retailers have a surplus of consumer data, responsible data handling is paramount. With this data, retailers can provide valuable consumer insights and media consumption behaviors, closing the attribution loop. That is why starting with a healthy commitment to transparency is the key to success.

Privacy Management: Transparency’s Three Dimensions

When communicating your value exchange, it is necessary to consider consumer privacy as a strategic choice. Why are we collecting their data, and how does it improve the consumer’s experience? Communicating why you are collecting their data and how it improves their experience can go a long way to building and maintaining trust. Transparency is key.

Agencies also play a crucial role in ensuring a better consumer advertising experience, so they must hold themselves accountable for respecting consumer data.

Transparency has three dimensions, according to Amie Owen, US Head of Commerce at UM Worldwide. “First, building trust with your consumers is important by clearly demonstrating the value exchange. Second, it’s best to be transparent with clients, ensuring that all activities are shared and the learning is mutual,” she stated. “Third is nothing other than simplification. Simplify the processes for retailers, consumers, and your internal teams.”

Shifting from Retail Media 1.0 to Retail Media 2.0 

There is a shift happening in retail media from Retail Media 1.0 to today’s Retail Media 2.0. In the early days, Retail Media 1.0 consisted of retailers realizing the power of media revenue and using their platforms to display ads and monetize their audience. Sounds like easy money, right? We’d say so, but things are changing now as consumer expectations changed.

Retail media 2.0 looks at consumer behaviors to focus on their wants and needs, creating the need for a more sophisticated approach. This new version of Retail Media is about establishing a more integrated and collaborative approach between retail and media, focusing on standardization and better measurement practices. It also addresses the challenges of major players like Amazon and emerging Chinese platforms like TikTok, Shein, and Temu. 

During the “Retail Media 2.0: Balancing Personalization and Monetization” session, panelists stressed the importance of embracing a 360-degree approach. Seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences can lead to substantial growth and better monetization.

Looking Forward to the Future of Retail Media 

In the future, AI will play a critical role in retail media, just as it is in every other aspect of digital media and ad tech. For now, AI is being used to redefine data segments and provide personalization for users. However, the long-term implications include machine learning systems taking over the more tedious tasks for shoppers. 

There are several challenges and opportunities in retail media. These include standardizing measurement metrics, closing the gap with industry giants like Amazon, fostering a healthier retail media ecosystem, and building a more diverse talent pool. The future is bright, and while challenges exist, improving the consumer experience is crucial to navigating the challenges.

The post Customer Centricity: The Key To Retail Media’s Successful Future appeared first on AdMonsters.

With the ongoing explosive growth in online shopping— sales topped $1 trillion in 2022— advertisers are in the market for new avenues to capture consumers’ attention and spend. But many nontraditional publishers struggle with knowing how or where to begin.

Who Are Nontraditional Publishers?

Consider your media property. Do you have a consistent following and consumers who return for your unique content? Are these consumers spending a significant amount of time on your site? If so, you can likely consider yourself a publisher, albeit a nontraditional one.

 Beyond the content you create, consider your site’s purpose. For example, deal-centric or “shopping resource” sites like ours are an emergent type of nontraditional publisher with significant traction over the years. We attract a specialized audience of deal-seekers who are already in a buying mindset. 

Continued inflation brings an increased focus on comparative shopping, which has boosted traffic. Coupon sites and other similar shopping resources have helped shoppers save money, and helped brands survive during volatile times such as COVID and past recessions. 

With a growing audience ready to buy, coupon or deal sites can be a precious asset to advertisers. However, nontraditional publishers often face off against early stumbling blocks as they develop a monetization strategy. 

Challenges Faced by Nontraditional Publishers 

For nontraditional publishers, recognizing their unique audience and value is only the starting line. Implementing new advertising solutions can be complex.  Maintaining your site’s identity is important, as it is what your consumers expect. 

However, for publishers that did not build their site with monetization in mind, finding ways to incorporate advertising, subscriptions, or eCommerce naturally can serve as a challenge.

Our ad network partner, SourceKnowledge’s co-founder. and CRO, Hector Pantazopoulos, says:  “Nontraditional publishers have more avenues than ever to monetize their content — while maintaining the natural flow of their sites. When it comes to monetization, these publishers should keep their options and minds open, as the most widely utilized and recognized walled garden solutions may not be the best fit for your goals.”

 CouponFollow has a highly engaged audience of consumers who are often ready to purchase, but initially we were not being properly rewarded for all of our traffic. Our main challenge was to fully optimize this traffic in a way that did not disrupt the natural flow consumers had come to appreciate. 

Since partnering and optimizing with the SourceKnowledge Network, CouponFollow has exceeded our goals to fill more inventory and increase the returns on under-monetized merchants. 

SourceKnowledge was recently acquired by mrge, the world’s leading commerce advertising platform, connecting more than 5,500+ publishers, 55,000+ advertisers, and 100+ networks – in over 160 countries. CouponFollow has worked with both mrge and SourceKnowledge for years. This acquisition gives CouponFollow a seamless end-to-end commerce advertising product suite with access to all mrge companies.

Nontraditional Publisher Opportunities

Nontraditional publishers help decision-making by helping consumers determine how and when to monetize. The unique purpose of their site can drive greater conversions. For example, deal-centric sites are specifically designed to attract consumers who are ready to make a purchase. 

Your site has an edge in attracting marketing partners if they serve a specialized purpose, be it deal-seeking or information-gathering. For example, through our partnership with SourceKnowledge, CouponFollow saw an increase of 227% in available merchants.

“Deal-centric sites like CouponFollow offer a unique value proposition for consumers and a ‘ready to buy’ audience for marketers. They deserve to be rewarded for their ability to drive conversions!” said Pantazopoulos.

Also, nontraditional publishers have a wealth of solutions to pull from to determine the monetization strategy that will work best for them. Nontraditional publishers should take stock of all their options when considering their tactics and overall strategy. If your inventory is valuable and your audience is primed for conversions, you should drive competition amongst advertisers.

CouponFollow has seen a 184% YoY increase in monetized traffic directly attributed to the SourceKnowledge Network and an overall growth of 20% in revenue. Our partnership has driven an 85.5% increase in incremental monetized traffic since November 2021.

You work hard to curate your media property, and it’s past time to be properly rewarded for those efforts. Know your audience and keep your mind and options open. You’ll be able to build a powerful, personalized marketing mix and establish yourself as an in-demand partner for marketers.

Though nontraditional publishers face a steeper uphill battle in establishing advertising solutions, their unique positioning in determining how and when to monetize for consumers can give them an edge in the online marketplace.

By examining the holistic array of solutions available, these publishers can effectively drive competition and optimize their media property for their unique audiences. 

The post How CouponFollow Effectively Monetizes Traffic As a Nontraditional Publisher appeared first on AdMonsters.

In this market, independent publishers should consider their own commerce offerings and embrace their ability to take full advantage of these new capabilities.  Publishers can reap the benefits through product sales, reviews, and comparisons. 

Shoppable online advertising is evolving beyond static banners and pop-ups. Today’s innovations are far more actionable than your standard, static units. And, at the same time, conversions are easily measured. Further, some offer sophisticated targeting abilities, allowing publishers to seek out consumers actively in a buying mindset. Collectively, these innovations are known as commerce media. 

To reflect this, new deal-focused media companies have risen along with deal-focused coverage and commentary on traditional publishers for this increasingly savings-focused audience. Many have seen a parallel growth in traffic over the past few years as e-commerce has risen in prominence.

 For example, CNN Coupons presents itself as a one-stop guide to the hottest savings and even offers exclusive rewards from major retailers. Independent publishers should also seek to expand their commerce capabilities as the e-commerce industry expands.

Commerce Media: Linking Impressions with Conversions

Commerce media is a powerful way for advertisers to drive conversions and sales by closing the loop between advertising impressions and commerce transactions. Previously, publishers and advertisers had to play a guessing game when it came to measurable sales driven by an advertisement’s impression. But these innovative technologies allow  publishers to offer more relevant advertising for their audiences 

 Comparative, deal-focused shopping is on the rise, and publishers can capitalize on their specialized audiences by expanding their consumer focus with this technology. As e-commerce continues to skyrocket, many major retailers are sensing the tides and are actively searching for strong partnerships amidst a diversifying marketplace.

New innovations within the commerce media space will give publishers the edge in curating their unique audiences and driving sales in key verticals that align with their coverage. 

 Driving Commerce & Competition 

Sure, you could get by the old way of setting your traffic through an SSP and receiving CPM bids. But those not taking advantage of these technological developments sell themselves at a steep discount. With these capabilities at their disposal, publishers can now aim to deliver meaningful advertising — rather than annoying your consumers, you can endeavor to provide value to the content on your site with information, comparative shopping options, and the ability to quickly and easily complete a purchase. 

How you build out your commerce capabilities has become even more interactive. Many solutions allow you to easily highlight a retailer’s catalog of products with dynamic pricing information. This level of customization enables you to easily integrate shoppable advertising into your site’s identity. 

What Are Shopping Ads? 

In order to craft the best possible strategy, it’s important to take a look at the number of options available, to select the products that will work best for your brand.

Integrating shoppable ads allows you to properly monetize your site based on your ability to provide advertisers with conversions.

Shopping ads are a popular technology to share important product information with your consumers, including an image, price, brand name, and more. This technology has evolved from simply displaying a single offering. Today’s shopping ads can include: 

•     An internal hyperlink directly to the displayed product. 
•     A rotating display of products within a specialized category or from a particular brand. 
•     The ability to complete a transaction directly within the ad unit from the publisher’s site. 

 For publishers, shoppable ads can directly benefit your site. Integrating shoppable ads allows you to properly monetize your site based on your ability to provide advertisers with conversions. This can earn you a far more competitive cost-per-click (CPC) rate than other major solutions in the marketplace, such as Google AdSense. 

Another popular solution is sponsored listings. These solutions pull directly from organic listings on a website and promote them in highly-visible (often top-of-page) positions. These are commonly found in the major players’ arsenals— such as Amazon or eBay — and independent publishers should also take advantage.

A combination of innovative new technologies will help publishers get ahead in the market, by offering a speedy and simplified shopping experience, driving results for advertisers and consumer loyalty. 

How to Get Started 

Publishers hold more power than they expect in the shifting e-commerce market, and influential retailers are listening. It’s time for publishers to take advantage of their specialized audiences and maximize their commerce capabilities.

 Authenticity is key for those looking to get started or increase their offerings. 

One way to begin is by adding content geared toward shopping and transactions. For example, a publisher with a gardening-focused site may want to share articles about the best types of flowers or vegetables for beginners. When thinking about how to monetize your content properly here are a few tips to consider: 

•     Keep an open mind. 
•     Think beyond the walled gardens to extend your advertising reach. 
•     Shoppable advertisements can prove you drive sales and often offer a more competitive CPC rate. 

With the powerful combination of authenticity, new technological solutions, and the advantage of an open mind, independent publishers can curate a competitive suite of commerce capabilities, bringing increased value to their audiences and advertising partners.

The post Online Shoppaholics: How Can Publishers Embrace Commerce Media? appeared first on AdMonsters.

What Differentiates Commerce & Retail Media

Commerce media is different from retail media in two major ways, says Brackmann. First, commerce media includes all industries, and not just the retailers themselves, but their websites focusing on separate divisions such as travel, automotive, and financial services. 

“Second, and I think the part that is more germane to this group, is we aren’t talking only about onsite media. Instead, we’re talking about how to broaden that concept to engage audiences on publishers across the open internet,” explained Brackmann. This means retailers are utilizing first-party data across the space of the internet to find a select group of publishers to partner with. 

Exclusive Ad Experiences Drive Value

Commerce media is generally offered by invitation only in private marketplaces rather than in open exchanges, Brackmann noted. “You may have heard of the PMP concept that’s been popular in the industry for the last couple of years. They tend to have exclusive inventory that’s on-site inventory and exclusive audiences,” he said. These companies will use zero and first-party data for targeting users and to offer them unique advertising experiences. 

These exclusive ad experiences bring value to the consumer, the advertiser, and the site that is offering the experience. Increasingly, Brackmann says, commerce media brands are working with specific publishers on exclusive deals, driving curated experiences for specific audiences. 

Even in-store experiences are beginning to be powered and influenced by commerce media. In fact, the landscape of in-store shopping is changing generally, with over 15 percent of commerce now happening online. This shift, notes Brackmann, necessitates a different way of thinking about how we shop and where money is actually being made. 

For example, he shared that Amazon makes about 68% of its revenue from ads. Indeed, if you shop on Amazon’s site for certain products, 80 percent of the page will consist of ads, which Brackmann says the majority of users noted indifference to, and more people felt the ads were helpful than those who thought they were annoying. 

If even a huge retailer like Amazon is making most of its profit from ads, that is a shift in the overall landscape of digital media, and creating a burgeoning new industry that did not exist a few years ago. “The interesting part about this is one in five digital media dollars will be spent within a commerce media network by 2026,” said Brackmann, noting that many of these dollars are coming from other sectors and therefore increasing the overall size of the advertising pie.

Seizing the Opportunity Commerce Media Provides

This is leading to an increase in ownership of experiences. Commerce companies today are building portals and other technological solutions to engage their users in a meaningful way. Brackmann explained that for advertisers, this means custom opportunities and targets that make sense in the context of the commerce site. 

So what can you do today to thrive in the world of commerce media? Brackmann suggests two things. First, invest in your brand; think about what you can do to make your experience better as things rapidly evolve in areas like buying, optimization, and delivery.

Second, address your operating model and how you will support new needs from advertisers. “That’s an area to invest in,” Brackmann advised.

Lastly, Brackmann noted, new partnerships are everywhere. “New channels, CTV, new experiences folks can drive by partnering together in a new and unique way. As publishers, how do you partner with commerce brands to do something special?” He says partnerships can offer the consumer a differentiated and surprising experience that translates directly into value. 

“The three things I want everybody to take away: commerce media is a huge opportunity for everybody here. You need to own the capabilities both from a technology and organizational perspective to be able to maximize your investment. And be open to new partnerships, all sorts of new things are happening in the industry,” Brackmann concluded.

The post PubForum Miami: Why Publishers Need to Invest in Commerce Media appeared first on AdMonsters.