As retail media booms, lines blur between performance and brand marketing budgets

Marketers and agencies are grappling with divisions over who exactly controls retail media spend, seemingly causing a trickle-down effect on how retail media deals are brokered.

The rise of retail media networks has happened fast. By 2028, retail media is expected to account for almost a quarter of all U.S. media spend, according to eMarketer. At the same time, retail media networks are positioning themselves as media companies, blurring the line between retail media networks as performance marketing channels and brand marketing channels. They’re also asking for brand dollars as well as increased spend commitments year over year to help maintain momentum and boost revenue, as Digiday has previously reported.

To put some numbers to it, eMarketer also reported that by 2028, retail media CTV will represent more than a quarter of RMN display ad spend, and nearly 22% of CTV ad spending overall.

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.