In this episode of Next in Media, Mike Shields interviews Ann Harrell, Head of Product Enablement at Pacvue, about the evolving landscape of retail media. Harrell explains the challenges of data availability and cross-channel attribution in retail media, highlighting the role of data clean rooms and the blurring lines between retail, social, and traditional search as all become channels for commerce.

💡Takeaways:

• The Challenge of Cross-Platform Attribution: While closed-loop attribution is effective within single retail platforms, the major challenge lies in attributing performance across various retail media channels and broader marketing channels due to data silos and retailers' reluctance to share data outside their own networks.
• 🔒 Data Clean Rooms as a Solution: Data clean rooms are emerging as a key tool to overcome data availability challenges.
• 💰 Cross-Channel Measurement Drives Budgets: Demonstrating cross-channel measurement to retailers is crucial because it often leads to increased and sustained budgets for brands.
• 🛍️ Evolution of Social Shopping: Social platforms like TikTok are actively integrating commerce features, moving beyond organic social strategy to offer "shop ads" that link creative content directly to products.
• 🌐 Building Retailer Ecosystems: Major retailers like Walmart are building comprehensive ecosystems that span various media touchpoints, including on-site display, off-site programmatic (e.g., through Trade Desk), and connected TV (CTV) via partnerships like Vizio.
• 🎯 Custom Incrementality Models: A one-size-fits-all approach to incrementality modeling is ineffective due to varying data and attribution capabilities across retailers.

🎙 Guest: Anne Harrell

🎤 Host: Mike Shields

📺 Sponsor: Walmart Connect

🎬 Producer: FEL Creative

As part of its exclusive series on the YouTube Ecosystem, Next in Media spoke with John Terrana, President, Americas at VaynerMedia, about why most clients aren't racing to lock up much inventory beyond sports this year, and the 'weirdo' spot YouTube still finds itself in.

💡Takeaways:

• 🏈 Sports Media Dominance: Live sports, particularly NFL and NBA, are highly competitive and fast-moving in the media marketplace, unlike other content which is experiencing slower movement and caution from buyers.
• ⚠️ Post-Upfront Caution: Following the upfronts, there's a prevailing sense of caution, with buyers proceeding slowly due to concerns about inventory value, viewership trends, macroeconomic conditions, and political environments.
• 📊 Increased Optionality and CTV/OTT Shift: Clients are seeking increased optionality for next year, prioritizing sports while shifting other media spend towards CTV (Connected TV) and OTT (Over-The-Top) to maintain flexibility.
• 📺 YouTube's Misunderstood Potential: YouTube, especially the proper app on TV, is still largely misunderstood and underutilized by many in terms of its reach as the number one app on smart TVs, its creative potential, and its targeting capabilities.
• 🔁 Always-On Creator Engagement: The trend for creators and influencers is moving from campaign-by-campaign activations to an "always-on" strategy, continuously sourcing and testing new talent, similar to the shift seen in performance marketing.
• 🛍️ Rise of Social Commerce and Live Shopping: Social commerce, particularly through platforms like TikTok Shops, is a major growth area and a significant bet for agencies, driving substantial commercial outcomes and offering branding opportunities through integrated commerce units in feeds.

🎙 Guest: John Terrana

🎤 Host: Mike Shields

📺 Sponsor: VuePlanner

🎬 Producer: FEL Creative

Next in Media sat down with Chloe Wix, Head of Global Product & Commercial Growth at Spotify at the company's beach venue in Cannes, to talk about AI-generated audio ads, why Spotify is leaning more into monetizing non-subscribers, and whether the 'background' medium can graduate into the video ad market.

💡Takeaways:

• 🎧 Shifting Perception of Spotify's Business Model: While initially perceived primarily as a subscription service, Spotify is increasingly demonstrating its commitment to advertising, investing significantly in its ad-supported side.
• 🎬 Rise of Video Podcasting: Spotify observes a strong user desire for deeper engagement with podcasters, extending to visual elements like set design and mannerisms.
• 🔄 Breaking Traditional Media Plans: Spotify's integration of both audio and video advertising is disrupting conventional media buying, where teams are often segmented for audio, video, or social.
• 🤝 Demand for Native and Upfront Deals: Brands continue to value authentic relationships with creators, leading to an increase in annual, upfront deals with major podcasters.
• ⚙️ Automation as a Key Goal in Advertising: Spotify's number one goal on the advertising side is automation.
• 📊 Enhanced Measurement Solutions: Spotify is heavily investing in robust first-party measurement tools (e.g., Spotify Ad Analytics, Pixel) and deepening partnerships with third-party measurement providers like Claritas, Podscribe, and Arts.ai to provide comprehensive data and analytics for advertisers.
• 🤖 AI in Ad Delivery and Creation: Spotify is leveraging AI for ad delivery, allowing advertisers to set goals (e.g., maximize spend, unique reach, purchases) and have ads delivered to users most likely to take a desired action.

🎙 Guest: Chloe Wix

🎤 Host: Mike Shields

📺 Sponsor: Elemental TV & VuePlanner

🎬 Producer: FEL Creative