Retail media has become one of marketing’s most measurable channels, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s measuring what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this episode of Retail Media Unboxed<\/em>, Leah Logan, VP of Retail Media Transformation at Inmar Intelligence, explains why traditional attribution models fail to capture much of today’s consumer journey, particularly as creators become a larger influence on discovery and purchase decisions. She discusses why brands need to think beyond last-click attribution, why creator content should be treated as an asset rather than simply another media buy, and how retail media networks can compete for larger brand budgets by focusing on consumer behavior instead of isolated tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leah also shares why planning, creative strategy, and business outcomes\u2014not just targeting and measurement\u2014will define the next generation of successful retail media networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Last-click attribution dramatically underestimates how people actually shop. 2. Creator marketing should be viewed as a content investment\u2014not just a media buy. 3. Retail media needs to stop optimizing tactics and start changing consumer behavior. 4. The next wave of retail media growth depends on moving beyond the bottom of the funnel. 5. The winning retail media networks won’t be the ones with the most features\u2014they’ll be the ones that prove business outcomes.Five Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Consumers rarely move directly from discovery to purchase, especially in categories like grocery and consumables. Creator content, social platforms, reviews, and in-store experiences all influence buying decisions long before a transaction is recorded, meaning many of today’s measurement models miss significant portions of the customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Creators don’t simply drive incremental sales. They generate authentic content that can be reused across retail media, CTV, digital storefronts, in-store displays, and other customer touchpoints, creating value that extends far beyond a single campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Instead of beginning with placements, channels, or KPIs, brands should first identify the behavior they want to influence\u2014whether that’s increasing purchase frequency, acquiring new households, or creating new buying occasions\u2014and then build creative and media strategies around that objective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>While most investment still flows into performance-focused tactics, retailers have a significant opportunity to capture larger brand budgets by supporting upper-funnel planning, creator programs, and integrated campaigns that combine commerce, content, and customer data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>As measurement capabilities continue to converge across the industry, competitive advantage will come from demonstrating clear business impact. Networks that can confidently connect strategy, execution, and measurable outcomes will be best positioned to attract future investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n