6 minute read
What it means for brands investing in Retail Media
As traditional cross-site tracking fades marking a fundamental shift in digital advertising, Retail Media is emerging as the most viable and powerful alternative. Powered by retailer first-party data and closed-loop measurement, Retail Media networks like Amazon Ads, Tesco Media, and Boots Media Group are now essential tools for targeting, measurement, and performance.
As the cookie-less future continues to create disruption for brands who currently sell through retailers, we look at what strategic steps they can take to thrive.
What’s changing, and why it matters
Third-party cookies, once the backbone of digital advertising, are disappearing due to:
- Browser changes (e.g. Chrome phasing out cookies in 2024)
- Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA)
- Increasing consumer demand for data protection
For commerce brands, this shift challenges the ability to:
- Track customers across channels
- Build detailed audience profiles
- Attribute sales to media spend accurately
- Manage frequency and messaging consistency
Why Retail Media is rising
Retail Media networks offer a cookie-free way to reach high-intent audiences at scale, using rich, first-party data from retailer platforms, apps, and loyalty schemes. Brands can target based on real purchase behaviour, activate audiences using retailer datasets, and measure performance with closed-loop attribution.
Retailers like Amazon, Sainsbury’s, and Boots already provide tools that connect media investment directly to sales outcomes, making them a critical partner in this new era.
How brands can compete in a cookie-less world
1. Tap into retailer first-party data
From browsing to purchase behaviour, retailers hold data goldmines – and they’re using it to fuel advertising solutions.
Action: Strengthen relationships with retail partners who offer mature media networks. Prioritise platforms like Amazon Ads, Tesco Media, and Boots Media Group, where data, media, and sales sit within the same ecosystem.
2. Activate Amazon DSP
Amazon’s Demand Side Platform (DSP) allows brands to reach shoppers both on and off Amazon using first-party behavioural signals. Independent of third-party cookies, it leverages shopping insights to deliver relevant ads based on actual intent – not just interest.
Pro tip: Use DSP for both upper- and lower-funnel strategies, including retargeting based on in-market signals and driving awareness in new markets.
3. Recalibrate your measurement model
As cookie-based attribution becomes unreliable, brands need to shift towards:
- Closed-loop reporting via Retail Media networks
- Incrementality testing to assess true media impact
- Marketing mix modelling (MMM) for broader strategic insights
Bonus: Retailer clean rooms are growing in relevance, offering privacy-safe ways to match brand and retailer datasets for more holistic measurement.
4. Leverage contextual and commerce content
With identity-based targeting declining, contextual relevance is making a comeback. Well-placed, well-crafted content on retail platforms is more important than ever.
- Develop platform-native content (Amazon A+ content, product pages, brand stores)
- Use contextual cues (e.g. category adjacency, search trends) to guide placement
- Focus on conversion-ready creative, built specifically for retail environments
5. Strengthen your own first-party ecosystem
While your focus may be on retail, direct channels still matter. First-party data from loyalty programmes, apps, and email marketing builds resilience and long-term value. Even limited direct interactions can help you:
- Create high-value audience segments
- Feed insights into retailer campaigns
- Prepare for future collaborations with clean room technologies
Final thoughts
The death of third-party cookies isn’t the end of personalisation and performance, it’s the start of a smarter, more privacy-conscious commerce ecosystem. For brands investing in Retail Media, the opportunity is clear: lean into first-party data, partner closely with retailer platforms, and adapt your measurement strategy to reflect this new reality.
Those who evolve now will gain a competitive edge, one built on relevance, trust, and long-term commercial success.
