Three Up-and-Coming Specialty RMNs Built for the Retail Media 2.0 Era
Big Name Late Entrants to Retail Media Will Tap Loyalty, Creators, and In-Store Digital for RMN Success
Retail Media 2.0 is here, and Retail Media 3.0 is just over horizon. As retail media continues its evolution along the dimensions of advertising formats and attribution channels, emerging RMNs are ready to assume a more prominent role in the ecosystem.
In the predecessor to this article, I wrote about Five Up-and-Coming RMNs Built for the Retail Media 2.0 Era, all of which are major players in grocery and CPG: Albertsons, Walgreens, Dollar General, Hy-Vee, and Sam’s Club.
As physical stores take on more importance in Retail Media 2.0 (and 3.0), certain specialty retailers are ready to shine. One emerging area for which specialty retailers are especially well-suited is the intersection of creators + retail media. Creators are one of the most effective forms of media, breaking through the media clutter, driving engagement, and ultimately facilitating commerce.
In my latest iteration of retail evolution, creators exist at the bleeding edge of retail media 2.0 and offer a natural transition point into experiential retail media. Although it’s most prominent in social media today, creator content is destined to exist on-site, off-site, and in-store—and will play a growing role in the emergence of product sampling.
The three specialty RMNs best positioned for Retail Media 2.0 are all especially well aligned with this trend.