[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: The retail media revolution

In recent years, retail media has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising. With the shift towards e-commerce and the increasing focus on data-driven marketing, brands, advertising agencies, and marketers are being presented with a unique opportunity to capitalize on this burgeoning trend.

A recent report by global marketing data and analytics company Kantar indicated that retail media could account for almost a quarter of all US media ad spend in 2028. The report further noted that retail media will be one of the key trends that will shape the marketing landscape in 2025.

At the same time Dentsu in its 2025 Media Trends report noted that retail media continues to grow at a double-digit rate, offering advertisers access to unparalleled shopper data. The report pointed to how brands can harness this new media environment to drive tangible impact and growth.

Campaigns of the week

Some of the unique and innovative campaigns we have covered this week include Cadbury, in partnership with its agency of record VCCP London coming up with an integrated campaign designed to capture the true spirit of Christmas while celebrating special moments and diverse holiday traditions.

In a world where technology and AI shapes perceptions, are smartphones truly capturing the full spectrum and beauty of human diversity, especially in often-overlooked emerging markets? TECNO, a brand at the forefront of multi-skin tone imaging, gave its response to this question with the launch of its #ToneProud campaign.

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has announced the launch of its 2024 "Holidays with Love" campaign, inviting customers to embrace every moment of their journeys with loved ones. Building on the success of last year's global campaign, this year’s global creative underscores the special connections that unfold during holiday travels.

With the countdown to the festive season officially on, Asda has unveiled its new brand campaign for Christmas – a delightful adventure that follows an animated team of gnomes who rise up from the snow to save Christmas – with five iconic new characters stealing the show.

Agencies and accounts

WPP’s Thompson, part of the VML network, has been awarded and retains the United States Marine Corps account, which is one of their longest client relationships, spanning over 77 years. The Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) Advertising Program centers on brand awareness, lead generation and recruiter support.

We Are Social, the Socially-led creative agency, has expanded its relationship with Volkswagen Group Australia, adding new brands to the portfolio. Following a fiercely contested pitch, We Are Social has been selected to lead social strategy and execution for Audi, CUPRA, Škoda, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

We Are Social has been appointed by Carlsberg Group as its global social media agency of record. We Are Social’s UK office won a competitive pitch to secure the work, and will now collaborate with Carlsberg Group across strategy and creative campaign development, as well as social-first content production through We Are Social Studios.

And SoundCloud, the artist-first platform that empowers artists and fans to connect and share through music, and PubMatic, an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, have announced a new strategic partnership offering SoundCloud’s premium advertising inventory across PubMatic’s suite of tools and solutions.

Appointments

Digital agency DEPT has appointed Rod Henriques as Executive Creative Director for the EMEA region. With his 20 years of experience, he will lead creative, design and production teams in the Benelux and Nordics, and will focus on clients such as Foot Locker, Netflix, Lotus Biscoff, ING and bol.com.

Saatchi & Saatchi has appointed Claire Hollands as its new CEO. Hollands joins from MullenLowe, where she held the same role. She will report to Charlie Rudd, CEO of Publicis Groupe UK‘s creative practice.

Publicis Groupe has announced the arrival of Umasankar Nistala as Chief Information Officer and CEO of Re:Sources. Umasankar will lead the Groupe’s IT teams around the world, and head Re:Sources, Publicis’ shared service backbone that builds consistency and synergies across the Groupe’s tools and systems.

European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) has announced Charley Stoney as CEO. Charley takes on the position in February next year, following the departure of the current CEO, Tamara Daltroff, who has been responsible for the significant expansion of the association over the past six years.

Other major news of the week

In other major news we covered this week, Dentsu, the integrated growth and transformation partner, has announced it is teaming up with Salesforce, the global AI CRM, to launch Smarter Media. The solution enables faster monetisation of retail media by creating personalised buying experiences, powered by AI.

The Media Rating Council (MRC) has approved the integration of first-party live streaming data into Nielsen’s accredited National Television service and renewed accreditation for Nielsen’s National Panel measurement.

And Soundverse AI, an AI-driven music technology startup, has unveiled its ethical and AI-driven music platform, setting new standards for artists. The company’s mission is to help musicians explore new creative possibilities while keeping their unique voices intact.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One.

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