Retail media networks (RMNs) continue to redefine the marketing landscape, but as the industry evolves, so do the challenges. At STRATACACHES’s 2025 What’s In Store for Retail Media Networks event, presented in partnership with NRF, Andy Murray, Executive Chairman at Saatchi & Saatchi X, delivered a compelling session on how retailers and brands can reconcile the driving forces of retail media networks to accelerate their success. Here’s what we learned.

Retail Media: An Unstoppable Force

Murray opened with a bold assertion — retail media is an unstoppable force. While the hype cycle may have shifted toward AI, RMNs remain a dominant and growing channel. The University of Arkansas’ research on RMNs reinforces the promise:

• Retailers as media platforms generating high-margin revenue.
• First-party data enabling precise targeting and measurement.
• Closed-loop attribution connecting ad exposure to sales.
• Expansion into in-store digital signals to bridge the gap between online and offline commerce.

Bain estimates that by 2030, RMNs will account for 50% of total digital marketing spend (bain.com). With billions of dollars shifting into retail media, businesses must overcome key barriers to unlock its full potential.

The Challenges Stalling Progress

Despite its promise, the retail media journey remains complex. Murray identified several key challenges holding back momentum:

• Blurred lines between marketing and commerce: As every ad integrates commerce, organisations must redefine roles between CMOs, sales chiefs, and merchants.
• Lack of measurement standardisation: IAB standards exist, but legacy tech stacks often lead to slow adoption.
• Connecting digital retail media with in-store experiences: While expectations are high, operational execution remains difficult.
• Attribution and incrementality concerns: Brands hesitate to scale investment without clear proof of ROI.
• Inventory visibility challenges: Real-time product availability data often lags, making synchronization with media campaigns difficult.
• Balancing demand creation vs. demand capture: RMNs focus heavily on transactional lower-funnel tactics, but CMOs seek ways to create demand.

Shifting Mindsets to Accelerate Retail Media’s Future

To break through these barriers, Murray advocated for a multi-part shift in mindset, motivation and methodology:

1. From ‘Have to’ to ‘Want to’ Investing
   CMOs still view RMNs as an obligation rather than an opportunity. Instead of resisting change, leaders must proactively shape their approach rather than reactively adapting to external forces.
2. From Upskilling to Upleveling
   Rather than chasing technical mastery, organisations should focus on improving decision-making capabilities in an environment of uncertainty. Success requires embracing the unknown and making strategic choices that fit each brand’s unique context.
3. From Profit-Centric to Customer-Centric Innovation
   Too many retailers start with profitability goals instead of asking, How does this improve the customer experience? China’s e-commerce giants prioritise product, place, and time to enhance relevance, a model that U.S. retailers have yet to fully adopt.
4. From Future-Back to Baseline-Forward Strategy
   Traditional corporate innovation sets three-year goals and builds backward. Instead, Murray suggests focusing on current decision quality, iterating quarter-by-quarter, and refining based on real-world learning.
5. From Best Practices to ‘Best Practices in Use’
   Every organisation operates in a unique context. The goal shouldn’t be to copy industry best practices but to refine and embed what works within each business.

Breaking Down Silos to Drive Innovation

Murray argued that organizational silos — not technology — are the biggest barriers to progress. Companies must move from fragmented teams to a synchronous community that enables:

• C-level alignment on RMN strategy.
• Organisational design that rewards fast learning and deployment.
• R&D investment in RMN maturity, rather than premature optimization.
• Decentralized innovation, where local teams explore and test new ideas.
• Co-creation over collaboration, inviting retail partners to shape solutions rather than simply approving fully baked plans.

What’s Next for Retail Media?

Retail media is at an inflection point. While growth has plateaued due to organizational friction, the industry must push forward. Businesses that embrace a harmonized approach — aligning mindset, motivation and method — will move beyond the plateau and accelerate progress.

The future isn’t about if RMNs will succeed but how fast companies can adapt. For CMOs and retailers, the choice is clear: evolve or risk being left behind.

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