Dentsu has announced the expansion of its retail media business, signaling a commitment to accelerating growth and delivering enhanced synergies for its clients across all retail media capabilities. This expansion is spearheaded by the appointment of Brian Monahan as Head of Retail Media Solutions, Americas, aiming to delve deeper into consumer insights, modern shopping behaviors, and real-time dynamics of the retail media market.
The strategic move involves gaining a comprehensive understanding of various aspects, such as reach, pricing dynamics, and the creation of extensive 360-degree shopper profiles. This initiative is geared towards fostering innovative retail shopping experiences that include digital shopping carts, in-store shelves, and custom content. The overarching goal is to align retail media’s buy and sell sides, focusing on driving sales and maximizing shared objectives.
Under Monahan’s leadership, supported by a team of over 150 retail experts, Dentsu is making substantial investments to expand its retail media offerings. Notably, this offering stands out as it combines consultation, implementation, and activation at scale. Maintaining a tech-agnostic approach ensures flexibility while leveraging the strengths of Merkle and iProspect, positioning Dentsu as the only network managing both the buy and sell sides of the solution. This unique approach harnesses efficiencies through global scale and influence with leading brands.
Mike Feldman, SVP and Head of Commerce & Retail Media, brings a wealth of retail media experience, complemented by Megan Cameron, SVP of Retail Media Network at Merkle. Cameron leads the New Stream Media practice, providing robust support to retailers in constructing, expanding, and evolving their Retail Media Networks (RMNs). The collective expertise and holistic view across buy-side and sell-side operations aim to fortify Dentsu’s position as a leader in the retail media landscape.
Dentsu’s Retail Media Solution, powered by Merkury, leverages a global data platform to empower marketers with first-party identity ownership. This capability facilitates a holistic customer experience by integrating creative, media, and customer data into actionable insights, driving growth and brand loyalty. Merkury optimizes ad spending through unduplicated reach curves and sophisticated fund utilization models while providing detailed profiles for segment understanding and targeted cross-selling opportunities. These segments are channeled through the Merkury Publisher Marketplace, forming an unparalleled planning tool.
Merkle’s recent Retail Media Research Report bolstered the solution’s traction, offering deep insights into the retail media landscape and brand strategies amid the increasingly competitive e-commerce market. Highlighting evolving consumer habits influenced by inflation, rising expectations, and shifting dynamics, the report fortifies the demand for comprehensive shopper insights.
Under the leadership of Monahan, a seasoned retail growth leader with experience on both agency and brand fronts, Dentsu aims to advance and scale the dynamic retail space. Having led initiatives at Walmart.com and Pinterest, Monahan’s entrepreneurial spirit and strategic acumen align with the innovative three-pillar approach:
- New Stream Media: Facilitates retailers’ digital ad revenue growth and fosters personalized consumer experiences by forming strategic partnerships between product manufacturers and individual shoppers across various retail categories.
- Buy Side Media: Empowers brands with potent media strategies and storytelling, leveraging unique platform relationships for data-driven results that resonate with retail agility, operating seamlessly across multiple geographies.
- Dentsu Shop: An innovation hub enabling retail experiences in new frontiers like Roblox commerce and AR shelf experiences while delivering advanced measurement capabilities. This arm drives shopper engagement, monetizes first-party data, and enhances the efficiency of buy-side media.
