How Commerce Media Increases Brand Visibility
Commerce media has emerged as a powerful tool for brands to enhance their visibility as consumers increasingly turn to digital channels to explore products and make purchases. Traditional digital advertising methods are also facing challenges, such as the decline of cookie-based tracking. Retail media networks and off-site channels offer innovative solutions that leverage first-party data and targeted advertising strategies to boost brand awareness and drive sales.
In this article, we’ll explore more about how commerce media, retail media networks, and other types of channels can increase brand visibility.
The Rise of Commerce Media
The digital advertising landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with commerce media emerging as a critical component of brand strategies.
Commerce media is a modern advertising approach that integrates digital platforms, data, and e-commerce to connect shoppers with products and services throughout the buying journey. It leverages large-scale commerce data, including purchase and intent data, to deliver targeted and relevant ads across both physical and digital touchpoints, thus enhancing the consumer experience and driving measurable outcomes at every stage of the sales funnel.
The rise of commerce media is being driven by several key factors:
- Brand access to valuable first-party data from retail platforms
- The ability to target consumers at crucial points in their purchasing journey
- Enhanced performance tracking and optimization capabilities
- Integration of new technologies and consumer-focused channels like Connected TV (CTV)
As traditional methods face challenges, brands are increasingly turning to commerce media to drive traffic, grow revenues, and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving digital marketplace.
The Role of Retail Media Networks
This shift is being driven primarily by the rapid growth of retail media networks, which form the backbone of commerce media. These networks, operated by retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and even some smaller companies, offer brands a direct avenue to advertise within retail environments such as grocery stores, big box stores, boutiques, banks, and more.
According to an article by MarTech, retail media ad spending is projected to increase 26% by the end of 2024. Furthermore, most brand leaders expect retail media networks to become valuable marketing tools by 2026, and Forbes predicts that ad spend in the retail media category will rise by 30% year-over-year.
Vast Quantities of First-Party Data
RMNs leverage their vast troves of consumer data to provide brands with precise targeting capabilities. This data includes purchase history, browsing behavior, and demographic information, enabling brands to create highly personalized ad experiences.
For instance, a CPG brand can target consumers who have previously purchased similar products or have shown interest in specific categories, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Connecting the Online and Offline Shopping Experience
One of the key advantages of RMNs is their ability to connect online and offline shopping behaviors. This omnichannel approach allows brands to create seamless experiences for consumers, whether they're browsing online or shopping in-store.
For example, a brand could use in-store purchase data to retarget customers with complementary products through digital ads, enhancing cross-selling opportunities.
Closed-Loop Measurement and Attribution
The closed-loop measurement provided by RMNs is another significant benefit for brands. Unlike traditional advertising channels, RMNs can directly attribute ad exposure to sales, providing clear ROI metrics.
This level of transparency allows brands to optimize their ad spend and refine their strategies in real time.
Expanding Offerings
Finally, RMNs are also expanding their offerings beyond traditional display and sponsored product ads. Many are now incorporating video ads, connected TV, and even in-store digital displays into their ecosystems.
This expansion provides brands with more diverse options to increase visibility across the entire customer journey.
As RMNs continue to evolve, they are becoming more than just advertising platforms. Many are developing into comprehensive marketing solutions, offering services such as content creation, analytics, and even fulfillment. This evolution is transforming the relationship between brands and retailers, fostering deeper collaborations and shared growth strategies.
The Role of Off-Site Advertising Channels
Off-site advertising channels have become increasingly important in the commerce media landscape, offering brands opportunities to expand their reach beyond retailer-owned platforms. These channels allow brands to engage consumers at various touchpoints throughout their digital journey, creating a more comprehensive and effective marketing strategy.
Connected TV
Connected TV (CTV) is revolutionizing the way commerce media can enhance brand visibility. By bridging the gap between digital precision and traditional television formats, CTV presents a unique opportunity for brands to connect with their target audiences on a more engaging platform. The capabilities of CTV go beyond typical digital ads, offering interactive, high-quality content that can capture the attention of consumers more effectively than standard screen ads.
One major advantage of CTV in commerce media is its ability to leverage detailed audience insights. With access to first-party data, retail media networks can deploy highly targeted campaigns that reach specific audience segments, ensuring that ads are not only seen but are also relevant to the viewer. This level of targeting enhances the chances of consumer engagement, fostering a more impactful brand connection.
Furthermore, CTV allows brands to create a cohesive narrative across multiple screens. By unifying the messaging seen in both linear television and streaming environments, brands can maintain consistency in their storytelling, reinforcing brand visibility and recall. This omnichannel approach, driven by advanced targeting and engaging formats, helps brands stand out in a crowded media landscape.
Programmatic Advertising
Programmatic advertising is another key component of off-site commerce media strategies. This approach allows brands to automate the buying and placement of ads across multiple platforms, optimizing reach and efficiency.
By harnessing retailer data, programmatic platforms can identify and engage audiences that have shown interest in certain products or fall within desired demographics, ensuring that ads reach the most relevant viewers.
This level of targeted advertising not only reduces wasted ad spend but also increases the likelihood of consumer engagement. Brands can deliver personalized messages that resonate more effectively with potential customers, leading to higher conversion rates and improved brand perception. Additionally, real-time data analytics and insights empower brands to adjust campaigns on the fly, optimizing performance and maximizing reach.
Moreover, programmatic advertising's ability to operate across various digital landscapes—ranging from social media and mobile apps to video and display networks—ensures that brands maintain a consistent and pervasive presence. This extensive reach solidifies brand recognition and reinforces messaging across multiple touchpoints, enhancing overall visibility in the crowded digital marketplace.
Start Increasing Brand Visibility with a Commerce Media Strategy
To effectively increase brand visibility through commerce media, brands should consider implementing the following key strategies:
- Develop a comprehensive omnichannel approach: Integrate retail media networks with off-site advertising channels and ensure you have consistent messaging across all touchpoints. Create seamless experiences for consumers, both online and in-store.
- Leverage first-party data: Collaborate with retailers to access valuable consumer insights, then use data to create highly targeted and personalized ad experiences.
- Invest in emerging technologies: Explore Connected TV (CTV) advertising opportunities and experiment with shoppable content on social media platforms. Utilize AI and machine learning for campaign optimization.
- Focus on content quality and relevance: Create engaging, platform-specific content that resonates with target audiences. Leverage user-generated content, influencer partnerships, and dynamic content strategies to deliver personalized experiences.
- Measure and iterate: Implement robust analytics and attribution models. Continuously test and refine your strategies based on performance data.
- Foster strong retailer relationships: Collaborate on innovative campaigns and promotions with retailers and other holders of commerce media networks. Invest in co-creation opportunities to drive mutual growth.
By implementing these strategies, brands can effectively leverage commerce media to increase their visibility, engage with consumers more meaningfully, and drive growth in the competitive digital marketplace. As the commerce media landscape continues to evolve, brands that remain agile, data-driven, and customer-centric will be best positioned to succeed.
Don’t Miss the Next Commerce Media Brand Summit Event
To learn more about how you can increase brand visibility with commerce media, don’t miss Commerce Media Brand Summit 2025. It’s happening from March 10th to 11th at the Westin Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.
View the agenda and get tickets to the event today.