How Mars decides where to spend its retail media dollars

"At Digiday, Modern Retail and Glossy's Retail Media Advertising Strategies event in New York City on Sept. 10, Ron Amram, the senior director of global media for Mars, gave the audience a glimpse at the company's playbook for selecting which retail media network partners to work with. Mars's brands range from M&M's to Dove soap and Pedigree dog food; its products are sold in more than 70 countries."

"Amram said the company sees three buckets of value in retailers' ad businesses: driving growth with specific retailers, being great first-party data sources on how consumers interact with a category, and driving top-of-mind awareness - even beyond that retailer's website. He said the question for retailers is how effective the media networks are in helping brands access and interact with them to drive incremental growth."

"'If you have the attention of a consumer at scale, as a media property should, ... then you're at the table,' Amram said. 'Retailers now, by and large, are quite sizable; we're talking about engaging with consumers on a daily basis to send products. ... When you add the [first-party] data element, it becomes a multiplier. If you can use that tactically or strategically, then it becomes quite powerful.'"

Hundreds of retail media networks now compete for brand partnerships, creating selection challenges for marketers. Mars evaluates networks across three value areas: driving growth with specific retailers, supplying first-party data that reveals how consumers interact with a category, and generating top-of-mind awareness beyond retailer sites. Network effectiveness is measured by the ability to help brands access and interact with consumers to drive incremental growth. Retailers that command scaled consumer attention and offer first-party data deliver multiplied media value. Smaller, nimbler networks can provide scrappier, more collaborative relationships. Investment levels vary between in-store and e-commerce advertising based on fit and performance.

Read at Digiday