OTTO (otto.de)

End of the Linear Funnel: Retail Media Rethinks Marketing

An opinion piece by Sabine Jünger (Vice President, Otto Advertising) published on July 9, 2026 in Horizont argues the traditional linear marketing funnel is obsolete. Jünger says modern marketing must orchestrate many factors to reach audiences that dynamically jump between media, and positions retail media—using retailer properties such as Otto.de and first‑party shopper data—as the right channel to influence purchase decisions. The article frames retail media as a strategic alternative for marketers reallocating budgets and rethinking measurement, rather than a single-step replacement of awareness-to-conversion funnels.

Founders Launch Data Consultancy Nexida

Nexida, a new Hamburg-based data consultancy, was founded by Christopher Reher and Martin Possekel to advise companies on data strategy, privacy/compliance and digital monetization. The firm—established in 2025 and formally commencing activities in mid-2026—combines strategic, technological and regulatory perspectives and operates via a network of independent specialists rather than a traditional in-house consulting team. The founders bring complementary experience: Reher from AdTech/publisher data leadership roles (including Platform161 and Axel Springer All Media) and leadership in the BVDW data-economy group; Possekel from advertiser/CRM and MarTech roles (including KPMG, Lufthansa Group, Future Marketing). Nexida aims to support organisations in the digital advertising ecosystem to monetise data while meeting heightened governance and privacy requirements.

Otto Posts Strong Profit, Accelerates AI and Platform Push

The Otto Group reported a near doubling of profits for fiscal 2025/26 while revenue fell. Group EBIT rose from €276m to €641m and net income after tax increased to €312m (from €165m), while worldwide revenue declined about 7.4% to €13.8bn — partly due to the July 2025 sale of About You to Zalando. Otto's platform revenue (platform GMV) grew ~6% to roughly €7.5bn, active German customers rose to 12.6m and global customers to 42m. Management credits platform growth, the financial-services unit Eos and cost savings for improved profitability. Otto plans up to €350m of additional investment in technology and AI, will further internationalize its marketplace to several European countries, and highlights Eos’s increased investment activity. This reporting aligns with prior coverage noting Otto’s AI and platform initiatives (including earlier AI/tech investments and logistics modernization).