Observed Signal · Nov 3, 2026 · Conference Panel · Source: Digiday · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Agency Execs Urge Holistic Retail Media Beyond Lower Funnel
At Digiday's Media Buying Summit, agency executives discussed the evolution of retail media, emphasizing its potential beyond lower-funnel performance marketing. Dentsu's president of commerce for North America, Aisha Khan, highlighted the significant growth opportunity in in-store retail media, noting that over 80% of sales still occur in stores but less than 5% of retail media spend targets in-store. She also mentioned that AI-powered Media Mix Modeling (MMM) could reduce costs and that data CPMs for closed-loop measurement may compress as advertisers build their own measurement capabilities. Instrument CEO Laurel Burton argued that websites remain central to commerce strategy, contrary to predictions of their decline, and stressed the need for cohesive consumer experiences across channels. Crocs CMO Carly Gomez echoed this, emphasizing consistent messaging across websites, social media, and e-commerce. The discussions also touched on the importance of creative in retail media and the potential consolidation of retail media networks.
The article discusses the strategic expansion of retail media beyond lower-funnel performance, highlighting in-store growth potential and the impact of AI on measurement, which could influence industry practices and investment.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Aisha Khan, Dentsu's president of commerce for North America, said over 80% of sales still occur in-store but less than 5% of retail media spend targets in-store.
- Khan predicted AI-powered Media Mix Modeling (MMM) could reduce costs and data CPMs for closed-loop measurement may compress as advertisers build their own measurement.
- Laurel Burton, CEO of Instrument, said websites remain central to commerce strategy and are not dying, contrary to predictions.
- Carly Gomez, CMO of Crocs, stressed the need for cohesive messaging across websites, social media, and e-commerce.
- Dentsu recently picked up Diageo's shopper marketing business.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“Dentsu recently picked up Diageo's shopper marketing business.”
“Dentsu's president of commerce, North America, Aisha Khan, discussed retail media's growth potential and AI-powered MMM.”
“CMO Carly Gomez, an Instrument client, elaborated on the need for cohesive messaging across channels.”
“Khan also mentioned Kroger as a retail media network provider pushing creative boundaries.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Retail Media Evolution Starts With Smarter Questions
At an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions panel co-hosted with CVS Media Exchange (CMX), industry leaders argued retail media must move beyond raw data volume toward clearer goals and actionable measurement. Parbinder Dhariwal (CVS Media Exchange) said brands are drowning in data and need defined objectives—incrementality, category growth, new‑to‑brand acquisition, and retention—to turn signals into decisions. Cara Pratt (Circana) urged building data strategy into decision-making up front and highlighted cross‑retailer measurement: Circana’s work with CMX showed incremental ROAS that flowed to purchases at retailers outside CVS. Panelists also flagged in‑store, short‑visit shopper moments as an underused retail media opportunity and called for using end‑to‑end transaction data to inform broader marketing strategy beyond single campaigns.
AI Alters Discovery, Retail Media Strategies Evolve
Industry leaders at an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions panel co-hosted with Mirakl Ads discussed how AI 'answer engines' are changing discovery and where retail media fits in the marketing funnel. Panelists argued retail media remains valuable because it meets shoppers at point-of-purchase, but marketers must integrate retail media with search, social and emerging AI channels. Speakers highlighted expanded definitions of retail media and commerce media, the rise of non‑endemic brand buys, and experiential in-store activations (e.g., Best Buy’s 'stores within a store' for Meta Glasses). Lowe’s described using partner data to inform assortment and inspiration-to-action experiences, while brands like Unleashed invest in agency partnerships and training to adapt to faster AI adoption in search. The conversation framed retail media as an evolving journey that must be coordinated across multiple discovery touchpoints.
10-Q Financial Filing Analysis for Crocs (2026-10-29)
Crocs, Inc. reported its Q3 2026 financial results, with consolidated revenues rising 4.6% year-over-year to $1.04 billion, driven by unit volume growth across both the Crocs and HEYDUDE brands. Operating income expanded 40.6% to $291.9 million, bolstered by a significant gross margin expansion of 770 basis points to 66.2%. Profitability was substantially aided by $67 million in non-recurring IEEPA tariff refunds received following a Supreme Court ruling, with $64 million credited to cost of sales and $3 million to interest income. Net income reached $216.8 million, up 48.6%, resulting in diluted EPS of $4.52. The company continued its aggressive capital return strategy, repurchasing $250.0 million in shares during the quarter.
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