Observed Signal · Jul 9, 2026 · Commentary · Source: Horizont · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
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(Vice President, Otto Advertising) published on July 9, 2026 in Horizont argues the traditional linear marketing funnel is obsolete.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.
Thought leadership/opinion from a retail‑media executive highlighting strategic shifts toward retail media; relevant to marketers and retailers but not a major platform policy, product launch, or industry‑shifting event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Article published on July 9, 2026 on Horizont.net.
- Author: Sabine Jünger, Vice President at Otto Advertising.
- The piece argues the classic linear marketing funnel (Awareness → Consideration → Conversion) is outdated.
- The article advocates Retail Media (example: placements on Otto.de) as a fitting channel to reach dynamically shifting audiences.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“The article states the retail media channel (for example on Otto.de) is the future....”
“The article states the retail media channel (for example on Otto.de) is the future....”
“Published on Horizont.net (© dfv Mediengruppe)....”
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Katharina Wildau, Managing Director of the JOM Group, published a commentary on Horizont arguing that the industry debate around Retail Media is being framed incorrectly. In the column she contends the decisive strategic question — what role Retail Media should play — is often answered wrongly. The piece notes that a few years ago Retail Media was seen as the retail sector's big hope and that today it has become one of the fastest-growing advertising markets. The article is presented as a Talking-Heads column and reflects an industry perspective rather than new empirical research.
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