Observed Signal · Jul 13, 2026 · Study / Report · Source: Meedia · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Koddi/Forrester: German Commerce Media lags in execution
A Koddi and Forrester Consulting study of 788 commerce‑media network operators (153 from Germany) finds the German market strategically expanding but behind on execution. Forty‑one percent of German respondents are expanding or modernizing commerce‑media activities and 19% plan to launch within two years. Major capability gaps persist: only 14% can run seamless full‑funnel campaigns across onsite, offsite and in‑store channels, relatively few use centralized activation, and automation and AI‑driven real‑time targeting remain limited. Eighty‑five percent prioritize using first‑party data to improve targeting and personalization, yet just 12% use AI for real‑time targeting. Koddi recommends investments in ad servers, first‑party data, measurement, and cross‑channel technology integration to scale; Germany is well positioned strategically but trails U.S. peers on operational automation and targeting.
Study provides empirical market data on the growth and operational gaps in German commerce/retail media; relevant to advertisers, retailers and AdTech vendors planning investments in activation, measurement and automation.
Track Koddi Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Koddi and Forrester Consulting surveyed 788 commerce‑media executives across Europe and North America, including 153 from Germany.
- 41% of German companies are expanding or modernizing commerce‑media activities; 19% plan to introduce them within the next two years.
- Only 14% report they can seamlessly run cross‑channel full‑funnel campaigns (onsite, offsite, in‑store); 25% have a central planning/activation platform and 31% coordinate via separate platforms.
- 85% prioritize improving targeting and personalization with first‑party data, but only 12% currently use AI‑powered real‑time targeting.
- 63% cite Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) as the primary KPI; 61% measure ROAS together with campaign incrementality.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“A study by Koddi and Forrester Consulting sees the German commerce-media market in a phase of expansion....”
“A study by Koddi and Forrester Consulting sees the German commerce-media market in a phase of expansion....”
“MEEDIA reports on the multi-billion-euro intersection where media and brands meet....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Commerce Media Faces Scaling Test in Germany
Koddi’s Alexander Steenbakkers-Noffke argues that Commerce Media is broader than Retail Media and is rapidly growing across transactional environments beyond classic retail, including travel portals, quick-commerce and delivery apps. He cites a February 2025 BVDW Working Group definition that positions Retail Media as a subset of Commerce Media. Koddi and partners have run multiple studies: a Forrester Consulting survey of nearly 800 senior commerce-media network decision-makers finds Germany has strategic foundations but lags on execution; other research with The Human Instinct shows US marketers use AI agents far more (70%) than German counterparts (32%). Steenbakkers-Noffke highlights missing standards, the value of server-side transactional signals (not personal data), and the need to train organisations for Agentic AI as central obstacles to scaling Commerce Media in Germany.
Retail Media Tech Ready; Market Must Deliver
In a MEEDIA interview Daniel Siegmund (One Tech Group) and David von Hilchen (StackAdapt) say retail media infrastructure in Germany is largely in place but the market now needs to supply measurement, data and smarter campaigns to unlock growth. They claim ~95% of in-store screens in Germany are programmatically bookable via One Tech Group's SSP1 and argue the next stage requires reliable proof of advertising effectiveness, better first‑party data, dynamic creatives and the use of AI agents to aid media planning and campaign optimization. They also expect auction-based buying to grow, see space for independent omnichannel DSPs alongside large platform players, and call for collaborative proof‑of‑concept testing by retailers, tech vendors and advertisers.
AI Visibility Requires English-Language Footprint for European Startups
This article discusses how the rise of generative AI and conversational search is changing B2B buying behavior, particularly for European startups targeting international markets. It highlights that with ChatGPT surpassing 900 million weekly users and 94% of B2B buyers using generative AI in purchase decisions, visibility in AI-generated answers is becoming critical. Traditional SEO is giving way to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which relies on a company's footprint across credible English-language sources. The article notes that most AI assistants evaluate live sources, favoring English content, and that smaller European languages constitute less than 0.6% of web content. It advises startups to build an international ecosystem of mentions, structure content for AI extraction, and maintain an equally strong English footprint. The piece underscores the importance of tracking share of voice in AI models.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.