Retail Media is back, and it’s reshaping how brands, retailers, and affiliates drive performance. This blog explores how Retail Media blends data, scale, and shopper intent to create more innovative, high-impact campaigns.
.png?width=1110&height=555&name=Heading%20(2).png)
If you’ve been following the evolution of digital marketing, chances are you’ve heard the term Retail Media gaining serious momentum again. But beyond the buzz, what does it mean, and why is it fast becoming a priority for both advertisers and affiliates?
As brands look for smarter, budget-friendly, and more direct ways to reach shoppers, Retail Media has reemerged as a powerful channel that blends data, relevance, and scale at the point of purchase.
The Rise of Retail Media
While not a new concept, Retail Media strategies have developed alongside emerging technology, better data and improved targeting.
As third-party cookies phase out and consumer privacy expectations rise, advertisers are rethinking how they connect with audiences. Enter Retail Media, a model that gives brands access to first-party shopper data directly from retailers. This data powers highly targeted, performance-driven advertising across retailer platforms like websites, apps, banner ads, and even in-store screens.
What sets Retail Media apart is proximity to the point of purchase. Unlike traditional display ads or search, Retail Media places your message where the buying decisions happen: on a product detail page, in a search result, or at checkout.
A New Revenue Stream for Retailers and a Smarter Investment for Brands
As of 2024, Retail Media was a $850 million category for Australian retailers and is expected to surge to as high as $3 billion by 2027, according to PwC's Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2023 report.
The rise of Retail Media isn’t just a win for retailers. It’s also changing how brands invest in visibility and performance. Brands are now reallocating spend to channels where they can directly influence purchase decisions.
Retailers, in turn, are opening more media inventory: onsite banners, sponsored products, targeted email placements, and more. Brands are funding these activations as a revenue-driving strategy, with clear attribution and real-time feedback.
Retailer Benefits
- Unlock New Budget & Growth: Access incremental spend for affiliate campaigns to test strategies, amplify performance, and drive additional sales.
- Expand & Optimise Partnerships: Fund targeted campaigns, new partner types or reward top performers to diversify reach and improve outcomes.
- Gain Actionable Insights: Capture data on partner performance, messaging, and incentives to refine future campaigns and boost brand impact.
Brand Benefits
- Boost Visibility & Sales: Promote products at the point of sale through trusted retailer and partner channels, driving brand awareness and performance.
- Leverage Trusted Ecosystems: Tap into established, brand-safe affiliate and publisher networks to scale reach with confidence.
- Trackable, Cost-Efficient Results: Gain real-time insights and maximise ROI with measurable, budget-friendly campaigns.
In 2024, the IAB surveyed agencies and advertisers to uncover some of the key opportunities they found in investing in Retail Media. The results revealed that it’s a win-win: retailers unlock new revenue streams, while advertisers get closer to the customer with measurable ROI.
.png?width=933&height=364&name=Heading%20(3).png)
Source: IAB Australia Retail Media State of the Nation 2024 n=134 advertising decision makers or influencers with experience in retail media
Why Affiliates Should Pay Attention
For affiliates, Retail Media can open new doors. As retailers invest in their own media networks, there’s growing opportunity for affiliate partners to integrate, optimise, and monetise through these platforms. Whether it’s through sponsored placements, exclusive promo codes, or performance-based campaigns, affiliates can now plug into a richer network of retail-driven demand.
Publisher Benefits
- Access Premium Campaigns: Unlock high-value, brand-funded opportunities with exclusive offers and promotions.
- Earn More, Scale Faster: Take advantage of enhanced commissions and performance-based models to grow revenue.
- Strengthen Strategic Partnerships: Deepen relationships with brands and retailers through integrated, long-term collaboration.
Retail Media and Performance Marketing: Better Together
For advertisers and affiliates alike, Retail Media is enhancing performance marketing rather than replacing it. Imagine combining the scale of affiliate reach with the precision of first-party retail data. You get tailored promotions, contextual placements, and better alignment between shopper intent and brand messaging.
A standout example of a successful Retail Media initiative in affiliate marketing is a campaign with Currys—the UK’s leading omnichannel retailer for tech products and services—who teamed up with BrandSwap through Awin’s MasterTag. Together, Awin and BrandSwap curated a selection of premium rewards from advertisers that were strategically aligned with Currys’ product offering, creating a seamless and value-driven experience for shoppers. Results of this campaign included:
- Average CPM of £61 post-purchase
- 10% Click-Through Rate on advertiser offers
- 3-week implementation thanks to Awin's MasterTag capabilities
A successful digital marketing strategy is no longer just about driving traffic. It’s about driving value where it counts.
Metrics to Measure
Some interesting KPIs that marketers should consider when running a Retail Media campaign include:
- Sales and Conversion: Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Incrementality, Conversion Rates, Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
- Media Efficiency: Click-Through Rate (CTR), Cost per Click (CPC), Impressions
- Customer Behaviour and Loyalty: Repeat Purchase Rate, Average Order Value (AOV), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Standardised KPIs and a clean attribution model are key for comparison and optimisation if you're running campaigns across multiple retailers or networks.
What’s Next? Opportunities for Innovation and Growth
As Retail Media continues to evolve, the opportunity lies in the collaboration between brands, retailers, and affiliate partners. The most successful strategies won’t just be about who has the biggest budget, but who can create the most relevant, data-driven experiences for shoppers.
Whether you’re an advertiser looking to maximise performance or an affiliate seeking deeper partnership with retail partners, Retail Media offers a powerful new solution. And the brands that embrace it early, strategically and transparently will be the ones that lead.
Interested in seeing how Retail Media can enhance your digital marketing strategy? Talk to our team.
Commission Factory is not only the Asia-Pacific region's largest affiliate network, working with more than 700 of the world's biggest brands, but is also a performance marketing platform that allows all types of partners, from integration partners to influences, to earn money and online businesses to increase sales.
Register as an Advertiser today.