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Retail Media Is Paid Media, Right?

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Retail Media Is Paid Media, Right?

TLDR: Yes and no. It’s complicated.

Retail media as we know it is a vital component of digital commerce, and definitely has its roots in paid search. However, they are two distinct facets of marketing, each with its own pros and cons, best practices, and impacts on user experience. 

What is Retail Media and How Does it Compare to Paid Search?

Retail media is when a brand pays to advertise on an online retail platform, app, or marketplace. These ads are commonly optimized through the use of keywords, targeting, demographics, and bidding for high-visibility placements. 

Retail media is, in essence, PPC or Paid Search by another name; the key difference is where the ads are usually shown. Retail media ads are typically displayed on online marketplaces like Amazon.com and Walmart.com—powered by first-party data on-site and off-site—while paid search ads earn the most eyes on search engines like Google and Bing.

Paid search is an undisputed giant in the digital marketing ecosystem, but retail media is catching up. eMarketer predicts retail media advertising spend will grow by 27.8% to reach $23.92 billion in 2021.

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Why is Retail Media Taking Off Now?

We’d be remiss to ignore the effect the pandemic, and data privacy restrictions, have had on eCommerce. The demand for online shopping has surged to incredible heights, with brands needing to establish a strong presence wherever their customers are. 

But even without this surge in demand, retail media is a rewarding marketing channel to pursue a number of reasons. For one, retail media provides all of the benefits that PPC does, including:

  • Discoverability in search
  • Visibility for new products and brands
  • CPC-based bidding
  • Control over budgets, spend pacing, and targeting

But retail media also carries other unique advantages.

Closer to the bottom of the funnel. Compared to many paid search ad viewers, shoppers actively browsing a retailer’s website are more likely to be in a buying mindset, and maybe more receptive to the ad’s message. 

Shorter time to purchase. In an eCommerce environment, it becomes much simpler to set up a fast purchase experience. Customers will be able to move from ad to checkout in just a few clicks. 

Excellent product visibility. There are several locations a customer may see your retail media ads throughout their shopping journey, including product search results, on-site display banners, and within “recommended” or “similar items” carousels. 

Physical and geographic accessibility. A given product is often sitting on a shelf in a store, or several stores, ready to be purchased in person, shipped from the store, picked up and delivered, or brought to the shopper curbside. 

Retailers and marketplaces are doing whatever they can to encourage brands to leverage retail media by offering self-service platforms, and better ad placements and formats. The channel earns retailers a sizable chunk of revenue, as seen by e-commerce giant Amazon, who is expected to secure “more than $386 billion in US eCommerce sales” in 2021, with an assist from their expansive suite of advertising options.

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What are Retail Media Networks?

A retail media network is established by a retailer, offering advertising capabilities on-site and beyond, powered by their proprietary first-party data. This offering can encompass multiple channels, including their website, online marketplace, mobile app, off-site curated network (for example, Target calls theirs the Bullseye Marketplace), Google Shopping, social media, email, SMS/mobile messaging, and even social influencers. 

These options allow brands to promote products to customers that shop on the retailer’s sites and properties, helping increase sales and visibility while providing a reliable income stream for the retailer. 

One such successful retail advertising network is Walmart Connect, which offers brands the opportunity to advertise with an omnichannel network that spans multiple sections of Walmart.com, social media, in-store displays, and more.

Retail Media is For All Retailers

Retail media advertising is available across countless retailers and product/service categories, going well beyond grocery, and big-box stores like Walmart and Target. Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens have their own ad networks, as do specialty retailers like Home Depot, Ulta, and (soon) Best Buy, who are scheduled to launch their own advertising network in 2022.

Then you have online marketplaces like Etsy, which sells collections of unique products, and eBay, which is about as far from traditional retail as you can get.  

Even apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash are now open to retail media, in an effort to increase ad revenue and provide better customer experiences.  

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So… Is Retail Media Paid Search?

Yes—with more accessories! Retail media is a CPC-based model with more channels and targeting capabilities, but its roots are definitely paid search-born, with an in-store and audience-based twist. 

To learn more, be sure to join my session—the first breakout of Hero Conf. Day 1 on January 31, 2022.




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Google change the meaning of “Top Ads”

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Google change the meaning of “Top Ads”

What is Top Ads in world of Google? well it’s changed. Today Ginny Martin, Ads Product Liaison at Google shared a subtle but potential significant change of definition of Top Ads. If your deep in the detail of paid search campaigns on Google this is the kind of tweak that’s easy to miss.

Now Google’s documentation reads;

Google change the meaning of Top Ads

Top ads are adjacent to the top organic search results. Top ads are generally above the top organic results, although top ads may show below the top organic results on certain queries. Placement of top ads is dynamic and may change based on the user’s search.

Google’s official documentation

Ginny clarified on LinkedIn that this is a definitional change (as ads can appear above the organic result or below for certain queries) and doesn’t affect how performance metrics are calculated. And that the definition update clarifies that top ads may show below the organic results for certain queries. Although, for most queries, ads will continue to appear at the top of search results.

Why make the change? Anthony Higman suggested it might be due to the change in how some ads are being presented like in the screenshot below and the general shift towards more SGE on the SERPs and the consequences that change in user experience might have on ad placement. And does seem part of increased amount of experimentation on where ads appear on search engine results pages.

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1711605382 993 Google change the meaning of Top Ads1711605382 993 Google change the meaning of Top Ads



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Dynamic UTM parameters for LinkedIn ads are here!

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A simple graphical illustration of a road with a directional sign pointing to the right against a blue sky background

Praise be. For LinkedIn have just announced the arrival of Dynamic UTM parameters.

A simple graphical illustration of a road with a directional sign pointing to the right against a blue sky background

This is big news because manually configuring the campaign UTM tracking for each URL you use within a campaign can be is a cumbersome, convoluted, time-consuming process. It’s also one which can occasionally (or, let’s be honest, more than occasionally) lead to errors.

Dynamic UTMs automate the process and will mean you only have to get it right once. That’s because you’ll create your parameters once per campaign, instead of countless times.

How they say dynamic UTM parameters work

Marketers – only one time per campaign – will add a dynamic UTM parameter to their campaign and then we’ll automatically pull in the account, campaign and/or creative name into the destination URL so it can be picked up by analytics tools, allowing marketers to more easily analyze results.

If you’re not seeing dynamic UTM tracking within your LinkedIn ad campaigns already, you will soon. They’ll be rolled out globally by the end of this month.

As you’ve almost certainly been deploying dynamic UTMs across your Facebook and Google Ads campaigns for years, it is indeed about time.

But as the famous Chinese proverb goes:

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“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”



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Six Practical Things You Should Doing In Your Paid Social Advertising Campaigns

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Six Practical Things You Should Doing In Your Paid Social Advertising Campaigns

As we navigate the complexities of paid social advertising, remember that the essence of success lies in understanding your audience, being creative with your content, and being willing to test and adapt.

Drawing on insights from seasoned experts, Carla Rovaris and Danielle Gipps, this blog post delves into practical tips for businesses looking to harness the power of paid social for expansive brand growth.

Paid social has dramatically transformed over the years. From its nascent stages to its current complex form, understanding the nuances of paid social is key to leveraging it effectively for whatever your marketing objectives.

Six Practical Things You Should Doing In Your Paid Social

Practical lessons

  1. Dive Into Diverse Platforms: Don’t limit your paid social efforts to just one platform. Explore various platforms based on where your target audience spends their time. For younger demographics, platforms like Snapchat and TikTok might be more effective, while Pinterest could be more suitable for an older, predominantly female audience.
  2. Creative Content is King: The success of your paid social campaigns hinges on the creativity and relevance of your content. Both Carla and Danielle emphasize the importance of crafting content that resonates with your audience. Whether it’s through emotional engagement or showcasing your brand’s personality, the goal is to create memorable and engaging ads.
  3. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC): Especially on platforms like TikTok, UGC can significantly enhance the authenticity and appeal of your campaigns. However, the suitability of UGC varies by brand and platform. For luxury brands, a more polished approach may be necessary.
  4. Be Bold and Experiment: With paid social, experimentation is crucial. Try new platforms, ad formats, and messaging to see what resonates with your audience. The landscape is constantly changing, and staying adaptable is key to staying ahead.
  5. Focus on Brand Building: Paid social shouldn’t be viewed solely as a performance marketing tool. It’s also a powerful brand-building channel. Utilize it to introduce your brand to potential customers and build a strong brand identity.
  6. Test and Learn: Continuously test different strategies and learn from the results. Paid social is not a ‘set it and forget it’ channel. It requires ongoing optimization and creativity to keep your campaigns fresh and effective.

    This blog post was based on a podcast interview for the Internet Marketing Podcast



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