5 Questions To Ask Before Working with a Retail Media Network (Part 1)

Lauren Ridgley
2 days ago
4 min read

Retail media is booming!

Emarketer predicts ad spend will reach $100 billion by 2029.

That means one in every $5 spent on digital will be for retail media!

But before you get out your wallet, know that not all retail media comes from retail media networks (RMNs). And, not all RMNs are built the same. Some have world-class data, clean measurement, and true incrementality. Others sell expensive impressions inside a very shiny walled garden.

We're sharing the first five questions every CPG brand should ask before spending a dollar with any retail media network. These questions help you separate the platforms that actually drive incremental in-store sales from the ones that simply capture your loyal buyers and call it a win.

We are not anti-RMN. We are pro-transparency and efficacy!

If your RMN partner can’t answer these, you’re not evaluating a media network — you’re evaluating a high-CPM ad unit with a loyalty card attached.

1. Is there a minimum spend?

Cartoon person carrying oversized money bag with dollar sign, set against a yellow background. Text reads "Minimums?"

Why this matters: Minimums determine whether even a test makes sense — some RMNs quietly bundle requirements per channel or reporting access. If the minimum is too high, you might waste budget before you prove value.

What to listen for:

Does the RMN differentiate minimums by channel (e.g. onsite search vs. display vs. offsite)?
Is there a separate minimum spend to access closed-loop reporting / attribution?
Is the minimum “suggested” or enforced — and how negotiable is it?

2. How do you measure incrementality?

Illustration of a person with a bun, wearing striped pants, happily holding shopping bags on a red background. Text reads "Incrementality?".

Why this matters: Incrementality determines whether the RMN is driving net new sales, not just capturing conversions that would have happened anyway. As the space matures, brands are increasingly demanding proof of incremental lift—and they should be.

What to listen for:

Do they run a proper test vs. control / holdout experiment, or rely on modeled attribution? A credible RMN should support controlled-lift testing. If they don't, there are better independent methods to measure incrementality (we prefer third party measurement anyhow)
Is incrementality adding "new to brand" customers who are just outside of the measurement window? How long between purchases before someone is considered lapsed?
Who conducts the measurement — internal team or third-party (e.g. a recognized measurement partner)? Independent measurement (like ours) adds credibility.

3. What specific shoppers can I target with your data?

Silhouettes of four shoppers holding bags and posing against a turquoise background. Text reads "Shopper Data?".

Why this matters: Targeting quality is the crux of RMN value. If data is too broad or generic, you’re effectively paying premium rates for low-intent or already-loyal shoppers — not incremental opportunity.

What to listen for:

How granular is targeting? Can you reach heavy buyers, lapsed buyers, switchers, new-to-category consumers?
Can you target across categories or complementary categories (e.g. snack buyers + beverage buyers)?
How often are audiences refreshed (daily, weekly, monthly)? — the fresher, the better to catch buyers at key moments.
What classifies someone as a lapsed customer? A heavy-buyer?
Are these audiences built off loyalty card data? If so, what percent of shoppers are part of the loyalty card pool?

4. What ad formats are available?

People watching a presenter on a screen with "Ad Formats?" text. Green background, black silhouettes, suggesting a marketing theme.

Why this matters: RMNs vary drastically in the surfaces they activate: some offer only onsite display; others offer full omnichannel — onsite search, offsite programmatic, in-store, CTV. If you don’t clarify this upfront, you could miss out on valuable reach or overpay for limited formats.

The most powerful RMNs can use customer data to reach them in lean-back environments to drive awareness, recall and brand-preference.

What to listen for:

Onsite options: sponsored products, search ads, PDP placements, display, video.
Offsite/digital: programmatic banners, social retargeting, CTV, DSP-based buying if they offer it.
In-store media: digital signage, kiosks, checkout screens, audio/DOOH — especially important for brands with heavy brick-and-mortar penetration.

5. Is the CPM (or rate) premium worth it vs. a third-party behavioral data partner (e.g. non-RMN DSP)?

Hand holding a money bag with a dollar sign, arrow encircles a bar chart. Text "CPMs?" on orange background. Financial concept.

Why this matters: RMNs often charge substantial premiums because of their first-party data. But if targeting isn’t precise or incrementality is weak, that premium may deliver little — and you’d be better served by a well-targeted third-party data buy.

Additionally, if you are broadly distributed (eg. across 2-3 major retailers in a market) you may get better bang-for-your-buck using broader audience targeting to bring in more new and light buyers vs. the granular/expensive RMN targeting. If you plan to measure growth across stores (xAOC) then an RMN may not be a necessary expense.

What to listen for:

What is the typical CPM (or CPC) difference versus non-retailer behavioral buys?
Does that premium correlate with significantly stronger incremental lift or better ROAS?
Are the audiences proprietary and walled-gardened (non-portable), or do they integrate with broader media stacks? (If non-portable, you might be trading flexibility for marginal gains.)