DOOH Advertising
Navigating the retail media landscape: Why alignment is critical
Drew Cashmore, head of strategy at Vantage and one of the original architects behind Walmart Connect, shares insight on the role alignment plays for those in the digital media industry and all those tapping digital media for business strategies.
January 31, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
There is one word to define the retail media landscape in 2025: Evolving.
It's evolving for digital advertising, evolving for digital media providers and evolving for the retailer, brand or organization tapping retail media to spur everything from revenue to customer and consumer attention and engagement.
To get a look at where retail media landed in 2024, and where it's going in the new year, DigitalSignageToday reached out, via an email interview, to Drew Cashmore, head of strategy at Vantage, to get his insight on what the challenges are and the role alignment plays for those in the digital media industry and those tapping digital media for business strategies.
Cashmore is one of the original architects, and a former executive, behind Walmart Connect in the U.S. and Canada, and helped scale the retail media to business to $2 billion and beyond.
A thought leader with a background in building, commercializing and scaling new business models in the retail sector across the globe, Cashmore was a founding member of Walmart eCommerce as well as the CMO of Firework, a SoftBank-backed Live Shopping platform.
In heading up strategy for Vantage, a platform that powers self-serve and managed-service for The Home Depot among other retailers, Cashmore is helping to architect the next generation of unified retail media technologies.
Q. The retail media landscape is evolving rapidly. How would you define where it was as of 2024 and the evolution to come in 2025.
A. The retail media landscape has matured significantly, with 2024 seeing over 200 networks globally using first-party data to power effective advertising channels. However, challenges such as fragmented tools and inefficient workflows persist. In 2025, we'll see a decisive shift from the growth-at-all-costs mindset to operational excellence, with retailers implementing unified access points and self-serve capabilities. Retailers will prioritize workflow automation, simplify processes and optimize business models, driving more sustainable growth.
Q. What does the evolution mean for the retail and brand leader?
A. For retail leaders, this evolution signals a need to embrace new technologies and solve for operational efficiency. Brand leaders will benefit from more intuitive, self-serve platforms, enabling them to manage campaigns with ease and precision. This shift will create a more seamless relationship between retailers and brands, centered on long-term, sustainable growth.
Q. Why is alignment of stakeholder interests (retailer revenue to ROI and the customer experience) so critical for the retail media industry and for the retail industry itself?
A. Alignment is crucial because it creates the foundation for sustainable retail media programs. When retailers, advertisers and customers' interests are in sync, the entire ecosystem benefits from improved efficiency and performance. This fosters a cycle where relevant advertising enhances the customer experience, leading to increased sales and stronger brand partnerships.
Q. What strategy do retailers need to take with retail media to ensure it delivers on a powerful customer experience?
A. Retailers should focus on reducing friction in the ad-buying process by adopting automation and integrated systems. By leveraging first-party data effectively, they can deliver highly relevant, personalized advertising experiences. An emphasis on transparency and seamless execution will strengthen trust with advertisers and customers, ensuring that retail media continues to drive growth and customer loyalty.
About Judy Mottl
