From Cannes to Chicago

This summer has been a whirlwind of events for commerce marketers — from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to our very own Retail Media Summit in Chicago. There are countless recaps out there trying to summarize the main highlights and learnings from these conferences, and while I appreciate a good list of bullet points, I think the larger takeaway is actually much simpler. Having had hundreds (and this is no exaggeration) of conversations with the industry’s leading minds this summer, the resounding theme I’m walking away with is that true collaboration is the unlock to success for the next era of commerce. 

Now when I say collaboration, I mean this in a few different ways, specifically when it comes to retail media and the booming landscape that continues to evolve at a dizzying pace. First, there is a dire need for more collaboration across teams at both retailers and CPG brands. The pace of acceleration in retail media cannot be maintained without companies reimagining what organizational mapping looks like, incentivizing teams to plan together and aligning roles in such a way that allows for truly omnichannel execution. Investment, measurement and growth all depend on this. But no one seems to have cracked the code quite yet. More and more brands are coming to us and asking how they can best restructure their teams, and so there’s an overarching need for cross-collaboration across the industry to set forth best practices for all marketers, despite competitive lines (after all, a rising tide lifts all boats).

Second, collaboration is needed for better transparency between retailers and brands, as measurement and data remain paramount in retail media. With more options than ever for retail media ad spend, those retailers that work hardest to be the most collaborative will come out at the top. Prioritizing co-collaboration is one of the themes behind P2PI’s new event Storefronts (visit P2PIstorefronts.com for more info), which will debut Sept. 12 in Chicago. Paving the way for innovative partnerships and strategies for the year ahead, Storefronts will give CPG brands and commerce marketers an opportunity to learn what’s in store for in-store retail media in the coming year directly from U.S. retailer media networks.

And last, when it comes to collaborating, it’s time to think globally. We’re operating in an increasingly global ecosystem, and the opportunities to learn from leading retailers and brands across borders offers marketers a unique chance to expand their knowledge and consider how new learnings might be adapted to their own markets to stay ahead of the curve. At numerous dinner tables, during panel discussions and even over a casual coffee, I heard over and over again how much this global perspective was beneficial to marketers. 

So P2PI’s international efforts are not slowing down as we seek new ways to support our audience’s needs. On P2PI.com alone, we have added hundreds of in-store and digital images from top Canadian and British retailers. Our new Retailer Media Network Advisory Board includes leading retailers around the world, and our RMS events roster will continue to grow abroad — Retail Media Summit UK returns to London on Oct. 16, with plans for Canada again in 2025, and a few other markets currently in the works for next year. Additionally, we’re growing our membership options inter-nationally and are launching new retailer profiles in the U.K. and Canada every month. 

So, walking away from June 2024, collaboration is the main takeaway I won’t forget from this summer’s conference circuit. (I also won’t forget the disaster that was the line to get into The Chainsmokers concert at Cannes — #askjeeves, IYKYK — but that’s a story for another time.) I can’t wait to see where collaboration takes us in the second half of the year!