The In-Store Marketplace (ISM) platform launches today as an open initiative in which trusted media service providers, including Vibenomics, Mood Media, Sellr Technologies, FuelMedia TV, WaterStation Technology, and others, will provide a consistent, ubiquitous, single-point of integration for any in-store Retail Media platform. This solution enables retail media to easily access a variety of digital audio and display inventory.
“The definition of retail media is broadening,” said Brent Oakley, Vibenomics CEO. “Multi- and omni-channel shopping journeys already expose customers to a wide variety of visual and audio, print and digital, and experiential communication via in-store merchandise displays. Key to the continuation and evolution of that journey is the existence of a marketplace that provides easily-accessible common inventory for in-store media and ad-serving tech.”
The In-Store Marketplace platform was created as a centralized eco-system where in-store media publishers can more effectively manage campaigns through the ISM Ad-Server and ISM portal – providing oversight of retail media pricing, yield management and reporting on buying activity. Publishers who work alongside retailers will be able to integrate the In-Store Marketplace directly into their respective retail media platforms. Providers, such as CitrusAd, are then able to expand their unified offering to include in-store without the challenges of integrating the disparate in-store media systems.
“Mood Media is continually looking for innovative ways to add incremental value to our retail customers,” said Malcolm McRoberts, Mood Media CEO. “The In-Store Marketplace will benefit from our ubiquitous coverage of audio and display across 330,000 locations and retailers have the unique opportunity of working with a single point of integration for in-store media.”
While retail media began as an ecommerce-only platform leveraged by retailers to advertise and promote products online, it has become so much more. According to eMarketer, “2022 is the year of retail media networks.” US (retail media) spending has grown to over $41B and now represents 17.2% of the total US digital ad spend. It’s proof that retail media has a solid place in the current economic climate. And evolving definitions have become inclusive of other digital in-store media, including video displays — and audio advertising.
“The In-Store Marketplace allows buyers to bundle display inventory and digital audio into a single PMP or cherry-pick your options — whatever approach fits your current needs,” said Chelsea Monaco, VP, eRetail & Commerce Media at Merkle. “Consolidating the big shopper media partners like Vibenomics, Mood Media, Sellr Technologies, FuelMedia TV, WaterStation Technology facilitates more frictionless engagement with partners and ubiquitous access to the inventory. These benefits were a major takeaway from our research last year and I imagine they’ll surface again when we repeat our study this year.”
