For Mars, RMNs are about more than just sales

From the US to China, Mars has created a hierarchy of retail media networks that are not only helping to drive sales but are also potentially becoming an integrated part of wider media strategy.

“Some retail networks focus on driving sales on their channel but not across the whole brand and all touchpoints. So the ones that can transcend their channel are effective for us,” Ron Amram, senior director for global media at Mars, explained to Campaign Asia. 

Why it matters

Not all retail media networks are created equal and brands shouldn’t assume that what works well on one will work equally well on another. And just as programmatic is no longer a separate channel but has been integrated into media plans, so too retail media, with its first-party data, may go down the same path. 

Takeaways 

• Mars is shifting its performance marketing budget into an overall marketing budget for media. “We have to put them all together and optimise it holistically to find the right balance between brand media and shopper/retail or e-commerce,” explained Amram.
• At store level, finding the balance between shopper-based performance media and driving top-of-mind awareness is an ongoing measurement process. “We are finding that it changes by market, brand, and the brand’s maturity. It may also change at the campaign level or time of year,” said Amram.
• Mars’ global digital performance lead expects to see convergence between retail media and wider digital executions.

Sourced from Campaign Asia

[Image: marsbar.co.uk]