Retail media isn’t just the latest buzzword—it’s reshaping how brands connect with consumers. The “third wave” of digital advertising is moving fast, and you need the latest insights to keep up. That’s why we’re laying out the three most critical takeaways from our newest report, The Creative Edge in Retail Media: A Comprehensive Guide.
No matter where you are in the digital media ecosystem, here’s what you need to know: creative is quickly becoming the ultimate differentiator for performance.
Let’s explore further.
Retail Media is More Than Just On-Site Ads
The future of digital advertising is increasingly tied to retail media. Projections indicate that it will account for a remarkable 23.2% of the global ad market by 2025, outpacing even established mediums like linear TV and out-of-home. In 2024, retail media grew by 16.6% year-over-year, compared to just 2.9% for linear TV. What can we learn from this incredible growth? Connecting with consumers directly on e-commerce platforms using rich first-party data delivers better creative experiences and drives better results.
And these days, it’s not just about advertising on a retailer’s website. Off-site retail media is expanding the reach of this powerful strategy across the open web, growing by over 64% in 2024.
Brands now have more touchpoints than ever to reach consumers throughout their shopping journey, from initial awareness to final purchase, making retail media a critical area for brands to explore.
New Formats are Raising the Bar
Simple product listings are no longer enough. The landscape has evolved to embrace high-performing retail media formats and strategies like:
- Adaptive Commerce Formats
- Native Responsive eCommerce (nREC)
- Video Integration
- AI-enhanced creative formats
“Retail media creative has moved beyond listings—brands want engagement-focused formats that go beyond just the digital retail space.”
— Taylor Stewart, Global Head of Retail Media, TripleLift
The data is clear: creative and effective ads generate significantly more profit. Brands that invest in compelling, format-specific creative will stand out in a crowded market and achieve higher engagement and conversion rates. Case and point: A leading consumer electronics brand achieved 75% new-to-brand sales in Q4 by using native and video formats through TripleLift.
Creative Excellence is The True Differentiator
Quality creative is the secret to driving standout performance. Studies show that strong creative can drive up to 4x more profit than standard ads and that 70% of a campaign’s performance depends on the quality of creative.
Yet despite this impact, creative is often under-prioritized in campaign planning. To succeed in retail media, brands must treat creative as a strategic lever—not an afterthought.
Creative Best Practices for Retail Media Success include:
- Use consistent visual elements to build immediate recognition
- Leverage dynamic personalization to boost engagement
- Create format-specific experiences to maximize impact
In a crowded marketplace, standout creative turns attention into action and drives real business outcomes.
Retail media is evolving fast. If you want to succeed, you’ll need more than great data. You’ll need the creative, strategic, and measurement frameworks to turn that data into real results.
This blog just scratches the surface. For more insights, best practices, and to see the data behind the trends, download the full report today. And by the way, we also have reports dedicated to the French and UK markets.
