Breaking Free: Retail Media Beyond the Walled Garden
Jan 28, 2025 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM EDT | VIP Dinner - New York City, NY
As digital marketing evolves, one of the most critical challenges facing brands today is the siloing of retail media budgets and strategies. While retail media may have emerged as a "new" player in marketing, it is now a core component of the digital advertising ecosystem, demanding the same level of integration and strategic alignment as traditional marketing channels. Over dinner & drinks, we'll dive into how this fragmented approach is preventing businesses from realizing their full growth potential.
BWG Connect & Acadia invite you to join us for an interactive discussion over drinks and dinner with your peers! We'll explore the latest trends in the space and get your questions answered.
As always, there will be no sales pitches and dinner is complimentary.
Seating is limited, and RSVP is required.
Discussion Topics
The Growing Influence of Retail Media in Digital Spending
- How significant is the shift towards retail media as a portion of total digital spending by 2025, and what does this mean for traditional advertising channels?
- What will be the impact on brands and retailers as retail media becomes a dominant force in digital marketing?
- How should organizations prepare for the growing market value of retail media, projected to reach $160 billion?
The Risk of Retail Media Existing in Isolation
- What are the dangers of treating retail media as a separate, isolated entity from other marketing strategies (Brand and Performance)?
- How can retail media become more integrated with other forms of digital marketing for a cohesive approach to customer engagement?
- What role does organizational structure play in the rise of "retail islands," and how can businesses address this challenge?
Breaking Down Silos in Marketing Budgets
- How does the current siloing of budgets (Retail Media, Performance Media, Brand Media) limit marketing potential and ROI?
- What are the benefits and challenges of combining different media budgets into a unified "Total Marketing Budget"?
- What steps should organizations take to eliminate siloed budgeting and encourage more cross-functional collaboration?
The Overemphasis on ROAS and Short-Term Goals
- How does focusing solely on Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) limit long-term brand building and customer loyalty?
- What are the risks of a short-term demand-driven approach that overlooks broader brand objectives?
- How can companies balance short-term performance metrics with long-term strategic goals in a more holistic marketing approach?
The Case for a Holistic, Integrated Marketing Approach
- What does an integrated marketing strategy look like, and why is it essential in today's complex digital ecosystem?
- How can organizations shift their mindset from siloed thinking to a more comprehensive approach that encompasses retail, brand, and performance goals?
- What are some successful examples of businesses that have broken down marketing silos to drive better overall performance?
Guest Speaker
Jared Belsky, CEO at Acadia.io
Jared Belsky is CEO and Co-Founder of Acadia.Before starting Acadia with Sean Belnick, Jared Belsky was CEO of 360i, one of the top advertising & marketing agencies in the U.S. Jared is also the author of The Great Client Partner, a book written to help educate and inspire around the topic of soft skills, and is a frequent contributor to AdAge, Adweek, and AdExchanger. Before joining 360i, Jared had over a decade of digital marketing experience, including launching a new CPG brand, managing the integrated media budget for Coca-Cola’s Fanta brand, and working in media buying and account roles as one of the first employees at Avenue A (now Sapient Razorfish).
Event Moderator
Aaron Conant, Co-Founder & Managing Director at BWG Connect
Aaron Conant is Co-Founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, a networking and knowledge-sharing group of thousands of brands who collectively grow their digital knowledge base and collaborate on partner selection. Speaking 1x1 with over 1200 brands a year and hosting over 250 in-person and virtual events, he has a real-time pulse on the newest trends, strategies, and partners shaping growth in the digital space.