Episode Details

There’s a lot of talk in retail media about better measurement, incrementality, and finding the one metric that finally tells us what’s really working. But sometimes the metrics we’re using are… well, bulldust. In this episode, I dig into why measurement looks so different depending on which side of the table you’re sitting on, and why retailers and brands can both feel like they’re doing the right thing while talking completely past each other.

I also revisit the question of why ROAS refuses to die. Is it actually a useless metric, or does it persist because brands genuinely need a common currency and early signals to guide media planning? I look at sales lift, incrementality, MTA, basket lift and other signals — and why the real challenge may be less about finding a perfect metric and more about getting both sides to agree on what they’re actually trying to measure.

This episode is sponsored by GrowthLoop

Timeline

[00:00] - Why “purchase intent velocity” is the perfect example of a bullshit retail media metric

[01:00] - Why retailers and brands see measurement gaps very differently

[02:16] - How methodological choices can dramatically change incremental ROAS

[03:22] - Why sales lift may be the closest thing retail media has to a standardized measurement currency

[04:30] - The media-planning problem that makes ROAS so difficult to replace

[06:33] - Why ROAS persists, and the case for using it with much more context

[09:55] - Why retail media measurement ultimately comes down to incentives

Links & Resources

• Check out my latest skit video for the Basket Case podcast from The Drum & QSIC featuring a brand CMO with main-character energy who is quite pleased with herself for inventing a new performance metric! Watch here
• Albertson's and Ovative group's recent iROAS Demystified white paper found that  methodological choices alone can swing incremental ROAS by 6.5x
• See the full range of comments under my Why ROAS Refuses To Die post on LinkedIn
• Read my related articles:
  • iROAS results can be easily gamed. But we shouldn't just throw it away
  • RMNs Are Launching MTA. Do Brands Want It? [Part 1]
  • Why ROAS Refuses To Die
• Check out Basket Case, a project I’m part of with The Drum and QSIC, an irreverent and lively podcast series where we talk shop.
• I'm sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclub
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn