We made Premier Protein the top-selling item on Prime Big Deals Day twice - but how could we hold onto our top spot in 2025? The Challenge Premier Protein (PP) had been a category leader in the past, but in 2025, our market position was in real danger. The protein craze in America brought a stampede of challengers nipping at our heels; marketing budgets were being slashed across the board, and brand loyalty was at an all-time low among Millennial and Gen Z consumers. The old playbook wouldn’t work anymore - we needed to think of something truly innovative if we were going to win without increasing budgets. From July-September 2025, we were challenged with staving off the competition, driving immediate sales, and refreshing the PP brand’s image with a new logo and seven new product launches. Instead of replicating old tactics, we tested new ones. Our media plan had three main objectives across the funnel, each with distinct KPIs: Build Equity: Lift overall brand awareness among target audience +7pts or more Test Social Reach innovation, aiming for 10% more efficient video views than concurrent Meta campaign Increase July’s Prime Day sales by at least 20% YoY We targeted everyday health enthusiasts and fitness-seekers, plus GLP-1 users in need of daily protein. The Social Reach Solution Paid Social had always been a strong mid-funnel performer for PP, but in a year when TikTok’s future in the US hung in the balance, and global social media use plateaued, we couldn’t rely on social platforms’ off-the-shelf tools – we invented new ones. Exverus VP of Planning & Strategy Tasha Day oversaw the campaign build, and VP of Performance Marketing Hillary Kupferberg pioneered an adtech collaboration: We partnered with video ad-tech provider SeenThis to develop a first-to-market ad unit called Social Reach, which takes a brand’s existing vertical video assets and spreads them across SSP PubMatic’s premium open web Display slots. This would deliver our top-performing social videos beyond the walled gardens with lightning-fast speed, using adaptive streaming technology. If it worked, it could exponentially increase our reach at no additional creative cost. Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest would run as part of a larger, omnichannel plan that included CTV, Audio, Search, and Retail Media. Results When it came time for quarterly reports, the halo effect created by our social-centered strategy blew us away. Exverus VP of Performance Marketing Hillary Kupferberg initiated the partnership with SeenThis to develop Social Reach at no additional production cost. Our Social Reach test achieved 3.3MM more completed video views than the Meta Ads running during the same period, at half the cost of Meta’s benchmark ($0.03 per click vs. $0.06) - in other words, Social Reach outperformed Meta by 50% efficiency! At the bottom of the funnel, July’s Prime Day campaign delivered exceptional results, achieving a remarkable +31% increase in daily sales average compared to 2024 and an impressive 4.85x return on incremental investment. These outstanding results underscore the power of coordinated paid media strategies during high-stakes retail events. And yes, Numerator confirmed Premier Protein shakes were the #1 selling product on Prime Day for a third straight year! For more media tips, campaign case studies, and industry analyses; subscribe to our free Paid Media Insights newsletter here.

GEO doesn't replace SEM -- here's how they work together in a media plan Photo Credit: Vitaly Gariev Key Takeaways: GEO evolves paid search — it doesn't replace it. AI search is changing how people find information, but SEM remains essential. The two disciplines need to be briefed together, not managed in silos. "Search" is bigger than Google. Social platforms, retail media networks, and AI chat surfaces are all search environments now — and each one requires a channel-specific strategy within a full-funnel media plan. Your metrics need to catch up. CTR and page rank alone no longer tell the full story. Search marketers should also be tracking AI Overview inclusion rate, LLM brand mentions, share of model (SOM), and overall brand lift. AI search advertising is here — but it rewards precision. ChatGPT is now selling ads, and Performance Max is the only Google campaign type currently eligible to appear in AI Overviews. As AI-generated ad copy levels the playing field, landing page experience becomes your real competitive advantage. GEO evolves, not replaces, paid search In 2026, brand marketers and advertisers are well-acquainted with the ways AI search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are changing the way people find information and recommendations - fewer clicks, less web traffic, shorter paths to purchase. Ahrefs confirms: Google AI Overviews reduce clicks by 58%! The need for GEO (generative engine optimization) has transformed SEO (search engine optimization) tactics and made share of model (SOM) more important than rank. LLM crawlers largely ignore paid media content! Our parent agency, Brainlabs, is the domain expert on how to create content for AI search engine optimization: So, does this mean search engine marketing (SEM) for top-of-page listing goes away? No, but it does need to adapt. Read on to learn how! What even counts as "search" anymore? Search is so much more than Google (or ChatGPT); it must be considered in the context of a full-funnel media plan, understanding that consumers discover brands and seek information in many different places today. Social search We've been writing for years about how Social is the new Search, as 46% of Gen Zers and 35% of millennials prefer to use social media platforms for product and trend discovery over traditional search engines. Learn how to build media campaigns that harness the power of social media platforms as search engines and discovery hubs. Many people, especially younger adult consumers, trust creators and influencers they relate to more deeply than brand advertising. That's why creator partnerships, affiliate marketing, and user-generated content (UGC) campaigns are booming right now. It also means that marketers should apply SEO principles to social ads, for example: On Instagram, keywords in captions now perform better than hashtags for meeting searchers in discovery mode TikTok's algorithm is powerful for expanding reach and influencing viewers, particularly on its For You page and in search results Pinterest's search engine is designed for people seeking inspiration, how-tos, and product recommendations “Find the long-tail search terms that resonate with your consumers best, and aim to own those key terms. Be specific; don’t take your hands off the wheel, going broad-match or letting the ‘algorithm’ do the work.” -- Michael Robbins, associate director of paid search & social, Exverus Retail search Retail media networks (RMNs) are also ripe environments for applying search marketing strategies that get your product in front of searchers already in purchasing mode. EMARKETER reported in 2024 that 56% of American consumers start their product search on Amazon when shopping! To make your product or brand appear prominently on the search results page of a retailer's e-com site or mobile app: Prioritize home page placements Segment your audiences precisely Dominate your niche Consider many paths to purchase, including in-store Optimize for the right metrics For detailed info on how to do all that: Now, to Google: SEM vs. PPC vs. Paid Search Is there a difference between these terms we often use interchangeably? Yes. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is the discipline of marketing within search engines, including organic SEO (search engine optimization) and paid search. Paid search is the practice of buying ad space on search engines. PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is the billing model; you pay each time someone clicks your ad. It applies across channels including search, social, and display. All the levers of Paid Search have to work in harmony for effective digital marketing campaigns. Search Engine Journal recommends putting together an Integrated Search Brief at the beginning of each project so every team is working toward the same business objectives. Here's an example: Integrated Search Brief Primary Audience: Brand marketers Buyer Segment: CMOs, VPs, or Directors, companies $100MM+ annual revenue Buyer Role: Find 5 best media agencies on West Coast & request consultations Stage of Funnel or Customer Journey: Mid-funnel, consideration stage Intent Type Example Query Likely searcher need Channel Role Problem-aware "how to buy media cheaply" Understand options SEO, Content Solution-aware "best media agencies" Evaluate category SEO, PPC Comparison "Exverus vs. Brainlabs" Make shortlist SEO, PPC, Landing page Transactional "request agency consult" Take action PPC, Content, landing page “Set up proper goals (by managing your tags) and attribution (how you’ll report and measure ad success in relation to your business goals). Set up enhanced conversions and value-based conversion bidding based on your business goals (revenue, profit margins or lifetime value) well in advance to provide [Google and LLMs] with rich data points that guide automated bidding and machine learning.” -- Ryan Schuster, MBA, director of paid search & social at Exverus, in ADWEEK Google/AI Search metrics that matter If your CTRs are dropping, don't be alarmed. With search results pages receding in favor of AI Overviews, and Google sending less traffic to brand websites, page rank and click-through rate aren't the ultimate goals they used to be; they're just part of the picture. Now, search marketers should be holistically measuring: click-through rate (CTR) cost per click (CPC) AI Overview inclusion rate brand mentions in AI search tools share of model (SOM) overall brand lift multi-touch attribution Ditch the tired marketing acronyms, and measure what really drives business growth across the funnel. PMAX & Google Demand Gen: Google AI Tools Experiment with Google Performance Max (PMAX), which places high-impact formats across Google's entire ecosystem including search, YouTube, and Google Display. It works best with a variety of creative assets and rich data sets. PMAX and Google Shopping ads can all be placed in AI Overviews if they're aligned with the searcher's intent. Demand Gen can also be impactful for upper-funnel needs, as Exverus' Michael Robbins explained to Performance Marketing World, "Since the purpose of AI search is to be dynamic and curated to the searcher, this ad type is versatile, broad, and adaptable enough to feature." Once considered a "black box" with little transparency about where ads are placed and why, PMAX made a significant update in April 2025 that expanded channel-level reporting of where media dollars are going and which platforms are performing best. As of late 2025, Google AI Max Ads can be placed in AI Overviews, as well. Advertising in AI search tools Up until 2026, AI search has predominantly affected SEO, not so much SEM, because buying visibility in AI answers hasn't been an option yet. GEO, or building content to organically show up in AI answers, has been the main driver of AI visibility. Rather than building around keywords, content marketers are building around questions. Now, OpenAI has begun selling ads in ChatGPT, and our parent agency, Brainlabs, is already testing this new frontier. Learn what their testing revealed about targeting, pricing, measurement, and recommendations below: “[ChatGPT Ads] rewards precision. The more tightly your creative maps to the prompt, the better your cost efficiency. CPC is not worth it.” -- Ben Kahan, head of programmatic, Brainlabs North America The proliferation of AI-generated ads will mean that your ads will look very similar to your competitors using the same AI program. AI copy will level the playing field, only further increasing the importance of an optimized landing page experience to gain an advantage over the competition. Paid search ad copy will decrease in importance as landing page experience increases in importance. Meanwhile, Anthropic has scaled its Claude product to the top of the AI food chain by focusing on enterprise functions, subscriptions, and token sales, rather than ad sales. Brainlabs has been building custom Claude Cowork integrations with Notion and a library of over 400 skills authored by employees in just four weeks! We'll continue to be at the forefront of AI search advertising as it develops. The Role of paid search in a media mix Again, search marketing can’t succeed in a vacuum! It must be integrated into an omnichannel media strategy based on your audience’s needs and preferences. Here’s a helpful way to think about the functions of various media channels and how they synergize: What does your audience want? Exploration → Social Media Information → Paid Search Purchase → Retail Media At Exverus, we don’t keep these departments siloed. Our search marketers work closely alongside the paid social, programmatic advertising, and retail/e-commerce teams to share keyword strategies, devise ways to smoothly connect each touchpoint to a purchase, and keep creative brand assets and messaging consistent across all platforms. Provide your target audience with top-quality content in platform-specific formats, and you’ll become the brand they go to without even needing to search. For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here.

Google's Gemini offers virtual try-on for clothes shoppers. The new brand discovery channel In 2026, product recommendations from Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Amazon's "Buy For Me" are no longer experimental—they're fully operational. And over the next few years, agentic commerce will evolve the whole shopping experience. The question isn't whether your customers will use AI agents to shop – it's whether your brand will be the one they recommend. What is agentic commerce? Agentic commerce, or agentic shopping, is shopping online powered by AI agents acting on humans' behalf. These AI agents could be embedded into generative AI platforms and/or retailers' own e-commerce sites, automatically recommending or purchasing products based on the human's needs and parameters. What is an example of agentic commerce? To borrow an example from McKinsey, "Imagine that a promising new job opportunity requires you to relocate your family across the country....You need to find a comfortable home with a manageable commute, decide what to bring and what to sell, and engage a trustworthy moving company to deliver everything on time. Then there’s the issue of finding new doctors, veterinarians for the pets, a gym, and after-school programs for the kids. It’s overwhelming. Now imagine that you had an autonomous AI agent to handle these tasks for you. With a deep understanding of your budget, lifestyle, commute preferences, kids’ hobbies, and even your pets’ needs, the agent can get to work. To research neighborhoods and housing options, it synthesizes data from multiple sites and platforms, scanning myriad real estate listings and recommending the most appealing choices. When you e-sign your lease, the agent reviews the terms to ensure anything atypical is highlighted and gets your attention." The possibilities are truly infinite. One day soon, AI agents could: automatically research and book travel schedule appointments help with supply chain logistics, and so much more! What should marketers know about agentic commerce? It completely reshapes the customer journey. Instead of starting a product search on Amazon and a flight search on Priceline, for example, consumers could use AI chatbots as the starting point for everything. This means that, instead of splitting your media spend between "brand-building" and "performance driving" channels, you'll need to build omnichannel ecosystems that an AI agent can easily understand. As of 2026, most retail media spending still occurs onsite (mostly on sponsored search and product listings). But that model breaks down when discovery shifts upstream to AI agents who filter and recommend brands without shoppers even needing to visit a retailer or website. The path to purchase will collapse into an instant, and so will data collection and learnings for brands. There is, however, a risk of losing visibility over the customer journey. As Forbes points out, "While orders may be attributed to ChatGPT, Gemini, or other LLMs, merchants are largely in the dark about everything that happened before the transaction." Winning at agentic commerce requires product data quality, structured content, and creative assets designed for AI comprehension, not just search rankings. How can brands get recommended by AI agents? Ensure your site is visible to each major GenAI tool For example, ChatGPT uses a web crawler called OAI-SearchBot to find, access, and surface information in ChatGPT search. For your site to be discoverable in ChatGPT, make sure you aren't blocking OAI-SearchBot. You may need to update your robots.txt file, to ensure OAI-SearchBot has access. For Anthropic's Claude, log into your claude.ai account. Access your profile settings. Look for the Web Search feature and toggle it on if it's currently disabled. Other GenAI tools like Perplexity and Google's Gemini may have their own processes for ensuring searchability. Become a trusted source of information Build your brand authority as a reputable source that AI chatbots will want to reference. This cannot be done by simply buying placements in AI answers. It has to be earned through positive publicity, good reviews/referrals, and producing informative content. More on how to do that below: Our parent agency, Brainlabs, is the domain expert on GEO and organic AI visibility. Feed your products directly to the bots ChatGPT launched brand plugins back in 2023 so the bot could relay accurate, up-to-date brand information directly to searchers asking questions. Now, you can provide product feeds directly to ChatGPT to potentially show up as a recommendation. OpenAI's submission periods open and close, so sign up here to be notified of the next opening. Audit your product data infrastructure When deciding which products to recommend, GenAI tools scan the structured metadata of product pages (product description, price, etc.) and third-party reviews for its summaries. This means your copy needs to be thorough, informative, and highlight key features that searchers might be looking for (budget-friendly, limited time only, sustainable, etc.) Are your SKUs tagged with deep attributes (price, size, ingredients, ESG scores)? Is your catalog synchronized in real-time across all retail partners? Also, as website content becomes more Q&A-style and less keyword-based, so should your product copy and media messaging. Anticipate likely questions and answer them naturally to get recognized by AI platforms. "Visual search is growing, especially among younger users, so don't neglect your image SEO. Keep your product photos fresh and appealing, with thoroughly descriptive image descriptions, captions, and alt text. These steps will help users discover your brand content." -- Michael Robbins, Exverus Associate Director of Search & Social The choice is simple: adapt your retail media strategy for an agent-first world, or watch your share of voice—and share of cart—get algorithmically optimized away. Need help? The retail media & e-commerce media buying experts at Exverus know how to keep brands top-of-mind and added to baskets everywhere. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

Efficiency KPIs aren't bad, but efficiency without effectiveness is just cheap media. If you've been measuring marketing and advertising campaigns by the same media metrics for several years — or if your analytics docs still have Google+ goals — it's time for an update. With data coming in from so many different channels and sources simultaneously, understanding the true impact of your media campaigns can be tricky. The goal of most ad campaigns is to drive sales, so the number of clicks or video views is inadequate if they don't lead to actual conversions. Why traditional marketing metrics fall short Traditional metrics like clicks, impressions, and view completion rates are now just distractions. ROAS and last-click metrics can be misleading because they capture a narrow slice of the journey, often overstating the role of addressable channels and understating long-term brand impact. This doesn't mean traditional marketing metrics are wholly meaningless. Clicks, impressions, and views are still indicators of reach and engagement, which do play a role in building brand awareness and nurturing customer relationships. But they should be complemented by advanced measurement strategies that provide a more in-depth understanding of your campaign's true impact on sales and overall business success. Traditional upper-funnel metrics like impressions and cost-per-mille (CPM) have served as foundational measurements in digital advertising, but they suffer from several key limitations: Measure potential exposure rather than actual engagement Don't account for viewability or attention quality Provide no insight into brand perception changes Can be artificially inflated by bot traffic and fraudulent activity Click to learn best practices for baking brand equity into your media planning & measurement from the outset. The hidden cost of efficiency as a KPI Efficiency feels fiscally responsible, but in media planning, it's often a trap. When marketers prioritize efficiency — CPMs, CPCs, lowest-cost reach — they often end up cutting quality. They end up with cheaper impressions, lower-impact placements, and less relevance; which means wasted budget. Efficiency isn't bad — but efficiency without effectiveness is just cheap media. It's tempting to optimize for what's easiest to measure instead of what actually grows the business. But, as WARC data proves out, performance marketing alone costs more in the long run because the brand becomes less memorable, creating the dreaded "doom loop." How can attention metrics improve your paid media campaigns, and are they worth the cost? Set SMART goals for all your media campaigns That trusty old mnemonic still holds water when it comes to planning your paid media campaigns for the upcoming quarter or fiscal year: Specific — Exactly what is your business objective? What specific marketing objectives will ladder up to it? What actionable items will you take to fulfill those objectives, and why? Measurable — If it gets measured, it gets managed. Determine the appropriate KPIs for each tactic and gather industry benchmarks so you know if your strategies are effective or not. Achievable — Are your goals realistic? It's good to aim high, but unrealistic goals set you up for unnecessarily negative results. Look at historical data and competitor analyses. Relevant — Will your campaign ideas effectively serve your short-term and long-term business goals? Are your metrics measuring the right variable? Time-Bound — Set clear parameters around the timing of your campaigns and check in midway. Measure short-term KPIs earlier and long-term KPIs later. When it comes to advertising, focusing too closely on short-term gains is like day trading — the quick returns might grab headlines, but they usually lack staying power. Sustainable business growth requires pairing performance with building brand equity, brick by brick, just like you'd invest in a retirement account. Establish KPIs for each touchpoint in the journey By choosing the right KPIs for each channel in your media campaign, you can evaluate whether your paid media investments are paying off and how to optimize them going forward. Top of Funnel — Brand lift, visibility, & attention metrics Brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent Brand preference and message association Active attention time and viewability duration Scroll velocity, audio engagement, interactive events Note: Raw impressions and CPMs still have a role, but must be paired with quality signals. Brand lift studies illuminate the full sales impact of your performance media. Mid Funnel — Engagement & consideration metrics Average time on page, pages per session, video completion rates (VCR) Social media shares and saves MQLs, email engagement rates, newsletter subscription retention AI chatbot or calculator usage, sample/demo requests, wishlist additions Media (or marketing) mix modeling tracks the compounded effect of each channel down the funnel to long-term business growth. Lower Funnel — Conversion & revenue metrics Conversion rate, customer acquisition cost (CAC), ROAS Customer lifetime value (CLV) — the often-overlooked imperative A closer look: Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) The total revenue a business can expect from a customer throughout their entire relationship, minus the costs of acquiring and serving them. Think of it as calculating the long-term profitability of a customer relationship instead of focusing on one-time transactions. Gather marketing benchmarks for comparison To establish your campaign benchmarks, look at trusted third-party sources. Good metrics and benchmarks should derive from: Historical Data. Analyze past performance trends to set a baseline for future expectations. Your own data is always the most relevant starting point. Industry-Wide Data. Understand where you stand compared to competitors. Sources like EMARKETER, Nielsen, Numerator, and Statista publish reliable benchmarks by industry. Platform-Specific Benchmarks. Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and other media channels offer their own sets of benchmarks so you know what performance is typical in those environments. Partner/Vendor Guidelines. Useful, but remember there may be a conflict of interest — vendors often aim to portray high performance. Triangulate against independent sources. Media mix modeling or multi-touch attribution? Both serve important purposes. Learn which is best for analyzing your media campaign. Analyze and report The marketing benchmark analysis cycle begins with regular performance reviews where teams assess current metrics against industry standards using executive dashboards and team scorecards. During these reviews, conduct gap analysis to identify variances from benchmarks, which should be documented in structured variance reports. Use trend identification to spot patterns over time, displaying these in trend analysis reports that help contextualize current performance. Finally, translate insights into resource allocation and action planning, supported by ROI assessments and budget impact reports — creating a continuous feedback loop where reporting directly informs the next round of analysis and decision-making. At Exverus, we hold quarterly health checks with all our clients and provide quarterly business reports (QBRs) so they know exactly how their ad spend is performing. We're agile and nimble enough to quickly pivot or reallocate budget as needed mid-campaign. Exverus VP of Analytics Joshua Edelman contributed his expertise to this 2026 EMARKTER report about the state of MMM adoption. What is dual cadence measurement? CTR, ROAS, and CPM fluctuate constantly due to seasonality, creative fatigue, platform changes, and broader market dynamics. Most weekly swings are not strategy signals — they're media metrics noise. The metrics that actually indicate future revenue operate on a longer cycle: brand equity, consideration, share of voice. These are quarterly by design. Brand lift, MMM, and awareness tracking need time to become directional. Across our client base, we regularly see weekly signals contradict what longer-term measurement proves, so teams end up cutting the very investments that drive growth! The answer is to have two separate measurement tracks running; that's the dual cadence: Weekly check-ins for pacing and delivery, spend efficiency, creative signals, early indicators of issues Quarterly reports for brand lift and awareness, share of voice, CAC trends, MMM and incrementality Assign each KPI a timeline before launch - define what decisions it informs and when it will be read. And make brand health non-negotiable. Include at least one forward-looking metric in every QBR — awareness, consideration, or brand lift. Translate media metrics for the C-Suite Media still gets misread by the C-suite. Most media strategies are presented in terms marketers understand: impressions, reach, CPMs. But CFOs and CEOs speak a different language - one of margin, revenue, market share, and risk. Smart marketers know this and adapt. They frame media in business terms, not marketing metrics. They tie campaigns to top-line goals. And they get more buy-in, bigger budgets, and better results because of it. For your next executive presentation, rewrite one slide to frame media performance in C-suite terms. Replace a ROAS metric with an incrementality or brand lift metric. See what happens! Advanced measurement strategies may not guarantee a successful campaign, but they provide a more nuanced understanding of ad performance; and that nuance separates brands that grow from brands that guess.

A brand marketer's guide to retail media buying strategies for sustained growth Key Facts: Retail media will grow about 15% to $198B in 2026. Amazon dominates with 75.2% market share — more than 10 times larger than second-place Walmart Connect. Retail media CTV ad spending grew about 45% in 2025, with Walmart controlling over 20% of the US TV market through Vizio. RMNs have evolved beyond last-touch conversion to offer full-funnel experiences including CTV, programmatic, and brand awareness campaigns. With retail media set to account for one in eight digital ad dollars, mature retailers are already growing sales by expanding how they reach consumers and the ad products they offer to brands. Historically, retail media networks have focused on lower-funnel tactics, but Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, and an ever growing list of other retail media networks are now offering a full-funnel experience to advertisers and media buyers. What is a retail media network (RMN)? According to RetailTouchpoints.com, "Retail media is the broader term used to describe the concept of retailers using their systems, infrastructure, data and access to their shoppers to help advertisers reach consumers. A retail media network is the actual platform that retailers put in place to do this." These ads can appear in various formats and locations, including search results pages, product pages, category pages, and even in-store displays. But what sets retail media networks apart is their access to valuable first-party data—the key to effective targeting and personalized advertising. What are the top retail media networks? Amazon is, by far, the top retail media network, projected by EMARKETER to command over $56.71 billion in 2026, more than 10 times that of No. 2 Walmart Connect. Other big RMNs include Target's Roundel, Kroger Precision Marketing, Alibaba, Instacart Ads, and Costco Media Network. More are popping up every day! This blossoming of RMNs offers advertisers more opportunities to put their products in front of their target audience when they're already in a purchasing state of mind, but the downside is a lack of consistency or standardization across the platforms. The better question is: where are your shoppers, and where is your product actually sold? Sponsored search on Amazon is table stakes for most CPG brands, but that doesn't mean it should eat your whole RMN budget. Brands should always try to maximize exposure through sponsored search campaigns first before tapping into other tactics, since sponsored search typically has the highest return — but that's just the starting point, not the full strategy. How does retail media fit into an omnichannel marketing strategy? At the top of funnel, RMNs' off-site capabilities — including programmatic display, CTV, and DOOH placements powered by first-party retailer data — let you reach in-market audiences with a level of purchase-intent precision that is genuinely hard to replicate elsewhere. If you know someone bought your category at Kroger three times in the last 90 days, that's an audience worth paying for at the top of the funnel, not just at checkout. In the middle, sponsored search on Amazon or Walmart is not just a conversion tool — it's an awareness driver. Appearing at the top of a category search while a consumer is actively browsing tells them your brand belongs there. That's brand building, even if the click leads directly to a purchase. At the bottom, yes, retail media excels at conversion. Sponsored products, retailer-native display ads, and on-site placements close the loop between consideration and purchase with a directness that most channels can't match. The path to purchase isn't linear anymore. Meet your consumers everywhere they shop, What's an example of full-funnel retail media? As we illustrated to The Current by The Trade Desk, "We have one client who is running a CTV awareness campaign — very typical, but what's new is we're able to target Walmart shoppers and then actually drive them to Walmart, and that is an incredible aspect because now we have a CTV awareness campaign that I can actually share back that they're driving millions of dollars in sales, and to have that data and that closed loop attribution is really going to propel the future of what we can do while we're in the weeds." Read more about this below: Is retail media a good investment? The truth is, retail media can be both a goldmine or a budget sinkhole, depending on how you use it. The goldmine: closed-loop attribution, high-intent audiences, and endemic relevance -- especially when paired with strong creative and smart sequencing. The black hole: fragmented networks, sky-high CPMs, and opaque reporting. Many RMNs prioritize margin over performance, which means your media dollars may be going to prop up retail partnerships rather than drive actual growth. The smart play? Treat retail media like part of your broader media plan, not a separate obligation. It should work with your other channels, not in isolation. That means aligning measurement, creative, and budget logic across the funnel. Click to learn about AI Shopping, or agentic commerce, for product-based brands. How do we negotiate our JBPs to get more media value? This question comes up a lot during media planning season, and it's a real skill. In the age of the RMN boom, retailers have been all too happy to strike deals with marketers, selling off ad space on their own platforms and audience data for ads on third-party platforms. But not every brand knows how to negotiate media value into those commitments. The brands who treat JBPs as purely a merchandising conversation are leaving significant media inventory on the table. Action items Audit your retail media investments quarterly. Audit more often than that, and you'll miss longer-term trends; any less often, and you'll miss opportunity. Map each placement to a funnel stage Identify overlap or redundancy, and Hold your retail partners accountable to the same standards as your other media by evaluating the same metrics like reach, frequency, and sales incrementality. Critically, the time is now for brands to leverage the two largest retailers, Amazon and Walmart, as complete advertising ecosystems. Further references: The Current. https://www.thecurrent.com/exverus-media-hillary-kupferberg-vp-marketing-retail-media-ctv-sales Digiday. https://digiday.com/media-buying/wpp-estimates-commerce-media-spending-to-overtake-tv-this-year/ Bain & Company. https://www.bain.com/how-we-help/are-you-ready-for-the-retail-media-revolution/ This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.

In 2026 and beyond, audience segments will reshuffle; media channels will converge; paths to purchase will shorten; and AI will optimize everything. Media planning requires a long-term view and full-funnel integration. The rules of media planning rewrite themselves every quarter: Consumer behaviors shift overnight; new platforms emerge while established channels merge and transform; AI-powered optimization tools promise to automate what once took teams of analysts weeks to accomplish. But here's what stays constant: the need for strategic, data-informed media planning that connects brands with audiences across the entire customer journey. At Exverus by Brainlabs, we've spent 12 years refining our approach to full-funnel media planning for growth-stage, culture-creating brands. Here's what demonstrably works. Table of Contents What is media planning? Elements of a full-funnel media plan Brand vs. performance media Omnichannel marketing Example of award-winning campaign Measurement & attribution FAQs about media planning & buying What is media planning? Media planning is the strategic process of determining where, when, and how to deliver marketing messages to target audiences. It's about making informed decisions on channel selection, budget allocation, timing, and creative deployment to achieve specific business objectives. Think of it as the blueprint for your marketing investment. A strong media plan answers critical questions, like: Which channels will reach your ideal customers most efficiently? How should budget be distributed across awareness, consideration, and conversion tactics? What frequency and timing will maximize impact without wasting spend? How can we build creative, unique activations that stand out from our competition? Media placement choices aren't guesses; they're based on surgically precise audience data points gathered from multiple sources. What elements does a full-funnel media plan need? Budget, Timing, and Scope of Work Category background / business challenge. What problem are we solving for? Objectives. What specific campaign key performance indicators (KPIs) are we working toward, and how will they solve our business challenge? Insights. Define the target audience(s). Gather competitive insights. What media does the target audience consume? What research can inform our strategy? Strategy. What will be the key elements of our plan? How will we space out activations throughout the given timeframe? How will paid media collaborate with earned media, owned content, and other agencies? Execution. Make the idea come to life! Monitor performance and adjust in real time. Measurement. What are the results? Did we meet our KPIs? Did our KPIs accurately align with business goals? What did we learn for the next campaign? Timing Considerations Media planning is a marathon, not a sprint When times are tight, many marketers feel the pressure to close the sale and place a disproportionate emphasis on short-term performance metrics -- that's understandable! But be careful not to lose sight of your long-term brand equity. While the immediate ROI metrics can look attractive and seem to reinforce this approach, we caution marketers not to get short-sighted and overlook the importance of long-term brand-building. This mistake is called short-termism. Short-termism is the marketing fallacy of focusing too heavily on acquiring new customers and activating sales, at the expense of building long-term customer retention and loyalty. The most successful media strategies balance immediate performance goals with long-term brand building. Track leading indicators that signal future performance, not just lagging metrics that report yesterday's results. Invest in understanding how different tactics work together over time, not just in isolation. See an example case study of a brand that "went dark" after seeing some initial gains below: 'Always-on' vs. Spend spikes Being consistent with your brand media spend over time is imperative. But being evergreen isn’t simply doing the same thing all year — it’s about adapting to consumer behavior and business cycles so the brand remains relevant off-season. A “set-it-and-forget-it” media campaign that simply repeats the same content or messaging all year can get stale. Audiences’ needs, contexts, and attentional bandwidth change throughout the year; what worked during a product-launch window or seasonal peak may not resonate mid-year. Constant presence without variation can erode brand identity, rather than reinforce it. Brands and their media teams should lean on data-driven signals and adjust the strategy in real time by shifting budgets, pivoting messaging, or launching new offerings. Balance tentpole moments (for brand-building impact) with strategic always-on presence in high-intent channels (retail media, search) and advanced measurement (brand lift studies, multi-touch attribution, incrementality testing) to see the strongest results. Example: This plan depicts paid media running throughout the campaign timeline but mixing up the formats and spend levels around tentpole moments. Brand vs. Performance Media Combine brand and performance under one scientific brain The old divide between brand and performance marketing is quickly dissolving, but the tension between immediate results and long-term value creation remains. Smart media planning finds the right balance for your specific business context. Performance marketing delivers measurable, trackable results. Direct response tactics drive immediate conversions, generate leads, and produce clear ROI metrics. These campaigns justify their existence through attribution models and conversion tracking. Brand marketing builds mental availability and emotional connections that compound over time. It creates the conditions for efficient performance marketing by reducing friction in the purchase decision. Strong brands enjoy higher conversion rates, lower customer acquisition costs, and greater pricing power. But these benefits often appear months or years after the initial investment. The optimal brand-performance mix depends on several factors: your market position product category customer lifetime value (CLV) purchase frequency, and competitive intensity. New brands typically need heavier brand investment to build awareness and consideration. Established players might shift more budget toward performance tactics that convert existing demand. Unfortunately, most brands underinvest in brand building. They over-index on performance tactics because the results are visible and immediate, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that slowly erodes long-term growth potential. The metrics look good quarter over quarter, but customer acquisition costs creep up and market share stagnates. Click to learn real case studies of brands that built equity effectively vs. those that didn't. The solution isn't abandoning performance marketing. It's integrating brand and performance tactics into a unified, full-funnel approach where upper-funnel brand activities amplify lower-funnel conversion efficiency. Test different budget allocations. Measure impact across multiple time horizons. Find the mix that balances short-term results with sustainable long-term growth. The age of AI product discovery and agentic buying demands an integrated, full-funnel strategy. Here's how to build it. Omnichannel marketing: New paths to purchase The linear marketing funnel is dead. Modern consumers don't follow predictable paths from awareness to consideration to purchase. They zigzag across channels, devices, and touchpoints in patterns that seem chaotic but reveal underlying logic when you know where to look. Someone might discover your brand through a podcast ad, research options on their phone during lunch, compare features on a desktop at work, and finally purchase on a tablet at home three weeks later. Or they might see social ads for months, ignore them completely, then convert immediately after receiving a promotional email. The variations are endless. Omnichannel media planning acknowledges this complexity. Instead of forcing customers into predetermined funnels, it creates multiple paths to purchase across interconnected touchpoints. Different channels play different roles for different customers at different moments. Click to learn several new models for mapping consumer behavior that evolve beyond the linear funnel. Omnichannel media planning requires several capabilities: Consistent messaging across channels. Adapt creative to each platform's format and context while maintaining brand coherence. Cross-channel measurement. Track customer journeys across touchpoints rather than evaluating each channel in isolation. Flexible budget allocation. Shift resources toward channels and tactics proving most effective for specific customer segments. Media channel convergence accelerates these needs Social media is becoming social commerce. Streaming TV ads are now shoppable CTV. AI Chatbots are the new search engines Social and Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are now discovery hubs The boundaries between awareness, consideration, and conversion channels blur as platforms compete to own entire customer journeys. For 2026, expect paths to purchase to shorten as channels become more integrated and AI-powered personalization becomes more sophisticated. Example of award-winning omnichannel media campaign Exverus by Brainlabs' "Premier Nutrition: Winning Prime Day" campaign was awarded a WARC Effectiveness Award for Best Path to Purchase in 2024. The campaign demonstrated ingenious tactics for successfully bridging social media with e-commerce, making Premier Protein shakes one of the top-selling items on Amazon during its October 2023 Prime Big Deals Day event. Learn more below: Instead of loading up on Amazon Ads, we met consumers on social media platforms and smoothly drove them to Amazon purchase pages. Measurement & Attribution They say, "What gets measured gets managed," but measuring full-funnel media effectiveness remains one of marketing's hardest problems: attribution models break down in omnichannel environments; privacy regulations limit tracking capabilities; platform-provided metrics serve platform interests more than advertiser needs. Effective measurement requires a multi-layered approach that combines different methodologies to build a complete picture of media performance. No single metric or model tells the whole story. Start with business fundamentals. Revenue, customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer lifetime value (CLV), market share of voice (SOV). These north-star metrics connect media activity to actual business outcomes. They should anchor all other measurement efforts. Impressions and CPMs are just vanity metrics. Learn to track your paid media investment's real impact on overall business growth. Layer in channel-specific performance metrics. Click-through rates, view-through rates, engagement metrics, conversion rates. These tactical indicators help optimize individual campaigns and placements. But resist the temptation to over-optimize channel metrics at the expense of business outcomes. Add incrementality testing to understand true causal impact. Geo-tests, holdout groups, and controlled experiments reveal which tactics actually drive incremental results versus simply capturing existing demand. This is where you separate correlation from causation. Implement marketing mix modeling to understand how different tactics work together and inform strategic budget allocation. These statistical models analyze historical performance across all channels to quantify each tactic's contribution and interaction effects. Learn how AI powers MMM for comprehensive looks at campaign results, plus when to use MMM vs. MTA (multi-touch attribution). Complement quantitative measurement with qualitative insights. Brand tracking studies, customer surveys, and market research provide context that numbers alone can't capture. They explain the why behind the what. Brand lift studies are a scientific approach to measuring your upper-funnel media's impact on real business demand creation. The measurement environment will continue evolving throughout 2026. Privacy-focused attribution models, AI-powered analytics, and cross-platform measurement solutions promise to improve data quality and insight generation. But the fundamentals won't change. Great measurement requires clear business objectives, rigorous methodology, and honest assessment of both successes and failures. FAQs about media planning and buying How much should I budget for media planning? Media budgets vary widely based on: company size industry growth stage competitive intensity As a general framework, B2C companies typically invest 5-15% of revenue in marketing, with media representing the largest portion. B2B companies often spend 2-10% of revenue. High-growth startups may invest 20-40% or more to capture market share. Work backward from your customer acquisition cost targets and lifetime value to determine sustainable spending levels. Which media channels should I advertise on in 2026? Media channel selection depends entirely on where your target audiences spend time and how they make purchase decisions. That said, several channels show particular strength heading into 2026: Digital Advertising Channels Retail media networks for driving sales, even for non-CPG brands Connected TV (CTV) and Digital Audio for reaching broad audiences Influencer / Creator partnerships for trust-building Paid Search and Social for capturing high-intent demand The way to differentiate from what all your competitors are already doing (especially if you don't have the budget to outspend them) is to think outside the box and build creative campaigns that stick in people's minds better than a digital ad. Experiential Marketing Campaigns Gen Z shoppers have been skipping digital ads since they were born. They grew up in a world where social media and technology are ubiquitous, making it harder for traditional advertisements to capture their attention. Experiential marketing is about creating immersive experiences that engage consumers on a deeper level. Photo Credit: Habit Burger & Grill / Yum! Brands. Click to learn how Habit embedded itself into Los Angeles culture by joining Dodger Stadium and becoming a home base for fans. Contests & Sweepstakes Get your target audience engaged and excited, rather than passively consuming ads they likely won't recall later. Contests and sweepstakes with enticing incentives get people involved and emotionally invested in your brand more deeply than with your competition. Here's an example of an Adweek award-winning contest campaign we ran for former client Stella & Chewy's: Click to read more about how this massively effective campaign worked! How do I prove media ROI to C-suite executives? Connect media activities directly to business outcomes using clear attribution and incrementality testing. Report in business language (revenue, customer acquisition, market share) rather than marketing jargon (impressions, reach, engagement). Show both short-term performance and long-term brand building impact. Use control groups and holdout testing to demonstrate causation, not just correlation. Be honest about measurement limitations and uncertainty rather than overstating confidence in attribution. Is it cheaper to hire a media agency or buy media in-house? The right model depends on your resources, expertise, and strategic priorities: In-house teams offer greater control, brand intimacy, and agility. Agencies provide specialized expertise, cross-client insights, and scalable capacity. Many successful brands use a hybrid approach: in-house strategists and planners who set direction and manage performance, with agency partners providing specialized capabilities in areas like creative production, platform expertise, and advanced analytics. Learn more here. How often should we revise our media plan? Media strategies should be revisited quarterly at minimum, with major strategic reviews annually aligned to business planning cycles. Tactical optimizations happen continuously, with real-time adjustments daily or weekly and always-on refinements monthly. The key is distinguishing between strategic pivots (which require careful consideration and cross-functional alignment) and tactical adjustments (which can happen quickly based on performance data). Don't confuse motion with progress by constantly changing strategy without giving tactics time to work. Learn why media plans need time to accumulate growth, like an investment account, rather than day trade. What role does AI play in media planning? AI excels at tactical optimization, pattern recognition, and processing large datasets. It can: predict performance personalize creative, and identify audience segments at scales impossible for human teams. But AI doesn't replace strategic thinking. Humans still need to set objectives, define brand positioning, understand market dynamics, and make judgment calls that require business context. As a Brainlabs agency, we operate under a philosophy of Real Intelligence - the optimal blend of artificial and human intelligence that enables brands to connect directly with consumers. Using Brainlabs' proprietary Cortex AI system, we bring the most cutting-edge technologies to growth-stage brands worldwide. Ready to build a full-funnel media strategy that delivers results? At Exverus by Brainlabs, we combine strategic planning, data-driven optimization, and cross-channel expertise to help brands navigate the complexity of modern media. Let's talk! For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter here.

In 2026, multicultural marketing is mainstream. But appealing to diverse audiences effectively takes some thought, care, and research. With so much public debate around DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) these days, it can be difficult for marketers to know how to proceed. But the numbers make it clear: Multicultural and diverse audiences now represent 40% of the U.S. population and are growing faster than the general market. Yet, most brands allocate only 5% of their marketing budgets to reaching these vital consumer segments. This disparity represents both a challenge and an opportunity for brands. What is multicultural media buying? Multicultural media buying is the process of strategically allocating advertising budgets to reach diverse audiences by understanding their cultural preferences and media consumption habits, then tailoring ad campaigns accordingly. In the late 90s and early 2000s, "multicultural marketing" referred to targeting and messaging intended for minority racial groups, but it has since expanded to include LGBTQ+ groups and people with disabilities. Many have argued that the term "multicultural marketing" is obsolete because thinking of it as a standalone initiative, separate from regular marketing efforts, only furthers divisions and diminishes the buying power of minority groups. As Notorious111's Chief Creative Officer Brandon Rochon said in an op-ed for Ad Age, Gen Z, the most diverse generation in history, has grown up in a world where culture isn’t segmented but shared. They don’t see hip-hop as “Black music” or streetwear as niche—they see it as the culture. Brands that fail to evolve and continue treating multicultural markets as afterthoughts risk irrelevance because, in the new economy, culture isn’t a subcategory—it’s the currency of connection. And while it's true that including potential consumers of many demographics should be a regular part of any media plan, appealing to underserved groups does take some thought and consideration. When brands go wrong and come across as tone-deaf, the results can be catastrophic. What is the buying power of multicultural consumers? EMARKETER data shows that in America, Hispanic consumers are projected to reach $2.8 trillion (with a T) in buying power by 2026, an increase of 320% since 2000. African-American consumers are projected to reach $2.1 trillion in buying power by 2026, a 183% increase since 2000. And Asian-American consumers are expected to reach $1.9 trillion in buying power, or an incredible 367% increase from 2000 to 2026. That's some serious dough. Do multicultural audiences lack scale for major campaigns? No — this is often referred to as the "scale myth." Despite representing 40% of the population, multicultural audiences receive only about 5% of marketing budgets on average. Modern programmatic advertising and addressable media tools make reaching these audiences more efficient than ever. The truth is that multicultural audiences offer tremendous scale. As Gonzalo Del Fa, president of GroupM Multicultural, noted to Adweek, "Scale doesn't come from the content. Scale comes from the audience." The Integration vs. Specialization Debate Should multicultural marketing be integrated or run as a specialized strategy? The industry is split. Some argue full integration into general market planning avoids treating diverse audiences as separate or "other." Others maintain that distinct media consumption habits require specialized expertise. Exverus's approach favors bringing multicultural expertise into mainstream planning from the start, rather than treating it as an afterthought. Advocates of the integration perspective argue that separating multicultural initiatives reinforces divisions and treats diverse audiences as "other". They point to Gen Z's fluid cultural identities as evidence that strict demographic targeting is becoming outdated. Integration supporters worry that separate multicultural teams can lead to token representation or relegating diverse markets to smaller budgets. On the other hand, devotees of the specialized expertise perspective say that different communities have distinct media consumption habits which require targeted approaches. They worry that "integration" often means multicultural considerations get diluted or lost entirely, and they point to failed campaigns where brands misunderstood cultural sensitivities as evidence for specialized knowledge. Our former SVP of Strategy, Melissa Andraos, explains: "I believe including specialists with multicultural media expertise is critical for reaching diverse audiences with relevant messaging that speaks to key values in order to build up brand loyalty. To me, it's the most authentic way to foster meaningful relationships." Best practices for authentic multicultural media buying Invest in cultural intelligence This means going beyond surface-level demographics to develop nuanced insights into various communities' values, interests, and lifestyles. What kind of TV, movies, or YouTube shows do they watch? What kind of social content do they enjoy? Build teams with firsthand cultural knowledge or partner with specialists who understand these nuances beyond demographic statistics. Plan for multicultural from the start Integrate diverse audience considerations into initial campaign planning rather than adapting general market campaigns later. Consumers can quickly detect forced or superficial diversity efforts. Instead of checking boxes, successful brands create campaigns that resonate with genuine cultural relevance and respect. Privacy-first targeting solutions Today's contextual targeting capabilities offer sophisticated ways to connect with diverse audiences without compromising privacy. Advanced AI tools can categorize content with remarkable precision, aligning context with audience taxonomies at whatever granularity your brand requires. Omnichannel media planning for scale and reach Working with omnichannel DSPs or trading desks allows brands to connect programmatic advertising seamlessly with cultural data signals. Additionally, partnering with diverse influencers who have authentic connections to your target communities can dramatically amplify your message. Test and learn Use A/B testing with brand and performance KPIs to refine your approach, recognizing that diverse communities respond differently to various content and formats. Support diverse media ownership Allocate budget to publishers and platforms owned by underrepresented groups, creating a virtuous cycle of representation. "From my 12 years' experience in multicultural advertising, I believe it is critical to have a Total Marketing Approach, which recognizes the importance of supporting different market segments (General Market, Hispanic, Asian, African-American, etc.) under one campaign idea and tailors the creative messaging and media plan for each segment. With the US population and buying power for these segments growing, we need to keep evolving toward Total Market Approaches." - Vanessa Pinzon, Exverus Media Director What is the Total Marketing Approach? It's a strategy that recognizes the importance of supporting different market segments (General Market, Hispanic, Asian, African-American, etc.) under one unified campaign idea, tailoring creative and media plans for each segment. The future of multicultural media As we move further into 2026, the distinction between "multicultural" and "general market" continues to blur. The most successful brands recognize that culture sits at the center of consumer identity and purchasing decisions. For Gen Z and younger millennials especially, diversity isn't a political statement; it's their lived reality. Brands that authentically reflect this reality in their media strategies will capture the attention, loyalty, and purchasing power of America's increasingly diverse consumer base. For more advertising news and tips, join our free, weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

Boutique fitness franchisor appoints Brainlabs for full-funnel media planning and performance across its portfolio of brands. JULY 15, 2026 (LOS ANGELES, CA) -- Xponential Fitness, the global franchisor behind boutique fitness brands Club Pilates, Pure Barre, Yoga Six, StretchLab and BFT, has appointed Brainlabs as its media agency of record. The scope covers full-funnel brand strategy, media planning and buying, and performance analysis. The account will be managed by Brainlabs' Los Angeles-based team. Xponential and Brainlabs share a commitment to integrating technology and scientific rigor into everyday operations. Xponential's XPLUS program delivers fitness classes digitally for at-home or on-the-go accessibility, while Brainlabs' proprietary technology platform, Cortex AI, optimizes media strategy at speed and scale. News of the partnership was announced by MediaPost today. "We chose Brainlabs because they're ahead of the curve in terms of technical expertise. Their spirit of 'growing but still boutique' is just like ours, so it's a perfect fit." - Mike Nuzzo, CEO at Xponential Fitness The partnership's first national campaign, "Every Body Club Pilates," sought to expand the brand's audience by highlighting diverse body types and making Pilates feel approachable to anyone. Future efforts will extend this approach across Xponential's portfolio, offering more classes in-studio and online with highly trained instructors and industry-grade technology. "We launched the 'Every Body Club Pilates' campaign in record time. It's a testament to the agility of our team and the speed our technology allows for." - Vanessa Pinzon, Media Director at Brainlabs Work is already underway across the Xponential portfolio. About Xponential Fitness Xponential Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: XPOF) is one of the leading global franchisors of boutique health and wellness brands. In partnership with its franchisees and master franchisees, Xponential offers energetic, accessible, and personalized workout experiences led by highly qualified instructors in studio locations throughout the U.S. and internationally, with franchise, master franchise and international expansion agreements in 49 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and 28 additional countries. Xponential’s portfolio of brands includes Club Pilates, the largest Pilates brand in the United States; StretchLab, a concept offering one-on-one and group stretching services; YogaSix, the largest franchised yoga brand in the United States; Pure Barre, a total body workout that uses the ballet barre to perform small isometric movements, and the largest Barre brand in the United States; and BFT, a functional training and strength-based program. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at xponential.com. Follow on LinkedIn. About Exverus by Brainlabs Founded in 2014, Exverus is a global, independent media agency growing brands through full-funnel media planning & buying, traditional and programmatic advertising, retail media & e-commerce, paid search, paid social, and analytics. Our data-driven media plans combine brand and performance under one scientific brain to confidently allocate every ad dollar for the maximum return. Named for the Latin phrase "from the truth", Exverus (acquired by Brainlabs in 2025) is dedicated to transparency and long-term client trust. Learn more at exverus.com. Follow on LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube Please direct all press queries to michelle.andrade@exverus.com.

Mastering your retail media search strategy can persuade shoppers already in a purchasing mindset. A new set of challengers is rising up to steal share of search from Google. No, they’re not Bing or ChatGPT – they’re retail media networks (RMNs). While social media takes the reins of brand discovery, RMNs are becoming a mid-funnel consideration-driver where consumers go to learn more about brands they discover. Amazon is now the most popular place for US adults to start a product search, according to 2024 research, and EMARKETER predicts retail media ad spend will more than double over the next five years, reaching $129.93 billion by 2028. So, how can your brand influence customers right where they already shop? Read our comprehensive guide to buying retail media for growth across the funnel FAQs about retail search What is retail media search marketing? Retail media search marketing is a strategy that helps brands appear prominently on the search results pages of retailers’ e-commerce websites and mobile apps. It can be achieved by organic or paid media tactics, onsite or off-site, leveraging the value of the immense first-party purchase data retailers hold. In other words, it’s applying the principles of search marketing to e-commerce sites and retail media networks (RMNs). What is the difference between onsite and offsite retail media? Onsite is a retail media solution that displays advertisements for brands within a retailer’s website or mobile app. An example is opening Walmart’s shopping app and seeing an ad for Premier Protein displayed at the top of the search results page for “protein shakes”. Off-site is media published by a brand on external advertising platforms, including traditional search engines, social media, display, video, mobile, audio ads, and more. Currently, the biggest driver of off-site retail media growth is Connected TV (CTV)! Is retail media the same thing as Google Retail Search? Not exactly. Retail Search is a specific service provided by Google Cloud that some retailers use to employ similar Google Search type capabilities but with the retailer’s own products. Most retail media search ads are bought through RMNs or demand-side platforms (DSPs). Why does retail media search matter for brands right now? High purchase intent Sponsored search advertising has exploded in the last couple of years because consumers come to retailer sites or apps already in a purchasing mindset – no demand generation required. Precise targeting capabilities Social media networks may have data on what you’ve shown interest in before, but retailers know what you’ve actually bought before. That makes their deep wells of first-party consumer data extremely valuable for efficient targeting and closed-loop measurement. Trouble at Google Retail search poses a huge threat to the search market dominance of Google, which regularly faces antitrust behavior allegations and steep competition from AI-powered search bots. While retail media search spend grows like ivy, traditional search ad spending growth will slow to just 0.9% YoY in 2028. How can brands sharpen their retail media search strategy? Five moves make the biggest difference: prioritize home page placements for visibility, segment audiences precisely using retailer first-party data, own long-tail niche keywords instead of relying on broad match, plan for the full nonlinear customer journey (not just the final click), and track the metrics that actually map to business sales growth. Prioritize home page placements The home page of a retailer’s site or app is a coveted placement for advertising because it’s the most visible with the widest reach, and it’s the most memorable thanks to the primacy effect. Here’s a good visualization of the purpose each page level of an e-commerce site serves: Photo Credit: Google Cloud Segment your audience If your feminine product ads are being served to biologically male customers, those wasted impressions are wasted ad dollars. Every product isn’t right for every consumer! To optimize your retail media budget, you’ll need to get precise with your targeting and segment your audiences. Fortunately, the first-party data provided by retail media networks solve this problem very well, if you’re putting in the right audience parameters. Check out this excellent list of audience segments put together by the IAB: Photo Credit: Jeffrey Bustos, IAB Dominate your niche Our own Senior Search Specialist, Michael Robbins, advises: “Find the long-tail search terms that resonate with your consumers best, and aim to own those key terms. Be specific; do not take your hands off the wheel, going broad-match and letting the ‘algorithm’ do the work.” Take this example from our back-to-school marketing guide: Adding contextual keywords to your search mix can boost visibility and drive sales. For instance, a granola bar company could add long-tail keywords like “granola bars for school lunches”, or “healthy after-school snacks” to their current bidding strategy. Learn how AI search tools are impacting our paid search strategies Consider the whole customer journey Despite the popularity of e-commerce and online shopping, most consumers are operating in a “click-and-mortar” style: either buying online and picking up in store, buying online and returning in store, or discovering brands in-store and following on social media. To beat the competition, you’ll need to meet your target customer at each point along their nonlinear journey. Don't forget to influence them BEFORE they start shopping - using tactics like TV, video, audio and OOH to improve brand perception and credibility. Choose your metrics wisely As with any media tactic, it’s imperative to use the right metrics for your brand’s specific campaign goals. The report below from IAB Europe shows there’s still a discrepancy between the information sought by media buyers and what’s provided by media sellers. Photo Credit: IAB Europe For CPG brands advertising on retail media networks, of course, the most important result is growth in business sales. But over what timeline? And by what means? Which channels are worth continuing to invest in, and which aren’t? These kinds of questions are more complex, and they’re answered with help from tools like: Holistic measurement tools like DISQO Marketing mix modeling Multi-touch attribution Brand lift studies (which predict next year’s growth) The right media agency can help you figure out what goals and metrics make the most sense for your business and how you can exceed them! Your retail media search strategy is key to eclipsing your business objectives. For more media buying news and tips, subscribe to our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

How to make deliberate, intelligence-driven decisions about where and when to show up Every growth-stage brand eventually reaches the same inflection point: the market gets crowded, competitor budgets get bigger, and the playbook that worked last year starts showing its age. How can you get prepared? The insights here come from campaigns we've run for challenger brands in real competitive environments, from protein nutrition to streaming entertainment to fast casual dining. A common lesson threads through all of it: Brand positioning that is driven by competitive insights, gains market share while maintaining brand equity, and holds steady when competitors move is the way to earn to long-term customer loyalty. Competitive insights: Turn collection into action Most brands we work with already have competitive intelligence. They have the Pathmatics or MediaRadar login, the share-of-voice dashboard refreshed weekly, or the SEMrush keyword export sitting in someone's Dropbox. What they don't have is a decision framework that turns that data into a better media plan than they'd have built without it. Data collection is easy, but real leverage comes from what you do with it. Your competitive intelligence should answer 4 questions: Where can we be over-indexed, not just where are we behind? The instinct is to find competitive gaps and close them. For challenger brands, this is almost always the wrong move. Pick three or four channels where you can meaningfully outperform the competition and commit there. Trying to match a bigger competitor everywhere means losing everywhere. When should we show up (not just where)? Most brands look at channel mix and ignore timing entirely. If your largest competitor goes dark in Q1 every year, that's not a clear opening. An audience still in-market, and you're the only voice in the room. What are their creative signals saying? If a competitor has been running the same video concept for six months, they've hit on something that works. Find out why! Are they tapping into price, lifestyle, or a specific audience? That's strategy intelligence, not just channel intelligence. Which gaps are actually traps? Not every white space is an opportunity. Competitors often leave a channel because it isn't working. An under-utilized channel in your category is only worth pursuing if your own signals support it. Gain market share without a price war Brands increasingly want to conquest competitors through paid media, but many end up in a CPC arms race that inflates costs on both sides and moves no one's market share. Paid Search conquesting is notorious for starting bidding wars, which can threaten brand visibility and rising CPC costs for everyone involved. The brands gaining real ground are winning on presence, relevance, and timing. Here's how we think about category conquesting from a paid media standpoint: Show up where purchase decisions happen, not where keywords live The highest-leverage conquesting channel right now isn't Google, but retail media. 50% more retail media networks are offering competitive conquesting this year than last year, per EMARKETER. RMNs let you reach verified competitor purchasers using first-party purchase data, right when the consumer is in purchase mode. Find one or two retail media networks where your category lives, run a test targeting category keywords first, then add competitor audience targeting on top. However, if your brand has no retail distribution, then programmatic audience conquesting via competitor brand affinity segments is your primary lever. Programmatic can target the actual locations of competitors, geofence their events, and retarget for weeks afterward. Challenger brands, audit your brand defense before your next offense. Pull a search impression share report for your own brand terms. If competitors are capturing a meaningful share, strengthen your branded keyword bids before spending on conquesting. For market-leading brands, this should be your primary competitive paid media focus, not conquesting. Maintain brand positioning when competitors move in When a wave of challengers flood the shelf, the reactive instinct is to match their spend, defend every keyword, or drown them out on social. That path burns budget on a war of attrition, and challengers with lower awareness always have more to gain from the chaos than you do. The stronger play is to already have the infrastructure that matters: retail presence, brand equity, and media that keeps working when the category gets loud. When a competitor makes a big move, the question to ask yourself isn't 'How do we respond?' It's: 'Where have we already earned an advantage, and how do we extend it?’ CASE STUDY: PREMIER PROTEIN UNDER PRESSURE When a stampede of protein trendhoppers hit the market in 2025, Premier Protein didn't try to outspend the field. Instead, we developed a first-to-market Social Reach ad unit that delivered existing vertical video creative across the open web at half the cost-per-view of Meta. In combining that with a precise retail media strategy, CTV, Audio, and Search; Premier Protein built enough brand equity and presence that they could absorb the pressure and prevail. Going dark is a gift to your competitors Going dark on media sometimes gets framed as financial discipline, when really, it's a donation to your competitors. When a brand pulls back because of budget pressure, post-season fatigue, or new leadership it instantly loses share of voice. More importantly, it hands competitors a cleaner media environment, lower CPMs, and an audience all to themselves. Research from WARC confirms what we've seen firsthand: Regaining market share and brand equity after going dark is more costly and difficult than maintaining them with even modest investment. We've lived through this with a CPG client that came off a record-breaking sales season and then went dark for five months. During that window, consumer price sensitivity increased and competitors moved in. When the client resurfaced, it had lost 26% of annual revenue. Brand awareness and consideration were still intact — but last-touch conversion had collapsed because consumers could no longer differentiate this brand from a cheaper competitor. The instinct to pause often comes from treating advertising as a cost to cut rather than an investment to protect. And there's a second, quieter risk: leaning into short-term promotions to hit profit targets while dark on media trains consumers to wait for a discount, weakening brand value even as it appears to stabilize revenue. Even for brands with genuinely seasonal products, the right move is to define the minimum-presence threshold that keeps your brand in the game while competitors fund their own recovery later. BRAND POSITIONING ACTION ITEMS → Know your moat before you need it. Audit your retail presence, search share, and audience segments now. When competitive pressure spikes, you need to know where you're strong before you're forced to defend it. → When budget cuts are unavoidable, protect brand spend first. Performance spend has nowhere to perform without it. → Monitor SOV during slow spend periods. If your share is dropping while competitors' grows, the cost of the cutback is already showing up in the data. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, campaigns, and agency news; subscribe for free here.

Audio expands with fresh opportunities in video, retail, & gaming The audio consumption vs. ad spend gap We've been sounding the alarm on the value of Audio Ads for years: Audio taps into a deep, built-in trust between listener and host/artist Reaches precisely targeted audiences by interest, location, demographic Provides detailed analytics from radio, streaming, or podcast platforms But fresh data from EMARKETER shows that Audio ad spend is not growing nearly as fast as actual listening time is - US adults now spend an average of 2 hours 44 minutes listening to audio content per day! That's a huge competitive gap your brand could fill. This gap is your competitive advantage. While most brands sleep on audio, listeners are there—engaged, in personal moments, every single day. If you can move budget into audio while the landscape is still less crowded, you're ahead. Why podcasts, streaming ads, and programmatic audio are essential marketing channels; and how to buy them efficiently. What is Gen Z is listening to these days? Gen Z's audio habits are rapidly shifting as streaming, social discovery, and multitasking reshape engagement. They're not behaving like older cohorts. Gen Z particularly loves YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music for discovering new music and listening to (or watching) their favorite podcasts—and they listen everywhere they go. This matters because it's not just about podcasts or music anymore. For Gen Z, the format is almost irrelevant; the behavior is "always on, across multiple devices." If your target is Gen Z, single-platform plays won't cut it. You need to show up wherever they're listening—which increasingly means video format, not audio-only. Source: EMARKETER Video podcast wars: Spotify vs. Apple vs. YouTube YouTube has been steadily rising as the world's top media platform for video podcasts (aka vodcasts) for its powerful algorithm, ad targeting, and social promotion capabilities; but creators had to upload separately to YouTube, manage different revenue streams, and deal with separate analytics. So, Spotify & Apple Music have teamed up to tune it out. Spotify is integrating Apple's technology to let creators publish video once and reach both platforms simultaneously, with unified monetization starting later this year. This removes friction for smaller and mid-tier shows, which are likely to consolidate around the Apple-Spotify ecosystem because the barriers are now lower. What this means for your audio strategy: The video podcast landscape is fragmenting by creator tier. Emerging partner programs on Spotify and Apple will have different reach profiles than established YouTube channels—and potentially lower CPMs as creators are still building audiences there. If you're targeting emerging voices or specific communities, these partnerships might offer better unit economics than YouTube's established creator base. The ubiquitous video platform is now America's #1 home for podcasts. Learn how your brand can benefit from its reach, engagement, and loyalty. What's new in audio advertising integrations? Audio is converging with other channels to create entirely new opportunities for brands. Two groundbreaking developments are reshaping the way we think about digital audio advertising: Retail media gets a soundtrack The retail media revolution has found its voice – literally. Lowe's introduction of in-store audio advertising to its retail media network (RMN) marks a significant evolution in the space. This innovation allows brands to reach shoppers at the precise moment of decision-making, creating a direct line of communication when purchase intent is at its peak. Imagine if customer browsing the tools section could hear a strategically timed message about your premium paint brand. These contextually relevant audio messages can influence purchasing decisions in real-time, adding a powerful new dimension to retail media strategies. Early tests have shown promising results, with brands reporting increased consideration and sales lift from these targeted in-store audio campaigns. We foresee more RMNs to follow the example in the future! Exverus' Sean Edwards spoke at MediaPost Live about how we successfully promoted an Entertainment brand via Audio Ads In-game audio is non-intrusive Gaming audio advertising (think mobile games) is also maturing. Rather than interrupting gameplay with video ads, audio messages play seamlessly in the background. This respects the user experience while maintaining high engagement rates – a win-win for both brands and gamers. How brands can adapt their omnichannel commerce strategies to meet consumers everywhere Actionable steps for brands in 2026 1. Seek podcast partners in the Spotify Partner Program Don't assume all podcast ad buys are equal. Advertisers can seek podcast partners enrolled in the Spotify Partner Program. Compare reach, CPMs, and conversion rates before reallocating material budget. Let data, not speculation, determine the split. The shift toward easier cross-platform distribution means partner networks are solidifying now. Lock in early if you find the right shows. 2. Consider a partner like iHeartMedia for a unified buy If you're looking for reach at scale, iHeartMedia owns both terrestrial radio and hundreds of digital podcasts—all in one central buying platform. They have a new partnership with TikTok creators, too, which opens up Gen Z distribution without fragmentation. Digital streaming may dominate music and podcasts, but AM/FM radio is still king for news and sports. Learn how to build it into a high-performing, full-funnel media plan. 3. Don't discount AM/FM Radio Radio captured an impressive 64% of ad-supported audio listening time among US adults in Q2 2025, per Edison Research, beating podcasts and streaming for time spent. If your brand's audience includes anyone outside the 18-34 bracket, radio deserves budget. Cost-per-impression is often lower than podcasts, and reach is enormous. At Exverus, we’re passionate about helping brands navigate these emerging channels to drive measurable results. Let’s explore how audio could amplify your next paid media campaign in 2026 and beyond. For more media buying tips, campaigns, and agency news, join our free weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter.

A brand marketer's guide to one of the fastest-growing areas of digital media buying If you work in any area of digital marketing or advertising, you've certainly heard a lot of buzz around programmatic advertising (or programmatic marketing). But what does it really mean, and how's it any different from digital advertising? This quick but comprehensive guide to programmatic media buying will help you build stronger relationships with your media agency and make smarter paid media investments. What is programmatic advertising? What are programmatic advertising platforms? What are the benefits? What are the risks? Which media channels can be bought programmatically? Is Google Ads considered programmatic? What is the difference between digital advertising and programmatic? What is the role of first-party data in programmatic advertising? How is AI used in programmatic advertising? What is programmatic advertising? Programmatic advertising (or programmatic marketing) is a method of buying and selling digital media (ad inventory) in real time. Programmatic advertising is powered by AI and machine learning to power the auctions themselves, serve targeted ad experiences to consumers, and optimize towards KPIs for efficient marketing efforts. What are programmatic advertising platforms? The programmatic auction has two platform sides: demand-side platforms (DSPs) and supply-side platforms (SSPs). DSPs allow ad buyers, inclusive of media agencies (like Exverus), to bid on display, online video, connected TV (CTV), digital out-of-home media, audio, and rich media across multiple partners in milliseconds. Examples of DSPs include DV360, The Trade Desk, Yahoo, Nexxen, etc. Meanwhile, SSPs allow media owners and publishers to manage their advertising inventory efficiently. Examples of SSPs include Magnite, Google AdX / Ad Manager, PubMatic, and OpenX, among others. Thanks to Eskimi.com for this handy visual What are the benefits of programmatic advertising? Precision Targeting: Programmatic allows you to target specific audiences based on various criteria such as demographics, interests, and behavior. This precision targeting allows advertisers to reach the right people, at the right time, with the highest likelihood to complete the desired outcome (purchase, video view, download, subscription, etc.) Real-time Optimization: With programmatic, you can adjust your ad campaigns in real time based on a suite of performance data. This flexibility and ability to learn delivers better results, such as higher click-through rates or conversions. Efficiency and Cost-effectiveness: Programmatic advertising automates the ad buying process and provides transparency and efficiency. Additionally, the ability to target specific audiences and outcomes reduces wasted ad spend, making advertising campaigns more cost-effective. Access to Premium Inventory: Programmatic platforms often have access to a wide range of ad inventory (and always expanding), including premium placements on popular websites and apps. This access allows advertisers to reach target audiences across a variety of channels with added visibility, control, and opportunity to optimize towards the most successful tactics and placements. Data-driven Insights: Programmatic advertising provides detailed data and analytics on campaign performance. This information can help advertisers understand their consumers better and make informed decisions for future campaigns. Cross-device Targeting: Programmatic advertising reaches people across multiple devices, including desktops, mobile devices, and connected TVs. Brand Safety & Suitability Controls: Programmatic platforms offer tools to ensure ads are displayed in brand-safe environments pre- and post- bid. These parameters can help protect a brand’s reputation by avoiding ad placement on inappropriate sites or within unsuitable content. High quality media placements yield stronger results. A performance-minded guide to planning and measuring streaming TV ads on a midsized budget What are the risks associated with programmatic advertising? Complexity and Fragmentation: The programmatic advertising ecosystem is complex and fragmented, with multiple platforms and technologies involved. This can make it challenging for advertisers to navigate and optimize their campaigns effectively without a strategic investment and activation strategy in place. Ad Fraud: One of the biggest concerns with programmatic advertising is ad fraud, where bots or made-for-advertising (MFA) websites generate fake ad impressions. This can lead to wasted ad spend and reduced campaign effectiveness, but there are many ways to protect brands from this risk. Lack of Transparency: Without proper oversight and transparency, programmatic advertising may seem like an opaque ad buying process, but actually allows for increased transparency and control vs. traditional advertising buying practices. The best way to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of programmatic buying is to work with a seasoned media agency that specializes in media planning and data analysis across the ever-changing traditional and digital media landscape. It's okay to feel concerned about safety in programmatic - here's a guide to keep your brand protected throughout the supply chain. Which media channels can be bought programmatically? Programmatic platforms can be used to buy media across a variety of channels, such as: CTV: Connected TV devices, such as smart TVs and streaming devices, allowing advertisers to reach audiences watching streaming content. Over-the-top (OTT) video content is often included in this category. Display Advertising: This includes standard display banner ads, rich media ads, and native ads that are displayed on websites and apps. Video Advertising: This includes pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll video ads on YouTube and other video streaming services. Optimal video ads are between :06-:30s for digital advertising. Mobile Advertising: Includes all mobile devices, smartphones, and tablets, across apps and mobile websites. Social Media Advertising: Social media platforms offer similar buying platform options for ads, allowing advertisers to target specific audiences on platforms such as Meta (Facebook/Instagram), TikTok, Snapchat, and LinkedIn. There are also ways to connect social and programmatic activations for continuity in digital advertising campaigns. Audio Advertising: Audio ads that are played on streaming services, podcasts, and other audio platforms. Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH): Some DOOH providers offer programmatic buying options, allowing advertisers to purchase ads displayed on digital billboards, screens, and signage -- for example, Vistar and Place Exchange. Buying digital out-of-home media programmatically offers stronger ROI, more precise targeting, and easier measurement than ever before. Paid Search: While not traditionally considered part of programmatic advertising, some platforms offer programmatic buying options for search ads, allowing advertisers to bid on keywords in real time and can connect to other media types for optimization and continuity. Retail / e-Commerce: Includes on and offsite retail media networks, e-commerce digital shelves, and purchase data and trends that can be used for enhanced audience targeting and measurement for online and offline sales. Is Google Ads considered programmatic? Yes! Google’s Display & Video 360 (DV360) platform allows advertisers to programmatically target specific audiences, buy ad inventory across a wide range of channels, and optimize campaigns in real time. But here at Exverus, we're more of TTD (The Trade Desk) shop. As a TTD Preferred Partner, we're able to negotiate the best deals possible that brands couldn't get on their own. What is the difference between digital advertising and programmatic advertising? Digital advertising is a broad term that encompasses any form of advertising delivered through digital channels, such as websites, social media, mobile apps, and search engines. It includes both traditional direct buying and programmatic buying. Programmatic advertising is a specific method of buying and selling digital ads that uses automation and data to optimize targeting and campaign performance. CTV is now a performance channel. Learn how best to integrate shoppable ad units into a full-funnel media plan. What is the role of first-party data in programmatic advertising? Programmatic buying is all about precisely targeting the right audience segments with the right advertisements, so understanding your audience deeply is essential. First-party data is information collected directly from a brand’s customers. This is the most valuable data because it is unique, relevant, accurate, and in most cases only available to that brand. First-party data is sourced from website behaviors, purchase history, surveys, contact forms, etc. and can also be referred to as CRM data. Comparatively, third-party data is publicly available and comes from other external sources. First-party data enables strong audience builds to implement strategies and tactics within advertising campaigns (re-engagement/retargeting, suppression, modeling/lookalike etc.) (As a side note, zero-party data is information that a current or potential customer has willingly and actively offered, though this is sometimes used interchangeably with first-party data.) In addition to audience targeting, advertisers can also use first-party data for personalized messaging, retargeting, measurement & attribution, and revenue growth. How is AI used in programmatic advertising? Long before AI became a cultural phenomenon, it was the engine driving programmatic advertising platforms through advanced machine learning. AI-powered algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and trends in user behavior – that data is used to create highly targeted audience segments based on demographics, interests, and online behavior, as mentioned above. As AI technology evolves and advances, so too, will its media buying capabilities -- but it’s not there yet. Media platforms tout their AI-powered ad buying tools, but a proper team is still needed to stitch them together into an effective, omnichannel plan. This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.