‘Isn’t this more of a quid pro quo?’: Confessions of an agency CEO on kickbacks in retail media landscape

Retail media networks are seemingly big business. 

The ad industry’s latest shiny object is expected to account for almost a quarter of all U.S. media ad spend in 2028, according to eMarketer. At this point, there are more than 200 retail media networks and counting as retailers look to cash in on their customer data, drumming up alternative revenue streams. 

But for all its growth, standardization and transparency remain a pain point yet to be resolved. According to one agency CEO, the lack of transparency has led to suspicions of quid pro quo relationships between media buyers and retailers, in which retailers promise in-store shelf space in exchange for brands buying into their RMN. 

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