Reinventing Retail Media: Where Legacy Ad Platforms Fall Short and What's Next

In today’s dynamic digital economy, retail media networks have emerged as a powerful revenue driver. But as the industry grows, legacy ad platforms are struggling to keep pace. They often lack the flexibility, scalability, and innovation necessary to deliver the tailored, high-performance advertising experiences modern digital ecosystems demand. 

At Kevel, we’re tackling these challenges with cutting-edge technology designed to empower retailers, marketplaces, and beyond.

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The Limitations of Legacy Ad Platforms in Retail Media

While legacy ad platforms were once considered revolutionary, they now face several critical shortcomings that prevent businesses from maximizing their retail media potential:

1. Inflexible Customization
   Traditional platforms often operate on rigid frameworks, making it difficult for businesses to customize ad units and formats to match their unique branding and customer journeys. In an industry where differentiation drives performance, this rigidity can stifle creativity and reduce ROI.
2. Limited First-Party Data Activation
   With growing privacy regulations and the tumultuous journey of third-party cookies, first-party data has never been more important. Yet many legacy platforms were not built with this shift in mind. As a result, businesses are stuck with opaque algorithms or dependencies on dwindling technologies. 
3. Lack of User-Friendly Tools
   Managing campaigns, optimizing ad performance, and scaling retail media networks can quickly become overly complex when relying on outdated systems. Without intuitive tools and streamlined workflows, businesses not only face challenges in scaling their retail media programs, but also struggle to simplify operations and improve overall efficiency.
4. Inability to Scale Across Channels
   Modern retail media network success hinges on the ability to reach consumers at every touchpoint — web, mobile, apps, and even physical stores. Unfortunately, many old-school ad platforms were not built with omnichannel capabilities in mind, limiting businesses ability to fully monetize the customer journey.
5. Slow Innovation Cycles
   In the age of AI and machine learning, a lack of advanced features — like predictive analytics, AI-powered segmentation, and real-time optimization — is a major disadvantage. Businesses need more than incremental updates; they need platforms that enable rapid innovation.

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A New Era of Retail Media: Kevel’s Retail Media Cloud®

At Kevel, we’ve built a modern, next-generation retail media platform that addresses these legacy shortcomings head-on. Our Retail Media Cloud® gives businesses the tools to build flexible, scalable, and high-performing ad solutions.

Flexible Customization with Kevel Ad Server

Kevel’s API-first ad server gives you complete creative control over ad formats — from sponsored listings and product recommendations to custom native placements — all tailored to your unique business model. Ads integrate seamlessly into your user experience, becoming a part of it rather than a disruption.

Unlocking First-Party Data with Kevel Audience

Built with privacy and compliance at its core, Kevel Audience enables you to activate your first-party data through AI-powered segmentation and targeting. The result: more relevant, personalized ads, improved performance, and eliminating dependence on third-party cookies.

AI-Enhanced Campaign Management with Kevel Console

Managing retail media campaigns has never been easier. The intuitive Kevel Console simplifies campaign execution, performance tracking, and automation. Whether you’re offering self-serve tools to advertisers or managing campaigns in-house, you can easily oversee even the most complex strategies — all from a user-friendly interface built for sophisticated retail media needs.

Seamless Omnichannel Monetization

With Kevel, your retail media network can reach customers at every touchpoint — online, on mobile, in-app, and in-store. Engage your audience wherever they are and unlock the full value of each interaction with powerful, data-driven insights.

AI-Powered Innovation at Scale

From real-time predictive optimization to AI-enhanced targeting, Kevel is built to innovate fast. You can even bring your own models (BYOM) to the platform, fine-tuning ad delivery based on your unique business goals.

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Real-World Customer Success: Kevel in Action

Kevel is already powering next-gen retail media solutions across industries: 

• iFood scaled their ad revenue 20x in a single year, transforming retail media into a core contributor to EBITDA.
• Edmunds built a competitive sponsored listings ad platform and saw a 1900% increase in performance, outperforming industry benchmarks.
• Retailers like El Corte Inglés and Dollar General use Kevel to deploy custom ad formats and activate first-party data for measurable business impact.

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Retail Media: The Path Forward

Legacy ad platforms served their purpose, but they’re no longer equipped to meet the demands of modern retail media. Today’s businesses need solutions that are adaptable, privacy-focused, and built for speed and innovation — harnessing the full potential of evolving AI capabilities.

Kevel provides the infrastructure to build agile, future-ready ad platforms that emphasize creativity, scalability, and meaningful outcomes. Whether you're a retailer, marketplace, financial service provider, or travel brand, Kevel is your trusted partner for delivering powerful, personalized ad experiences that drive growth.

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‍Ready to build the next generation of retail media? Let’s do it together.