In this episode of Unlocking Retail Media, Kevel CEO James Avery sits down with Mark Mannino, CEO of VidMob and former leader at Amazon Ads and Flywheel, to uncover what brands actually need from retailers building media networks.
Retail media networks are proliferating, but many struggle to attract and retain advertiser spend beyond an initial surge.
In this episode of Unlocking Retail Media, Kevel CEO James Avery, sat down with Mark Mannino, who spent nine years in leadership at Amazon Ads, followed by three years at Flywheel — one of the world’s largest retail media buyers — building up his unique, expert perspective from both sides of the table. Mannino’s advice for retailers centers around a simple principle: understand what brands are trying to accomplish, then build systems that help them do it. Here are the five biggest takeaways from their conversation.
For retailers, first-party data is the foundation of any retail media network — but as Mannino stressed, it’s not enough to just have data. You need to know how to use it and make it accessible.
According to Mannino, there are two ways to think about data.
First: What data will you use for targeting?
Brands want to know that your audience data is both unique and scalable. As Mannino put it, retailers need to consider what data they have as a retailer, what’s truly unique and valuable about it, and whether it has enough scale to matter for marketers. This is your activation data — the shopper and purchase signals that power precise, performance-driven media buys.
Second: How will you report on performance?
The other side of the coin is analytics. Retailers must show not just who they can reach, but what happened as a result. The difference between a good and great retail media network, Mannino explained, often lies in how open and actionable the analytics layer is.
"Smart marketers now expect to be able to go in and do lots of different analysis on understanding things like incrementality, new to brand — topics that make them think they should invest more money in a specific retail media network," Mannino explained.
In other words: data is both the product and the proof. Retailers that let brands truly explore and learn from their data — rather than just download a static report — build more trust, prove more impact, and ultimately attract more spend.
At the end of the day, retail media success comes down to one thing: “Both the retailer and the marketer are trying to sell more stuff. That’s it.” Mannino said. “So what are all the metrics that you can use to prove you’re selling more stuff?”
Traditional return on ad spend (ROAS) falls short because it can be manipulated or misinterpreted. A strong ROAS doesn’t always mean a campaign worked — it could simply reflect purchases that would have happened anyway. As Mannino warned, “There are ways to make ROAS look really good when really nothing happened.”
To understand true impact, brands are shifting toward deeper, more meaningful performance metrics, including:
As Mannino pointed out, omnichannel measurement is vital — especially for brick-and-mortar retailers like Walmart, where “Eighty to ninety percent of sales happen offline.” If marketers judge success only by online transactions, they’re missing most of the picture.
Retailers also need to help brands interpret results through the lens of category behavior. Some products — like deodorant — require short attribution windows, while larger purchases — like TVs — may need weeks or months for full measurement. As Mannino explained, “If marketers constrain themselves to really short periods, they may underinvest because they don’t realize the impact they’re having.”
Ultimately, retailers should guide advertisers toward the metrics that prove real product movement across all channels. Or as Mannino cautioned, “Don’t get caught up on metrics that have nothing to do with selling more stuff.”
Retail media strategy must reflect how shoppers actually use your site — not how you wish they used it. Different retailers attract different types of consumers, and those behaviors should directly shape your targeting, placements, and overall media experience.
Mannino outlined three broad shopper types for retailers to be aware of:
For retailers, the lesson is clear: understand your site’s natural usage patterns before investing heavily in new targeting features or ad formats. Tailor your retail media network to the behaviors your customers actually exhibit — not a one-size-fits-all model or theoretical idea.
Defensive spending isn’t wasteful — it’s foundational to how brands protect their position both on shelves and in search results. Mannino reminded listeners that this mindset long predates retail media: “The reason Cheerios has seventeen different kinds of Cheerios and Nabisco has seventeen kinds of Chips Ahoy is not necessarily because people want seventeen different types. It's largely to protect shelf space and to make sure that another cookie brand can't get in there. Defense is not new to the retailer world, and it's not new to the brand world."
The same dynamic plays out digitally. If someone searches for “Coke,” Coca-Cola can’t afford to let Pepsi own that ad slot. Competitive bidding is simply the online version of guarding shelf space — and for major brands, it’s non-negotiable.
Defense becomes even more critical during moments of heightened demand. If a brand runs a Super Bowl ad and millions of viewers go searching for the product afterward, they need confidence that their listing — not a competitor’s — appears first. As Mannino put it, "You better make sure that when they go do that, the top listing on whatever major sites they're on are not for your competitor. Because all you did was tell people that soda exists and now they just went and bought your competitor."
Retailers play an important role here. They should guide brands on how to defend key terms and categories effectively — without making it feel like a pay-to-play shakedown. Transparent auctions, clear reporting, and honest insights about competitive dynamics help brands understand when defensive spend is preserving market share and when they can dial it back.
When asked about programmatic advertising’s future in retail media, Mannino saw both opportunity and risk. It can be a powerful growth lever for retail media, especially for mid-size or regional retailers that don’t have massive direct demand. As Mannino explained, "...It can allow you to both expand your reach to your current consumers,” while also enabling retailers to activate their first-party data across more channels, unlocking new budget sources.
But with this opportunity comes a clear warning. Traditional publishers flooded the open exchanges and lost pricing power as a result. "Publishers have learned this lesson,” Mannino said. “Really working hard on private marketplace deals, which allows a marketer to buy programmatically from a specific publisher or group of publishers at a set price — that really values that specific publisher."
Retailers should pursue programmatic demand through controlled channels — private marketplaces, curated deals, and trusted SSP relationships. Avoid dumping inventory into open exchanges, where premium audiences quickly become commoditized. The goal is to scale access to demand while protecting the inherent value of retailer data and intent-rich environments.
Retailers occupy a uniquely trusted position and no matter how promising the revenue, or how sophisticated the ad products, they must always safeguard their relationship with customers.
Reckless data sharing can jeopardize that trust. As Mannino warned, "If you find out that people are just using your data to do whatever and letting anyone do it, really think about what the impact would be." Retailers must scrutinize every data partnership, understand exactly how audience data will be used, and ensure nothing compromises consumer privacy — or the brand’s reputation.
He contrasted retailers with traditional publishers, noting, "We're the only major publisher out there where our consumers, our visitors, our users pay us. You really need to hold that relationship precious."
In retail media, trust is an asset — and once lost, it’s nearly impossible to regain.
The most successful retail media networks win because they solve real problems for brands. Mannino’s experience buying across dozens of retailers reinforces what separates leaders from the rest: differentiated data, transparent and flexible reporting, omnichannel measurement, and a deep respect for both the shopper experience and advertiser ROI.
His advice to retailers is straightforward: "You need to think like a publisher. Really know what your consumers do, what type of users am I dealing with, and how do I think about it?"
In the end, building a retail media network isn’t about checking boxes — it’s about delivering clarity, performance, and confidence to the advertisers who invest with you.
For more insights like these, tune in to the full episode of Unlocking Retail Media, the podcast where Kevel CEO James Avery sits down with industry leaders and innovators shaping the future of retail advertising.
Listen to this episode with Mark Mannino here.
