Brand Media vs Commerce Media: How Gildan Is Redefining Retail Media Strategy for Faster, Cheaper Growth

In this episode, I dive into a fascinating recent conversation featuring Gildan’s Jason O’Toole on The CPG Guys podcast and unpack a powerful idea that stopped me in my tracks: brand media lowers the tax you pay on growth. If you’ve ever struggled to justify upper-funnel spend or connect brand investment to real performance outcomes, this one’s for you.I break down three key takeaways from the discussion, including how Gildan is structuring its teams to align brand and commerce, why traditional metrics like impressions are losing relevance, and what a high-impact Amazon campaign can teach us about speed, scale, and full-funnel execution. There’s a lot here that challenges conventional retail media thinking so let’s get into it!This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:00] – Why apparel is one of the most competitive and margin-pressured categories in retail[01:12] – The idea that “brand media lowers the tax you pay on growth” and why it matters[02:40] – How budget ownership shapes the role retail media plays inside organizations[03:31] – Why impressions are a flawed metric and what to focus on instead[05:13] – The two metrics that actually matter: branded search and incrementality[06:30] – Inside Gildan’s Amazon homepage campaign and what made it so effectiveLinks & ResourcesListen to the full CPG Guys episode: Winning in Social Commerce with Gildan's Jason O'Toole & Katie TripodiSubscribe to The CPG Guys: Apple Podcasts and YouTubeFollow Jason O'Toole, Head of Connected Commerce & Media @ Glidan, on LinkedInFollow Katie Sierveld Tripodi, Director, Ecommerce Activation and Strategy @ Hanesbrands Inc., on LinkedInRead my related articles:iROAS results can be easily gamed. But we shouldn't just throw it away'Not 100% altruistic': ad measurement veteran on what retail media is really optimizing forEcommerce Signals Are Shrinking. Why Retailers Must Earn New OnesI'm hosting a LIVE event with In-Store Marketplace and Catalyst Media Consulting on April 22 about In-Store Retail Media: are we measuring the wrong things? We'll discuss New Research on the state of in-store retail media measurement — and why the path forward may actually be simpler than the industry is making it. REGISTER HEREFollow my new Instagram account for comedy skits about the retail media industry @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn