Ep. 3 - Measuring What Matters in Retail Media

Ever wish retail media dashboards told the real story? We pull back the curtain on how to measure what actually matters, not just what’s easy to count. Brandon welcomes Cassie Murray to unpack the messy truth about ROAS, why incrementality is a worthy but difficult North Star, and how inventory, placement, and profitability can quietly decide your campaign’s fate long before a single impression is served.We get practical about omnichannel reality: when a shelf holds four facings and the truck comes once a week, “always-on” search might be the wrong answer. Cassie shares how to set objectives first, defend base, recruit new-to-brand, or drive profitable volume, then choose metrics that ladder up without chasing vanity numbers. We also explore modeling, cross-retailer context, and the pressure cooker of reporting, where a dip in CTR sparks panic, even when the plan is working.From there, we head into marketplaces, the proving ground for challenger brands and a minefield when compliance slips. Learn why Walmart’s tighter standards help shoppers and brand equity, how small brands can use marketplace momentum to earn shelf space, and how big brands can extend assortments without losing control. We also break down Walmart’s road tour as smart retailtainment that builds community, and we test the potential of Amazon Lens as visual search moves from novelty to utility.Finally, we talk about Target. The curated magic that once fueled three-hour trips has dulled as discretionary budgets shrink and Walmart’s style game improves. What would it take for Target to be unapologetically itself again, with cleaner stores, tighter curation, reliable availability, and trend-right private label that earns the trip? If you care about measurement, marketplaces, and the evolving store experience, this one brings clarity you can act on today.If this sparked new ideas or challenged your playbook, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review. What metric do you trust most right now?