I Need Your Help! Which Retail Media Trends Can’t You Ignore in 2026?

Today, I’m doing something a little different. After attending Possible Miami and The Drum's Global Commerce Media Leaders Forum, my brain is overflowing, in the best way possible. I’ve got pages of notes, dozens of conversations swirling around, and one big question: which buzz-y trends actually matter most to you?So instead of pretending I’ve got all the answers, I’m opening this up. In this episode, I walk you through seven of the most pressing, debated, and under-the-radar topics in retail media right now — from agency misalignment to AI agents — and I want your take. Which of these deserve a deeper dive? Which ones are hype vs. a real opportunity? Let’s figure it out together.This episode is sponsored by Mirakl AdsTimeline[00:00] – Why my brain is overflowing after Possible Miami and why I’m asking for your input[01:20] – Why brands don’t want retail media as a line item anymore[02:28] – Objective-based buying: breakthrough solution or black box?[03:11] – The hidden impact of ad sales team compensation on retail media performance[04:00] – Untapped potential in email, SMS, and CRM as retail media channels[05:45] – Experiential retail media and the return of in-store human connection[06:52] – Data clean rooms and AI agents: real use cases vs. vendor hypeLinks & ResourcesRecap of the panel I hosted at The Drum's inaugural Global Commerce Leaders Forum: Bring the "Retail" back to Retail MediaRead my related articles:Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMNAgentic Commerce Is a Sequencing Problem, Not an Existential OneSam's Club Cracked the Code on In-Store Retail Media—Here's How They Did ItOn Thursday May 7 I am hosting a LinkedIn Live event: How Kroger Precision Marketing Is Plugging Into National Brand Budgets ! Join me, Christine Foster (head of Kroger Precision Marketing) and Jon Flugstad (Metarouter) to hash out the details of Kroger's partnership with DV360 and how this development is a sign of maturity in the retail media ecosystem. Bring your questions, we'll be doing this LIVE [sign up link]I'm keynoting at Xnurta's Signal to Scale summit on May 19 in Chicago. This is the room to be in if you work in retail media, care about what AI actually changes, and want to leave with something you can put to work. A full day focused on agentic AI, modern measurement, and the strategies the best teams are already building toward. Reserve your spot here.I am sharing comedy skits on Instagram about retail media! Follow along: @retailmediabreakfastclubSubscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletterFollow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn