Turning POS Data into Retail Media Power w/ Steve Dietch (Bridg / Rippl) and George Goodwin

Independent and regional grocers don’t just need impressions—they need measurable lift. In this episode of GroceryPulse, host George Goodwin (4th-gen grocer & founder of Innovar Marketing) sits down with Steve Dietch, Chief Revenue Officer at Bridg and retail-media network Rippl, to unpack how identity resolution and POS-level purchase data are changing the game for regional chains and C-stores.Bridg / Rippl helps retailers identify unknown shoppers (beyond loyalty programs), unify first-party data, and then activate audiences across the open web, video, and CTV—with closed-loop measurement back to the register. For CPGs, that means scalable, hard-to-reach audiences at regional grocers and convenience—plus transparent IROAS (incremental return on ad spend).How identity beyond loyalty unlocks true scale for regional grocersWhy POS item-level data is the “crown jewel” for targeting & measurementHow Rippl aggregates retailers into a national-scale network for CPG spendPractical ways CPGs use these audiences for off-site media (Google, Yahoo, TTD, CTV)What metrics matter most (closed-loop transparency & incremental ROAS)When every campaign targets real purchasers—and reports back to POS—you move from “awareness” to accountable revenue.00:00 — Intro to GroceryPulse + guest setup03:03 — Steve’s journey: UCR track → global tech → startups → CRO at Bridg05:56 — Retail media’s rise & why it matters to grocers/CPGs08:51 — Identity beyond loyalty: closing the “unknown shopper” gap12:01 — Using purchase data for competitive advantage14:51 — Building a retail-media network for regional grocers & C-stores (Ripple)17:47 — Connecting transactions to anonymized, enriched shopper profiles20:49 — What this unlocks for CPG targeting, activation & measurement24:29 — Defining customer personas with real purchase behavior26:03 — Retailer & CPG pain points—and how identity solves them29:27 — POS data as the crown jewel: targeting + closed-loop proof32:08 — Bridging the retail marketing gap beyond loyalty programs34:06 — Getting precise with ICPs (who, where, how to reach)38:54 — Common hesitations & easy on-ramps for retailers/CPGs41:22 — Success metrics: sales lift, ROAS, incremental ROAS44:02 — What’s next: growth, scale, and transparency in 2025Bridg / Rippl: Audience building, activation, and POS-based measurementRequest a demo (Rippl ): https://www.ripplnetwork.com/Learn more (Bridge): https://www.bridg.com/Will be published on all major boradcasting sites:YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more!Steve Dietch — LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevendietch/[email protected] Goodwin — LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/number-one-marketer/[email protected]@innovaragency.comInnovar Marketing Agency — www.innovaragency.com/blog