Retail Media Strategy and Planning
Brands that sell through several retailers often end up buying retail media on many networks, and every one has its own platform, formats, data rules, creative specs and reporting. Without a plan that sits above them all, budgets drift toward whichever network shouts loudest. We build one plan across every network you buy: which networks to be on, how much each one gets, and what success looks like at each stage of the funnel.
Planning starts with an audit of your current accounts, spend, structure and results. From there we set goals by network and channel, such as ROAS, new-to-brand customers, share of voice and sales lift, and turn them into quarterly and annual media plans. You set the commercial goals; we handle the planning that turns them into a budget each network can actually deliver against.
A clear plan for where to spend, how much, and what success looks like across every network.
Why Retail Media Needs One Plan, Not Many
Retail media usually grows by accident. A brand starts on Amazon, adds Walmart, then tests Instacart and a retail DSP, and each channel ends up with its own owner and its own goals. Nobody sees the whole picture, so budget follows habit instead of evidence.
Planning is built for brand leads and agency heads who need to explain where money goes and why. It also suits teams entering retail media for the first time, who need a sensible order of play. Our primer on what retail media is is a useful starting point for stakeholders new to the area. We keep the first version simple and add detail as results arrive.
What a Retail Media Plan Contains
A plan sets out which retailers matter for your categories, what role each one plays, and how budget is split between search, onsite display and offsite. It names the goal for each part, such as sales, new-to-brand customers or share of voice, and states how each will be measured. Assumptions are written down, so you can see what must be true for the plan to work.
It also covers practical limits: retailer rules, product availability, creative needs, and the team that will run each task. We prepare the plan as a working document with quarterly checkpoints. Execution links to sponsored products and offsite retail media, so the plan is not just a slide deck. Changes are tracked with dates, so you can compare plan versions and understand why things changed.
Keeping the Plan Honest With Measurement
Plans fail when nobody checks them. We set a regular review rhythm, compare results with the targets in the plan, and record where the plan was wrong. Retailers report in different ways, so we standardize definitions before comparing them. Planning and reporting use the same terms, so no one has to translate between them.
When results shift, we move budget openly and explain the reason. You can see which retailers and formats earned more money, and which ones did not. This is the same approach we use for retail media network operations and for agency clients who need clear reporting to pass upward. Findings are summarized for leadership in a one-page note that links back to the detail.
What we need from you: recent spend by retailer, account access or exports, margin and stock notes, and the commercial goal for the year. At audit we commonly find budgets split by habit, goals that differ by network, and retailer reports that define a new customer differently. A worked example of unifying accounts is one plan across Amazon and Flipkart ads for a home appliance brand in India.
Next step: send spend by retailer for the last few quarters. We will return the audit scope and a draft shortlist of networks to keep, test or drop.
How an engagement runs
Audit and baseline
We review current accounts, spend, structure and results across retailers, and set a baseline that every later result is compared against.
Goals and network mix
We agree goals by funnel stage, select the retailers and formats that fit them, and draft a budget split for your review.
Plan and sign-off
You receive a written quarterly plan with roles, budgets, targets and measurement rules. We revise it with your team until it is approved.
Review and adjust
We compare results with the plan each month, explain differences, and rebuild the next quarter's plan from what the data shows.
Frequently asked questions
How do you decide which retail media networks we should be on?
We start from where your shoppers buy and what each network can actually deliver for your goals. The audit looks at your current spend and results, then we recommend a network mix and a budget split you can review before anything changes.
What goals do you set for a retail media plan?
Goals depend on the funnel stage: ROAS and ACoS for search, new-to-brand customers and reach for upper-funnel activity, and share of voice and incremental sales lift across the program.
How often is the plan reviewed?
We report weekly, hold monthly business reviews and build next quarter's plan from what the data shows, so budgets move to what drives incremental sales.
Is the retail media audit really free?
Yes. We review your accounts, spend, structure and results free of charge and show you where spend is wasted and where growth is waiting.
Can you plan for a brand that has not started retail media yet?
Yes. We assess your retailers, product margins and content readiness, then recommend a small first phase with clear goals. This avoids spreading budget thinly across networks before you know what works. The phase ends with a review that decides whether to expand, hold or change course.
Do you work with our agency, or replace it?
Either. We can supply the planning to your existing agency, support an in-house team, or act as the agency's white-label planning partner. You decide who owns client communication.
What do we need to share to get started?
Account access or exported reports, current budgets, margin and stock information, and your commercial goals. If some data is missing, we note the gaps and plan around them. We start with whatever you have, and an early audit usually surfaces the rest.