By: Sarah McWilliams Guerra
Pitching, pivoting, and the joy of an unmuted mic
Let me start with this: Retail Media is the Wild West. Except instead of cowboy hats, we wear Blazers-Over-Graphic-Tees™, and instead of horses, we ride the chaotic highs and lows of QBR season, budget approvals, and that magical thing we call “incrementality.”
If you’ve ever sold retail media—or sat through a pitch—you know the drill. We’re part analyst, part therapist, part magician. And today, I’m pulling back the curtain just a bit to share some truths from the trenches. Lighthearted, yes. But also very real.
1. The Unmuted Mic Strikes Again
You haven’t lived until you’re 7 minutes into presenting a beautiful, data-packed deck… only to hear someone crunching potato chips, or taking a shower (with their camera off – and yes this really happened) on the other end.
Or worse:
“Hey, is this the meeting about the coupons?”
Nope. But welcome, Brenda.
Pro tip: Always assume you’re not muted. Always.
2. “Can You Just Pull That Real Quick?”
Ah yes, the sacred phrase of our people. It usually comes mid-meeting, post-slide 4, when a brand asks if you can break out a five-year trend on household penetration for the Northeast right now.
Sure, let me just boot up Tableau, summon the data gods, and do that live in Excel while maintaining eye contact. (JK, I’ve already pulled it—this isn’t my first rodeo.)
3. We Know It’s Confusing
Retail media is confusing. The acronyms alone deserve a decoder ring: ROAS, iROAS, CPM, CTR, CPG, DSP… are we selling ads or trying to beat escape room puzzles?
We get that brands are overwhelmed. And honestly? So are we sometimes. But the beauty of this space is that we’re building the plane and flying it—together. Which brings me to…
4. The Pitch That’s Actually a Partnership
Here’s the secret: The best pitches aren’t just about selling impressions—they’re about solving problems. Getting on the shelf. Driving trial. Launching new products. Proving that yes, this campaign did move the needle.
We don’t want to be a line item you regret. We want to be the line item that gets you promoted.
5. Every Brand Has a “Thing”
Some are obsessed with innovation. Some just want to win the digital shelf. Some need to find the budget their boss “might” have mentioned. Some just want us to stop asking for money until next fiscal.
We get it. And we adjust. (Hence the pivoting.)
6. Our Favorite Word? Incremental.
Incremental sales. Incremental reach. Incremental tacos. (Okay, maybe not that one.)
But really—retail media only works when it adds value. The best part of this job? When we can prove something worked. Closed-loop reporting for the win.
7. We Actually Care
Behind every pitch deck, campaign recap, or multi-tab budget doc, there’s a human who wants to help your brand win. We root for your wins. We groan when you get cut in the last round of funding. We genuinely celebrate when your test campaign overperforms.
Because it means something’s working—and we got to be part of it.
Final Thought: Retail Media Isn’t Always Polished, but It’s Always Evolving.
We’re not perfect. We’ll talk too fast. We’ll forget to share screen (once). We’ll say “incrementality” too many times. But we’ll also show up with ideas, data, and a stubborn belief that this space is just getting started.
So the next time your retail media partner shows up with a recap deck and a hopeful grin, know this: behind that grid of smiling faces is a team that’s pitching, pivoting, and (probably) running on iced coffee—but they’re doing it for the love of the game.