We need to talk.
You were great back in the day—back when upper-funnel awareness ruled, cookies were still a thing, and we measured success by impressions and a hope that someone maybe bought something in-store two weeks later.
But it’s not 2019 anymore.
It’s 2025, and in the world of retail media, that means one thing: closed-loop data is king.
So why are you still spending my budget like it’s pre-pandemic programmatic?
🤨 What You’re Still Doing:
- Spraying ads across generic publisher networks with little retailer alignment
- Reporting on CTR like it’s the gold standard
- Targeting “Grocery Intenders” instead of actual category buyers
- Serving media to everyone… but measuring sales with nothing
- Running national campaigns and hoping they show up in my retailer’s share report
💡 What We Should Be Doing:
- Targeting real shoppers using first-party retailer data
- Aligning media tactics to the purchase funnel
- Measuring New-to-Brand, incremental sales, and retailer-specific ROAS
- Optimizing in real time based on SKU-level performance
- Working with retailers, not around them
This Isn’t Just a Channel Shift—It’s a Paradigm Shift
Retail media isn’t “just digital ads with a retailer logo.” It’s:
✅ The power to reach actual in-market shoppers
✅ The ability to prove that a campaign led to a cart and a checkout
✅ The insight to know which products are winning, which are stagnating, and what to do next
And let’s be honest: no amount of national buzz matters if we can’t move cases off the shelf at my top three retailers.
So, Dear Agency—Here’s What I Need From You:
- Stop recycling your legacy playbook.
If it’s not built around closed-loop sales, it’s outdated. - Learn the retailer ecosystem.
Understand what matters to them, not just what wins an AdAge award. - Be my growth partner, not just my media buyer.
Help me prove impact. Push for incrementality. Ask the hard questions. - Respect the budget like it’s yours.
Because trust me—it’s being scrutinized by every layer of leadership right now.
The Bottom Line:
I’m not anti-agency. I’m anti-vanity metrics.
If we work together to evolve, we can build smarter campaigns, move more units, and actually win.
But if you’re still planning like it’s 2019…
I’ll start looking for a partner who’s living in 2025.
With love (and a shrinking budget),
Your CPG Client
Dear Agency: Please Stop Spending My Budget Like It’s 2019
We need to talk.
You were great back in the day—back when upper-funnel awareness ruled, cookies were still a thing, and we measured success by impressions and a hope that someone maybe bought something in-store two weeks later.
But it’s not 2019 anymore.
It’s 2025, and in the world of retail media, that means one thing: closed-loop data is king.
So why are you still spending my budget like it’s pre-pandemic programmatic?
🤨 What You’re Still Doing:
- Spraying ads across generic publisher networks with little retailer alignment
- Reporting on CTR like it’s the gold standard
- Targeting “Grocery Intenders” instead of actual category buyers
- Serving media to everyone… but measuring sales with nothing
- Running national campaigns and hoping they show up in my retailer’s share report
💡 What We Should Be Doing:
- Targeting real shoppers using first-party retailer data
- Aligning media tactics to the purchase funnel
- Measuring New-to-Brand, incremental sales, and retailer-specific ROAS
- Optimizing in real time based on SKU-level performance
- Working with retailers, not around them
This Isn’t Just a Channel Shift—It’s a Paradigm Shift
Retail media isn’t “just digital ads with a retailer logo.” It’s:
✅ The power to reach actual in-market shoppers
✅ The ability to prove that a campaign led to a cart and a checkout
✅ The insight to know which products are winning, which are stagnating, and what to do next
And let’s be honest: no amount of national buzz matters if we can’t move cases off the shelf at my top three retailers.
So, Dear Agency—Here’s What I Need From You:
- Stop recycling your legacy playbook.
If it’s not built around closed-loop sales, it’s outdated. - Learn the retailer ecosystem.
Understand what matters to them, not just what wins an AdAge award. - Be my growth partner, not just my media buyer.
Help me prove impact. Push for incrementality. Ask the hard questions. - Respect the budget like it’s yours.
Because trust me—it’s being scrutinized by every layer of leadership right now.
The Bottom Line:
I’m not anti-agency. I’m anti-vanity metrics.
If we work together to evolve, we can build smarter campaigns, move more units, and actually win.
But if you’re still planning like it’s 2019…
I’ll start looking for a partner who’s living in 2025.
With love (and a shrinking budget),
Your CPG Client
Dear Agency: Please Stop Spending My Budget Like It’s 2019
We need to talk.
You were great back in the day—back when upper-funnel awareness ruled, cookies were still a thing, and we measured success by impressions and a hope that someone maybe bought something in-store two weeks later.
But it’s not 2019 anymore.
It’s 2025, and in the world of retail media, that means one thing: closed-loop data is king.
So why are you still spending my budget like it’s pre-pandemic programmatic?
🤨 What You’re Still Doing:
- Spraying ads across generic publisher networks with little retailer alignment
- Reporting on CTR like it’s the gold standard
- Targeting “Grocery Intenders” instead of actual category buyers
- Serving media to everyone… but measuring sales with nothing
- Running national campaigns and hoping they show up in my retailer’s share report
💡 What We Should Be Doing:
- Targeting real shoppers using first-party retailer data
- Aligning media tactics to the purchase funnel
- Measuring New-to-Brand, incremental sales, and retailer-specific ROAS
- Optimizing in real time based on SKU-level performance
- Working with retailers, not around them
This Isn’t Just a Channel Shift—It’s a Paradigm Shift
Retail media isn’t “just digital ads with a retailer logo.” It’s:
✅ The power to reach actual in-market shoppers
✅ The ability to prove that a campaign led to a cart and a checkout
✅ The insight to know which products are winning, which are stagnating, and what to do next
And let’s be honest: no amount of national buzz matters if we can’t move cases off the shelf at my top three retailers.
So, Dear Agency—Here’s What I Need From You:
- Stop recycling your legacy playbook.
If it’s not built around closed-loop sales, it’s outdated. - Learn the retailer ecosystem.
Understand what matters to them, not just what wins an AdAge award. - Be my growth partner, not just my media buyer.
Help me prove impact. Push for incrementality. Ask the hard questions. - Respect the budget like it’s yours.
Because trust me—it’s being scrutinized by every layer of leadership right now.
The Bottom Line:
I’m not anti-agency. I’m anti-vanity metrics.
If we work together to evolve, we can build smarter campaigns, move more units, and actually win.
But if you’re still planning like it’s 2019…
I’ll start looking for a partner who’s living in 2025.
With love (and a shrinking budget),
Your CPG Client