零售媒体网络是下一个大型广告渠道

刘海明

【案例】

零售媒体网络是下一个大型广告渠道

零售媒体现在是增长最快的广告支持数字平台。

增长最快的广告支持数字媒体渠道是零售媒体网络（RMN）。这是一个零售拥有的数字平台，向营销人员出售广告空间。通过RMN，广告商可以访问零售商的第一方数据，例如在销售点进行的购买，从而通过个性化消息传递增强营销人员的目标定位能力。另一个优点是，当消费者处于购物模式而不是使用其他数字平台和品牌安全环境时，广告商可以发送相关信息。此外，从零售商处访问第一方数据是cookie的合适且符合隐私的替代品。

GroupM估计，去年全球零售商的广告收入为880亿美元，今年将达到1010亿美元。这占全球所有数字广告的18%，占所有广告的11%。GroupM预计到2027年，零售媒体广告将增长约60%，超过所有数字广告的预期增长。

Forrester预计RMN在美国市场的广告收入将强劲增长，广告收入将在未来四年翻一番。麦肯锡还预测将出现强劲增长，预计到2026年，广告支出将从约450亿美元增长到1000亿美元以上。据《福布斯》报道，今年74%的品牌有单独的零售媒体预算，比2021增加了三倍。麦肯锡预计，RMN广告支出的80%将来自增量广告预算的增加。eMarketer预测RMN将是继搜索和社交之后的第三大数字广告浪潮。

BIA咨询服务部总经理Rick Dusey表示：，“零售媒体网络已成为品牌营销组合中的一种宝贵资源。随着零售商成为自己的媒体，在其数字平台（网站、移动应用程序、社交媒体等）上销售可用的广告库存，对于零售商及其品牌来说，是一件轻而易举的事，也是一种双赢，在销售点吸引消费者参与购买过程。”

Dusey补充道，“这个库存可以通过编程访问。但如果……当地媒体出版商也代表这个广告库存呢。一些大型媒体公司在街上有成百上千的本地卖家，他们可以以比编程平台更高的价格出售这些优质库存。”

Magna Global在其最新的广告支出预测中表示，随着电子商务收入持续增长，大型零售商一直在通过关键词搜索或在应用程序和网站上展示广告来发展广告销售。麦格纳指出，零售媒体主要是由消费者品牌推动的，这些品牌正在将他们的“底线”、店内交易营销预算重新分配给数字零售网络。此外，零售媒体网络往往不受基于隐私的数据使用和目标限制的影响，因为他们正在访问自己的第一方数据。

Forrester绩效营销高级分析师Nikhil Lai表示，“广告商对RMN的使用涵盖了从认知到购买点的整个购买渠道。从本质上讲，零售媒体对提供可验证的收入影响负责。此外，零售媒体活动的结果可以告知品牌的定价、产品、包装和分销策略。”

由于零售媒体网络能够将印象与直接购买联系起来，麦肯锡的一份报告发现，与其他媒体相比，70%的营销人员从零售媒体网络上的广告中获得了更高的回报。因此，在零售媒体网络上做广告的每千CPMs的估计成本在20美元到50美元之间，这使得它在定价上与联网电视相当。

尽管RMN已经存在了几年，但在疫情期间，当居家消费者严重依赖电子商务时，它的使用速度加快了。去年，最大的RMN AmazonAMZN-0.9%广告的广告收入总计310亿美元，同比增长48%。预计今年将再次实现两位数的增长，2022年亚马逊将达到400亿美元。

亚马逊所取得的收入成功促使其他零售商提升了其零售网络能力，包括建设基础设施和招聘人才。WalmartWMT-0.7%、TargetTGT-2.1%和KrogerKR-0.8%一直在积极收集购物者数据并提高其广告能力。

然而，还有许多其他著名的零售商最近推出了一个RMN，预期更多。例如，CVS成立了CVS媒体交易所，竞争对手WalgreensWBA-0.7%成立了Walgreen广告集团。此外，Dollar General DG-7.5%，Ulta Beauty，Petco，eBay。Lowe's、The Home Depot、Marriott、Dick's Sporting Goods、Macy's、Best BuyBBY+0.5%、Michael's、Nordstrom、Kroger和Albertson（已宣布计划合并）。

根据Forrester 2022年第四季度的“CMO Pulse调查”，45%的广告商表示，他们与零售媒体的最大挑战是“管理的RMN太多”，40%的广告商表示他们最大的挑战是难以比较RMN的性能。

Forrester的Nikhil Lai表示，“广告商应该优先考虑几个网络，而不是在几十个RMN上分散太多的预算。为了解决这一挑战，广告商应该与解决方案提供商合作，如Skai、Pacvue、MikMak和CommerceIQ，他们在RMN上提供可见性。”Forrester报告称，拥有RMN的零售商中有四分之一的年广告收入超过1亿美元。

eMarketer预计，2022年亚马逊将在零售数字媒体广告支出中占有76.9%的份额。相比之下，沃尔玛排名第二，为6.1%，其次是Instacart，为1.9%。亚马逊与竞争对手零售商之间的差距一直在缓慢缩小。例如，2021，沃尔玛的RMN Walmart Connect创造了21亿美元的广告收入，比2021增长了136%。Target的RMN品牌更名为Roundel，去年的广告支出达到10亿美元。今年，Instacart有望首次突破10亿美元。

Forrester报告称，RMN的平均利润率在50-70%之间，甚至更高，现场广告为70%-80%，明显高于其他广告支持的媒体。Forrester的Nikhail Lai指出，“广告的高利润收入抵消了零售商业务其他部分的损失，如第一方产品销售、第三方卖家费用、实体店销售和订阅服务。”

在财务上，风险管理网络的未来充满希望。Nikhail Lin预计增长将来自CPG和消费电子品牌等数据贫乏的产品类别。这两个垂直行业都希望在销售点影响购物者，并在今天和可预见的未来推动零售媒体的采用。

RMN的增长之际，尽管存在通胀和其他对经济的担忧，但电子商务一直在创纪录。据Adobe Analytics报告，今年“黑色星期五”的销售额创下了91.2亿美元的纪录，增长2.3%，首次超过90亿美元。网络星期一当天的在线销售额也创下了113亿美元的历史新高，比2021增长5.8%。

来源：富比士

链接：

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2022/12/01/retail-media-networks-are-the-next-big-advertising-channel/?sh=5a554d04346c

编辑：吴漫

原文：Retail Media Networks Are The Next Big Advertising Channel

Retail media is now the fastest growing ad supported digital platform. (Photo Illustration by Kena ... [+]

CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

The fastest growing ad supported digital media channel is Retail Media Networks (RMN’s). It’s a retail owned digital platform that sells ad space to marketers. With RMNs advertisers gain access to a retailer's first-party data such as purchases made at the point-of-sale that enhance a marketer’s targeting capabilities with personalized messaging. Another advantage is an advertiser can send a relevant message when a consumer is in a shopping mode instead of using other digital platforms and in a brand safe environment. Additionally, accessing first-party data from retailers is a suitable and privacy compliant replacement for cookies.

GroupM estimates globally retailers garnered $88 billion in ad revenue last year and will reach $101 billion this year. This represents 18% of all global digital advertising and 11% of all advertising. GroupM projects retail media advertising to grow by about 60% by 2027, exceeding the expected growth for all digital advertising.

Forrester projects strong ad revenue growth for RMN’s in the U.S. market with ad dollars doubling over the next four years. McKinsey is also forecasting robust growth, expecting ad spend to grow from approximately $45 billion to over $100 billion by 2026. Fueling the growth are advertisers, Forbes reports this year 74% of brands have a separate retail media budget, a threefold increase from 2021. McKinsey expects 80% of RMN ad spend will stem from incremental ad budget increases. eMarketer predicts RMNs will be the third big wave in digital advertising following search and social.

Rick Ducey, Managing Director, BIA Advisory Services, says, “Retail Media Networks have become a valuable resource in brands’ marketing mix. As retailers become their own media, selling available ad inventory in their digital platforms (websites, mobile apps, social media, etc.), is a no-brainer and a win-win for the retailer and the brands they carry to engage consumers in their purchase journey at the point of sale.”

Ducey adds, “This inventory is accessible programmatically. But what if…local media publishers also rep this ad inventory. Some large media companies have hundreds and hundreds of local sellers on the streets who could sell that premium inventory at higher rates than can be achieved in programmatic platforms.”

In its latest ad spend forecast Magna Global said large retailers have been developing advertising sales through keyword search or display ads on apps and websites as e-commerce revenue continues to flourish. Magna notes, retail media is being fueled primarily by consumer brands that are reallocating their “below-the-line”, trade-marketing in-store budgets toward digital retail networks. In addition, retail-owned media networks tend to be immune from the privacy-based limitations on data usage and targeting, since they are accessing their own first-party data.

Nikhil Lai, Senior Analyst, Performance Marketing at Forrester says, “Advertisers use of RMNs encompasses the entire purchase funnel from awareness to point of purchase. Essentially, retail media holds the entire funnel accountable to delivering a verifiable revenue impact. In addition, the results of retail media campaigns can inform brands’ pricing, product, packaging, and distribution strategies.”

With retail media network’s ability to link impressions to direct purchases, a McKinsey report found 70% of marketers had enhanced returns from advertising on retail media networks compared to other media. As a result, the estimated cost-per-thousand CPMs to advertise on a retail media network are costly in the range of $20 to $50 making it comparable in pricing to connected TV.

While RMN’s have been around for several years, its usage quickened during the pandemic when stay-at-home consumers relied heavily on ecommerce. Last year the ad revenue for AmazonAMZN -0.9% Advertising, the largest RMN, totaled $31 billion, a year-over-year increase of 48%. With double-digit growth expected again this year, Amazon could reach $40 billion in 2022.

The revenue success Amazon has experienced has prompted other retailers to ramp up their retail network capabilities which involves building the infrastructure and hiring talent. WalmartWMT -0.7%, TargetTGT -2.1% and KrogerKR -0.8% have been actively collecting shopper data and improving their advertising capabilities.

There are however, many other prominent retailers that have launched an RMN recently with more expected. For example, CVS launched the CVS Media Exchange and competitor WalgreensWBA -0.7% started the Walgreen Advertising Group. Also, Dollar GeneralDG -7.5%, Ulta Beauty, Petco, eBay. Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Marriott, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Macy’s, Best BuyBBY +0.5%, Michael’s, Nordstrom, Kroger and Albertson’s (that have announced plans to merge).

According to Forrester’s fourth quarter 2022 “CMO Pulse Survey”, 45% of advertisers say that their biggest challenge with retail media is that they have “too many RMN’s to manage,” 40% say their biggest challenge is difficulty comparing performance across RMNs.

Forrester’s Nikhil Lai says, “Advertisers should prioritize a few networks, rather than spreading their budgets too thin across dozens of RMNs. To solve the challenge, advertisers should work with solution providers, like Skai, Pacvue, MikMak, and CommerceIQ, who provide visibility across RMNs.” Forrester reports one-quarter of retailers with an RMN are making over $100 million in annual ad revenue.

eMarketer estimates in 2022 Amazon will have a 76.9% share of retail digital media ad spend. By comparison, Walmart is the second largest at 6.1%, followed by Instacart at 1.9%. The gap between Amazon and rival retailers have been slowly narrowing. For example, in 2021 Walmart’s RMN Walmart Connect generated $2.1 billion ad revenue, a 136% increase from 2021. Target’s RMN rebranded as Roundel reached $1 billion in ad spend last year. This year Instacart is expected to surpass $1 billion for the first time.

Forrester reports on average the margins for RMNs range from 50-70% and even more with on-site advertising at 70%-80%, notably higher than other ad supported media. Forrester’s, Nikhail Lai, notes, “Advertising’s high-margin income offsets losses in other parts of retailers’ businesses, such as first-party product sales, third-party seller fees, physical store sales, and subscription services.”

Financially, the future of RMNs is promising. Nikhail Lin expects growth will come from such data poor product categories as CPG and consumer electronic brands. Both verticals want to influence shoppers at the point-of-sale and are driving the adoption of retail media today and for the foreseeable future.

The growth of RMNs come at a time when despite inflation and other concerns about the economy, ecommerce has been setting records. Adobe Analytics reports this year Black Friday generated a record $9.12 billion in sales, a 2.3% increase surpassing $9 billion for the first time. Online sales for Cyber Monday also set a record totaling $11.3 billion for the day, +5.8% from 2021.