It’s no secret that retail media is evolving at warp speed – which makes the RetailMediaX Executive Brief one of the most exciting events at this year’s Autumn Retail Festival. With a wide range of 121s, panels, thinktanks and roundtables bringing together brands, retailers, networks and media agencies, it’s the perfect place to start future-proofing retail media strategies.
Nicole Pilkington, global head of ecommerce acceleration at Barilla, is one of the fantastic panellists who’ll be taking to the stage on 8 October to explore one of the most pressing challenges in modern commerce: how to close the gap between shopper inspiration and actual purchase.
“Retail media gives us the opportunity to close that gap,” she explains. “Historically, advertising and sales have been very separate, but digital retail media enables us to move from moments of inspiration directly to purchase. That’s really exciting for brands, because it means we can get closer to the shopper and move quickly through the purchasing journey.”
For Barilla, this means evolving its strategy to move away from a channel- and locally-driven approach to a global, category-driven strategy. “We’re translating global objectives into retailer strategies, and retail media is helping us ensure that shoppers experience the same Barilla brand message wherever they are,” Pilkington says. “It also allows us to look holistically at activations, moving beyond just placing products in a single aisle. We’re now thinking about meal occasions and complementary products, working with retailers to create solutions that put meal occasions – not just individual products – into shoppers’ baskets.”
The role of RetailMediaX
Pilkington believes that RetailMediaX Executive Brief is the perfect place for driving this conversation forward. “RetailMediaX brings together the right stakeholders – retailers, brands, and agencies – to have realistic, down-to-earth conversations about what we can achieve,” she says. “With key decision makers in the room, we can actually put concrete steps into action and work together to close the gap between inspiration and purchase.”
Her fellow panellists include Paul Dahill, managing director, Koddi, and Florian Clemens, director of strategy, proposition and measurement, Tesco Media. Pilkington hopes attendees leave their session with clarity, confidence, and a collaborative mindset. “I’m hoping to establish a good understanding of where everyone is at today, some reassurance that we’re all on the same journey, and inspiration to spark conversations about how we can close the gap together in the future,” she says. “It’s not something any one entity can do alone – it’s about collaboration across the industry.”
Be part of the conversation
The RetailMediaX Executive Brief takes place on 8 October at Convene – 133 Houndsditch, London – part of the Autumn Retail Festival, which sees five retail events going on in one day, under one roof. You can find out more about what to expect from the RetailMediaX Executive Brief here and get your tickets here. We look forward to seeing you on 8 October!
