Nostalgia doesn’t just sell; it sticks. We sat down with Sarah Gillmer to explore how memory, family ritual, and pop culture can turn everyday products into emotional anchors, and why that approach still beats a thousand loud impressions. From Barbie’s cross-generational comeback to Nike’s retro magic and McDonald’s adult Happy Meal, we map when heritage fuels love and when brands risk costume-playing a past they never owned.

We also tackle the elephant in the media room: is traditional media dead? Not quite. Print catalogs with QR stickers are back on kitchen counters, local radio still drives action, and the right billboard can outwork a dozen forgettable banner ads. The smartest plans now pair tactile, trusted channels with digital precision. We talk about how to choose moments where analog wins; regional launches, community trust, and high-frequency routes, and how to keep the art in marketing without ignoring the numbers.

In quick hits, we react to Instacart’s variable pricing controversy and the transparency gap it exposes. Then we look ahead as Google signals ads inside Gemini AI chat, debating what “useful” looks like in an answer-first interface. Finally, we swap campaigns we love: Chevy’s memory-rich family spot that sells without shouting, and Dunkin’s munchkin tale that turns a donut hole into a holiday hero. If you care about brand building, media mix strategy, and the next wave of ad experiences, this one’s for you.

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Live shopping is booming, just not equally everywhere. We tackle why China’s live commerce machine towers over the U.S. and what has to change for 2025: cultural expectations, seamless payments, and the invisible tech that makes “watch, want, buy” feel effortless. From the early QVC playbook to TikTok Shops, Amazon Live, and Whatnot, we break down where the channel wins, where it stumbles, and how to design streams that people actually want to watch, and buy from.

We dig into the power of story over category, showing why beauty, fashion, cooking, home improvement, and collector communities respond when the format teaches and entertains rather than hard‑sells. You’ll hear why hybrid models, creator‑led on camera, retailer‑led on operations- consistently outperform, and how the best hosts turn chat into real conversion. We share a creator‑driven haircare stream that outpaced expectations, then list the practical fixes that move the needle: one‑tap wallets, persistent carts, clean variant selection, bundles that simplify choices, and rehearsal that stress‑tests every link.

To keep things fun, we also spotlight Crocs x T‑Pain’s “boots with the fur” moment, a playful, meme‑friendly collab that shows how cultural resonance drives attention and action. If you’re building a live commerce strategy for the year ahead, consider this your checklist: lead with narrative, pair the right host with the right platform, and make checkout disappear. Subscribe, share this with your team, and drop a review telling us which category you think is primed to break out next.

Attention is scarce, noise is cheap, and shoppers are rewriting the rules. We sit down with brand and growth strategist Erin Campbell to map the new terrain: how to reach people who spend 13 hours a day with media yet crave less clutter and more connection. The core idea that anchors our exchange is simple and hard: tactics are table stakes, meaning is the moat. Erin breaks down how to identify the heart of your audience, connect it to the soul of your brand, and build a brand world that travels across touchpoints with texture instead of repetition.

From there, we dive into the boom in secondhand shopping, and why it’s more than thrift. Resale blends value, sustainability, and identity, empowering buyers to access rare goods and express taste with provenance. We compare platforms like eBay and GOAT, talk authentication and trust, and explore why brands shouldn’t rush to “own” the resale moment so much as craft products and stories worthy of second lives. You’ll hear practical angles on scarcity with purpose, community lore, and making goods that age into artifacts.

We also explore the analog comeback: vinyl, paper books, film cameras, even corded phones for kids. After years of chasing frictionless everything, intentional friction feels like relief. Analog rituals offer presence, delayed gratification, and shared memory, things digital rarely sustains. We spotlight LEGO’s mindful build experiences and why designing for calm can be a competitive edge. Along the way we weigh quick hits, from Toys "R" Us 2.0 and experiential retail to Apple’s pricey phone sock and Doug McMillon’s Walmart legacy, and extract lessons any operator can use.

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What happens when brand safety and speed meet the messy magic of real human influence? We bring on influencer marketer Emma Curry to explore where AI-driven creators can help, where they can harm, and how transparency keeps audiences on your side. From synthetic personas that never miss a talking point to the irreplaceable trust earned by human voices, we map the tradeoffs and share a practical framework: keep humans in the loop, use AI to pressure-test briefs, and pick categories wisely so you don’t sell perfection where people need honesty.

Then we get tactical. Retail media keeps accelerating, demanding more assets, more often. We break down how to structure creator shoots for evergreen use, capture both short video and lifestyle stills, and design modular CTAs that swap by retailer without losing the story. Emma shares a favorite move, bring social into the store. An original song cut for in‑store radio during the holidays became prime exposure and a masterclass in stretching one asset across channels where buying actually happens.

We also wade into the contracts that decide your ROI: usage windows that match retail turnover, the extra costs of in‑store and CTV, and when SAG-AFTRA rules apply. The headline: don’t commission content without a plan. Decide where it will live, how it will refresh, and what success looks like before you press record. Plus, we have fun with quick hits on ads in public restrooms and smart fridges, BNPL holiday habits, and “Campaigns We Love,” featuring Huggies’ cheeky “Do It for the Team” and Walmart’s nostalgia-rich WhoKnewville.

If this gave you ideas for your next creator brief or retail media pitch, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more marketers can find Retail Media Vibes.

Missed the first five episodes? We stitched the best insights into one high-energy tour through what’s actually moving shoppers and budgets right now. From Halloween arriving in July to AI that can buy for you, we dig into the hits, the misses, and the money-makers.

We kick off with Summerween, where retailers extend the season and capture early spend without feeling forced. Then we shift to agentic shopping—the idea that AI agents handle the repetitive, low-risk purchases and increasingly the shortlist for bigger ones. Trust, transparency, and clear opt-ins will drive adoption this holiday season, and we share the guardrails that make it work. The brand-versus-shopper debate gets a fresh look through the lens of first-party data at scale: why building brands inside retail ecosystems can accelerate conversion and loyalty when done right.

Connected TV steals the spotlight with surging retail media investment and the promise of closing the loop. We talk about when shoppable overlays beat the scroll and how to design incentives that overcome second-screen distraction. On measurement, we tackle the ROAS trap and lay out a practical stack: incrementality, retailer attribution, MMM, and KPI alignment by tactic. The gaming segment explores safe, authentic ways to show up—native integrations, limited digital items, and digital-physical twins that create real value without breaking immersion.

We round it out with store tech that actually helps—think app-first wayfinding and contextual offers over expensive cart hardware—and a reality check on “work slop,” or AI output that creates rework when nobody owns accuracy. For dessert, we break down hype marketing that lasts: smart collabs, limited drops, and timing that feeds long-term loyalty. Ready to retool your retail media playbook before the holidays? Listen, share with a teammate, and tell us your boldest prediction. If you’re enjoying the show, subscribe, leave a quick review, and pass this episode to someone who loves both strategy and sell-through.

A grocery disruptor is surging, hype is reshaping demand, and AI might quietly become your favorite holiday shopper. We sit down with Claire Reed to unpack Aldi’s value-first playbook, from lean operations and private labels to a smart Instacart partnership that skips building a retail media network from scratch. The takeaway: when quality meets price discipline, traffic follows, and Aldi’s store growth and rising visits prove it.

From there, we dive into hype marketing that actually works. Think collabs and limited editions that earn the buzz because the product hits. Supreme Oreos, fast-food celebrity meals, vinyl variants, great examples when timing, audience fit, and the goods align. We also call out the misses: weak products wrapped in loud campaigns. The principle holds across categories; brand heat can spark trial, but only product performance keeps the repeat.

Then we turn to holiday predictions with two big swings. First, agentic shopping gets real as more people use AI to shortlist gifts, compare options, and buy faster than any livestream can pace. Second, TikTok Shop becomes the season’s impulse engine, blending entertainment and checkout with deals that tip you from scroll to sold. We also track a quieter shift: subscriptions and experiences are becoming the “new gift card,” and meaningful DIY or secondhand gifts are rising as clutter-conscious choices.

Quick hits keep it spicy: Meta’s plan to use AI chats for ad targeting, the hidden cost of “work slop” when AI outputs go unchecked, and Amazon’s add to delivery as a simple but powerful nudge for basket growth. Along the way, we share practical guardrails, why human review still matters, how to build trust with private labels, and where to place your holiday bets across channels.

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Attention has moved where play lives, and that’s exactly where we go today. We sit down with Joel Ponce, CEO and co-founder of Hashku, to break down how gaming, retail media, and commerce now overlap in ways that actually move product. From Roblox and Fortnite worlds to mobile rewarded ads, we map the paths that turn fan energy into measurable outcomes like add-to-cart, store visits, and loyalty that lasts beyond the campaign.

Joel shares how major IP shifted from TV to shelf to immersive spaces, and why “scan to play” on-pack can outperform static signage by creating value at home. We explore digital twins and limited drops that connect physical goods with avatar identity, why Gen Z rates virtual closets so highly, and how cozy gaming and mobile habits expand the audience far beyond stereotypes. If you’ve wondered where to start, we outline a practical crawl–walk–run approach, how to keep brand safety and authenticity intact, and what measurement looks like when multiple publishers speak one language.

Then we tackle AI-driven personalized pricing with clear eyes. Dynamic fares may work for flights, but grocery aisles are built on trust. We weigh the difference between volatility and value, arguing for personalized offers, access, bundles, early drops, over opaque price swings. Finally, we test Instacart’s Caper Cart as a lens on in-store innovation: wayfinding, real-time deals, and checkout speed are wins, but the economics push toward an app-first model that delivers 80 percent of the benefit with better scale and consent.

If you’re building a retail plan for 2025, this conversation will help you choose the right channels, craft native creative for gamers, and measure what matters across platforms. Subscribe, share with your team, and tell us: which bet are you making first, gaming integrations, conversational checkout, or app-powered smart cart experiences?

Ever wish retail media dashboards told the real story? We pull back the curtain on how to measure what actually matters, not just what’s easy to count. Brandon welcomes Cassie Murray to unpack the messy truth about ROAS, why incrementality is a worthy but difficult North Star, and how inventory, placement, and profitability can quietly decide your campaign’s fate long before a single impression is served.

We get practical about omnichannel reality: when a shelf holds four facings and the truck comes once a week, “always-on” search might be the wrong answer. Cassie shares how to set objectives first, defend base, recruit new-to-brand, or drive profitable volume, then choose metrics that ladder up without chasing vanity numbers. We also explore modeling, cross-retailer context, and the pressure cooker of reporting, where a dip in CTR sparks panic, even when the plan is working.

From there, we head into marketplaces, the proving ground for challenger brands and a minefield when compliance slips. Learn why Walmart’s tighter standards help shoppers and brand equity, how small brands can use marketplace momentum to earn shelf space, and how big brands can extend assortments without losing control. We also break down Walmart’s road tour as smart retailtainment that builds community, and we test the potential of Amazon Lens as visual search moves from novelty to utility.

Finally, we talk about Target. The curated magic that once fueled three-hour trips has dulled as discretionary budgets shrink and Walmart’s style game improves. What would it take for Target to be unapologetically itself again, with cleaner stores, tighter curation, reliable availability, and trend-right private label that earns the trip? If you care about measurement, marketplaces, and the evolving store experience, this one brings clarity you can act on today.

If this sparked new ideas or challenged your playbook, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review. What metric do you trust most right now?

Ever wondered how retail giants are reshaping the commerce landscape while battling for your attention? In this engaging episode of Retail Media Vibes, we welcome Brad Godwin, the embodiment of positive energy and human connection in the tech-driven world of retail media.

Brad brings his refreshing perspective as a seasoned professional with Breaktime Media, highlighting why human relationships remain central even as retail media spending skyrockets to a projected $61.2 billion by 2025. The conversation explores the critical talent gap facing the industry, with Brad emphasizing that successful teams need diversity of thought: "What if you have some folks that are deep retail experts, you marry those with deep media experts, you come into some brand storytelling, and then you have folks that understand the mechanics of sales?"

The discussion takes a fascinating turn examining Connected TV's explosive growth in retail media – expanding 45.5% this year and projected to capture one in five CTV US ad dollars by 2027. Brad offers valuable insights on finding the balance between awareness and conversion, questioning whether tactics like QR codes actually drive meaningful action: "The incentive has to overcome the friction," he notes, suggesting that strong promotions or sweepstakes might be necessary to motivate viewers.

Perhaps most compelling is the analysis of how Walmart and Amazon are increasingly encroaching on each other's territories – Amazon expanding same-day grocery delivery while Walmart grows its marketplace and ad business. This competitive dynamic creates benefits through innovation, with Brad observing: "There's a bigger thing at play called the love economy... for retailers, there is your favorite. I'm in a pinch, what am I going to go to? They're trying to earn the shopper's trust through brand love."

Whether you're a retail professional, brand marketer, or simply curious about how commerce is evolving, this episode delivers valuable insights wrapped in an authentic, vibrant conversation. Subscribe to Retail Media Vibes for more thought-provoking discussions on the future of retail and commerce!

Welcome to the debut episode of Retail Media Vibes, where we're stepping back from the daily grind to swap ideas and pick up insights that you won't hear in boardroom discussions. This podcast was born from the recognition that retail media professionals are living in a constant state of pressure, with demands for growth and performance that never stop.

We welcome Tom Brydon from Accenture as the inaugural guest, diving straight into the fascinating world where retailers and brands intersect. Tom shares his unique perspective from working with major retailers to develop their media capabilities while simultaneously helping brands leverage these same platforms for growth.

The conversation explores several trending topics reshaping retail, starting with "Summerween" – the increasingly popular practice of selling Halloween merchandise as early as June. With Halloween sales reaching $11.6 billion annually and nearly half of shoppers starting their purchases before October, this extension of the season represents significant revenue opportunities for retailers and brands alike.

We tackle the emerging technology of agentic shopping, where AI assistants find and purchase products with minimal human input. While giants like Google, Walmart, and Amazon are all developing these capabilities, the technology and consumer behavior aren't quite aligned yet. BV predicts adoption will begin with routine purchases before consumers trust AI with higher-stakes decisions.

Perhaps most thought-provoking is their discussion about the tension between brand marketing and retail-focused media. If brands ultimately exist to sell products, and most products are sold through retail channels, shouldn't more brands build their identity through retail ecosystems? This segment offers valuable perspective for anyone struggling to bridge the gap between broad brand messaging and retail execution.

The episode wraps with an exploration of the booming "kidult" economy – adults purchasing toys for themselves – exemplified by the Labubu collectible craze. With adults accounting for 43% of toy self-purchases ($1.8 billion in a single quarter), this represents a massive opportunity for brands willing to tap into nostalgic experiences.

Whether you're a strategist, analyst, creative, media planner, or brand manager, this podcast delivers fresh insights into the evolving retail media landscape. Subscribe now and join the conversation about what's really happening in retail media today.