Retail Media Breakfast Club

In this episode, we hear from industry experts Brian Dudzinski, Alicia Ponzani, and Brea Keating as they discuss the multifaceted nature of e-commerce roles. Brian emphasizes the need for versatile talent who can adapt to ever-changing platforms. Alicia shares insights on defining the balance between sales and marketing in job descriptions to attract the right candidates. Brea compares e-commerce professionals to 'roller coaster people' who thrive on unpredictability and excitement, highlighting the importance of adaptability in this dynamic field.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About Today's Topic
(00:39) About the Show
(01:01) Wanted:Unicorn by Brian Dudzinski
(01:54) Defining the balance by Alicia Ponzani
(03:04) Two types of people by Brea Keating
(04:22) Outro

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retailmediabreakfastclub

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club/id1782187624//

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3s5MuqcrsOmQDKn3uMYJKb

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

In this special 3-part series, Jordan Witmer, Managing Director of Unified Commerce at the agency Nectar First, joins Kiri to riff on the business of retail media from an advertiser, technology, and retailer perspective. we discuss about how retailers are jumping into the business of selling their ad inventory to brands. As they stand up these highly profitable properties, retailers need to grapple with a very "retail" challenge: their unique value proposition - but this time to advertisers rather than consumers. Today's discussion delves into the concept of retailers reverting to their core competencies by utilizing advanced retail media technologies. Throughout the episode, Jordan explains the industry's shift from viewing retailers as media companies to focusing on their primary role of merchandising products effectively. The discussion also explores the growing sophistication of retail media networks, the technologies that power them, and the reasons behind some retailers' reluctance to disclose their tech stacks.

This is Part 1 of the special 3 part series.

Link to LI profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-witmer-b220b646/

Link to Nectar First: https://nectarfirst.com/

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About Today's Topic
(00:27) About the Show
(00:48) Introduction to Retailers Becoming Retailers Again
(01:04) The Role Reversal in Retail Media
(02:47) Understanding the Backend Tech
(03:18) The Gold Analogy and Retailer Strategies
(05:12) Retailers' Secrecy on Tech Stacks
(07:59) The Debate Continues
(08:12) Outro

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retailmediabreakfastclub

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club/id1782187624//

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3s5MuqcrsOmQDKn3uMYJKb

In this episode, Kiri Masters explores how "vibe marketing" - a concept originating in tech circles - can be applied to retail media strategies. She breaks down how this AI-powered approach enables marketers to rapidly iterate emotional angles at scale while maintaining authentic brand connections, despite the structured nature of retail media environments. Kiri offers four practical applications for retail media professionals: scaling content across multiple channels, personalizing at scale using retailer first-party data, quickly capitalizing on emerging shopper trends, and automating tedious workflows to optimize campaigns. While acknowledging that not every retail media placement needs this approach, she suggests vibe marketing provides a fresh framework for leveraging AI capabilities in the retail media landscape.

Kiri's post on Vibe Marketing: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com/p/4419d48d-34a0-4c45-ae7f-23820211605d/

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About Today's Topic

(01:10) About the Show

(01:30) Introduction to Vibe Marketing

(01:59) AI's Role in Vibe Marketing

(03:40) Vibe Marketing in Retail Media

(05:13) Practical Use Cases of Vibe Marketing

(07:52) Internal Advocacy and Education

(09:32) Balancing Vibe Marketing with Reality

(10:08) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

(10:33) Outro

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retailmediabreakfastclub

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club/id1782187624//

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3s5MuqcrsOmQDKn3uMYJKb

In this insightful episode, Kiri Masters analyzes data from Momentum Commerce that reveals a fascinating "frugal frenzy" emerging across Amazon's marketplace. She explores how consumers are simultaneously stockpiling products like baby formula (up 26 times week-over-week) while becoming increasingly price-conscious, with average selling prices among top sellers dropping 0.8% year-over-year. The episode highlights a clear divide between value-driven categories where consumers are trading down to cheaper alternatives (like diapers) and emotion-driven categories like pet care and makeup where premium pricing remains resilient despite economic concerns. Kiri provides strategic guidance for brands navigating this complex consumer landscape, suggesting different approaches depending on whether products fall into functional or emotional purchase categories.

Link to Kiri's blog post discussing the same: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com/p/c3bfeb51-dc46-45e8-976c-036c6a4c4328/

Source of Data discussed in today's episode: https://www.momentumcommerce.com/

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About Today's Topic

(02:27) About the Show

(02:47) Price Trends Analysis Introduction

(03:59) Diaper Category Insights

(05:24) Panic-Buying Behavior Patterns

(06:11) Emotional Purchase Categories

(07:09) Brand Strategy Recommendations

(09:52) Outro

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retailmediabreakfastclub

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club/id1782187624//

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3s5MuqcrsOmQDKn3uMYJKb

In this episode, the host Kiri Masters examines Walmart's reported push for brands to increase their retail media spending by 25% year-over-year as part of joint business plans, based on recent reporting by Adweek. She explores how the impressive profit margins of retail media networks are creating pressure for continued growth, leading to what many brands describe as a "retail media tax" - mandatory advertising spending without proportional returns. While some brands are pushing back or even breaking agreements with major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Amazon, Kiri questions whether Walmart's increased spending requests might be tied to funding future capabilities like their $2.3 billion VIZIO acquisition for connected TV advertising.

Kiri's Forbes article referenced in the epsiode : https://www.forbes.com/sites/kirimasters/2025/04/11/walmarts-25-ad-spend-mandate-highlights-retail-medias-trust-problem/

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About Today's Topic

(01:18) About the Show
(01:38) Retail Media Profit Margins
(02:50) Retail Media Tax Pressure
(05:19) Digital Shelf Space Dilemma
(05:34) Sam's Club Contrasting Approach
(07:02) Brands Pushing Back
(08:09) Walmart's VIZIO Investment
(09:26) Future Partnership Approach
(10:30) Outro

SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retailmediabreakfastclub

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club/id1782187624//

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3s5MuqcrsOmQDKn3uMYJKb