'Vibe Marketing' comes to retail media

04/17/25 • 10 min

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

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

Previous Episode

Walmart puts the hard word on advertisers with 25% spend bump

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

Next Episode

Trump’s Tariff Shock May Drive Major Shift In Retail Media Spending

President Trump's sweeping tariffs are forcing consumer brands to make difficult trade-offs, with one of the most immediate impacts being on advertising and retail media spending. As brands face tariffs exceeding 100% on Chinese imports, many are cutting advertising budgets to offset margin compression, particularly on Amazon where smaller sellers are struggling to either absorb costs or raise prices. While some experts like Harry Joiner recommend focusing ad spend only on margin-accretive products, others like Jason Landro advocate maintaining advertising investment to gain market share while competitors retreat. The tariff impact varies dramatically by product category, with toys and games being among the hardest hit, potentially reshaping the $62 billion retail media industry as brands reconsider their channel strategies.

Host Kiri Masters' original post on Forbes on this topic: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kirimasters/2025/04/08/tariff-shock-may-drive-major-shift-in-retail-media-spending/

Harry Joiner's 90-day tariff plan for ecommerce leaders: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/harryjoiner_download-90-day-tariff-game-plan-activity-7314980336621285377-iNSe/

PRODUCED BY:

https://aipodcast.ing

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) About Today's Topic

(00:31) About the Show

(00:51) Impact of Trump's Tariffs on Consumer Brands

(01:56) Advertising and Retail Media Spending Shifts

(02:33) Amazon's Ecosystem and Ad Spend Reductions

(03:35) Challenges for International Manufacturers

(04:41) Strategic Shifts in Retail Media