ARF CSI: Commerce & Shopper Intelligence (Formerly Shopper)

2024 EVENT CONTENT IS NOW AVAILABLE

Overview

The State of Retail Media Networks & Consumer Behavior

Retail media networks and commerce media are redefining the data and measurement landscape, creating new opportunities — and complexity — for marketers and researchers alike. Powered by first-party data and accelerated by advances in AI, these environments are reshaping how exposure, engagement, and outcomes are defined, measured, and optimized throughout the consumer journey.

At the same time, AI is shaping how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase — from interactions with digital agents to decision-making in increasingly automated and frictionless retail environments. These shifts raise critical questions about incrementality, attribution models, standardization, and the integration of RMNs into holistic, full-funnel measurement frameworks.

Join us at Commerce & Shopper Intelligence (formerly SHOPPER) on May 12 at the World of Whirlpool in Chicago to examine:

• The evolving role of retail and commerce media networks within the broader media ecosystem
• AI’s implications for shopping behavior, attention, and decision-making
• Measurement challenges, including incrementality, attribution, and cross-platform standardization
• Advancing full-funnel evaluation and improving the accuracy of iROAS assessment

Explore how brands, retailers, and researchers are adapting methodologies and frameworks to better understand increasingly fluid, data-rich shopping journeys.

On May 21, the industry’s top minds gathered in Chicago for a look at the future of retail, media, and consumer behavior and dove into the rapidly evolving role of Retail Media Networks (RMNs). Attendees gained actionable insights on the opportunities and challenges that RMNs present. Leading experts led discussions on optimizing RMN investments, navigating sales attribution complexities, adopting an “omni-normal” approach to connect with shoppers across all touchpoints, harnessing AI for brands and consumers, and more.

Speakers

Additional Speakers To Be Announced.

AGENDA

9:00-10:00am	Registration/Breakfast & Networking Penthouse Level – General Session Meeting Room
10:00 – 10:05am	Opening Remarks Scott McDonald, Ph.D. – President & CEO, ARF
10:05-10:25am	Overview: Driving Insight and Impact Across Today’s Shopper Landscape Hear the latest insights into today’s shopping landscape and advertising spending. This session will explore the current environment, including social commerce, collaborating with influencers, and retail media—the opportunities and trends that lie ahead, and how to best leverage retail media for the strongest marketing and business impact. Lizzie Cross – Group Director, Performance Media, GroupM
10:25-10:45am	How Retail Media is Shaping the Future of Advertising Retail media has become a rapidly growing media solution, transforming the connection between brands and customers. Discover the latest trends and innovations in retail media, featuring insights from industry leaders on real-time attribution strategies that drive incremental sales and key performance indicators. Understand how to utilize data to identify crucial audience segments for new product launches, seasonal peaks, and building lasting brand loyalty. Mike Ellgass – EVP Global Media, CPG and Retail, Circana Margaret Posh – Principal Retail, Circana
10:45-11:40am	An Inside Look into Retail Media Networks: Hear from Amazon Ads, Albertsons Media Collective and Best Buy Ads *(Fireside Chats)*
	Winning the First 90 Days: Strategies for New Product Success Hear the latest from Amazon Ads on how they help brands navigate the critical first 90 days of a product launch by providing actionable insights and strategies. How do you optimize campaigns, measure success, and drive long-term growth from day one? Emad Hasan – Head of New Product Campaigns, Amazon Ads Moderator: Scott McDonald, Ph.D. – President & CEO, ARF
	From Silos to Synergy: Turning Media and Measurement into Brand Momentum Explore how retail media networks can bridge silos between media and measurement to simplify processes and enhance client benefits. How can you effectively blend marketing strategy with data and analytics to drive faster insights and action while delivering more value for consumers and customers? This fireside chat will focus on the process and strategy within the RMN and partner landscapes. Steve Kerr – Director, Marketing Science, Albertsons Media Collective Moderator: E.J. Schultz – News Editor, Ad Age
	Insights & Experience: Learn How the Intersection of Data and Meaningful Connections Drives Growth Discover how Best Buy Ads is harnessing its unique customer insights and best-in-class retail experiences to maximize ROI and unlock new opportunities in the world of Retail Media. Jen Sposeto – Vice President of Partner and Category Marketing, Best Buy Ads Moderator: Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF
11:40am-12:00pm	Retail Media Networks: ARF Initiatives in Metrics and Standards Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are rapidly growing, but fragmentation in metrics and measurement remains challenging. In this session, the ARF shares findings from three projects: ARF RMN Metrics Survey examines how agencies and advertisers evaluate RMNs today. It reveals gaps between performance-driven metrics like CTR and ROAS and opportunities to use advanced methods like incrementality testing. RMN Module in ARF’s DASH study provides valuable planning insights by demonstrating how shoppers exposed to 18 major RMNs connect with and consume television. ARF’s RMN Standardization Project, in collaboration with IAB and MRC, aims to map the RMN ecosystem and establish common measurement frameworks. This session will provide a clear snapshot of where RMNs stand and where they’re headed — and of ARF’s efforts to drive alignment and clarity in the space. Jim Meyer – General Manager, DASH Tracy Adams, Ph.D. – Senior Director, Research & Insights, ARF Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF
12:00 – 1:00pm	SHOPPER 2025 LUNCH Penthouse Level – Inside and Outside Terrace
12:00 – 1:00pm	WIA @ SHOPPER Luncheon Event 7th floor- Jim Henson Room (Pick up Food & Beverage) and go to Willy Wonka Room across the hall for the WIA@SHOPPER luncheon. In-person & Recorded

1:15 – 1:50pm

Breakout Session A
7th floor – Willy Wonka Room

Breakout Session B
Penthouse Level – General Session Meeting Room

Best Practices for Today’s Shopper Landscape (In-person only)

Hosted by the Shopper Insights Council

Co-Chair:

Kelley VanderSloot – Head of Omnichannel, Ocean Spray

This interactive workshop is available to all in-person attendees of SHOPPER 2025 and is hosted by the Shopper Insights Council.

This session will focus on best practices on the following topics:

Channel Investments
Communication & Messaging
Organizational Design
Measurement

Table Moderators:
Andrea Benning, Unilever
Rosie Gentile, FCB
Nicole Bergen, Elevate Marketing
Kelley VanderSloot, Ocean Spray
Mike Ellgass, Circana

Attendees can join any of the tables to discuss best practices, case studies, and new ideas. Every 10 minutes, you can choose to remain at that table or move to another one for a topic that interests you.

This workshop is designed to share viewpoints and provide key takeaways that you can apply to your job and company.

Beyond Retail Data Points: Humanizing Marketing with AI-Powered Personas (In-person, Livestreamed & Recorded)

The evolving landscape of AI necessitates a human-centered approach to design, drawing insights from psychology to create intuitive and trustworthy user experiences. While synthetic data plays a crucial role in training AI models, particularly when real-world data is limited, its application extends beyond technical domains. Purina, in partnership with Ipsos, exemplifies this by carefully crafting archetypes to develop PersonaBots as both shoppers and consumers. These AI-powered representations of Purina’s consumer segments encapsulate attitudes, behaviors, and other relevant data that distinguish them. This enables stakeholders to engage in simulated conversations with diverse profiles, fostering a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences within their overall experiences with a category, ultimately leading to more empathetic and effective marketing and shopper strategies.

Manuel Garcia-Garcia – Global Lead Science Activation, Research & Strategy, Ipsos
Caroline Hewett – SVP, Market & Brand Strategy, Ipsos
Michael Shapiro – Senior Director, Strategy & Insights Group, Nestlé Purina

1:55-2:0opm	Welcome Back Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF Penthouse Level – General Session Meeting Room
2:00-2:35pm	Panel Discussion: Industry Perspectives and Insights on Retail Media Networks Jamie Glover – VP of Client Success, OptiMine Kelley VanderSloot – Head of Omnichannel, Ocean Spray Erin Mitten – VP of Product & Data Management Consultancy, Publicis Groupe Anne Martin – Director, Omnichannel Marketing & Activation, Mondelēz International Matt O’Grady – President of the Americas, dunnhumby Carrie Sweeney – VP of Retail, Pinterest Moderator: Mike Ellgass -EVP Global Media, CPG and Retail, Circana
2:35-2:55pm	Retail Media ROAS Methodology: Evaluation and Tools for Advertiser The rapid growth of Retail Media Networks (RMNs) has revolutionized how brands engage with customers; yet, the various methodologies employed by RMNs to calculate Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) create significant challenges for advertisers. Our paper explores the intricacies of ROAS calculation, highlighting the implications of variations in sales reporting granularity, extrapolation methods, attribution, and impression types. Through an extensive analysis of 573 off-site display campaigns from Albertsons Media Collective (AMC), we examine how these methodological differences can substantially impact observed media performance. Brett R. Gordon – Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Derek T Nelson – Sr. Director of Retail Media Consulting, Ovative Group Levi Dantzinger – Head of Marketing Science Research, Albertsons Media Collective
2:55-3:10pm	Standardizing Measurement from Outcomes to Leading Indicators This session dives into how RMNs can align outcomes like iROAS, Sales, ROAS, with predictive signals like NTB lift, halo impact, and shopper intent. We’ll break down a practical framework to standardize measurement across the funnel. From accredited outcomes to optimization-ready leading indicators. Measurement isn’t just about comparability, it’s what you do next. Jeffrey Aragon Bustos – SVP, Retail Media Analytics, Merkle
3:10-3:30	Afternoon Break
3:30 – 3:50pm	The Transformed Consumer: Navigating Strategy in an Era of Economic Uncertainty and Evolving Expectations Learn how brands can stay resilient by staying attuned to rapidly shifting consumer mindsets. Dan Bonert – SVP Retail Media, Merch Analytics and Retail Collaboration, NielsenIQ
3:50-4:10pm	Connecting with Consumers in the New Era of Commerce Commerce is evolving rapidly, driven by TikTok and other short-form video platforms that have reshaped how consumers find, engage with, and purchase products. This work explores fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and the growing need for brands and Retail Media Networks (RMNs) to diversify their strategies. To maximize opportunities and connect with engaged consumers at every touchpoint, it’s essential to present more shoppable options—both within and across platforms—meeting shoppers wherever they are in their journey. Rachael Ryan – Head of Research & Insights, Global & North America, TikTok Alina Huang – Research & Insights Partner, North America & Global, TikTok
4:10-4:30pm	The Seamless Shopper & the Segmented Sell Consumers have entered a new era of seamless and circuitous shopping; however, most brand and shopper marketing strategies exist in painfully segmented silos. With the latest advancements in AI and commerce media from Google, marketers can now bridge their brand and shopper marketing efforts to better reflect the consumer journey and benefit from a fully integrated strategy. Andrew Hotz – Director, Programmatic Media, Google
4:30-4:55pm	Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond (Panel) Discussants weigh in on Commerce Media, AI, Influencers, Retail Media Networks, 1^st party data, personalized experiences, retail environments and effective marketing, CPG marketing, and new trends to stay competitive. Rosie Gentile – EVP, FCB/SIX Practice Lead NA, FCB Liz Anderson – Retail Media Manager, Molson Coors Beverage Company Brett R. Gordon – Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Moderator: Cyndi Loza – Senior Editor, Path to Purchase Institute
4:55-5:00pm	Closing Remarks Paul Donato – Chief Research Officer, ARF
5:00-6:00pm	Cocktail Reception Penthouse Level – Inside and Outside Terrace

Who Should Attend?

C-Suite executives, senior and mid-career leaders and young professionals hailing from marketer, media, agency and research companies will benefit from the breadth and depth of content shared. Industries include automotive, beauty, CPG, finance, food and beverage, hospitality, pharma, retail and technology.