Yara El Saadani is Senior Commerce Strategy Director for UK and EU at WPP Media. She is a Campaign & Media Week 30 Under 30 honouree and has worked across WPP Media network for over 8 years. We asked what led her to retail media.
What is your role and what does it entail?
My role currently focuses on supercharging our clients’ commerce strategies, integrating retail and commerce-led insights to sit at the heart of any campaign or activation.
Another key part of my role is establishing our UK and European commerce strategy, whether that’s through our esteemed partners or through our savvy product development teams.
How did you first become interested in retail media and move into it?
It really was by chance – as many might say! It’s one of those things you fall into and end up loving the ride – a bit like Narnia, with no clue what’s coming your way.
The beauty of retail media is that we all come from different backgrounds, whether that’s trade teams, traditional e-commerce, or performance, which enriches the industry in a very unique way.
I come from the performance background. I was leading paid social and search for a non-endemic client, and then Amazon fell into my lap. The rest is history!
What most excites you about the industry today and what might happen next in retail media?
The industry is at a turning point. Chatbots and LLM adoption are only increasing, making the customer king – more. than. ever. I know it’s often said that the “funnel is collapsing,” which I think has a negative connotation to a certain degree. I see it more as an opportunity for brands to celebrate simplicity, conciseness, and being informative – without the fluff.
I’ve seen some really savvy tools that help make this a reality for clients at WPP Media. With new metrics emerging, it’s increasingly about how much you show up and how consistent you are across the ecosystem. I’m excited to see how that continues to change the way we plan, measure, and activate commerce.
Who is your biggest inspiration in the retail media sector and why?
A big inspiration of mine is our very own Larisa Dumitru, SVP of Commerce at WPP Media.
She’s taken both macro and micro changes in the industry and transformed the way we think about and execute commerce. She’s incredibly ambitious with our team targets because of the skill set and tools we have at our disposal.
In the last two years, commerce has become front of mind for many of our client teams, and I truly believe that’s down to her leadership and persistence.
What one retail media campaign or strategy you’ve been involved in are you proudest of?
A tricky question! I love when retail media sits at the heart of every touchpoint for a national campaign. We delivered a massive, award-winning campaign with KitKat, combining great creative, strong messaging, retailer partners who were ready to be challenged, and, of course, a clear uplift in sales. What more could you ask for?
Another exciting project I’m working on now is a first-to-market home appliance new product launch. It’s been super interesting, particularly in how tactically we’ve brought together trade teams and media teams on the client side, a classic retail media hurdle turned into a success.
