By Helena Hinton, Partnership Director at Very Media Group
Gone are the days when brands poured the lion’s share of their budgets into glossy TV ads and broad national campaigns hoping mass reach would equate to mass sales. With the explosive rise of Retail Media Networks (RMNs) and their first-party data goldmines, brands are naturally shifting spend – and strategy – towards retailer partnerships. Why? Because RMNs can offer precise targeting, high-intent audiences, and real-time feedback – something that national ads could never do.
According to Nielsen, creative drives 56% of a campaign’s ROI, which is why it’s vital that it’s done right. The commerce market is an incredibly challenging space for brands, therefore creative can be the differentiator in making a brand stand out in the crowd. But it also needs to work harder.
Creative in retail media must be strategic. Walk into a physical store, and you’re hit with a full-sensory brand experience. Every inch is engineered to seduce the shopper – from the lighting to the signage and everything in-between.
But when retail moves online, that magic doesn’t follow automatically. Creative isn’t just part of the experience – it is the experience. In the e-commerce world, you can’t rely on foot traffic or clever shelf placement to connect shoppers with products. Instead, the homepage is your storefront, and creative is key in capturing attention and shaping the shopper experience.
Retail media creative must be purpose-built
RMNs need to act more like creative agencies. Creative assets need to designed with each individual retailer in mind. Retailers aren’t interchangeable. John Lewis isn’t Very and Amazon isn’t Boots. Each retailer has its own voice, aesthetic, and shopper base. Therefore, creative needs to be built with the shopper journey in mind, complementing the retailer’s ecosystem and amplifying the brand’s message.
Influencers also belong in the creative mix. Shoppers relate to influencers if they are authentic. Done right, their content can deliver both relatability and ROI, often outperforming big-budget assets.
Why we built HelloStudio
At The Very Group, we saw this shift coming. That’s why we launched HelloStudio – our in-house creative engine which provides a multi-channel creative service for brands to connect with consumers. Through bespoke and tailored content, combined with our unique and rich Very customer data, we’re creating tailored campaigns for our brand partners that truly resonate with the Very shopper. Whether it’s a high-production shoot or a killer tagline, we treat every brief like it’s a national campaign – because in retail media, it is.
Taking creativity to the next level – personalisation and storytelling
Personalisation is about combining creativity with data in a way that actually moves the needle. It’s about delivering wardrobe suggestions triggered by live weather data or allergy campaigns that adjust with the local pollen count.
Creative that adjusts based on a customer’s life events – new baby, new house, first job – makes the message land harder. It makes the brand feel human. And it leads to higher conversions because it’s speaking to the shopper in the moment when it matters to them. It’s not just personalisation for personalisation’s sake.
Pairing products across categories – think trainers with a fitness tracker, or a TV with dinnerware and cushions – isn’t just bundling. It’s storytelling. But it only works if the visual execution is spot-on, otherwise the shopper will scroll right past. You need purpose-built visuals that show, instantly, why these products belong together.
Retailers are now brand guardians
Retailers are no longer just sellers. With the power to make or break how a shopper experiences a brand, retailers are now brand guardians. But to be a true brand guardian, retailers will need to elevate their creative game. This means being thoughtful about tone, visuals, context, and the shopper experience. Shoppers won’t differentiate between the brand and the retailer if the experience falls flat.
Retailers are responsible for protecting and enhancing the value of every brand they work with. Which is why it’s crucial they understand their shopper’s mindset and can ensure the brand is positioned to meet them across every touchpoint in the path to purchase. If the shopper journey feels disconnected or uninspired, it will be damaging for both the retailer and for the brand.
Creative drives results
Retail media has evolved beyond simply placing products in front of the shopper. At Very, our focus is on delivering brand-centric, omnichannel campaigns that resonate with our audience. And creative is one of the key drivers for this. That’s why we go the extra mile by offering brands the opportunity to collaborate with us on campaign concept development to help them connect with the Very audience in a tailored way, and at scale.
In this new era of retail media, creativity is no longer a nice-to-have. Whether it’s online or in the physical store, creative will capture attention, drive engagement, and ultimately bring the shopping experience to life.
