• by Nina Lentini , Staff Writer @Nina_Lentini, April 30, 2019

When Mike Feldman, retail media-team lead, Georgia-Pacific, addressed retailers at media and data providers at MediaPost’s Search and Performance Insider Summit, he acknowledged there are “virtuous cycles of mutual benefit that create value for our retailers, consumers and ourselves."

Retailers want us to invest in their media properties, which GP does, he said. But the scariest area for Feldman is the video space. For example, Amazon is now bidding to sponsor the “NFL Sunday Ticket,” which would enable it to capture the largest live audience.

Still, for retailers GP works with, “we are able to get additional value,” he said. GP has created a scorecard to measure it differently. Overall, the value is media return — if that isn’t secured, the rest doesn't matter. Assuming they do, GP measures data “we’re not able to get otherwise, that we can use to optimize our campaigns.”

As for the path forward, Feldman said the space is “growing rapidly across all CPG, and investments in retail media is skyrocketing. More things are entering the space, building out capabilities. Walmart is bringing self-service on board.

“We meet with key retailers, show them our POV work in this area. Even smaller regional groceries with loyalty cards are thinking about how they leverage that data.”

For example, Kroger has over 70MM loyalty card shoppers, and GP is making strides in taking that data and using it effectively. “Its goal is to be the most transparent media company out there, which is refreshing, especially regarding walled gardens.

“Kroger is competing on a digital basis. We're excited for their digital transformation. As we think about ecommerce, it’s difficult to ship a huge box of toilet paper. With Kroger having grocery pickup, concierge service is exciting for us, allowing us to keep a normal path to store.

“The consumer is taking a bit of action to get to the store. We hope they have grocery pickups in all their stores. It helps from a two- or three-day shipping standpoint.”

He added: “All these players are doing good a job of getting more data. A lot of it is pay to play, unfortunately. When we get media returns, it helps us know our investments are effective. Basket analysis or deep dive on demographics and behaviors help us optimize our creative.”