• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, August 29, 2022

Vibenomics, which built a business to help retail “control a vibe” to drive “business economics” through audio and other media, has created the In-Store Marketplace (ISM) platform, which focuses on media in the store and enables competitors to collaborate.

The platform was created as a centralized ecosystem where in-store media publishers can manage campaigns through the ISM Ad-Server and ISM portal. It provides oversight of retail media pricing, yield management and reporting on buying activity.

Publishers working alongside retailers can integrate ISM into their respective retail media platforms. Providers, such as Citrus Ad, are then able to expand a unified offering to include in-store without the challenges of integrating the disparate in-store media systems.

The plan is to spin off ISM, making it an agnostic platform that allows any publisher to join and any retail media network to use it, supporting media buys like in-store audio or displays, digitized media within the store.

“We contribute the technology and shine the spotlight on the need,” says Paul Brenner, president of audio out-of-home and chief strategy officer at Vibenomics. “We focus on media in the store.”

U.S. retail media spend has grown, rising 31.4% to hit $41.37 billion -- and now represents 17.2% of total U.S. digital ad spend, according to Insider Intelligence.

Brenner serves as interim lead for ISM, as Vibenomics works to spin out the wholly owned subsidiary. After a year and a half of research and building support for the company, early adopters like Merkle, which has a strong focus in retail, have stepped up to step in.

Chelsea Monaco, vice president of e-retail and commerce media at Merkle, partners with ISM for retailers and brands to accelerate media buying in stores.

The agency has a practice called New Stream Media that supports retailers through retail media networks and data monetization, but also works with brands and partners to accelerate growth through the marketplace.

“CPGs and advertisers are looking for omnichannel solutions, and we see ISM as a first of a kind solution to simplify audio and display,” Monaco said.

Brenner said the ultimate goal is to spin off the company, making it agnostics, so competitors to Vibenomics can feel comfortable working with ISM.

Some competitors, in-store media companies, include Mood Media, a large provider of in-store retail displays; Sellr Technologies, interactive screen put in the isles of stores to get coupons and information; Fuel Media TV, a place-based media network; WaterStation Technology, which provides the ability to fill a jug full of water; and others, will provide a consistent, ubiquitous, single-point of integration for any in-store retail media platform.

The ISM marketplace lets retail to access a variety of digital audio and display inventory.