• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, Yesterday

Retail-owned media networks are retail-specific advertising platforms that often do not share measurement criteria or results with brands. These networks, many from big-box retailers, can lack the ability to share measurement criteria and performance data, leaving brands in the dark about whether their ad spend is actually driving results.

Swiftly has turned retail platforms into commerce networks. It found a way to aggregate the collective power of independent and regional companies to reach consumers in many ways that traditional retail media giants like Target, Kroger, and Walmart cannot, said Henry Kim, Swiftly co-founder and CEO.

Kim said his company’s approach unlocks new avenues for brands to reach consumers wherever they shop, going beyond the walls of any one retailer by bridging fragmented silos and tapping into diverse data sources.

The collective gives marketers the ability to create omnichannel campaigns supported by data. For brands, it means gaining flexibility, scale, and transparency — finally realizing the promise of networked commerce media.

Supported by artificial intelligence (AI) and first-party data, Swiftly is creating a platform to make smarter media-buying decisions. The platform will answer questions such as what the optimal spend for the highest incremental return on investment (iROS) would be.

Swiftly works with Circle K, Target, Save Mart, Save a Lot, and Gelson’s, as they act as regional companies. It also names brand like Dreyer’s, Red Bull, Mondelez, Coca-Cola, SC Johnson, Kraft Heinz, and many others as partners.

“A typical box grocer has between 40,000 and 50,000 SKUs,” Kim said. “The complexity there is highest, but now we’re going into different brick-and-mortar retail formats.”

Kim believes AI can do something very specific for Swiftly’s clients — find the highest return on ad spend.

About 80 developers work in research and development (R&D), working on projects like audience optimizer, a personalized digital circular that launched last year that serves personal content rather than everyone seeing the same items.

This high-margin retail media network type of business creates pressure to keep growing the businesses. Seth Dallaire, who leads Walmart’s growth organization, highlighted the company’s "over 26% growth" in its Connect business during a meeting in April.

Competition through Swiftly helps independent and regional grocers compete against retail giants.

Its network unites 70 retail banners across the U.S., creating a media network with national reach and regional relevance, accessing 5.5 million consumers across the independent and regional grocery space.