Is everyone else feeling a little fatigued by all the AI talk? That's because the conversations often fall into two extremes. On one side, there is the belief that AI will transform everything overnight. On the other, there is skepticism, concern, and legitimate questions about what it means for teams, creativity, quality, and the future of work.
The reality for most retail media networks and brand organizations sits somewhere in between.
At GenesisX, we've seen firsthand how organizational complexity and intentional, methodical decision-making shape how new technologies are evaluated and adopted. Retailers move carefully for good reason. They've built customer relationships that can't be compromised, and the teams inside these organizations have developed processes designed to protect quality, consistency, and business outcomes.
AI doesn't change those realities and that's exactly why it isn't the conversation RMN leaders need to be having.
The Real Question
The better question is: what problems are our organizations facing, and where can new capabilities help us solve them better?
Strip away the AI discussion and there are real business challenges retail media organizations are trying to solve:
- How do teams create more personalized experiences?
- How do brands get more value from their retail partnerships?
- How do organizations scale creative output without sacrificing quality?
- How do retailers build stronger connections between shoppers, brands, and experiences?
That's why we believe the next evolution of retail media will be a creative one.
Beyond Data, Targeting, and Measurement
RMNs have spent the last several years competing on three core advantages: first-party shopper data, audience targeting, and closed-loop measurement. Those capabilities upended the industry, creating new revenue streams for retailers and giving brands a level of shopper understanding traditional media never could. They still matter but they're no longer enough on their own to create meaningful differentiation.
We're seeing it play out in real time. The new CTV offerings through Walmart Connect, in-store radio at Dollar General, enhanced club experiences with Sam's Club Connect, long-form video series from Albertsons Media Collective. The common thread isn't the format — it's the ambition.
Reach alone isn’t enough to move the needle
It's no longer only about where you reach the audience. It's about what you do once you have their attention. We believe that's a creative challenge, not a media-buying one.
More inventory means more opportunity and more opportunity generates more creative demand than most teams are currently to produce. The winner won't simply be whoever can find the shopper. It will be whoever can create the most relevant connection once they have.
So yes, retail media has become a creative business. The organizations that treat that as an operational problem to solve — not a trend to react to — are the ones who will pull ahead.