EPIC-25 – Elise Jibson – Building a Retail Media Network

Building a Retail Media Network: Pioneering Successful Partnerships in Retail Media

In her compelling presentation, “Building a Retail Media Network”, Elise Jibson from Boots Media Group shared the inside story of creating one of the UK’s most successful retail media partnerships. The session provided a masterclass in how traditional retailers can transform their media offerings through strategic collaboration.

Elise outlined the impressive foundation that made this partnership possible: Boots’ dominant market position as the UK’s No.1 health and beauty retailer, with over 1,900 stores reaching 85% of the UK population within 10 minutes, 33 million monthly website visits, and 11% sales growth in FY23/24. This was combined with SMG’s expertise as the UK’s leading commerce media agency, bringing over 16 years of experience and award-winning capabilities in connecting retailers, supplier brands, and shoppers.

The presentation detailed how Boots Media Group (BMG) was built on five key principles: insight-led campaign planning, fair and transparent toolkits, market-competitive diverse media offerings, unified supplier-funded media access, and comprehensive campaign evaluations. The session showcased the rapid expansion from basic advertising placements to a sophisticated omnichannel media ecosystem spanning in-store displays, digital platforms, mobile apps, audio partnerships, and innovative formats like gamification.

A highlight was the introduction of Audience 360, BMG’s first-party data engine, which has established market-leading off-site capabilities with standard, propensity, and bespoke audience targeting across major platforms including Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify. The presentation concluded with insights into future trends driving retail media: the need for standardised transparent measurement, full omnichannel performance optimisation, and harnessing first-party data with emerging technologies.

Elise’s key takeaways emphasised that successful retail media networks require data-driven strategies, strong relationships, customised approaches, and seamless integration of brand building with conversion tactics.