In May of 2024 I skipped out of the Acadia offices on my last day. "I never have to talk about ACOS or Prime Day ever again!" I said to myself. "I don't know what I'm going to do next, but it's going to have absolutely nothing to do with retail media."
FAMOUS LAST WORDS is the phrase that now comes to mind.
Something powerful has pulled me back to this industry and kick off a new project in 2025.
During my sabbatical last year I kept thinking about the last retail industry conference I attended, the Digital Shelf Summit in Nashville. One morning at the event I got a little lost trying to find the breakfast room. I followed a group of conference-goers into a queue for food. I looked around at the sullen-faced, gray suited attendees, murmuring in serious conversations.... even at this pre-coffee hour, something didn't seem right. It finally dawned on me after locating some signage -- I was in the wrong room! This was the National Association of Endocrinology Researchers (or something).
I made my way to the correct location (if you've been to the enormous Gaylord Opryland hotel in Nashville, you may relate to getting lost there) and the room was popping! People were hugging, fist-bumping, trading war stories. People were absolutely stoked to be here.
The endocrinology folks may be saving lives, and as a type 1 diabetic, I'm happy they are doing what they do. Retail media on the other hand is not saving the world, but the people in this space are here for something else. They love the challenge. They love being on the edge of a wave. They are fired up about their customer. They've picked a villain to go after and they're pulling out all the stops to attack them.
There's an energy and youthfulness to this space that is hard to find elsewhere.
And as I speak to these smart and driven people -- both on the brand side and the solution provider side -- I see everyone drinking from the fire-hose. It's the only way, in an industry that went from $13BN in spend in 2019, to $61BN just 5 years later. There is so much news to keep on top of, so many trends to note, so many new features and developments to track.
And at in-person events, I see people's eyes light up not just because of the content, but because they finally get to connect with people who understand them. Within their own organizations, they are often on an island -- part of a small team that is misunderstood by the rest of the company. Constantly defending, educating, explaining.
WHAT'S NEXT
I am called back to contribute what I can in this space. To help people make sense of the headlines and what they really mean. To help ecomm folks out there feel a little less alone.
So, without further ado, I'm excited to announce Retail Media Breakfast Club, a podcast, Youtube channel and newsletter for candid takes on the trends in retail media & marketplaces.
WHAT IT IS
I can hear some people say, “Not another podcast…??!!”
Look, I'm not looking to replace anyone's favorite ecomm podcast. They are all wonderful and offer unique value, I am a huge fan of many of them.
But I saw a space for a complement to these shows. Here's the pitch:
DAILY episodes that drop at 6AM eastern time, just in time for your morning coffee, dog walk, or commute
10 minute episodes, so you can get some intel and then get on with your day
The content is editorial, getting behind the carefully-chosen words in press announcements and into a real point of view
It's ambitious to ship content daily, for sure. But when I hear how people in the space are educating themselves -- in small 10-15 minute chunks throughout the day — I know that bite-sized content is what these fast times call for.
ITS FUN
I was thrilled to work with a super talented designer, Jared Lebel, to make the brand fun and fresh. It feels casual and social, like splitting a stack of pancakes with a friend.
I want it to be something you’re excited to wake up to and make part of your morning.
WHAT NOW
If you’re subscribed to this newsletter, you’ll start getting twice-weekly emails summarizing the topics from the week. There will be links out to written versions of the daily content. If you’re reading this in your email inbox, you’re already subscribed and no further action is required!
If you prefer audio, you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or any podcast app. (Let me know if its missing from your favorite podcast player)
If video is your jam, I’m also posting every episode to Youtube.
And I’ll keep posting every day on LinkedIn, too.
As of today, there are a couple of episodes live, so you can get a feel for it. To start with I’m experimenting with some different formats. Some where I’m riffing on a topic like Amazon’s Rufus AI, others where I call up a few brand-side friends to get their takes and advice. Finally on Fridays I plan to review a book - perhaps the history of a brand or retailer, or a textbook on marketing or strategy. Because a lot of people tell me they don’t have time to read all the books they want to.
Launching a new thing is scary — even in an field that you know well. No matter how many posts and articles I write, or podcasts and videos I share, there’s always a little demon on my shoulder saying “This is stupid, what if you’re wrong, what if thousands of people now think you’re stupid and wrong?”
I share this often with people who are new to publishing content, who may be anxious about putting themselves out there. That the anxiety may not ever really go away. But that you can use it as a way to hold yourself accountable for good quality thinking, but then let it go.
Today I’m excited and anxious. A supportive comment would go a long way 🤗
But much more important than that is your genuine feedback, so I can make Retail Media Breakfast Club the best thing I’ve done yet.
Either way, I would love, love, love to hear what you think so far.
— Your friend Kiri
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