|
MAY 26, 2026 |
|
|
|
Commerce media is pushing brands to break down internal silos and rethink how they organize teams, allocate budgets, and measure success across an increasingly fragmented ecosystem. |
"We're entering a new phase of maturity for commerce media," Jason Colon, executive vice president of commerce media at Horizon Commerce, said during EMARKETER's Ad Buyer Strategies Summit in conversation with our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian. "When we see brands execute commerce media with strong strategy, it's clear that commerce media has the potential to both build brand and drive transactions and to do so at scale." |
|
The conversation brought together Colon, James Clarke, head of media at Newell Brands, and Mark Grether, senior vice president and general manager at PayPal Ads, to discuss how commerce media is reshaping the marketing landscape. Their insights reveal how brands are navigating organizational change, measurement challenges, and new opportunities in a space where traditional boundaries between brand-building and performance marketing are dissolving. |
|
Organizational structure determines success |
|
Where commerce media sits within a company reveals how seriously brands take the channel. Traditionally, commerce media lived within shopper marketing, ecommerce, or sales departments, positioning that often limited it to conversion-focused activities. |
|
Newell Brands takes a different approach. Clarke's team, called "total media and partnerships," manages commerce media alongside paid national advertising, influencer marketing, and affiliate programs. This structure enables more impartial budget decisions and holistic media planning. |
|
|
|
| | | |
|
|
|
Walmart reported strong gains in its ads business in Q1 as it steadily grows to become a dominant retail media player. |
-
Global ad business revenues: +37% YoY; Walmart did not break out specific dollar amounts
-
US advertising: +36% YoY
-
US Walmart Connect ad revenues excluding Vizio: +44% YoY
-
Walmart international ad revenues: +32% YoY; Walmart attributed this to momentum at Indian retail and ecommerce business Flipkart, which Walmart owns a majority stake in |
|
Our forecast reaffirms Walmart’s strong growth. We expect the company’s US ad revenues will grow 30.7% this year to $6.65 billion after skyrocketing 54.3% in 2025 (its FY2025 global ad revenues totaled $6.4 billion, per its Q4 earnings release).
|
|
|
|
| | | |
|
|
|
Email sent to: |
|
If you cannot view the HTML newsletter, . |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
©2026 EMARKETER, 685 Third Avenue 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017 |
|
|
|
| | | |
