The Middlemen Podcast by Nextipedia
In this episode of The Middlemen Podcast, Eleanor Hayden—renowned for her work with brands like Graza and Skinny Dipped—dives deep into the realities of buying and managing retail media for challenger CPG brands. She unpacks the shift from traditional shopper marketing to holistic strategies that blend in-store and digital media, highlighting the challenges and opportunities presented by self-serve platforms such as DoorDash and Instacart. Eleanor discusses why smaller brands are investing a significant portion of their revenue (often 2–4%) into integrated retail media and shopper marketing, and explains the critical importance of hands-on campaign management over automation or AI. The conversation also explores the limitations of current attribution models, the skepticism around CTV’s role for indie brands, and the need for platforms to better serve the nuanced needs of emerging players. Listeners will come away with actionable perspectives on maximizing ROI, the value of direct platform engagement, and the future of retail media as a unified discipline.
Chapters
00:40 Meet Eleanor Hayden: A Practitioner in Retail Media
01:18 The Reality of Retail Media for Indie Brands
02:06 Challenges and Insights in Retail Media
04:49 Eleanor's Journey and Experience
06:31 Shopper Marketing Explained
07:13 Early Campaigns and Retail Media Evolution
09:51 Platform Preferences and Performance
14:08 Hands-On Approach vs. Automation
18:51 Holistic Shopper Marketing Strategies
23:29 The Role of Attribution in Retail Media
29:40 CTV and Retail Media: A Critical Perspective
34:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts