Next in Media: Retail Media's Future with Anne Harrell of Pacvue in Cannes

Release Date: June 30, 2025

In this insightful episode of Next in Media, host Mike Shields engages in a deep conversation with Anne Harrell, Group Product Manager at Pacvue, focusing on the evolving landscape of retail media. Recorded live in Cannes as part of a special series with Walmart Connect, the discussion delves into the intricacies of retail media attribution, data fragmentation, and the future trajectory of the industry.

1. The Current Landscape of Retail Media

Mike Shields opens the discussion by highlighting the booming nature of retail media companies and the complexities associated with closed-loop attribution across various retailer platforms.

Mike Shields [00:51]: "We talked to Ann Harrell, group product manager at Packvue. Anne and I talked about how the big retailers are really trying to level up and grab bigger budgets beyond just retail media spending..."

Anne Harrell acknowledges the challenges posed by data availability in measuring the effectiveness of retail media across diverse retailer platforms.

Anne Harrell [01:16]: "I think the biggest challenge is data availability. You know most people are advertising on these swell departments and so within the vault gardens it's very easy to do clothes loompediment to see what's working and what's not."

2. Navigating Data Fragmentation with Pacvue

Anne Harrell elaborates on Pacvue's extensive connectivity, integrating with over 90 retailer platforms either directly or through aggregators like Brittany Sadhu and Santos Carr.

Anne Harrell [01:30]: "So PACU has over 90 different retailer platforms that we're connected to either for the retailer relationship directly or through aggregators like Brittany Sadhu, Santos Car and I join us. There's a lot."

She emphasizes the complexity of measuring performance across these platforms and introduces data clean rooms as a pivotal solution for enhancing data flexibility and enabling advanced attribution models.

Anne Harrell [01:40]: "The one way that we found that really does allow for more data flexibility is the use of data clean rooms because you can share more granular data sets in a privacy safe way..."

3. The Importance of Data Clean Rooms in Attribution

Anne Harrell discusses how data clean rooms facilitate multi-touch attribution and incrementality models, essential for accurate performance measurement.

Anne Harrell [02:25]: "We believe that the expansion of data clean rooms and the ability to do kind of advanced modeling and custom modeling within them is the answer to incrementality."

4. Challenges of Cross-Channel and Cross-Platform Attribution

The conversation shifts to the difficulties of attributing performance across a retailer’s entire portfolio, especially when retailers are hesitant to share cross-channel data.

Anne Harrell [02:37]: "Most of the retailers are incentivized to allow you to see the different channels within their networks. They are very much the opposite of incentivized to share that data across."

She highlights the necessity of compelling brand storytelling to secure data sharing permissions from retailers, which in turn can lead to larger budgets and more integrated measurement approaches.

Anne Harrell [03:10]: "telling the brand story. And what's most important to note for retailers, brands alike, when you have this type of cross channel measurement, it typically leads to higher budgets long term because when you're able to measure something in."

5. The Evolution of Retail Media into a Unified Commerce Strategy

Mike Shields raises the point about major players like Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart expanding their roles across the customer journey, potentially blurring the lines of traditional retail media.

Mike Shields [04:06]: "They want to be part of all budgets and all parts of the customer journey. That seems like a good thing. But I wonder if, if it's harder to fit that into the retail media box."

Anne Harrell responds by illustrating how retail media is transforming into a comprehensive commerce strategy, integrating various channels like social platforms to create a seamless funnel.

Anne Harrell [04:47]: "We see very much so that the lines between retail, social, traditional search, upper funnel, lower funnel, they're all kind of blurring. Right. It's all becoming a channel for commerce."

She cites the launch of Pacvue’s TikTok connection as an example of how social platforms can be harmoniously integrated into retail media strategies.

Anne Harrell [05:34]: "We are seeing that all become one long commerce strategy. And when you think about it, it always has been right. It's just us now removing the barriers between these different segments so that they can act towards one goal as opposed to having different goals, different teams."

6. Optimizing Social Shopping Strategies

The discussion delves into the strategic nuances of social shopping, contrasting it with more predictable platforms like the Walmart app.

Mike Shields [05:51]: "You can't. Brands can't predict or engineer social shopping as well as they, they can target somebody who's shopping on a Walmart app."

Anne Harrell explains the evolving landscape, where social platforms offer opportunities for more controlled and trackable advertising campaigns, enhancing optimization and measurement.

Anne Harrell [06:39]: "So it's created by a creator or by your brand team. It actually ties back to a product and you control things like the audience, the bids... you can track it back to Amazon, Walmart target and see the impact. So once you are able to track and refine, I would say that it's, it's definitely something you can optimize."

7. Building Ecosystems for Comprehensive Optimization

Mike Shields brings up Walmart’s strategic moves into television advertising with Vizio, questioning whether other retailers might follow suit.

Mike Shields [06:39]: "What are you seeing from that relationship. Can they contend in that same kind of space and might we see other retailers kind of pushing that direction?"

Anne Harrell praises Walmart’s approach to building a comprehensive ecosystem that supports the entire conversion funnel, from streaming and CTV to on-site display and search.

Anne Harrell [07:01]: "They're building an ecosystem and I think that's the right clay in this, this modern world that we're all living in for, for retail, media and commerce in general."

She underscores the benefits of such ecosystems, particularly in enabling closed-loop measurement, which simplifies performance tracking and optimization within a unified platform.

Anne Harrell [08:03]: "The closed loop measurement is easier when it's all within one retailer platform."

8. The Future of Retail Media Partnerships

Concluding the episode, Mike Shields poses a forward-looking question about the scalability of ecosystems across Pacvue’s 90+ partners.

Mike Shields [08:13]: "Do they have to join forces or is there some kind of limited play there? We'll see what happens."

Anne Harrell remains optimistic, suggesting that the timing and collaborative efforts via aggregators signal a promising future for building robust retail media ecosystems.

Anne Harrell [08:30]: "Even if you're a small player, I don't think all hope is lost."

Conclusion

This episode of Next in Media provides a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and innovations shaping the future of retail media. Anne Harrell offers valuable insights into the importance of data integration, the shift towards unified commerce strategies, and the pivotal role of ecosystems in optimizing the customer journey. For industry professionals and enthusiasts alike, the discussion underscores the necessity of adaptability and strategic collaboration in navigating the ever-evolving media landscape.