Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®
Episode: #756: Eagle Eye CRO Jeff Baskin on maximizing your retail media network strategy
Date: October 24, 2025
Host: Greg Kihlström
Guest: Jeff Baskin, Chief Revenue Officer, Eagle Eye

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the ever-evolving world of retail media networks, exploring how retailers can leverage advanced AI, first-party data, and unified commerce strategies to transform retail media from a traditional ad channel into a strategic growth and profitability lever. Host Greg Kihlström and guest Jeff Baskin, CRO of Eagle Eye, discuss the latest trends, practical approaches, and emerging innovations driving greater business value and customer loyalty through retail media.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Evolution in Retail Media and Its Strategic Importance

• Shift from Traditional Advertising:

  • Retail media is no longer just “a Pepsi sign in the store” (03:38).
  • The space is rapidly evolving toward tightly integrated, personalized, omnichannel experiences leveraging loyalty data, purchase history, and AI.

• Attribution and Data-Driven Decision-Making:

  • Traditional retail had limited ability to show attribution; now, first-party data and AI enable precise measurement and real-time optimization.

Notable Quote:

“The leaders in this space are really utilizing loyalty programs, purchase history and AI to serve the right offers at the exact right time, whether that's in store, online or via mobile.”
— Jeff Baskin (04:19)

2. Retail Media’s Broader Business Impacts

• Beyond Short-Term Sales:

  • Modern retail media is a strategic lever enhancing long-term customer relationships, not just a sales-boosting tool (05:10).
  • True leaders focus on customer loyalty, deeper insights, and an overall improved customer experience.

• Personalization in Practice:

  • Integration of loyalty programs, personalized offers, and recognition builds deeper loyalty.
  • 71% of consumers expect brands to personalize interactions (06:07).

Notable Quote:

“Retail media is being tightly integrated with loyalty programs... This makes shoppers feel more recognized and valued, which deepens loyalty.”
— Jeff Baskin (06:12)

• Feedback and Optimization:
  • Retail media offers a real-time feedback loop essential for iterative learning and campaign refinement.
  • Example: AI-powered gamification (like Tesco’s challenges) creates emotional connections and drives lasting loyalty (07:05).

3. Advanced AI in Retail Media Networks

• One-to-One Personalization at Scale:
  • AI enables segmentation down to individual preferences, moving past broad demographic targeting.
  • Example: Tesco’s Clubcard Challenges, which expanded from 3M to over 10M personalized experiences (08:10–09:15).

Notable Quote:

“AI... is truly getting us to that one-to-one personalization which is helping retailers move beyond basic demographic targeting and segmentation...”
— Jeff Baskin (08:19)

• Breaking Down Data Silos and Unifying Commerce:
  • AI unifies disparate data (loyalty, e-commerce, in-store) to build a holistic customer view and better inform marketing strategies (09:58–10:46).
  • Real-time adjustments incorporate inventory, local events, and competitor pricing for more relevant customer experiences.

4. Focusing on Margin Impact over Top-Line Metrics

• Profitability Is Key:
  • Retail, and especially grocery, operates on thin margins (11:43). Retailers need solutions driving incrementality and profit, not just sales volume.
  • Retail media boosts margin by connecting offers to actual incremental, profitable sales, not just repeat purchases.

Notable Quote:

“Any initiative that only boosts top line sales without protecting margin can feel like you’re running faster on a treadmill without getting ahead.”
— Jeff Baskin (11:48)

• Incrementality with Real-World Examples:
  • Tesco’s challenges guarantee incrementality by incentivizing increased purchases, not just sales to the same loyal customers (12:45).
  • At Eagle Eye, tight integration of media and loyalty ensures campaigns deliver profitable outcomes.

5. Closed-Loop Attribution and Practical Recommendations

• Actionable Steps for Retailers:
  • Integrate loyalty and retail media data for closed-loop attribution, directly tying ad spend to profitable, incremental purchases (13:48).
  • Eagle Eye’s platform enables this precision personalization and attribution across digital and physical channels.

Notable Quote:

“Our vision is to embed retail media into the wider marketing and loyalty ecosystem where your data is flowing across channels and attribution is built in...”
— Jeff Baskin (14:15)

• Increased Digital Engagement:
  • Gamified campaigns don’t just drive sales but increase brand engagement and customer touchpoints (14:39).

6. The Future of Retail Media & AI’s Ongoing Role

• Data-Driven Personalization as Differentiator:

  • The next phase: Leveraging first-party data and adaptive AI to drive real-time, hyper-personalized customer experiences (15:01–15:37).

• More Gamification and Engagement:

  • The shift toward media that’s interactive and experiential blurs the line between advertising and loyalty-building (15:44).

Notable Quote:

“AI will continue to play a central role in enabling retailers to deliver experiences that are not only relevant, but also adaptive in real time.”
— Jeff Baskin (15:09)

7. Leadership Perspective: Staying Agile

• Understanding Partners and Customers:
  • Agility comes from a deep understanding of both retail partners and end consumers.
  • Customization is essential; “not a one size fits all program” (16:12).
  • Continuous collaboration with clients, adapting to their evolving needs, ensures Eagle Eye’s—and its customers’—success.

Notable Quote:

“If we understand all of that and they’re successful and we look at their metrics and their goals... then at the end of the day, myself, Eagle Eye, we’ll be successful as well and we’ll be partners forever.”
— Jeff Baskin (16:35)

Segment Timestamps (MM:SS)

• [03:38] — Redefining retail media & the personalization revolution
• [05:10] — Using retail media for long-term strategic value
• [07:05] — AI-powered gamification: Tesco example & deepening loyalty
• [08:10–09:15] — AI’s role in personalizing at scale, Tesco case
• [09:58] — Unifying commerce and insights with AI
• [11:43] — Margin vs. top-line focus in retail media
• [13:48] — Practical steps for attribution and measurement
• [15:01] — The future: data-driven personalization and AI
• [16:06] — Leadership: staying agile through customization and partnership

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Retail media is being tightly integrated with loyalty programs... This makes shoppers feel more recognized and valued, which deepens loyalty.”
  — Jeff Baskin (06:12)

• “AI... is truly getting us to that one-to-one personalization...”
  — Jeff Baskin (08:19)

• “Any initiative that only boosts top line sales without protecting margin can feel like you’re running faster on a treadmill without getting ahead.”
  — Jeff Baskin (11:48)

• “Our vision is to embed retail media into the wider marketing and loyalty ecosystem where your data is flowing across channels and attribution is built in...”
  — Jeff Baskin (14:15)

• “AI will continue to play a central role in enabling retailers to deliver experiences that are not only relevant, but also adaptive in real time.”
  — Jeff Baskin (15:09)

Conclusion

In this episode, Jeff Baskin emphasizes a strategic, data-centric, and incrementality-focused approach to retail media. Through seamless unification of first-party data, loyalty programs, and AI-driven personalization, leading retailers are transforming ad dollars into measurable, profitable customer engagement and loyalty. The future of retail media lies in agility, gamification, and real-time adaptive experiences—turning every campaign into a long-term asset for both retailers and their brand partners.