Retail and commerce media continue to grow, with ad spend expected to exceed $100 billion by 2028.
But as the market matures, growth is slowing as challenges emerge including lack of measurement standardization across networks. In a survey of Association of National Advertisers (ANA) members, 55% of marketers cite lack of standardization as their number one barrier to evaluating performance. Without industry-wide implementation of measurment standards, definitions and reporting, comparability of campaigns across networks is difficult to achieve.
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) recently released a new report to provide an overview of the industry today, challenges and solutions to establish greater transparency and comparability across networks. The full report is available here, but here are a few key points to know and recommendations for marketers, media networks and technology providers.
Key Points:
Standardized baseline metrics must be implemented first. Marketers cannot evaluate outcome metrics such as return on investment, sales lift or incrementality unless foundational metrics are measured consistently across networks. This includes adhering to industry standards for impressions, viewability, clicks and invalid traffic to create a strong foundation for comparability.
Greater transparency is needed around reporting. Marketers need clearer visibility into how networks define, calculate and classify the metrics they report. More consistent definitions and disclosures can help reduce confusion and make it easier for marketers to evaluate campaigns.
Independent, third-party assurance strengthens confidence in results. The report also recommends expanding the role of third-party assurance to verify that baseline media metrics are adhering to industry standards and support more credible comparisons across retail media networks. Independent validation from AAM can confirm that networks and vendors are measuring and reporting data according to industry standards, providing marketers with greater confidence in campaign outcomes.
Recommendations for Marketers
The ANA’s report also outlines several recommendations marketers can take to improve comparability across networks.
Advocate for standardized measurement practices. Encourage partners to adopt industry standards for baseline metrics and definitions to improve comparability.
Ask for greater transparency. Understand how networks define and report key metrics, including how product categories are defined, how audiences are constructed, which lookback windows are used and other reporting practices that may affect outcomes.
Encourage independent validation. Ask partners to participate in third-party assurance programs that verify measurement processes, data quality and adherence to industry standards. Programs such as AAM’s Incrementality Certification and Retail Media Measurement Certification support greater transparency and standardization across networks.
Support progress now. The report encourages the industry to implement common standards today rather than wait for guidelines that impact all aspects of retail and commerce media. Standardization efforts will continue to evolve, but early adoption can provide a foundation for consistency and confidence across the ecosystem.
Recommendations for Media Networks and Vendors:
Based on the report’s recommendations for marketers, here are some steps retailers and technology providers can take to establish greater transparency and standardization.
Align with industry standards. Adopt measurement methodologies and reporting practices that align with industry guidelines for media measurement and reporting.
Increase transparency. Clearly disclose how metrics are defined, calculated and reported so marketers can better understand and compare results across networks.
Participate in independent validation. Enroll in third-party assurance programs to demonstrate adherence to industry standards, receive recommendations for optimization and strengthen confidence in reported metrics and outcomes.
AAM's Retail Media Measurement Certification programs can help organizations validate measurement practices against industry standards and demonstrate a commitment to transparency and accountability. These programs were developed to verify that networks and tech providers meet industry standards for measurement and reporting. Learn more about AAM's incrementality and commerce media certifications.
