Due to Industry Demand, IAB Connected Commerce Summit Returns bigger than ever with a Two-Day Event Experience Addressing the Rise of Retail Media

NEW YORK, November 30, 2023 – The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the digital media and marketing trade association, today unveiled its 2024 thought leadership and marketplace events schedule. Aiming to excite, inspire, and motivate, the event lineup addresses key issues across marketing, AI, streaming, gaming, retail, and public policy, as well as responsible media and data use. 

“IAB’s mission is to gather the industry together, and provide insights and tools to help buyers, marketers, and the entire digital ecosystem navigate these shifts,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The only constant in the digital marketplace is change, and there is probably no time in recent memory where there has been so much in flux at one time. Opportunity and growth are born out of this dynamism, which is incredibly exciting.”

Overview of 2024 Tentpole Events

IAB ALM 2024: On January 28-30, the 2024 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting will gather digital pioneers and business leaders in Marco Island, Florida to discuss critical topics for the industry, and, with its returning theme “It Starts Here,” will set the agenda for the year to come. With nearly 100 speakers including more CMOs than ever before, attendees will hear from leading executives through keynotes, insightful panel discussions, and curated networking experiences covering the most important topics in the digital advertising space such as generative AI, responsible media, commerce, creativity, the evolution of streaming, and much more.

“ALM kicks off the year gathering leaders, thinkers, and builders to tackle the biggest industry issues from the creator economy, cookie deprecation, consumer privacy, policy regulation, and more,” added Cohen. “We also couldn’t have a conference without discussing the state of measurement. Returning to the ALM stage are the CEOs of Comscore, iSpot, Nielsen, and VideoAmp who will participate in the “Great Measurement Debate Part 2” to address measurement opportunities, challenges, and what we, as an industry, can do better to effectively measure campaign effectiveness.”

Some of this year’s featured speakers thus far include:

• Ime Archibong, Vice President, Product Management, Meta
• Bob Bakish, President and CEO, Paramount Global
• Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Senator (R-TN)
• Alysia Borsa, Chief Business Officer and President, Lifestyle, Dotdash Meredith
• Jen Brace, Chief Futurist, Ford
• Jon Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer, Comscore
• Jeffrey Cole, Director of the Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg School
• Stephanie Dobbs Brown, Chief Marketing Officer, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)
• Esi Eggleston Bracey, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer – Effective January 1, 2024, Unilever
• Nancy Hall, Chief Executive Officer, Mindshare North America
• John Halley, President, Paramount Advertising
• Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer, McDonald’s USA
• Diana Haussling, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Consumer Experience & Growth, Chief Marketing Officer, Colgate-Palmolive
• Debora Kantt, Executive Director, Futurist, Strategic Foresight & Future Studies Lead, JP Morgan
• Jenna Lebel, Chief Marketing Officer, Liberty Mutual
• Ross McCray, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, VideoAmp
• Andrea Mitchell, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and Chief Washington Correspondent; Host, MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports”
• Sean Muller, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, iSpot.tv
• Peter Naylor, Vice President, Advertising Sales, Netflix
• Katie Neil, Head of Connected Commerce Marketing and Investments, The Coca-Cola Company
• Amie Owen, Global Chief Commerce Officer, UM Worldwide
• Shelly Palmer, Chief Executive Officer, The Palmer Group
• Karthik Rao, Chief Executive Officer, Nielsen
• Jenny Rooney, Chief Experience Officer, Adweek
• Susan Schiekofer, Chief Digital Investment Officer, GroupM U.S.
• Jessica Sibley, Chief Executive Officer, TIME
• Resh Sidhu, Global Director Arcadia Creative Studio, Snap Inc
• Aaron Sorkin, Screenwriter, Playwright, and Director
• Jonathan Stringfield, Vice President, Global Business Research & Marketing, Activision Blizzard Media
• Jennie Weber, Chief Marketing Officer, Best Buy Co. Inc.

For the latest on ALM speakers, please visit: iab.com/alm 

Over the course of three days, attendees will hear discussions around critical issues including:

• Generative AI, the Creativity Revolution, and Ethical Crossroads in the Digital Economy
• Navigating the Convergence of Omni-Channel Experiences, Retail Media, Shoppable Ads, and Content
• Privacy in Practice: From Policy to Implementation
• The March Towards a ‘Streaming-First’ Future
• Ethical Pulse: Steering the Digital Industry Towards Responsible Media and Inclusive Best Practices
• A New Era of Creativity: Attention, Innovation, and Personalization

Full agenda can be accessed here: iab.com/alm 

“Attendees come to ALM to hear firsthand from brands and marketers on how they’re adapting to industry change and moving the needle for their companies to thrive in the digital advertising ecosystem,” said Carryl Pierre-Drews, EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, IAB. “This year, we have more CMOs and marketing executives taking the stage at ALM, including Best Buy, Liberty Mutual, McDonald’s, Unilever, and more. In addition to the various sessions, IAB will host a CMO-centric breakfast addressing the critical role of marketers in leading AI efforts.” 

On January 29 at ALM, IAB will host with Adweek the Marketing Vanguard CMO breakfast, an invitation-only gathering of leading marketing executives plus their rising stars. They’ll meet to explore AI’s impact on advertising, marketing, and business strategy. Moderated by Jenny Rooney, Chief Experience Officer at Adweek, the panel discussion at the breakfast, titled “Steering the AI Ship: Exploring the CMO’s Role and Responsibility,” will dive into the CMO’s role in driving company-wide AI efforts, implementation, and usage that is customer-first, on-brand, and responsible.

IAB PlayFronts 2024, March 26-27, 2024, New York City, In-person & Virtual 

The third annual IAB PlayFronts makes its return bigger than ever before, taking place over two days in New York City as well as live-streamed. IAB PlayFronts is dedicated to showcasing advertising and partnership opportunities in the gaming industry. Leading game publishers, streaming platforms, and ad tech partners will demonstrate creative opportunities for brands in the gaming landscape, and present opportunities to elevate the effectiveness of gaming.

IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit 2024, April 2, 2024, Washington, D.C., In-person

With new regulations and state privacy laws taking effect, the digital media landscape is constantly evolving. Hear from experts to stay ahead of all the legal, policy, and technical challenges impacting businesses today. The annual IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit will bring together leaders in advertising, media, technology, and the government to address how to continue to build a sustainable consumer-centric media and marketing ecosystem.

IAB NewFronts 2024, April 29-May 2, 2024, New York City, In-person & Virtual 

IAB NewFronts hosts some of the biggest names in media and entertainment fostering valuable partnerships between brands and native digital video content. Across New York City and streamed virtually, IAB NewFronts is a one-stop shop for media buyers eager to get a first look at the latest digital video content and advertising solutions. For the second year in a row, IAB will have its stage again on Wednesday, May 1st to feature a selection of presenting companies. 

IAB Podcast Upfront 2024, May 9, 2024, New York City, In-person & Virtual

Following IAB NewFronts, IAB Podcast Upfront is designed for brands, agencies, and media buyers to preview the latest in innovative podcast programming. Join leading audio and podcast companies as they showcase the power of podcasts and announce brand new shows and content opportunities for advertisers to align with their brand. IAB Podcast Upfront will take place in New York City and be streamed virtually.

IAB Connected Commerce Summit 2024, September 17-18, New York City, In-person

Back by popular demand, and for two full days, IAB Connected Commerce Summit will dive into where the future of retail commerce is heading and how it could improve business operations. Attendees will hear from thought leaders in e-commerce and retail media about the most impactful strategies that will help brands stay ahead of the game. 

IAB Privacy Compliance Salon, September 22, 2024, Los Angeles, In-person

For the first time, IAB will host the Privacy Compliance Salon bringing together senior privacy leaders in the digital advertising industry for thought-provoking and practical discussions around today’s most challenging privacy compliance issues. Attendees will learn about managing sensitive personal information, the use of data clean rooms, and legal considerations in leveraging AI in marketing campaigns.

IAB State Privacy Law Summit 2024, November 2024, New York City, In-person 

With additional state privacy laws taking effect every year, the third IAB State Privacy Law Summit will convene privacy lawyers and cross-functional privacy professionals to make sense of the latest state privacy law changes. In particular, this event involves interactive deep-dive discussions between panelists and the audience and leverages data flows to give industry participants a clearer understanding of the industry’s challenges and provide pathways for compliance.

For more information and updates regarding IAB’s events, visit: www.iab.com/events. 

About IAB

The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts

Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan

347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706

btibaldi@kcsa.com / mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post IAB Announces Robust ALM Speaker Lineup and Themes Addressing Evolving Digital Advertising Marketplace: Organization Also Unveils Events Schedule appeared first on IAB.

New York – September 13, 2023 – Retail Media was one of the fastest growing U.S. advertising channels in 2022, according to a new report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) titled “Retail Media 2023: Operational Strategies to Meet the Growth Potential.”

“It’s a sea change in how the biggest advertisers are planning to reach customers,“ said Jeffrey Bustos, VP, Measurement, Addressability, Data Center, IAB. “Retailers have a treasure trove of first-party data that enables advertisers to reach high intent audiences and provide closed loop-measurement, and budgets are shifting accordingly.”

The study, released today at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Retail Reimagined, was created in partnership with BWG Strategy, and surveyed 200 RMN ad buyers at brands and agencies, as well as conducted over 30 interviews with senior decision-makers at retailers, brands, agencies, and intermediaries, including demand side platforms (DSPs), supply side platforms (SSPs), and data providers.

“At IAB we have a unique perspective given our experience over the past three decades of digital development, and the ecosystem-wide impact that RMNs are having,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “In some ways, we are reliving the formative years of the ad-supported internet and developing solutions for brands, buyers, ad tech and retailers to grow their businesses responsibly. We can, and are, helping RMNs realize their full potential which is very gratifying.”

Key Findings: Greater Growth Ahead

RMN ad buyers are projected to increase spend by 11% year-over-year in 2023. These are defined as buyers at brands and agencies spending at least $5M on RMNs annually.

• Among those increasing spending on RMNs, investments are expected to rise by nearly 20%.
• Top reasons to buy: reach incremental audiences (55%); leverage retailer first-party data (52%); drive performance (48%); and leverage customer data (45%).
• The Endemic Brand “Spend Tax” Grievance is a myth. Only 28% of buyers cite the requirement to spend as a top reason for buying.
• To fund increased RMN investment, more than half (52%) are reallocating funds from across digital platforms, including social, search, and digital video/CTV while more than one-third (36%) are reallocating funds from linear TV, print and out-of-home.
• Cross-RMN measurement standards and transparency around attribution windows, incrementality, and viewability, for consistent RMN comparisons will significantly help propel ad spend.

Key Findings: Areas of Opportunity

• Retail media can grow even faster, but must first address key ecosystem-wide issues.
• Improving measurement and data collection is the #1 opportunity area identified by buyers.
• Over two-thirds of RMN ad buyers (69%) cited the need to resolve complexity in the buying process. While many RMNs operate in silos and lack automated buying and cross-RMN performance capabilities, some have begun to provide self-service and managed-service activation platforms. Private marketplaces (PMPs) have also begun to emerge.
• Nearly 2-in-3 buyers (62%) cited the lack of measurement standards as a top challenge to continued growth, followed by nearly 60% wanting greater transparency.
• 60% of ad buyers want better collaboration and communication with RMNs. Tellingly, only one in ten (12%) ad buyers are “very satisfied” with their RMN partner relationships and communication.

“Everyone notes a lack of alignment of stakeholders across shopper marketing, performance marketing, brand marketing and beyond” said Jeffrey Bustos, VP, Measurement, Addressability, Data Center, IAB. “There’s a big opportunity for brands to leap ahead of their competition if they do the work to align everyone’s interests and provide a unified point of view and clarity around goals.”

Click here to download “Retail Media 2023: Operational Strategies to Meet the Growth Potential” study.

IAB/MRC Release Retail Media Measurement Guidelines for Public Comment

As found in the IAB Retail Media Network study, there is a lack of consistent measurement across different RMNs that has emerged as a significant challenge.

The wide array of retailer offerings and metrics has led to difficulties in evaluating campaign performance across platforms. The industry is actively addressing this issue, with IAB and Media Rating Council (MRC) working together to establish measurement guidelines through cross-industry collaboration. The working group’s guidelines will be presented for public comment at the IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Retail Reimagined on September 13, 2023, and will be open for 30 days until October 13, 2023.

“Everything we’ve learned in this study points to the fact that the continued growth and success of retail media hinge on achieving measurement standardization,” said Bustos. “That’s why IAB and MRC are working together to identify existing standards, define common metrics, and create guidelines to ensure consistent measurement across platforms, promoting transparency and confidence in retail media investment.”

IAB and MRC developed retail media measurement guidelines, covering numerous aspects including audience measurement, in-store digital placed-based measurements, ad delivery, viewability, incrementality, reporting, and transparency. This methodical approach ensures all key areas are addressed to achieve comprehensive standardization.

To review the IAB/MRC Retail Media Measurement Guidelines and provide feedback, visit http://iab.com/retailmeasurement.

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Brittany Tibaldi / Michael Vaughan
347-487-6794 / 813-210-1706
btibaldi@kcsa.com/mvaughan@kcsa.com

The post More than Half of Retail Media Networks Advertisers Are Reallocating Budgets To RMNs, According to New IAB Study appeared first on IAB.

New York – July 26, 2023 – In response to the evolving consumer shopping habits and the increasing convergence of online and offline retail, IAB has introduced the IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Retail Reimagined. This inaugural event taking place on September 13 gathers retailers, marketers, and solution providers in-person in New York City to address the challenges and opportunities presented by connected commerce and retail media.

“No one could have predicted how quickly the commerce experience has changed on all sides of the equation. Consumers, retailers, and the extended digital ecosystem are rapidly evolving to meet this new marketplace dynamic,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “IAB Connected Commerce Summit will make sense of this new landscape for marketers, and deliver innovative insights to maximize the use of retail media networks, capitalize on trends in social shopping, and more.”

Cohen continued, “Retail media networks have exploded over the past few years. For many brands, they are uncharted territory. We’re thrilled to be able to host an event that will help brands and retailers come together, hear from experts, and navigate this new growth engine.”

The IAB Connected Commerce Summit will explore four key themes: data and measurement, new content experiences, the rise of retail media networks, and innovation and technology in commerce. The one-day event will showcase innovative technologies, platforms, measurement opportunities, and data possibilities through forward-thinking keynote presentations and panel discussions. Attendees will learn from thought leaders in e-commerce and retail media about the most impactful strategies to improve the shopping experience, deliver revenue growth, and help marketers revolutionize their marketing campaigns, and remain competitive.

IAB will also be releasing its first-ever comprehensive research study on the retail media ecosystem. The study aims to show how effective communication and collaboration both within and across companies, including retailers, brands, and agencies, are integral to tapping the full market potential of retail media.​​

As part of its mission to continually educate its membership on emerging areas in our industry, IAB has been focused on retail media and will release its retail media measurement standards for public comment at the event.

In addition, IAB’s Retail Media Network Committee recently launched the IAB Retail Media Buyer’s Guide which brought leaders from retail media networks, agencies, brands, and ad tech companies together to develop a playbook for media buyers to understand the full capabilities of retail media onsite, offsite, and in-store.

“One challenge we’ve heard from brands, agencies, and media buyers was a need for consistent measurement, metrics, and outcomes across all retail media networks,” said Jeffrey Bustos, Vice President, Measurement Addressability Data, IAB. “During our IAB Connected Commerce Summit, we will be sharing an update on measurement standards in collaboration with MRC as well as presenting new research to address the issues brands and marketers face when reaching consumers through their shopper journey.”

The event will be held at the Convene on West 46th Street in New York City. To review the full agenda or request a pass (brands and agencies may request a complimentary pass), please visit: https://www.iab.com/events/2023-iab-connected-commerce-summit/

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. Its membership comprises more than 700 leading media companies, brands, agencies, and the technology firms responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital ad marketing campaigns. The trade group fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. In affiliation with the IAB Tech Lab, IAB develops technical standards and solutions. IAB is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the trade association advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, IAB is headquartered in New York City.

IAB Media Contacts
Kate Tumino / Brittany Tibaldi
212-896-1252 / 347-487-6794
ktumino@kcsa.com/ btibaldi@kcsa.com

The post IAB Embraces the Complexity of Commerce and Retail Media; Launches New Event: IAB Connected Commerce Summit: Retail Reimagined appeared first on IAB.