Roundel Media Studio: Democratizing Retail Media for Small and Medium Businesses

In just a handful of years, retail media has become a dominant force in digital advertising and is projected to surpass social advertising within the next three to four years. Now that it’s proven itself as a powerful marketing channel, retail media networks (RMNs) are rapidly evolving to stay competitive and meet advertisers’ diverse needs.

For example, retail media networks are integrating online and offline data to create seamless shopping experiences, introducing new ad formats across digital and physical spaces, and leveraging comprehensive customer data for better targeting. RMNs are also expanding their offerings to attract a broader range of advertisers, including small and medium-sized businesses while implementing advanced analytics for more precise performance measurement. This multifaceted evolution aims to enhance customer engagement and advertising effectiveness.

Roundel, Target’s retail media network, is at the forefront of this evolution, explicitly focusing on empowering small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to leverage this growth channel. This strategic shift is crucial as Roundel aims to broaden its go-to-market strategy beyond just the largest CPG advertisers. Self-service offerings are intended to welcome more small — and mid-size advertisers into the fold, helping platforms achieve scale.

“We’ve always believed and advocated for a more open and flexible way to buy our media,” said Sarah Travis, president of Roundel. “We want to make sure that we continue to deliver flexibility, that we’re giving brands multiple buying options.”

What is Roundel Media Studio?

[Roundel Media Studio makes] it easier for brands to buy from us and build on the success of our first-to-market measurement tool, Roundel Kiosk. Roundel Media Studio allows brands of all sizes to access Target’s audience and media, including smaller brands and Target + marketplace partners. – Target 

Roundel Media Studio is Roundel’s innovative platform designed to transform how both big and small brands engage with retail media. This self-service hub simplifies the management of advertising campaigns, making sophisticated marketing tools accessible to businesses of all sizes. Interested? Onboarding is available as of August 1, 2024.

The platform is tailored to enhance user experience with streamlined campaign creation, management, and optimization processes. With tools that facilitate everything from targeting to reporting, it empowers SMBs to execute effective campaigns that were previously beyond their reach.

Roundel Media Studio also offers robust educational resources to help businesses understand and maximize the potential of retail media. These resources include webinars, tutorials, and personalized support, ensuring that even those new to digital advertising can quickly get up to speed.

Additionally, Roundel Media Studio integrates with popular marketing platforms, allowing SMBs to seamlessly incorporate retail media into their broader marketing strategies. This integration ensures a cohesive and efficient approach to advertising, making it easier for businesses to manage their campaigns across different channels.

The platform’s advanced analytics capabilities provide detailed insights into campaign performance. SMBs can leverage this data to refine their strategies, optimize their budgets, and achieve better results. By offering comprehensive reporting, Roundel Media Studio helps businesses make informed decisions and improve their advertising effectiveness over time.

Benefits to small and medium businesses

While third-party partners, like Skai, offer enterprise-level capabilities for the largest retail media advertisers in the world, Roundel Media Studio brings numerous advantages to SMBs venturing into retail media. This innovative platform opens up new possibilities for smaller businesses, allowing them to compete on a level playing field with larger corporations.

Some of the benefits of Roundel Media Studio include:

Accessibility: The platform’s user-friendly interface ensures that even those new to digital advertising can easily navigate and utilize the features. Its intuitive design reduces the learning curve, enabling businesses to start their campaigns quickly.

Cost Efficiency: With no DSP or access fees, SMBs can allocate more of their budget directly to their media buying efforts. This cost-effective approach allows smaller businesses to maximize advertising spend and achieve better ROI.

Advanced Targeting: Target’s rich data allows SMBs to target their advertisements more precisely, enhancing campaign effectiveness. Businesses can improve their conversion rates and drive more sales by reaching the right audience with the right message, such as leveraging keyword searches across search pages and previous purchase behavior for personalized placements.

Scalability: SMBs can scale their advertising efforts seamlessly, adjusting campaign sizes and budgets as their business needs evolve. This flexibility ensures businesses can grow their advertising strategies per their overall growth objectives.

Detailed Analytics: The platform provides comprehensive analytics that help SMBs measure campaign performance and gain insights for optimization. By understanding what works and what doesn’t, businesses can continually refine their strategies to achieve better results.

Conclusion

Roundel’s strategic pivot towards empowering SMBs through Roundel Media Studio sets a new benchmark for inclusivity and effectiveness in retail advertising. This innovative platform democratizes access to sophisticated marketing tools, allowing smaller businesses to compete on a more level playing field with larger corporations. By removing barriers such as high costs and complex interfaces, Roundel is opening up new avenues for growth and success for SMBs in digital advertising.

As Roundel continues to refine and expand its offerings, we can expect to see further innovations that cater to the unique needs of small and medium-sized businesses. This forward-thinking approach not only enhances the capabilities of SMBs but also contributes to a more robust and diverse retail media ecosystem – one in which SMBs can thrive and grow.

Want to personally explore how Roundel Media Studio can help your business? Find out more about the self-service hub and reach out to Skai to get started. 

Skai’s Retail Media solution for enterprise performance

For retail media markets not working at a small or medium business, Skai’s enterprise-level platform can help you maximize performance, reduce errors, and leverage AI and automation. 

Skai’s Retail Media solution empowers marketers to plan, execute, and measure digital campaigns that meet consumers when and where they shop. As part of our omnichannel platform, connect the walled gardens and manage campaigns on 100+ retailers, including Target/Roundel as well as Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart, alongside major publishers across paid search, paid social, and apps.
For more information, schedule a brief demo to see our retail media innovation firsthand.