How Colgate-Palmolive Is Bridging Gaps in the Complicated Retail Media Landscape

Vivek Rastogi, Senior Director, Global Digital Commerce, Colgate-Palmolive

Everyone wants a piece of the pie when it comes to retail media. 

Amid channel erosion due to television ratings in decline, and the battle for insights intensifying as third-party cookies take a hit, CPGs are looking for improved ways to effectively reach consumers and identify valuable shopper behavior patterns through advertising data. 

While the concept is simple — it’s just media sold by retailers, said Vivek Rastogi, senior director, global digital commerce, Colgate-Palmolive — it’s the relationship pivot between CPGs and retailers that’s introducing complexities. 

“Traditionally, on the brand side, we sell products to retailers. For the first time, retailers are selling something and we are trying to buy it, and that’s a huge shift in the dynamics,” said Rastogi during CGT’s recent Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit. 

Retail Media Landscape at a Glance

“Retail media is expected to hit about $55 billion in the U.S. alone this year — four times the size that it was four years ago,” said Rastogi.

Skai and sister brand Path to Purchase Institute’s (P2PI) 2024 State of Retail Media study found that less than a third (28%) of CPGs have created dedicated retail media teams to keep up with the growth of the channel.

Fifty-two percent of CPG respondents to a Nielsen and Coresight Research survey said they are most concerned with a lack of reporting standards within RMN measurement.