Inflexion

Media and retail media

One media plan, from first impression to the retailer shelf.

Customers discover brands on TV and social, compare them in search and AI assistants, and buy on Amazon, Tesco and Boots. Inflexion plans, buys and measures media across that whole journey.

Request a media audit How it works
30%of US digital ad spend now goes to retail mediaWARC, 2026
12%of advertisers have fully integrated retail media with other mediaSkai and Stratably, 2026
15%strongly trust their retail media measurementSkai and Stratably, 2026

The problem

Demand is built in one place and captured in another.

Brand, search and retail media are usually run by separate teams against separate metrics. Each looks efficient on its own, while the full journey goes unmanaged.

Typical setup
Brand teamTV, video, socialMeasured on reach
Performance teamSearch, shoppingMeasured on CPA
Retail teamAmazon, retailersMeasured on ROAS

Three plans, three budgets and three versions of success. Lower funnel channels claim the credit for demand that brand media created.

Inflexion
DemandIntentShelfLoyalty
One plan, measured on incremental sales

One plan across the journey, with budget moved to whichever stage adds the most. Retail media is planned as part of the mix from the start.

The framework

Four stages of the customer journey, planned as one.

Retail media appears at every stage, from offsite video that builds demand to loyalty data that brings customers back.

01

Build demand

Put the brand on the shortlist before the customer starts searching.

CTVYouTubeSocialAmazon DSPRetailer offsite
Measured byReach, attention and search lift
02

Capture intent

Be present when customers search, compare and ask AI assistants.

Google SearchShoppingSponsored ProductsRufus promptsChatGPT ads
Measured byShare of search and new customers
03

Win the shelf

Turn the product page visit into a sale, on every retailer that matters.

Sponsored BrandsTescoBootsNectar360Product content
Measured byConversion and share of shelf
04

Grow the customer

Bring customers back and increase their value over time.

AMC audiencesClubcard dataSubscriptionsCRM
Measured byRepeat rate and lifetime value

Retail media

The shelf

Media returns depend on the product page.

Retail media sends traffic to a listing. Content, reviews, price and stock decide whether that traffic converts, so the shelf is part of the media plan.

Example: consumer retailLumen Daily C Serum
72
Content and images
84
Reviews and rating
78
Price position
61
Availability
48

Out of stock on two of five retailers. Media paused there until stock returns.

Readiness before spend

Every listing is scored before budget is committed, so media only supports products that can convert.

Every major retailer

Plans cover Amazon and the UK networks that matter for each category.

AmazonTesco Media and InsightBoots Media GroupNectar360Walmart Connect

Built on Amazon experience

The team has built and run Amazon programmes for global brands in beauty, fashion, sportswear, toys and games.

AI assistants

AI assistants are the newest retail media channel.

Amazon now sells sponsored prompts in Rufus, and ChatGPT ads opened to all US advertisers in 2026. Paid placement in AI answers works best when the brand is already well represented in them.

See AI search
Shopping assistant
Is vitamin C serum OK for sensitive skin?
Yes, at lower strengths. Look for formulas around 10% with soothing ingredients.
SponsoredLumen Daily C Serum10% vitamin C, fragrance free. 4.7 from 1,240 reviews.
Compare with retinolBest for oily skin

Measurement

Measured on what media adds, not what platforms claim.

Platform reports overstate lower funnel channels and understate the media that built demand. Incrementality testing corrects both.

Return on ad spend by channel

Platform reportedIncremental
9.1
1.4
Brand search
6.2
2.8
Sponsored Products
2.4
1.9
Social
1.1
2.3
CTV
1.5
2.6
Amazon DSP
Incrementality testsMedia mix modellingGeo experimentsAmazon Marketing Cloud

Illustrative example. Figures are for demonstration only.

Our approach

From audit to a plan that can be measured.

Inflexion buys media directly and works with specialist partners where they add value. Every engagement follows the same four stages.

  1. 01

    Discover

    Agree commercial goals, categories, retailers and current spend.

    OutputScope and data access
  2. 02

    Audit

    Review spend, measurement and shelf readiness across every stage.

    OutputMedia and shelf audit
  3. 03

    Plan

    Allocate budget across the journey based on incremental return.

    OutputConnected media plan
  4. 04

    Activate and measure

    Buy, optimise and test, with results reviewed against the plan each month.

    OutputMonthly performance review

Questions

Frequently asked questions.

Does Inflexion buy media or advise?

Both. Inflexion plans and buys media directly, and works with specialist partners where a channel or market needs it. Strategy and measurement stay with one team.

Which retail media networks are covered?

Amazon, Tesco Media and Insight, Boots Media Group, Nectar360 and Walmart Connect, with other networks added where a category needs them.

Can retail media build brands as well as sales?

Yes. Offsite formats such as Amazon DSP and retailer CTV reach customers before they search, using retailer data to target and measure the effect on sales.

How is success measured?

On incremental sales and return, using controlled tests and media mix modelling, with platform reports used as one input among several.

Start with a media audit.

A clear view of where budget is working across the journey, and where it should move.

Request a media audit
hello@inflexionmedia.com