Alice Anson reflects on her conversation with Steve Gray on The Retail Media Show podcast.

When customers win, retail media wins

There’s no shortage of innovation in retail media right now. But while the industry continues to evolve, I’ve always believed the most important question remains the same: how are we creating value for customers?

If we lose sight of the customer and the value we’re creating for them, any success becomes short-lived. The most sustainable growth comes from helping people make better purchasing decisions and creating experiences that feel relevant. Get that right, and commercial success follows.

That’s been a guiding principle throughout my time at Nectar360. It’s shaped the way we’ve approached everything from data and measurement to the development of Pollen, our connected retail media platform.

Technology solves real problems

One of the biggest ways we’ve evolved over the years has been through our technology. We’ve invested in building platforms like Sainsbury’s Insight Platform, and more recently, Pollen, to help brands better understand customers, plan more effectively and measure performance in a more connected way.

We’ve always thought carefully about where we should build and where we should buy. There are some excellent technology providers in the retail media space, but we’ve also invested heavily in developing our own capabilities where we believe it creates meaningful value.

A good example is our decision to build our own demand-side platform. At the time, plenty of people thought it was a bold move. For us, it allowed us to maintain control of our insights, ensuring we continue to use it in a way that customers expect and trust. Protecting that relationship with our customers has always been a priority.

The ambition for Pollen wasn’t simply to create another platform. It was to bring together the different parts of our media ecosystem into a single experience that makes omnichannel retail media easier to plan, activate and measure.

Importantly, we didn’t build it in isolation. We spent time listening to brands and agencies, understanding their frustrations and pain points, and using those insights to shape the platform from the beginning.

A connected customer journey

Customers don’t think in channels, but many organisations still do. The reality is that people move seamlessly between touchpoints. I might pop into a convenience store one day and complete a larger grocery shop online the next. The channel may change, but the customer doesn’t.

That’s why we’ve spent so much time thinking about connected planning and measurement. Our goal is to help brands understand the combined impact of their activity, rather than viewing each channel in isolation. When we connect those touchpoints, we gain a clearer picture of what influences behaviour and what drives results.

Looking ahead, I believe the industry’s next step is moving beyond individual channel performance towards a more connected understanding of effectiveness. The real opportunity lies in understanding how different activities work together across the customer journey. That’s where multi-touch attribution becomes so valuable, helping brands see the full picture rather than a series of disconnected moments.

Simplifying the complex

Retail media has become increasingly sophisticated, creating more opportunities for brands than ever before. But with that comes greater complexity. That’s why I believe technology has an important role to play in simplifying the experience for our teams, brands and partners.

Powered by AI, Pollen can help automate processes, improve transparency and make planning more efficient, allowing teams to focus on what matters most. Yet the human element of expertise, perspective and trusted relationships are essential. The real opportunity lies in combining technology and people in a way that makes retail media simpler, more accessible and ultimately more effective.

The opportunity ahead

Retail media has come a long way, but in many ways we’re still at the beginning. Retail media will continue to evolve. Technology will improve. Measurement will become more sophisticated. But the principle that underpins long-term success won’t change. If we create genuine value for customers, brands grow, retailers grow and the entire ecosystem becomes stronger everything else becomes much easier to solve.