Clicks Don’t Pay the Bills... ROI Does

Let’s be real: retail media is blowing up. More brands are jumping in, budgets are going up, & there are more ad options than ever. But with all that growth, there’s one thing that matters more than anything else: getting your money’s worth. That’s where ROI comes in.

In my time working in retail media, I’ve learned that while clicks, impressions, & fancy dashboards look nice, none of it really matters unless the campaign actually drives real business results. I’m talking sales, revenue, & profit, not just pretty reports.

Why ROI Should Be Your Best Friend

It’s easy to get caught up in surface-level metrics like ROAS or click-through rate. But at the end of the day, the brands (& clients) who care about return on investment are the ones actually growing their business, not just spending to spend.

Some questions I like to ask when looking at a campaign:

·        Did this ad actually drive sales?

·        Was it worth what we spent?

·        Could we get better results by changing something simple?

What’s Worked for Me When It Comes to ROI

Here are a few things I’ve learned by working closely on media planning, performance tracking, & optimization:

1.     Get Your Tracking Right First

Before you try to optimize anything, make sure your tracking is working. No guessing. You want clean data from the jump so you’re not flying blind.

2.     Don’t Just Report, React

It’s easy to make a pretty post-campaign report. But the best results happen when we take action during the campaign, shifting budget, pausing low-performers, & boosting what’s working.

3.     Collaborate with Partners

Retail media isn’t just plug-&-play. I’ve found the best ROI happens when I actually work with the retail teams, not just through the platform. Their goals matter too, & aligning with them helps both sides win.

4.     ROI Is Bigger Than ROAS

ROAS is cool, but ROI takes it a step further. It’s not just what you earned back—it’s whether it was actually worth it after you factor in costs, margins, & true impact.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, ROI isn’t just a buzzword. It’s how you prove that your retail media strategy is actually working. It’s what turns “we ran a campaign” into “we grew the business.”

It helps you spend smarter, scale faster, & sound like a boss when someone asks, “So… how’d that campaign do?”

-Malorie Ragsdale, MBA.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of any affiliated organizations, employers, or other entities.