In this episode I’m digging into a question I’ve been thinking about for months: If ads inevitably show up inside AI interfaces… do they actually have to suck? With billions invested into AI infrastructure and only modest subscription revenue to offset it, advertising is the most likely economic engine powering the next wave of AI platforms. But I’m not convinced it has to lead us down the same messy, cluttered path that search and marketplaces took.

Drawing from an op-ed I recently wrote for The Drum, I explore why AI ads spark so much anxiety, how agentic advertising offers a fundamentally different model from surveillance-era targeting, and what all of this means for retailers, advertisers, and the future of trust online. This is a nuanced conversation about economics, ethics, innovation, and why this moment might actually give us a chance to rebuild advertising on better foundations.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:15] – Why subscription revenue alone can’t support the massive cost of AI infrastructure
[01:23] – How AI is intercepting retail search behavior before shoppers ever reach a retailer’s site
[03:04] – The trust problem: what we fear when ads enter our most intimate digital spaces
[05:17] – The real economics of the internet and why advertising keeps it freely accessible
[07:00] – What “agentic advertising” actually is, and how it flips the traditional targeting model
[09:31] – Why conversational advertising could be more relevant (and less creepy) than legacy ad formats
[10:20] – The high-stakes implications for retail media when AI captures intent upstream

Links & Resources

• This article originally appeared in my column for The Drum on November 6, 2025 as Why the arrival of advertising in AI Search may not be the catastrophe many fear
• Brian O’Kelley, co-founder and CEO at Scope3, outlined the Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) in a Fast Company op-ed
• Read my article Real Time Bidding: Retail Media's Savior Or Saboteur?
• Read my article How an RMN's tech stack impacts your advertising results
• Are you based in Atlanta or be in the ATL area on Weds Dec 3rd? Join me and a couple dozen of your new retail media industry besties for a festive happy hour! Register here
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

In this reprise episode, I’m bringing back one of the most timely conversations we can have as we gear up for 2026 conference season: getting on the damn stage. After so many of you resonated with my encouragement to apply for the damn award despite imposter syndrome, it felt like the perfect moment to revisit this message. Because the truth is no one cares about your future as much as you do, and if you’re waiting for permission to step forward, you’ll be waiting forever.

Whether you’re on the brand side navigating approvals, or on the solution-provider side navigating sponsorships, there are concrete strategies you can use to share your point of view, elevate your career, strengthen your partnerships, and make events infinitely more rewarding. I’m also revisiting insightful community comments from LinkedIn that expand the conversation in really meaningful ways. Let’s get you on that stage in 2026!

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[01:00] Why I’m bringing back this episode and how it connects to imposter syndrome.

[02:30] How brand-side leaders benefit personally and help their organizations by speaking publicly.

[03:45] The “Speaker” effect: how having that badge transforms your experience at events.

[05:30] How to navigate internal approvals, stick to your expertise, and decide when to go off-script responsibly.

[07:30] Why solution providers often have to “pay to play”, and why it can still be totally worth it.

[09:10] The power of original research as your ticket to the stage.

[09:55] Community insights on panels, real tactical content, and balancing restrictions with value.

Links & Resources

• Read my article Its conference season. Get yourself on the stage!
• Read my article Apply For The Damn Award
• Are you based in Atlanta or be in the ATL area on Weds Dec 3rd? Join me and a couple dozen of your new retail media industry besties for a festive happy hour! Register here
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

Last week at the Path to Purchase Institute LIVE conference, I heard something that most retail media networks probably don’t want to hear out loud: Mars has built a structured, data-driven investment matrix that decides exactly who gets budget and who doesn’t. In today’s episode, I’m breaking down what Mars revealed, why scorecards are becoming standard across major CPGs, and the uncomfortable truth hiding underneath all this new structure.

I dig into why even networks that “score well” may not see increased spend, the operational ceiling that keeps most brands locked into 5–6 RMN relationships, and the growing divide between top-tier retail media networks and everyone else. If you’re a retailer, a media buyer, or working inside an emerging RMN, this conversation will give you real insight into how budgets are actually allocated, and why the bar keeps getting harder to clear.

This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads

Timeline

[00:00] Mars introduces its formal retail media investment matrix and scorecard approach.
[00:30] Mars evaluates RMNs on two dimensions: capabilities and commercial growth.
[01:29] ANA guidance urges brands to adopt structured scorecards for RMN evaluation.
[02:30] A senior retail media buyer explains why meeting capability requirements doesn’t guarantee spend.
[05:22] The four main reasons brands cap their RMN relationships begin with platform fragmentation.
[08:57] What mid-tier RMNs must do to break into the top six (drive displacement or offer superior capabilities)

Links & Resources

• Read my article How Alliances Could Solve Retail Media's Fragmentation Problem (Part 1)
• Read my article Best Buy Wants To Become An Ad Platform, Not Just Another RMN
• Read my article 3 New Developments In RTB (Real Time Bidding) For Retail Media
• Read my article Retail Media's Measurement Problem: It's Not Just the Retailers
• Read my article Managing a Multi-Retailer RMN Stack: The Operational Reality
• Read the ANA's Retail Media Internal Management Guidance
• Are you based in Atlanta or be in the ATL area on Weds Dec 3rd? Join me and a couple dozen of your new retail media industry besties for a festive happy hour! Register here
• Subscribe to Retail Media Breakfast Club's daily newsletter
• Follow Kiri on LinkedIn