from our research partner Northwestern Medill Spiegel Research Center (SRC) makes one thing clear: retail marketing and creator channels work best when they work together.
Yet most organizations (and their agencies, for that matter) are not structured to deliver that unified experience. In fact, they’re moving in the opposite direction. Particularly with the, ahem, recent little mergers that have thrown both the agency world and the clients they serve into even more upheaval and uncertainty.
We’ve developed a number of 2025 campaigns this year featuring both creators alongside “more traditional” campaign channels, and from life insurance to hospital marketing, we’ve been able to effectively bridge the gap so the overall brand messaging still feels complementary. And it’s not easy.
Let’s take a look at some of the key findings from the SRC paper.
One of the biggest revelations from the SRC’s research is that RMNs are no longer just a last-mile conversion tool. Their analysis shows that retail media now plays a major role across the entire consumer journey — building awareness, shaping consideration, and driving loyalty, not just closing the sale.
We saw this shift firsthand earlier this year while developing a new sales deck for Freybe, a Canadian CPG brand expanding their U.S. presence. Their brief made it clear: retail media wasn’t just about driving units at shelf. It was about introducing the brand, telling its story, and building long-term preference, all within the RMN ecosystem.
That real-world pressure mirrors the data: the SRC cites projections showing RMNs controlling nearly 18% of all digital ad spend, making them one of the fastest-growing line items on any marketing manager’s budget.
This shift has major implications: when retail media becomes full-funnel, creative strategy and brand storytelling have to meet it there.
The study also highlights the explosive growth of creator marketing beyond just awareness and as a meaningful driver of trial and purchase. Thanks to shoppable units, influencer storefronts, and social-commerce integrations, creators are often the first place where consumers encounter products.
The SRC identifies creators as a key force shaping inspiration and intent, which then flows naturally into retail media, where shoppers complete the journey.
This “content → cart” dynamic is especially relevant in categories like beverages, snacks, beauty, and household goods — all of which rely heavily on trial.
The SRC study shows the most effective campaigns are the ones that connect creator activity directly to retail media activations. When creator-driven buzz primes demand, RMNs capture shoppers at the exact moment they're ready to buy.
This is, essentially, the future of commerce.
And yet! The SRC also points out that very few brands have the organizational structure to actually deliver this integrated approach.
The SRC researchers highlight a persistent challenge: internal silos. Brand, shopper, retail media, social, influencer, and e-comm often operate as disconnected teams with separate budgets and KPIs. The result is what the study calls a “fragmented media ecosystem,” where creative assets, data systems, and campaign tactics don’t line up — even when they’re aimed at the same consumer.
This fragmentation has real financial impact. The SRC notes that the complexity of managing RMNs and creator platforms is overwhelming many brands, reducing efficiency and diminishing ROI.
And as mentioned previously, the agency world isn’t helping.
At the exact moment brands need integrated thinking, holding companies are reorganizing at record pace, with restructuring, layoffs, and leadership turnover across networks.
While marketed as “integration,” these changes often lead to:
For brand marketers, this adds even more instability to an already fractured landscape: exactly the opposite of what the SRC study says the market needs.
The SRC study makes it clear: retail media and creator marketing are no longer optional or isolated. They form a powerful growth engine, and the brands that integrate them best will win.
But integration requires flexibility, speed, and unified thinking.
In other words, the exact qualities independent agencies can bring forward right now.
You can access the full Northwestern SRC study here.
