Dive Brief:
- Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media division of grocery giant Albertsons, is bringing a wealth of fresh first-party data to YouTube ad buying through a new partnership, according to a press release shared with Marketing Dive.
- Advertisers using Google’s Display & Video 360 can now access over 175 purchase-based and custom brand audiences supplied by the retailer. YouTube and Albertsons are promising closed-loop measurement through SKU-level reporting supported by LiveRamp and optimization tools powered by Google’s artificial intelligence.
- Keurig Dr. Pepper is a launch partner on the initiative, which is part of a strategic push from YouTube to leverage commerce media data to tie video content closer to sales. Retail media networks at the same time are broadening their offsite advertising ventures as onsite channels mature and brands demand more full-funnel solutions.
Dive Insight:
Albertsons and YouTube are positioning their partnership as a response to advertisers who are prioritizing high-intent audiences over raw scale. The pact comes amid a larger convergence of retail media and premium video environments like connected TV and streaming.
Albertsons Media Collective has a window into the habits of over 50 million loyalty members and 36 million consumers who shop the company’s brands, which include its namesake, Safeway and Jewel-Osco, on a weekly basis. Those first-party insights are the basis of a raft of new audience segments available via DV360, with YouTube’s parent Google offering further campaign optimization through AI tools focused on reach, conversion and demand generation.
“With Albertsons shopper data in DV360, we can ensure every impression we buy on YouTube reaches our most valuable consumers,” said Ben Sylvan, senior vice president of connected media at Keurig Dr Pepper, in a press statement. “Closing the loop with retail sales gives us the transparency needed to shift budgets to what truly moves the needle.”
The news sees Albertsons join Google’s Commerce Media Suite that launched in beta last June. Kroger, a grocery rival with a sizable retail media footprint, became part of the program in March with a suite of capabilities, including SKU-level reporting, and launch brands like Kimberly-Clark and Unilever. Best Buy Ads, Costco, Intuit, Kinective Media by United Airlines, Planet Fitness, Shipt and Western Union are among the other commerce media networks now working with DV360.
Google further expanding DV360’s slate of commerce media tie-ups comes as competitors like Amazon’s demand-side platform are growing their industry footprint thanks to strengths in first-party shopper data. YouTube meanwhile has continued an ascent as a living room viewing destination, shoring up its appeal with advertisers seeking not only online video viewers, but also CTV audiences. YouTube generated more than $60 billion in revenue last year between advertising and subscriptions.
