Dive Brief:
- Home Depot is bringing several new advertising capabilities to its retail media network, including what the home-improvement retailer bills as an industry-first integration with Reddit, according to a press release.
- The partnership combines the Orange Apron Media network’s first-party data with Reddit’s ad inventory to reach do-it-yourself consumers and professionals in high-intent environments. Advertisers can soon launch Reddit campaigns directly through OAM’s self-service portal, Orange Access.
- OAM is also entering a beta test with Pinterest that will allow brands that do not sell at Home Depot to apply the retailer’s data for campaigns running on the inspiration-focused platform. The Pinterest Media Network Connect pact builds on OAM partnerships with The Trade Desk and Yahoo that are also aimed at the nonendemic crowd.
Dive Insight:
The slate of OAM announcements, part of an annual upfront presentation Home Depot calls the InFronts, demonstrate the retailer is trying to establish a more well-rounded advertising ecosystem that steps beyond performance marketing tactics typical to retail media. OAM’s strategy includes a continued focus on partnerships that stretch the bounds of where its first-party data can be applied in offsite channels that are important for brand discovery. Offsite has become increasingly important to retail media networks as onsite advertising matures.
The Reddit tie-up provides OAM advertisers with a way to reach DIY enthusiasts and professionals earlier in their planning journey, as they research new projects and seek advice on the social platform’s community forums. Reddit has worked for some time to enrich its advertising prowess, but the OAM integration is the first of its kind for retail media, letting brands run Reddit campaigns directly through OAM’s Orange Access portal. It was not immediately clear when the Reddit integration will go live. Retailers more broadly are directing more of their attention toward community-driven spaces like Reddit that shape the online conversation as traditional search marketing reliant on links and keyword crawling is disrupted by artificial intelligence.
In another bit of partnership news, Pinterest is becoming the first social platform to allow nonendemic advertisers to activate OAM’s shopper data to power their ad campaigns. Home Depot at the same time is the first in the home-improvement category to participate in Pinterest Media Network Connect, where nonendemic advertisers will have access to more than 20 first-party audience segments to support their efforts on Pinterest, a site often used for project inspiration purposes. OAM, along with working with The Trade Desk, last July teamed with Yahoo’s demand-side platform to bring its retail media data to more display, video and connected TV environments.
Not everything at the InFronts was anchored on offsite media, as OAM detailed recent improvements made to its existing product listing ads and display formats, with banner placements now able to leverage geotargeting technology. OAM said it will introduce more granular targeting options later in 2026.
Product Listing Ads meanwhile have added more keyword and audience-targeting capabilities, including negative keyword targeting that helps advertisers ensure they’re connecting with the right customer segments. OAM is also launching Brand Page Portals, a self-service product that lets advertisers curate and manage their digital storefronts.
As it expands its retail media network, Home Depot later in the year will roll out a certification program, the Orange Apron Media Academy, so advertisers have a better grasp of how to best plan, activate and optimize their OAM campaigns.
