Retail media leaders to tackle optimization gaps at Cannes webinar

Progress Ventures founding partner Sam Thompson and Retail Media IQ CEO Mat Drela will host a Cannes webinar on June 25 to examine why retail media still underperforms its promise. The discussion comes as brands and investors push for better strategy, metrics and execution in a fast-growing channel.

Why it matters: - Retail media is growing fast, but the source says many brands still are not getting optimal results from the channel. - The webinar is aimed at challenger brands, marketers and investors trying to turn retail media into a more efficient performance tool. - The event will also spotlight the tech platforms and operating practices that can unlock more revenue from retail media.

What happened: - Progress Ventures founding partner Sam Thompson and Retail Media IQ founder and CEO Mat Drela will host a live "Conversation at Cannes" webinar on Thursday, June 25, at 5 p.m. local time in Cannes, 8 a.m. PDT and 11 a.m. EDT. - The discussion is scheduled for the conclusion of the Cannes Lions International Creative Festival in Cannes, France. - The event link is available here.

The details: - Thompson views retail media as a major opportunity for innovative challenger brands that want to take share from legacy category leaders. - Thompson said Progress Ventures is focused on the technology platforms that help brands and marketers reach retail media’s full potential. - Drela called retail media "search on steroids" for challenger consumer brands because it offers real-time performance marketing metrics. - Drela said the key question is not whether retail media can work across the full funnel, but how it can be optimized to reach its full potential. - Drela said about two-thirds of retail media searches either produce no revenue or are overpriced for the average brand. - Drela said that leaves many brands with revenue gains at about half of what is possible. - Retail Media IQ is an AI-driven performance advertising agency for challenger brands. - Retail Media IQ says it charges a commission only on incremental revenue, which removes engagement risk for clients. - Drela founded Retail Media IQ in 2024. - Drela is an ad tech veteran, a graduate of the London School of Economics and a 2025 recipient of the Path to Purchase Institute’s Top Forty Commerce Leader Under Forty award. - Drela also wrote the book "Retail Media: Strategy, Structure and Execution," which is available on Amazon.

Between the lines: - The webinar frames retail media as a promising channel that still lacks consistent discipline around strategy, measurement and optimization. - The pairing of an investor and an operator suggests the conversation will focus on both market potential and execution gaps. - The comments point to a market where spend is rising, but waste and weak targeting remain major problems.

What's next: - Thompson and Drela plan to use the webinar to address the obstacles limiting retail media performance. - The discussion may help shape how challenger brands evaluate retail media strategy, measurement and vendor selection after Cannes Lions. - Progress Ventures says portfolio companies can tap its ecosystem, including an extensive expert network of Executives-in-Residence. - More information is available by contacting Sam Thompson at Sam@progressventures.com.