More channels, more markets, more competition, more content needed, and not enough budget. It’s a scenario that many retailers know all too well, exacerbated by an industry that necessitates speed and reactivity. The demand for increasingly personalized, relevant content is growing, but the money, time, and resources typically needed to create that content simply aren’t available.
So, what can retailers do to bridge this gap between customer expectations and their ability to produce content that drives results? The answer lies in innovative strategies that not only make the most of existing resources but also leverage technology and automation to maximize efficiency.
That’s where ITG’s Halo strategy comes in. It offers retailers a way to deliver the right content, to the right audience, in the right place within the retail environment.
What is retail media?
Retail media is transforming the way retailers approach advertising. It refers to retailers offering advertising space across their owned channels — whether that’s on their websites, through digital signage, or within their mobile apps. With retail media, retailers act as media outlets themselves, offering advertisers access to their audiences in ways traditional publishers and TV networks have done for years.
Retail media is now the fastest-growing digital channel, and for good reason: it allows retail brands to monetize their platforms while delivering highly targeted, personalized ads that align with consumer intent. According to Dentsu’s latest Ad Spend report, retail media is expected to grow by 22% in 2025, making it a must-tackle opportunity for any retailer looking to stay competitive.
Enter the Halo model. ITG’s Halo model helps retailers to capitalize on this opportunity, by offering a data-driven, scalable approach to retail media. It provides the agility, automation, and insights that retailers need to stay ahead, allowing them to drive growth while keeping costs in check.
Optimizing ad inventory without sacrificing customer experience
Retailers face the tricky balance of monetizing their platforms with advertising while also maintaining a seamless customer experience. Overloading users with irrelevant or excessive ads can harm brand perception and drive away loyal customers.
ITG’s Halo model allows retailers to automate and personalize the content on their channels to serve the right message at the right time, ensuring contextually relevant ads that drive engagement.
This is supported by ITG’s proprietary Storyteq platform, leveraging what we term ‘Halo Intelligence’ — AI-driven targeting that refines ad placements and content with real-time user data, maximizing impact while reducing ad fatigue. All of this empowers retailers to optimize their ad inventory, growing revenue without compromising the user experience.
Strengthening first-party data strategies
In retail media, first-party data is a game-changer. It’s essential for crafting personalized, targeted campaigns that drive real results. With ITG’s Halo model, we enable retailers to unlock the full potential of their customer data, creating a unified view of each shopper across all touchpoints.
By leveraging this first-party data through Halo and integrating data-driven insights, we help retailers develop content and campaigns that are highly relevant to their audience. This empowers smarter decision-making and ensures that every piece of content speaks directly to the customer’s needs and interests.
Integration of onsite and offsite media
A multichannel strategy is essential. Whether advertising onsite or through offsite channels, the key to maximizing campaign effectiveness is consistency and quality across all touchpoints.
ITG’s Halo model empowers brands to integrate their onsite and offsite media strategies seamlessly. With AI-driven insights and real-time shopping data, retailers can fine-tune their targeting, ensuring they reach the right audience, with the right content, across all platforms.
This integrated approach is essential to how ITG works, uniting previously siloed processes to drive better outcomes across every possible touchpoint. It enables retailers to optimize advertising spend, performance, and ROI across both paid media and owned channels.
Future-proofing with technology and automation
In a world where content creation demands are only growing, retailers need scalable solutions that enable them to produce high-quality, personalized content efficiently. Halo offers exactly that, streamlining processes and enabling retailers to create and manage content at scale without compromising quality.
By automating key tasks like ad creation, campaign management, and reporting, Halo gives retailers more time to focus on strategy and customer engagement.
As the retail media landscape evolves, the automation and AI-powered insights built into Halo help retailers stay ahead of the curve, continuously adapting to new challenges and opportunities.
Conclusion
In an environment where retailers are constantly being asked to do more with less, ITG’s Halo model provides the agility, data-driven insights, and automation needed to stay competitive.
We partner with retailers to maximize the potential of their retail media networks without sacrificing the customer experience, ensuring smarter content that reaches the right customer, at the right time, on the right channel.
As retail media continues to grow, those who embrace ITG Halo will not only survive — they’ll thrive. By optimizing ad inventory, strengthening data strategies, and delivering relevant, personalized content across all channels, retailers can stay ahead of the competition and maximize growth in a rapidly changing, digital-first world.
Discover how ITG can help you optimize your retail media strategy. Fill in the form below to learn more about ITG Halo.