Turning Blockers into Bridges: Lessons in Retail Media Transformation

For brands looking to connect with customers across the funnel, retail media has become an essential channel that supports not only purchasing decisions but also builds long-term brand equity. 

But developing an effective retail media proposition isn’t just about strategy, it’s about execution.

At the recent Retail Media X event in London, Head of Propositions and Operations Sian Durham was joined by a first-class line-up of fellow industry experts from John Lewis, Stonegate Group and Myathena. 

Together, they spoke candidly about how they’ve embedded successful retail media propositions within their businesses and shared some of the best lessons they learnt along the way.

Here’s what we learned…

1. The Alignment Challenge: Speaking Everyone’s Language

Sian put it perfectly: 

“You have to be bilingual.”

Effective collaboration comes from understanding how to speak the language of different departments, from commercial to in-store ops to property teams and other marketing teams.

In a well-established retailer like Asda, alignment isn’t a one-and-done task. It’s an ongoing journey where stakeholder engagement is crucial. The top-level buy-in might be strong, but trickling that enthusiasm down to every team, especially those responsible for execution, takes continuous effort and understanding.

Sian’s advice? Understand what matters to each team. Speak in terms of their KPIs and listen to their concerns. This isn’t just communication, it’s translation!

For the team at LS Eleven Media Services, this translates into ensuring constant and clear communication about campaign execution, its impact on in-store or online performance, and how this helps drive wider commercial objectives for the whole Asda business.

2. Bridges, Not Blockers

In large organisations, especially ones with deeply entrenched silos, it's easy for new initiatives to hit bottlenecks.

One way to alleviate this is by embedding change-makers within operational teams across different business verticals. This “implanting” strategy has helped retail media teams build trust, integrate more deeply with digital and e-commerce operations, and create smoother paths to execution. 

As Sian shared:

“It’s about turning people into bridges, not blockers!”

3. The Power of Practical Transformation

Theory is nice, but results drive change. Sian shared how Asda was able to successfully embed their store digitisation programme and get buy-in from the whole business.

By first implementing digital screens in select key stores, the LS Eleven Media Services team was able to work closely with the store staff to measure improvements in customer satisfaction and store sales, metrics that could easily translate for stakeholders across the business.

Leading with outcomes and building a data-backed case made it easier for other departments to get on board. 

It's a powerful reminder that transformation requires clear, measurable outcomes that all teams can understand and support.

4. Customer Experience as a Compass

Retail media is more than ad placements, it’s about improving the customer journey. Sian emphasised that customer satisfaction is a top-line metric that can unify teams behind a single purpose.

When evaluating new propositions, Sian and the team start with customer impact: does it improve hygiene factors? Streamline the path to purchase? Drive engagement? 

Only once that’s clear do they dig into commercial outcomes. This customer-first mindset has become a cornerstone of how LS Eleven Media Services evaluates and communicates the value of new initiatives.

5. Culture, Communication & the Long Game

Strategy and execution are reliant on a business’ culture to activate successfully. While top-down support can initiate a project, real momentum happens when teams feel involved and inspired. That means ditching “marketing buzz words” (as Jessica Cooke from Stonegate Group put it) in favour of practical, plain-spoken value.

Whether you’re speaking to executives or in-store staff,  adapting your message to best suit your audience is an underrated but crucial skill. 

Sian recommends an approach that blends humility, humour, and persistence. It’s about knowing when to listen, when to push, and when to pivot.

Conclusion: Build the Right Team, Then Get on the Bus

As the discussion wrapped up, one common theme became clear: execution of your retail media proposition should be centred on people, and ensuring you’re taking all stakeholders on the journey with you to ensure maximum results.

In Sian’s words::

“Get everyone on the bus before you drive it!”

Retail media is constantly evolving, and it’s not just a digital or commercial challenge; it’s a human one.