New Research Shows 82% of US Marketers Agree High-Quality Creative is Essential for KPI Outcomes, Yet Industry Focus Remains on Targeting and Data
TripleLift, the world’s leading Creative SSP, released “The Creative Edge in Retail Media: A Comprehensive Guide”, highlighting a major disconnect in the fast-growing retail media industry. While targeting and measurement dominate discussions, new research with 200 US marketing professionals reveals that creative excellence is the true performance driver—yet it remains undervalued.
The report comes as retail media continues to surge, with the global market projected to reach $179.5 billion by 2025, accounting for 23.2% of the total advertising market. Despite this momentum, the findings show that while data and targeting receive heavy investment, creative quality—the element that drives real results—lags behind.
The Creative-Performance Gap
The research uncovers a paradox: 82% of marketers say high-quality creative is crucial for stronger KPI outcomes in off-site retail media campaigns, yet execution gaps persist. Over one-third (35%) struggle to develop creative formats aligned with brand identity, while 34% admit there are no creative standards across retailers.
“We’re seeing an industry obsessed with the science of retail media while ignoring the art,” said Ed Dinichert, CRO at TripleLift. “Creative excellence isn’t just important—it multiplies the impact of every other optimization. The brands that embrace this will win disproportionate value as the market matures.”
Native Advertising Leads Performance Rankings
Performance data underscores the point. Native ads earned the highest satisfaction among marketers at 74%, with zero dissatisfaction reported. Online video followed closely at 73%. By contrast, display and Connected TV formats generated more neutral responses, signaling opportunities for further innovation.
TripleLift is addressing this opportunity gap with advanced creative technology and AI-driven optimization tools designed to unlock performance across underutilized formats and deliver high-impact brand experiences.
Investment Patterns Highlight Retail Media Growth
Spending patterns confirm retail media’s strategic role. More than half (51%) of marketers plan to increase off-site retail media spend by reallocating budgets, with another 20% committing new funds. Notably, 50% of companies now dedicate over half of their programmatic budget to retail media.
Growth expectations remain strong, with most marketers projecting increases capped at 30%. TripleLift’s positioning as the Creative SSP makes it central to optimizing this growth through premium inventory and creative-first strategies.
Data Strategy: Precision Over Scale
The study shows that quality trumps quantity in data strategy. Segments based on past purchase behavior perform best: brand buyers (66%), category buyers (62%), and purchase frequency (61%). By contrast, psychographic segments and non-endemic audiences underperform significantly.
Marketers are increasingly prioritizing retailer first-party data for targeting. When combined with premium off-site placements and strong creative formats, this approach creates a cost-effective scaling advantage. In fact, 68% of respondents agree that off-site retail media spend allows scalable, efficient growth when paired with high-quality data.
Innovation Pipeline: AI and Connected TV
Looking ahead, marketers are betting on AI-driven creative optimization (26%) and audience measurement (31%) as top innovations, with Connected TV identified as the strongest growth channel.
Performance Metrics Confirm ROI
Despite industry challenges, performance remains robust. Return on ad spend (ROAS) leads the way, with 45% of marketers saying it meets expectations and 39% reporting it exceeds them. Top KPIs include ROAS (33%), conversion rate, and incremental return on ad spend.
The Path Forward: Balancing Art and Science
The research highlights an imbalance: while targeting and data optimization dominate, creative quality has not kept pace. With 82% of marketers recognizing creative’s role in driving KPIs—but 35% struggling with brand-consistent formats and 34% lacking standards—the industry faces a clear call to action.
Native advertising’s 74% satisfaction rating, with zero dissatisfaction, illustrates the value of pairing strong creative with strategic targeting. In a market headed toward $179.5 billion, creative differentiation will separate leaders from followers.
As the Creative SSP, TripleLift is uniquely positioned to help brands bridge this creative gap, ensuring that retail media strategies achieve maximum performance.
Research Methodology
The study was conducted in partnership with Advanis, surveying 200 US marketing professionals between April 28 and May 14, 2025. The complete report can be downloaded here.
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