Retail media continues to transform how brands connect with shoppers, and one of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the rise of self-service advertising models.
Traditionally, retailers have relied on managed service models, where an internal team or third-party provider oversees campaign planning, execution, optimisation, and reporting on behalf of advertisers.
But with the rapid evolution of digital ad platforms, self-service is no longer just an option – it’s becoming a necessity.
What’s The Difference Between Managed and Self-Service
Managed Service: A retailer’s ad sales team handles campaign execution for brands, providing a high-touch experience but often at a higher cost and with limited scalability.
Self-Service: Brands, agencies, and merchants take full control of their campaigns, optimising ads in real time, similar to how they use Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, or Meta Ads.
As retail media networks like Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, and Instacart Ads set new industry standards, self-service is quickly gaining traction due to its efficiency, scalability, and lower operational costs.
Why Retailers Are Moving To Self-Service
Retailers are rapidly shifting toward self-service platforms to unlock the following benefits:
✅ Scalability: More advertisers can onboard with minimal manual intervention
✅ Operational Efficiency: Faster launches without relying on account managers and ops
✅ Advertiser Autonomy: Brands control budgets, targeting, and adjustments in real time
✅ Higher Revenue Potential: Lowering barriers to entry allows for greater ad spend
How Walmart Connect Stands Out
💡 Did you know? Walmart Connect’s global ad revenue hit $4.4 billion in 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing retail media networks.
Walmart Connect isn’t just another retail media network – it’s redefining the space by offering advertisers more control, insights, and omnichannel reach.
1. Omnichannel Advertising Solutions : Advertisers can engage Walmart’s ~145 million customers across Sponsored Search, Onsite Display, Offsite Media, In-Store Promotions, Brand Shops & Shelf Advertising and more with Advanced Measurement Tools.
2. Full-Fledged Self-Service Platform: Allowing advertisers to launch, pause, and adjust campaigns autonomously, eliminating the need for constant sales and ops team involvement.
3. Closed-Loop Measurement: With proprietary omnichannel intelligence, Walmart Connect helps advertisers track the full impact of their campaigns – from online clicks to in-store purchases.
4. Walmart Connect Ad Academy: A gamified learning platform that educates and supports advertisers on best practices and campaign optimisation.
5. Partner Ecosystem for Maximum Impact: 100+ technology partners, Walmart provides tools and expertise to help brands succeed – leading to up to 28% higher ROAS.
6. Advertiser Community & Resources: How-to guides, Video tutorials, FAQs and support resources
Walmart Connect has also taken a major step toward full automation by partnering with ad tech companies to automate retail media buying via an API, making ad purchases more seamless than ever.
Measuring Self-Service Success in Retail Media
It’s important for retailers embracing self-service models to track KPIs to gauge effectiveness, retention and uplift, a few common metrics we see are;
📈 Revenue Contribution: % of total revenue driven by self-service
📊 Advertiser Growth Rate: Increase in self-service advertisers over time
🔄 Advertiser Retention: How often advertisers return to run new campaigns
💰 Budget Utilisation: % of allocated budgets spent by advertisers
⚙️ Automation Rate: % of campaigns managed without human intervention
🚀 Campaign Activation Speed: Time taken to launch a campaign
💡 Campaign ROI: Return on investment for self-service advertisers
✅ Advertiser Satisfaction: Measured via support ticket volumes and feedback
What’s Next?
Self-service advertising isn’t just a trend – it’s shaping the future of retail media monetisation. As retailers double down on automation and advertiser autonomy, the question remains: Will fully automated, AI-driven retail media platforms become the new standard?
Are you looking to embrace the latest in Data, CRM and AI to simplify your retail media business? Get in touch today.
