Retail media, the new vertical of advertising and one of the fastest-growing media channels in which more brands are investing, was the main topic of a panel at the Future of Retail & FMCG Forum, organized by The Diplomat Bucharest. The panel was moderated by Tiberiu Dănețiu, Director of Retail Media & Corporate Affairs at Auchan Romania, who directly contributes to the development and standardization of the Romanian retail media market.
The Retail Media & Data Insights debate was designed as an industry-focused session, bringing together top voices and leaders from media, research, marketing, FMCG, and technology: Arina Ureche (General Manager, BRAT), Andrei Canda (Managing Partner, iSense Solutions), Delia Levanti (Shopper & Customer Marketing Manager, NIVEA Beiersdorf), Anca Florescu (Country Sales Manager Brand, Sofidel Romania), and Marius Pătroi (Co-Founder & CEO, Spectro:o Software).
They engaged in an interactive dialogue about the rise and future of the retail media industry in Romania, discussing how it has changed and continues to reshape the current media landscape. Topics ranged from data utilization, performance measurement, technological evolution, and the integration of AI to enhance performance, to the challenges, growth perspectives, and the next step—auditing and standardizing the retail media industry.
“Retail media has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years—it is booming. We are no longer talking about something in its early stages, but about a new industry that is being formed. What differentiates this environment from others is that retail media is closest to the point of purchase. Brands can communicate with a segmented, profiled, precise audience and accurately measure conversion into sales, which is not the case with other media,” said Tiberiu Dănețiu, Director of Retail Media & Corporate Affairs, Auchan Romania.
“You are probably among the largest media channels in Romania if we refer to the standard definition—other, more well-known media do not reach such levels of audience reach and penetration. Looking at these data, and of course paying attention to what is happening internationally, we have concluded that retail media is a market that should be standardized,” said Arina Ureche, General Manager, BRAT.
“Romania is a retail-first market rather than a social-first one, and 62% of Romanians consider the physical store to be the most relevant touchpoint in the purchasing process. Retail media data can be very well combined with traditional research data. Retailers know who buys, when, and from where, how purchasing behavior changes, while we can understand why consumers did not buy a certain product, why they changed their behavior, and what their perception is of a brand or product,” said Andrei Canda, Managing Partner, iSense Solutions.
“By using data, you can calibrate both your budgets and your audience very effectively. We not only take elements from TV—such as campaign identity—and translate them into retail media, but we also develop standalone creatives and adapt them to the specific needs of retail media,” said Delia Levanti, Shopper & Customer Marketing Manager, NIVEA Beiersdorf.
“In Romania, it is clear that there is currently a shift from traditional marketing to other methods, including retail media. It is an option that all of us need to consider. This is what we have started doing as well—alongside offline efforts, we have begun integrating online into our strategy and digital approach,” said Anca Florescu, Country Sales Manager Brand, Sofidel Romania.
“This new channel exists right where the purchase decision happens. It is natural for it to grow, and it has proven this, including through data. This trend is happening globally, and brands are increasingly turning to retail media,” said Marius Pătroi, Co-Founder & CEO, Spectro:o Software.
The overall conclusion was that retail media is rapidly developing in Romania, becoming an increasingly relevant channel that more and more agencies and brands are already strategically including in their media mix.