Our partnership with TikTok, announced in our latest press release, brings creator content into the physical world through our nationwide network of digital signage. TikTok's Out of Phone program is at the heart of this transformation. It aims to extend the reach of TikTok's vibrant community and creator-driven content beyond the mobile screen and into daily life. As Dan Page, Global Head of Partnerships, New Screens at TikTok, explains, this initiative provides brands and creators with fresh opportunities to engage audiences "in the moments that matter"—whether they are shopping with friends, traveling, or simply moving through their day. By unlocking these new media channels, retailers and brands can now reach relevant audiences in high-traffic venues, turning ordinary experiences into memorable ones.
The partnership is creating new advertising opportunities and placements for brands across various retail channels, allowing them to enhance visibility and target shoppers with relevant ads. Nearly 70% to 85% of retail sales in the U.S. take place in physical stores, emphasizing the significance of in-store advertising. The platforms, Rockbot and TikTok, use advanced technology to facilitate these and innovative retail media experiences and provide data-driven advertising solutions.
Retail media is rapidly evolving beyond traditional digital advertising channels, innovative partnerships like Rockbot and TikTok are leading the charge by transforming everyday moments into powerful real-world engagement. By leveraging TikTok's viral energy and Rockbot's curated content platform, this collaboration brings retail media ad experiences directly into physical spaces such as retail stores, fitness centers, restaurants, and airports. This new approach to retail media helps brands connect with customers in meaningful ways, blending online influence with offline impact to drive product sales and enhance shopper marketing efforts. Retail media helps grow a business by increasing sales, revenue, and market share for both retailers and brands. The retail media advertising ecosystem is rapidly growing due to the shift in consumer shopping habits towards online platforms. Retail media's increasing influence is reshaping the digital advertising landscape, making it essential for brands and retailers to leverage its benefits. Globally, retail media has burgeoned into a $100 billion sector and now constitutes 18% of the total digital advertising expenditure worldwide.
Rockbot TV: Curated, Creator-Driven Entertainment for Real-World Screens
Rockbot TV is a prime example of how retail media solutions are evolving to meet the needs of both brands and venues. This platform offers businesses access to a growing library of premium, brand-safe content tailored explicitly for on-site environments. By incorporating TikTok's viral creator clips, Rockbot TV transforms idle moments—such as waiting for a table, finishing a workout, or browsing retail aisles—into engaging opportunities to capture shopper attention. Retail media advertising benefits brands by enabling them to create targeted campaigns based on shopper data, and marketers leverage the platform to execute targeted retail media strategies that reach relevant audiences and optimize campaign performance.
This approach to media strategy enhances the in-store experience by delivering culturally relevant and creative content that resonates with consumers. It not only entertains but also helps brands build a deeper understanding of their customers by engaging shoppers in the physical store environment. As a result, Rockbot TV supports retailers and brands in driving awareness and fostering loyalty through authentic, contextually relevant advertising campaigns. The use of first-party data allows for more personalized advertising, which consumers will prefer even as third-party cookies phase out.
Rockbot Advertising: Retail Media Networks Meet Creator Reach
For brands aiming to maximize their marketing spend and ad dollars, the Rockbot Advertising platform offers a dedicated retail media model that integrates targeted digital out-of-home (DOOH) and connected TV (CTV) campaigns across Rockbot's extensive screen network. With over 70 million monthly viewers in verified, real-world locations, this platform enables advertisers to reach customers where they shop, dine, and engage in everyday commerce. Retail media ad spending continues to rise, with projections showing substantial growth in the coming years. 80% of advertisers are planning to spend more on retail media in the next year, indicating a growing confidence in this advertising approach.
By layering TikTok's creator-driven content into these campaigns, Rockbot Advertising provides a unique retail media ecosystem that combines the influence of social media with the intent-rich environments of physical venues.
Retail media campaigns are increasingly optimized for direct sale outcomes, focusing on measurable sales conversions both online and in-store. Rockbot Advertising also leverages other channels beyond physical venues, such as social media and connected TV, to maximize campaign impact. Off-site retail media activities use retailer first-party data to target consumers on third-party platforms, enabling advanced targeting and measurement for comprehensive campaigns. Retail media is recognized as the third big wave of digital advertising, behind search and social media.
Media Strategy and Planning: Bridging Content, Context, and Commerce
In today's dynamic retail media ecosystem, a robust media strategy and thoughtful planning are essential for brands and retailers aiming to maximize the impact of their retail media network investments. By seamlessly connecting content, context, and commerce, retailers can deliver a unified shopping experience that not only engages customers but also drives measurable sales uplift and new revenue streams.
A successful retail media strategy begins with a deep understanding of the target audience and their shopping behaviors. Leveraging retailer first-party data, businesses can create highly personalized retail media ads that reach relevant audiences at the right moments—whether in-store, online, or across the open web. This data-driven approach allows for more precise targeting, ensuring that advertising campaigns resonate with shoppers and drive product sales. Two-thirds of online product searches start on retailer sites, making these platforms critical touchpoints for engaging consumers and influencing purchase decisions.
As the retail media industry continues to evolve, retailers are increasingly shifting their ad spend from traditional linear TV to digital campaigns and retail media solutions. This transition is fueled by the growing effectiveness of commerce media, which empowers brands to reach customers through a variety of media channels, including sponsored content, product placements, and digital out-of-home ad units. Retailers like Walmart Connect are already demonstrating the power of this approach, reporting significant sales uplift and increased advertising revenue from their retail media programs. Retail media ads can be shown on retailer home pages, category pages, or product detail pages, providing brands with multiple opportunities to engage shoppers at different stages of their journey.
Why It Matters for the Retail Media Ecosystem and DOOH
The retail media industry is undergoing a significant shift, expanding far beyond e-commerce and on-site digital advertising to embrace physical store experiences and digital out-of-home media channels. This evolution is fueled by several key trends: The terms' retail media' and 'retail media networks' are often used interchangeably, but retail media is the broader concept. Industry experts note that the term' commerce media' is increasingly used to capture the full scope of new advertising capabilities, especially in emerging areas like social commerce and in-game purchasing.
-
According to eMarketer, U.S. retail media ad spend is expected to grow annually by over 20%, and reach approximately $106.12 billion by 2027.
-
GroupM reported that global retail media revenue reached $101 billion in 2022, representing about 18% of global digital advertising spend.
-
With the decline of third-party cookies, advertisers are increasingly relying on first-party data and retailer first-party data to reach relevant audiences in high-intent environments, such as in-store and DOOH. Leveraging a retailer's platforms—such as their website, app, or physical store—and proprietary data is crucial for effective targeting and campaign performance.
-
GroupM’s “E‑Commerce & Retail Media Forecast” projects retail media advertising will grow by roughly 60% through 2027, making it one of the fastest-growing digital ad formats
By integrating Rockbot's platform with TikTok's social and cultural reach, brands gain access to a powerful combination of first-party data and engaging content that helps them connect with shoppers at different stages of the purchase journey. This approach supports a comprehensive retail media strategy that spans upper funnel media to lower funnel activation, delivering measurable advertising revenue and stronger shopper engagement. First-party data enables highly targeted advertising campaigns that are tailored to customer preferences.
What's Next
The Rockbot and TikTok partnership represents a big wave in the retail media space, showcasing what's possible when digital campaigns extend beyond the open web and linear TV into physical locations. Whether you are a brand looking to activate sponsored content and creator-driven campaigns in real-world settings or a retailer seeking to elevate your in-store experience and unlock new revenue streams, this collaboration offers innovative retail media solutions designed for today's commerce media landscape. The rise of retail media is linked to the decline of traditional TV viewership and the phasing out of third-party cookies.
-
Rockbot TV: Premium, brand-safe content tailored for every screen in your store or venue, designed to engage consumers and enhance the digital shelf.
-
Rockbot Advertising: Targeted advertising platforms delivering over 70 million real-world impressions monthly, enabling brands to reach customers with relevant ad units where they shop and dine.
-
TikTok's Out of Phone program: Viral creativity extended beyond the mobile screen, bringing streaming TV-style content and authentic creator reach into physical media channels.
Together, these offerings help brands and retailers harness the power of retail media networks to drive awareness, engage shoppers, and ultimately boost product sales in both online and offline commerce environments. As the retail media industry continues to evolve, partnerships like Rockbot and TikTok's will be key drivers in shaping the future of shopper marketing and advertising campaigns.
If you are looking to unify your in-store media into a centralized platform and deliver unique brand experiences, let’s get in touch.
