Retail Media in Marketplaces: the evolution of advertising and how to make the most of it

El Retail media in marketplaces has become one of the most powerful strategies in today’s digital marketing landscape.
From Amazon to Mercado Libre, advertising spaces within the platforms themselves are transforming how brands position themselves, sell, and communicate with consumers.

Unlike traditional advertising on social media or search engines, retail media offers something no other platform can match: advertising at the exact moment of purchase intent..

What Is Retail Media and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

El retail media refers to advertising spaces within marketplaces or retail platforms, where brands can pay to showcase their products to shoppers at key moments in the buying journey.
Examples include: a sponsored ad on Amazon, a banner on Mercado Libre, or a product recommendation on Walmart.com.

This model has grown exponentially. According to eMarketer, retail media already accounts for over 20% of global digital ad spend and continues to rise— becoming the third major wave of digital advertising, after search and social.

Why Is Retail Media So Effective?

1. First-party data: Marketplaces have deep insights into each user’s shopping behavior.

2. Purchase context: Ads appear when the user already has buying intent.

3. Precise measurement: Brands can track exactly how much they sell per click or impression.

4. High profitability: Conversion rates can be up to 5 times higher than traditional campaigns.

In short, retal media brings together branding, performance, and data in a single ecosystem.

Strategies to Maximize Retail Media in Marketplaces

Implementing an effective retail media strategy isn’t just about spending money:
it’s about optimizing, segmenting, and analyzing.Here are some key tips:

1. Define Clear Objectives

Are you aiming for visibility, sales, or brand positioning?
Each goal will determine the type of ads to use—e.g., Sponsored Products for conversions or Display Ads for awareness.

2. Invest Smartly

Start with your top-performing or high-turnover products.
Analyze their performance, then expand investment to other categories.

3. Leverage Marketplace Data

Use search, conversion, and competitor reports to your advantage.
Retail media doesn’t just sell— it teaches you how your customers think..

4. Create Optimized Visual Content

An ad won’t shine if the product has poor photos or descriptions.
A+ content, reviews, and reputation are the real drivers behind the click.

5. Evaluate ROI and Adjust in Real Time

One of retail media’s biggest advantages is flexibility: you can scale, pause, or resegment campaigns based on immediate results.

The Future of Retail Media: Total Integration

In the coming year and beyond, we´ll see full integration of retail media with artificial intelligence and omnichannel data..
Marketplaces are already using predictive algorithms to recommend products, automate ad bidding, and personalize ads based on each user’s history.

Brands that embrace this won’t just sell more— they’ll build stronger, longer-lasting relationships with their customers..

Conclusion

Retail media in marketplaces is no longer optional— it’s a strategic necessity for any brand looking to stand out in a competitive, saturated environment.

Investing in retail media doesn’t mean spending more—it means investing smarter, with data, segmentation, and analysis that drive profitable, long-term growth

En BAZARUP, te ayudamos a gestionar tu estrategia de retail media en marketplaces para que tu marca no solo venda más, sino que conecte mejor con sus clientes.

Desde la planificación hasta la optimización de campañas, ponemos a tu disposición tecnología, análisis y experiencia para que cada inversión se traduzca en resultados medibles y sostenibles. ¿Listo para llevar tu presencia digital al siguiente nivel?