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Designing In-Store Media: Key Findings
ISM helps brands design in-store media around how shoppers actually move, showing that thoughtful layouts and messaging can turn every aisle into a meaningful marketing moment.
During peak seasons, dynamic creative is tested and adjusted in real time, proving that small tweaks on the floor can have a big impact on engagement and sales.
Their curated playbooks launch campaigns that fit each retailer’s audience and context, showing that a tailored approach drives better results from day one.
Global retail media ad investment is set to hit $176.2 billion this year, making up 15.2% of total global ad spend, according to the latest WRC Media forecast.
This growth shows how brands are rethinking the store itself as a powerful, measurable media channel.
In this interview with DesignRush, David Simon, President of Vibenomics and In-Store Marketplace (ISM), shares what separates leading retail media networks from the rest — and why the right mix of design, data, and collaboration is key to making in-store media perform.
Who is David Simon?
David Simon is the president of In-Store Marketplace (ISM) and EVP of advertising at Mood Media. A veteran of the ad tech industry, he previously scaled Fyber’s revenue from $100 million to $500 million before its acquisition by Digital Turbine. Simon has also held senior roles at Moloco, Verizon Media, Jounce Media, Vidible (acquired by AOL), Turn, Right Media, and Yahoo. His expertise lies in programmatic strategy, retail media monetization, and bridging creative with commerce across physical and digital channels.
How ISM Tailors Media to Shopper Behavior
Align In-Store Media with the Shopper Journey
For Simon, great in-store media begins with understanding how shoppers move and why.
“When evaluating a brand or retail partner, the first thing we look for is how their in-store experience is currently created,” he says. “Is it a convenience store where the goal is to make finding products and checking out easy? Or do they optimize the path through the store to drive longer dwell times?”
Convenience-focused stores might need attention-grabbing signage right at entry points, while more experiential formats can build storytelling into the shopper’s path.
Designing around intent is how retailers create meaningful, measurable media moments.
Simon also points to the value of strong brand relationships. Retailers that co-develop experiences with brand partners “are far better positioned to deliver meaningful value,” he says.
Without that collaboration, in-store media risks becoming background noise instead of influence.
Customize Strategies for Each Retail Media Network
A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in retail media. Every retail environment draws shoppers with different expectations and behaviors.
“Early in our experience with partners, we realized that a one-size-fits-all strategy doesn’t work,” Simon explains. “Every RMN has a unique approach, shaped by its target customers and the type of shopping experience they provide.”
That insight inspired ISM’s curated playbook approach, which allows the team to design campaigns tailored to each retailer’s audience and go-to-market strategy.
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The goal: launch relevant, effective activations from day one.
What Retailers Should Prioritize Next
Get Executive Buy-In Before Scaling Retail Media
Even the smartest strategy can stall without leadership alignment. Simon calls the lack of C-suite buy-in one of the biggest early warning signs.
“If the CMO and CTO are not aligned on the value of marrying solid tech investments with a clearly defined shopper experience, they aren’t ready for in-store advertising,” he says.
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Retail media often requires organizational change. When executives support both the technology investment and the creative vision, adoption happens faster, and scaling becomes smoother.
Build Partnerships That Blend Creative and Operational Strength
Retail media networks thrive when storytelling meets executional rigor. For Simon, that balance starts with the right partners.
“The retail media network space requires partners who understand that in-store media sits at the intersection of performance, data, and creative storytelling,” he says.
Beyond creativity, ISM looks for partners who can simplify campaign management, standardize operations, and ensure reliability on the ground.
“It’s easy to think you can just throw a TV on an end cap and call it a day, but what happens if a customer knocks it over, or the store’s Wi-Fi cuts out?”
Technical resilience isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential. When the operational foundation holds, creative impact can scale consistently across locations and campaigns.
Bridging Data and Creative for Measurable Impact
Use Data to Bridge Creative and Performance
The strongest in-store campaigns are data-informed. Simon highlights a campaign where a leading cookie brand partnered with a popular musical artist to launch a new product.
ISM designed audio assets specifically for the in-store environment, ensuring shoppers experienced a cohesive story that mirrored digital channels.
“By integrating creative with measurable media insights, we were able to drive stronger engagement, lift in-store sales, and maximize overall campaign performance,” Simon says.
The takeaway: creative and data aren’t separate disciplines. When they inform each other, in-store media becomes both expressive and accountable.
Treat the Shelf as a Real-Time Testing Ground
Peak retail seasons are real-time focus groups.
“One smart, often underrated way brands and RMNs can experiment is by adding in-store tactics to their already-planned holiday campaigns,” Simon says.
“Dynamic, context-driven creative can be tailored in real time based on inventory, time of day, or local shopper behavior.”
This kind of agile testing helps brands understand what messaging lands best and how it translates to sales.
As Simon puts it, it turns the shelf into a “performance-driven testing ground.”
Our Take: How Great Ideas Become Real Results
The best retail media strategies start with intent: understanding how people actually move and shop, then designing creative that fits naturally into that journey.
Success also depends on leadership alignment and the ability to turn smart ideas into reliable, repeatable execution.
When creativity, data, and operations work together, in-store media stops being noise and starts driving real impact.
