Navigating the next phase of commerce media with off-site

As more advertisers look for ways to use commerce data across the full funnel, the biggest growth opportunity is shifting off-site. For retailers, that means moving beyond owned and operated properties into the channels where national, brand, and non-endemic budgets already live.

As more CMNs do just that, expectations are changing. Success now often depends on how effective both on-site and off-site commerce media networks are. That requires differentiated audiences, flexible buying models, off-site activation, and measurement that proves business impact.

For CMNs, the opportunity is to evolve from an on-site media product into a broader advertising business that reflects how modern marketers plan and buy, from intentional audiences and channel mixes to flexibility in buying models. 

Market your data assets

Commerce data is only valuable if advertisers understand what makes it useful. With hundreds of CMNs competing for advertiser attention, retailers need a clear point of view on what makes their data different.

Different advertisers value different things:

• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketers may care most about incrementality and in-store outcomes 

• National brand teams may want broader reach and awareness 

• Non-endemic marketers may need a way to connect their message to relevant shopping behavior

Retailers may have the data to meet these diverse marketer needs, but if they don’t communicate it clearly to advertisers, they risk being overlooked.

One way to market your data assets is through audience design. The strongest CMNs define audiences in ways that reflect how people actually shop. They are broken out by category affinity, loyalty, purchase frequency, brand preference, or other high-value behaviors. The more targeted the audience, the better potential it has to drive stronger results across both on-site and off-site activation.

Granularity can help unlock that differentiation. It also supports more advanced use cases, including:

• Competitive conquesting 

• Brand switching 

• Loyalty-based targeting 

• In-store activation 

• Incrementality analysis

A well-defined audience strategy is a consistent and effective way to communicate data assets to advertisers.

Be intentional about channels

Off-site growth does not come from display alone.

Many CMNs are strongest when it comes to on-site endemic advertising. But advertisers increasingly want to use commerce audiences in upper-funnel channels, too, especially when trying to reach shoppers earlier in the decision process. That includes channels like CTV and online video, where brands can build awareness while still benefiting from commerce-based audience precision.

This is where CMNs may be able to access additional budgets.

When a retailer makes its audiences available across more of the media mix, it can become easier for advertisers to:

• Connect upper- and lower-funnel activity 

• Extend commerce data into national planning 

• Activate non-endemic campaigns 

• Influence consideration earlier in the journey 

That matters because many brands are already investing upstream. They want their commerce data partners to meet them there.

A full-funnel approach can also benefit the retailer. The more often a CMN can help shape consideration before a shopper reaches the point of purchase, the more value it can create for advertisers and the more strategic its role can become.

Support flexible buying models

Just as different advertisers value different outcomes, they also have different preferences for how to buy media.

Some want self-serve, programmatic access so they can activate retail data alongside the rest of their media. Others prefer managed service and want the retailer to handle execution. The strongest CMNs typically support both.

When a CMN offers a flexible buying model, it expands the pool of buyers a network can support. It also aligns the CMN more closely with how advertisers already work.

Flexibility should also show up in pricing and campaign structure.

Dynamic CPM models, for example, give CMNs a way to maintain predictable margins while allowing campaign costs and impression volume to adjust based on market conditions and impression-level value. That can create a more adaptable buying experience for advertisers and a more durable business model for the network. 

In practical terms, flexible buying models can help CMNs:

• Capture more net-new budgets 

• Serve both sophisticated and service-led advertisers 

• Scale off-site activation more effectively 

• Support stronger outcomes across channels

The key is to meet advertisers where they already are, rather than forcing them into a single model.

Hit the ground running

Many retailers have already set up and run successful on-site CMNs. The next step is to build on that momentum by expanding into off-site advertising. 

Programmatic expertise can help accelerate go-to-market plans, refine activation models, and unlock new advertiser demand faster. As retailers consider the next phase of commerce media, off-site is becoming an increasingly relevant area of focus. Ready to get started? Click here or contact your representative at The Trade Desk.