So what actually holds up when you look beyond the hype?
Everyone’s talking about retail media, AI, and the future of commerce.
But what happens when you strip away the hype and actually look at how brands, consumers, and the industry behave in reality?.
In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn sit down with Kiessé Lamour for a refreshingly honest conversation on where commerce media is actually heading and what still needs to catch up.
From why retail media isn’t as “mature” as people think, to the real role of AI in creativity, Kiessé brings a grounded, no-BS perspective on how brands should navigate an increasingly complex ecosystem.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Why retail media isn’t as mature as it seems: Despite rapid growth and investment, retail media is still heavily reliant on search, with gaps in measurement, education, and true full-funnel capability — meaning the industry still has a long way to go.
How brands are moving away from “shiny object syndrome”: With more networks and platforms launching every day, brands are becoming more selective — consolidating spend with strategic partners that align to business goals and deliver real outcomes.
Why commerce is becoming embedded across all media: The lines between content, media, and commerce are collapsing, with every touchpoint becoming a potential point of transaction, driven by consumer demand for seamless experiences.
The role of creativity in a transactional world: Even as commerce becomes more performance-driven, creativity remains the biggest differentiator, driving up to 60–70% of campaign effectiveness and turning shoppers into long-term brand advocates.
Why AI should be seen as a co-creator, not a replacement: While AI is dominating industry conversations, adoption is still relatively early, with only a portion of consumers using it regularly, meaning search isn’t disappearing, but evolving.
The reality of AI adoption and its impact on search: While AI is dominating industry conversations, adoption is still relatively early, with only a portion of consumers using it regularly, meaning search isn’t disappearing, but evolving.
What consolidation actually means for the industry: Consolidation isn’t about control — it’s about simplification. Brands and agencies are streamlining tech stacks, processes, and partnerships to better navigate an increasingly complex ecosystem.
Why consumer experience should guide everything: Ultimately, innovation in commerce media isn’t about the industry — it’s about the consumer. Reducing friction, enhancing experience, and meeting people where they are remains the core focus.
Soundbites to listen out for:
On retail media maturity
“Retail media still is the king within that ecosystem… but I’m not sure that retail media is maturing. Yes, there is significant capital being invested, yes there is significant advertising dollars going into it… but search is still king, and we’re still having very basic conversations around measurement.”
On the explosion and reality of retail media networks
“You’ll be surprised… there are people that work in commerce that don’t properly understand retail media or commerce media. And then you think about the proliferation — we feel like there is a network popping up out there every other morning.”
On brands becoming more selective
“Brands are now waking up to the fact that they don’t have to follow every shining toy out there… they are starting to gradually consolidate their spend with their most strategic partners. They don’t sit on a pot of gold. Nobody’s a leprechaun… they have to strategically decide where to invest and what’s going to deliver value for their business.”
On consumer behaviour vs industry thinking
“Do we spend 24/7 of our time on retailers’ websites? No… we split our time across retailers, social, websites, radio, TV. And for a brand, they're following the eyeball. They need to be able to reach their consumers in places that matters.”
On consumer experience and friction
“When we are consuming content online, we don’t want to be interrupted… you want a seamless experience. I don’t want to pause my video, go on my phone… I want something that enables me to do all of that seamlessly. So it’s about the merging of retail and media to the point where we’re not talking about retail media anymore. It’s going to be media where every transactional point becomes a media outlet.”
On creativity’s role to build brand, not just drive transactions
“Creativity was, still is, and will be the element that enables brands to differentiate… creativity is how consumers experience your brand. You don’t want people that just tap in, tap out [with transactions]. That’s not sustainable… you want to move people from being shoppers into becoming fans.”
On AI’s role in creativity
"I don't believe the narrative that AI is going to replace humans. AI is going to replace certain processes, but if we believe the narrative that AI is going to replace creativity strategy, we basically are saying that AI is going to replace us as people. Yes, AI is here to stay… but we need to treat AI as a co-creator, not a shortcut. AI doesn’t have the ability to create — AI generates.”
About the guest
Kiessé Lamour is the Global Head of Media, Commerce at VML, where she leads the development and global expansion of the agency’s commerce media capabilities. In this role, she focuses on helping brands connect media, content and commerce to drive measurable business outcomes for clients around the world.
Before joining VML in 2021, Kiessé served as Head of Industry Partnerships at Pinterest UK, where she built and led teams focused on helping marketers drive growth on the platform. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years at Omnicom Media Group, holding leadership roles across programmatic, paid search, social, and brand safety, and helping establish operational standards
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