Are we overlooking what really matters in media today?
In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, Bill Fisher from eMarketer joins Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn to unpack what the data is really telling us about media, commerce, and consumer behaviour.
From the rise of AI-generated content to the growing importance of trust and quality, Bill shares a grounded, data-led perspective on where the industry is heading and what’s overhyped versus underestimated. The conversation explores shifting consumer behaviours, the evolution of video and connected TV, YouTube’s untapped potential, and how commerce media is expanding beyond conversion into full-funnel influence.
If you’re trying to separate signal from noise in a rapidly evolving landscape, this episode brings clarity — backed by real data.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Why trust and quality are becoming the new competitive edge: As AI floods the ecosystem with synthetic content, both consumers and marketers are questioning authenticity, brand safety, and credibility — making trusted environments more valuable than ever.
The reality behind AI hype in commerce and media: AI is incredibly powerful when it comes to efficiency, speed, and optimisation, but does it inherently build brand equity or consumer trust? And what percentage of transactions is it actually forecast to drive?
How consumer behaviour is becoming more fragmented and omnichannel: Shoppers are discovering products constantly, with 70% discovering new products at least weekly, and 23% researching five or more times before buying — spanning multiple touchpoints across digital and physical environments.
Why traditional media still matters more than we think: Despite digital growth, traditional channels like TV, radio, and in-store continue to play a critical role — with surprising data showing even younger audiences trust traditional media highly.
The rise of connected TV (CTV) as a commerce opportunity: Andreas shares his candid take on measurement, why publisher-reported returns should always be treated cautiously, and why truly accurate retail media measurement remains difficult, resource-heavy, and often misaligned with industry incentives.
What AI and agentic commerce could mean for retail media: CTV is rapidly overtaking traditional TV and even mobile video in time spent, creating new opportunities for both brand storytelling and direct commerce actions.
Why YouTube may be one of the most underutilised platforms: Despite being the largest media platform globally, YouTube is under-monetised relative to time spent, creating a major opportunity for advertisers.
How commerce media is evolving beyond conversion: Retail and commerce media are moving up the funnel, blending awareness, consideration, and transaction into a more integrated, measurable ecosystem.
Soundbites to listen out for:
Trust & quality in the age of AI
“Trust and quality… are going to gain real strong currency this year and next year and for years to come. It certainly increases efficiency… but it doesn’t inherently improve brand equity or quality… and it doesn’t breed consumer trust necessarily.”
On the gap between Amazon and other retail media networks
“If you take the GMV and compare the ad revenues a retailer makes against that GMV… let’s do this for Amazon. It’s about 8%. If you calculate that same number for retail media networks, you will see that most of them are probably below 1%.”
The reality of AI hype
“There are those that think AI is going to fix everything… those that think it’s the devil incarnate… and then there’s this big middle where most of the sensible people sit.”
AI’s role in commerce (for now)
“60% research online, but only slightly less, 57% research in-store. Look, digital has changed everything, right? But people still like to shop in physical stores. And physical commerce is still outnumbering digital commerce by a large proportion.”
A surprising generational shift
“So what that study with impact.com found was that baby boomers were the most likely to prefer watching creators via live stream, more so than Gen Z millennials.”
Trust still sits with traditional media
“TV is the most trusted advertising medium among 18 to 34 year olds, more than 60% trusted higher than the total population”
The YouTube paradox
“It’s the biggest single media platform in the world… there are more YouTube users than any other distinct platform. But they’re not being fully monetised… because they’re not pulling in as much [revenue per user].”
Retail media’s rapid growth
“Retail media is the fastest growing category… we’re reporting a 15% compound annual growth rate. It's growing faster than CTV, which is still growing quickly, faster than social media”
About the guest
Bill Fisher is a Senior Analyst at EMARKETER, where he covers digital marketing, media and consumer trends across the UK and Western Europe. His research spans topics including advertising spend, media consumption, ecommerce and demographic shifts, helping brands and marketers understand how audiences discover, engage with and buy from brands today.
With over 25 years of experience in the technology and research sectors, Bill has previously worked with firms including Ovum and Gartner. His insights are frequently cited by leading media outlets, and he regularly speaks at industry events on the future of marketing, media, and digital commerce.
Connect with the hosts on LinkedIn
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