“Buyers are rarely buying what they think the seller is selling."

I heard this quote at a conference last week, and it immediately clicked—because it happens all the time in our work at Hayden:

• A brand reaches out about retail media, but what they actually need is help with in-store merchandising strategy

• Or, they think they want an Ibotta plan…when they aren’t quite clear about their clearinghouse situation (or don't even know what a clearinghouse is!)

We often see a mismatch in what clients think they want vs. what they truly need—especially when the term “retail media” has become so ambiguous (more on that here).

So how do we bridge this gap and discover what clients genuinely need?

We LISTEN. We ask thoughtful questions. We dig into their pain points to understand where they need the most support.

Instead of rushing to propose solutions, we create space for our clients to share their challenges, which often reveals opportunities to make their lives easier—and their marketing dollars more efficient.

When we approach new partnerships with curiosity rather than assumptions, we can offer genuine solutions rather than just selling services. And isn't that what great partnerships are all about?

— Eleanor

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Retail Roundup

Featured retailer marketing updates, deadlines, tips, and more!

DoorDash Retail Media Platform Updates

DoorDash is rolling out several updates to its retail media platform:

• Enhanced sponsored brands: Sponsored Brands now include imagery capabilities, upgraded from the previous logo and headline-only format

• Ibotta syndication: Ibotta syndication is rolling out slowly—starting with enterprise before expanding to most brands over the coming months. Brands will be able to utilize both Ibotta syndication and direct DoorDash coupons

  • DoorDash representatives can disable Ibotta syndication upon request if brands prefer to maintain sole control of their promotions

  • Brands can still run retailer-specific targeting with free banner ads through DoorDash's direct coupon program

• Catalogue manager: Now live for JBP partners, giving access to full product information management and real-time updates—similar to Instacart's Library tool!

Inmar Partners with Costco

Inmar Intelligence unveiled a new partnership with Costco, allowing brands to use Costco’s first-party data to:

• Create custom-targeted audiences specifically built around Costco members who match your campaign objectives

• Deliver seamless omnichannel experiences through personalized ads across mobile, desktop, and connected TV

• Access detailed performance metrics including iROAS and Sales Lift reporting for better campaign optimization

Instacart Updates Reporting Methodology

Did you see a drop in your Instacart assortment and distribution metrics this month? There’s a reason. Instacart changed up its ICIP (Instacart Connected Insight Portal) reporting methodology, resulting in metrics that more accurately reflect your products' true performance:

• Assortment Metric: Previously counted all unique product IDs, including those without recent sales, artificially inflating assortment figures.

• Distribution Metric: Prior reports included inactive store locations and virtual warehouses in distribution calculations—the new methodology excludes these non-relevant locations.

So if you see lower numbers, don’t stress! They show a more accurate representation of your product’s true performance.

Thanks for reading!

— Eleanor