As the shopping journey continues to evolve, consumers now seamlessly discover and purchase products across a variety of channels, from in-store to social media to connected TV. To be successful in this omnichannel evolution, advertisers need to build comprehensive media plans to reach consumers wherever they are in their shopping journey.

Retailers, like Target, recognize the significance of fostering strong customer connections through multiple touchpoints. As one of America’s favorite discovery destinations, Target is uniquely positioned to spark inspiration and connect consumers to brands, thanks to the way it incorporates messaging across stores, digital channels, and more. Roundel, Target’s media network, brings this capability to advertisers—helping them connect with consumers at every stage of the marketing funnel.

The consumer journey

As consumer behavior changes, the best way to engage with consumers where they shop is by utilizing a strategic mixture of on-site and off-site media tactics. According to a June 2023 Roundel survey, 76% of guests use Target.com or the Target app while they are shopping in one of our stores, reinforcing how fluid the shopping journey has become.

Social media has also become a key component of the shopping journey for many consumers. While 75% of Target guests are active on social media, this number becomes even more pronounced with Gen Z. Over 50% of Gen Z state they use social media as their primary discovery vehicle for products instead of using search engines, according to EMARKETER. Adding these solutions to existing strategies can ensure that brands stay top of mind with consumers wherever they search and drive incremental growth across the funnel.

Shifting mindsets require new tactics

Given how the shopping journey is evolving, advertisers should be mindful of how they are activating across the entire marketing funnel. It is in advertisers’ best interest to include upper funnel tactics like shoppable social touchpoints into their media plans to maximize results.

Retail media networks (RMNs) help build these connections by pairing first-party data with cross-channel placements to ensure the right messages connect with the right consumers, at the right time. At Roundel, we’ve observed that brands that deliver up to 10% of their total retail media plan impressions towards Snapchat, Meta, and/or Pinterest drove 35% higher return on ad spend (ROAS) than brands with similar spends that did not include social channels, per internal data.

Additionally, we noticed a positive ROAS when off-site channels were incrementally paired with on-site channels. Pairing on-site with two off-site channels drove ROAS 1.4 times above the baseline, and three off-site channels led to results 2.4 times above the baseline.

How brands leverage Roundel’s full-funnel solutions to enhance customer engagement

Roundel provides extensive full-funnel solutions to generate awareness with shoppers, achieve greater ROAS results, and drive sales. Thanks to our strong understanding and exclusive insights on the Target guest, we offer brand partners the ability to build meaningful connections with shoppers and do so across channels with our premium inventory.

Our solutions are designed to work collectively, with upper funnel tactics helping to drive lower funnel results. In a recent campaign, Ninja leveraged an array of Roundel’s cross-platform solutions with remarkable success during the holiday season. Taking a full-funnel approach, inclusive of awareness tactics like CTV and YouTube, alongside conversion-driving tactics like Target Product Ads and on-site display, allowed Ninja to drive a 16% sales increase year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, per campaign data.

Roundel’s innovation roadmap continues to unlock more ad formats that connect with guests even at the point of discovery. Using API integrations, we help advertisers access best-in-class, privacy-safe ways of targeting across off-site platforms. We’re also testing shoppable social formats through key platform partnerships, like Meta and Pinterest, to connect with consumers where they actively seek inspiration.

Conclusion

Advertisers looking to drive performance must invest in integrated on-site and off-site strategies across the funnel, which will help build deeper connections with consumers throughout their shopping journey. Partnering with RMNs, like Roundel, allows advertisers to access robust first-party data for accurate targeting, seamless integration across channels, and greater return on outcomes.

For more on full-funnel strategies, tune into the June 25 episode of EMARKETER’s “Behind the Numbers” podcast. Roundel’s Nikhil Sharma, senior director, performance and insights, will join EMARKETER’s Marcus Johnson, producer and podcast host, and Sarah Marzano, principal analyst, to discuss how advertisers should evolve their media plans to meet consumers across key seasons and everyday shopping moments.

—Pat Burke, Senior Director, Go-to-Market Strategy, Roundel