Dick’s, LiveRamp, and Adobe Are Building Retail Media’s Creative Future

This post was created in partnership with LiveRamp and Adobe.

Retail media networks have spent years acquiring customer data to better target audiences. Now, they’re thinking about the next step: how to use that data to develop relevant, personalized messages for consumers.

During an ADWEEK House Cannes Lions panel co-hosted by LiveRamp, Adobe, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, leaders revealed a new partnership that will enable the retailer to leverage both companies’ tools to deliver more personalized creative messages to consumers through its retail media network.

The three execs sat down to talk about how the partnership is enabling Dick’s to get ahead in the next frontier of retail media: reaching consumers with creative that resonates.

Personalization at scale

Marie Knight, director of AI creative and commerce ecosystem at Adobe, said the partnership was organic, as Dick’s was already using LiveRamp’s data platform and Adobe’s creative tools.

“The partnership is in some ways simple, but that’s the beauty of it,” Knight said. “It’s data plus creative for optimized and improved outcomes.” 

David Young, vp of retail media at Dick’s Sporting Goods, explained that by leveraging the power of Adobe and LiveRamp together, brands tapping into Dick’s media network can be much more personalized with their offers. He gave an example of telling a “Tier 2 auto story in the Southeast to help move more Tahoes for Chevy” instead of defaulting to a national brand story. 

Matthew Hogg, svp of business development at LiveRamp, added that the partnership will lead to more efficient experimentation.

“There are a lot of businesses that are somewhat constrained by the amount of creative variability they can have,” he said. “Providing more options and more things that you can test, you can experiment and drive more value and growth for your business, and doing it super efficiently is going to be very valuable.” 

According to Hogg, media networks must first understand their customers in order to build an advertising business that goes “beyond just serving the needs of the trade marketers.” 

“[There’s] diversity of growth in terms of the buyers coming through to your site, and the places where you might want to put that data to work for you and advertise beyond your site,” Hogg said.

Leaning into retailer identity

Regardless of the tools at their disposal, retailers must develop a clear identity and trusted relationship with consumers in order to thrive in an increasingly crowded retail media landscape.

Young talked about Dick’s unique relationship with athletes’ families. From brick-and-mortar stores or its Gamechanger app, the company has built a trusted relationship with a niche audience.

“That’s what we’re leaning into,” Young said. “That’s the permission that I think we have to get into brand budgets and tell brand stories, as much as drive sell-through.” 

Specifically, Dick’s shows up for families of kids playing youth travel sports, who spend a lot of time on the road for tournaments and events. That opens the opportunity for new brands to tap into Dick’s data, such as in hospitality, Young said. 

“As a retailer who has a trusted relationship with that consumer, that’s additive to that lifestyle that we are trying to support in a way that’s a really clear multiple layer value for everyone involved,” he added.