Getting Under the Hood of The Garage With Dan Massimino and Evan Hovorka

In this special episode of The Garage podcast, hosts Dan Massimino and Evan Hovorka turn introspective. They delve into their backgrounds, the origin of their podcast concept, and the vital relationships shaping retail media. 

Reflecting on notable guests like Casey Hamlyn, Sean Muller, Sherry Smith, and partners from Google and Criteo, they explore recurring themes of innovation, collaboration, trust, and the promise of AI in retail media. 

“You wouldn’t have thought of Google as a kindergartner or a humble collaborator five years ago, but in this retail media space, they’ve admitted like, ‘Hey, we aren’t going to write software that’s one size fits all for everybody here. We have the engineering capacity to do so, but y’all are so different,’” Evan says on the podcast.

“Walmart, Target, Kroger, Albertsons, Amazon, everyone’s so unique and strange. We’re going to lean in and build custom partnerships with you instead and figure out how our tool set uniquely integrates.”

Key takeaways:

[07:56] The unique approach of The Garage: Unlike traditional meetings with canned sales pitches, the podcast embraces a hands-on, whiteboard session format that encourages real-time problem-solving and creative thinking. This format aligns with Evan’s belief in rolling up sleeves and co-designing solutions from scratch, tackling the complexities and unique challenges of retail media by engaging directly with partners to create bespoke solutions rather than relying on off-the-shelf software. This method encourages participants to think outside the box and collaboratively address challenges in a more dynamic and effective way.

[19:31] Google’s evolving role in retail media: Unlike their previous one-size-fits-all strategy, Google has embraced a more tailored approach, recognizing the unique needs of different retailers. The platform now focuses on building custom partnerships and integrating their toolset to meet specific requirements. This shift represents a more collaborative and adaptive mindset, demonstrating Google’s commitment to addressing the diverse challenges within the retail media landscape and working closely with partners to deliver more effective solutions.

[33:52] The future of AI in retail media: AI needs to operate within established rules and constraints to ensure compliance with business practices and regulations. This controlled use of AI for specific tasks like budget optimization and creative testing will allow for safe and iterative development. As AI proves its effectiveness in these areas, it can then expand into more innovative and less constrained applications. This approach ensures that AI’s deployment is both practical and compliant with existing constraints, paving the way for more advanced uses in the future.

[36:26] Integrating in-store and digital experiences in retail media: Evan contrasts the current focus on digital advertising, which is easy to implement, with the vast untapped potential of in-store interactions. He believes that leveraging the physical store environment, where most customer interactions and sales occur, could greatly benefit both shoppers and brands. Evan envisions retail media evolving to become a seamless part of the customer shopping journey, blending online and offline experiences to inspire and engage shoppers more effectively. He emphasizes that the true value will be realized when digital and in-store elements work together, benefiting both customers and the brands investing in retail media.