Retail media is currently one of the hottest topics in marketing. At its core, a major transformation is underway as artificial intelligence and data are seamlessly combined. The strategic application of AI is shifting the focus of marketing from traditional mass visibility to genuinely personalized, real-time, and scientifically measurable customer experiences.
No Retail Media Without Data
The growth of retail media is built on retailer-owned data. Data is its most important fuel: without high-quality customer insights and purchase context, retail media remains nothing more than traditional advertising space.
Artificial intelligence is the technology capable of analyzing and activating this massive amount of data, transforming it into actionable intelligence. Together, data and AI create a system that recognizes consumer purchase intent at exactly the right place and time.
New Content Concepts and Efficient A/B Testing
With generative AI, campaign planning and creative content production have taken a significant leap forward. AI enables entirely new workflows and content concepts, where numerous variations of marketing materials can be generated instantly.
This makes it possible to bring A/B testing into the physical retail environment with unprecedented efficiency. AI-powered real-time decision engines test different creative variations and continuously analyze which combinations maximize customer attention and lead to purchase decisions. Poorly performing ad variations are automatically removed on the fly, while the best-performing content is expanded and scaled. This saves advertising budgets and immediately improves campaign performance.
Proven Impact: Tangible Sales Growth
AI-driven retail media and closed-loop attribution eliminate guesswork from marketing. Verified global examples clearly demonstrate AI’s ability to generate substantial sales growth.
For example, Coca-Cola’s AI-driven in-store campaign increased sales by more than 23 percent and delivered nearly four times return on ad spend (ROAS) during the quietest winter season. Similarly, Jack Daniel’s achieved an impressive 390 percent sales increase during the holiday season by targeting consumers in retail media with AI-driven marketing. Brands such as Haribo and Carlsberg have also reported sales increases of several tens of percent by utilizing AI to optimize customer purchase journeys.
Groundbreaking Interactive Experience at Helsinki Airport
The digitalization of physical retail environments is not limited to dynamically displaying advertisements. AI can also power interactive and emotionally engaging brand experiences. We recently implemented a groundbreaking interactive photo booth project for one of Finland’s largest confectionery manufacturers at a flagship store located at Helsinki Airport.
In this unique implementation, store visitors can take a photo of themselves using a webcam connected to an interactive display. With generative AI, the person is separated from the background and placed into entirely AI-generated iconic and imaginary Finnish environments, such as a magical Santa Claus village or a mystical Finnish birch forest.
Users can then share the unique branded image with friends or on social media channels. This creates a natural continuation of the marketing experience that began in-store and extends its impact online. The solution not only increases brand visibility but also strengthens customer engagement: instead of being passive recipients, customers actively participate in building the brand story. At the same time, dwell time in the store increases and customers are left with a positive emotional memory just before making a purchase decision.
Summary
The use of AI in retail media is not merely a passing trend, but a key competitive advantage that offers unprecedented opportunities for retailers and brands. It transforms the entire value chain: from data-driven planning and scalable personalized content creation to dynamic A/B testing and precise measurement of sales impact.
The winners of the future will be the companies that understand how to combine their valuable data with AI-powered tools and workflows, while creating sustainable, engaging, and commercially effective customer experiences.
Author: Kari Piirainen is a GenAI Specialist with more than 20 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and content planning and production. Kari works in collaboration with Craneworks on various AI content initiatives, gamified AI concepts, and AI optimization projects.
