At Retail Media Summit UK, presented by SMG and ADWEEK, Havas Media Network’s Joanna Lawrence reminded a packed room why creativity still matters in a world obsessed with data. As Havas Media Network’s Global Chief Strategy Officer, she’s no stranger to the power of media, but her session made one thing clear: it’s not just where you show up — it’s how you show up. Taking this year’s theme, New Perspectives, to heart, Lawrence explored how great ideas in retail media aren’t born from algorithms alone, but from the messy, emotional, wonderfully human side of creativity.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Lawrence believes the next wave of retail media won’t be won by algorithms alone. It’ll be led by brands brave enough to mix data, creativity, and humanity, turning touchpoints into stories worth remembering, and sales into connection.
THE TAKEAWAYS
1. When Media Leads the Creativity
Lawrence kicked off with a simple but powerful idea — stop treating media as an afterthought. The best work, she argued, happens when media and message grow up together, not in separate rooms.
“How can media lead the creativity, not just be a distribution channel?” She challenged the room to think bigger: to see media not just as reach, but as a creative tool that shapes how people feel, choose, and connect. Because when you build ideas from the customer’s point of view, the results go beyond performance metrics — they actually mean something.
2. Retail Media Is Growing Up Quickly
From her time on the Media Jury at this year’s Cannes Lions, Lawrence has seen retail media move from novelty to creative playground. But it’s still early days. She highlighted campaigns that went beyond the obvious — like Ziploc’s “Preserved Promos”, which turned expired coupons into savings for shoppers, and Vogel’s “Certified Toasters”, which turned the act of making toast into a nationwide retail moment.
“It’s not about clever placements,” she said. “It’s about starting with a real human behavior and a brand truth, and letting those lead the idea.”
The point: retail media can be wildly creative if we stop treating it like shelf space and start treating it like a stage.
3. The Human Side of Conversion
Even with all the AI chatter, Lawrence kept coming back to the human spark. The most successful campaigns move numbers, and they make people laugh, think, and participate. It’s not an either/or situation.
“Creativity has to deliver significant brand and business impact,” she said.
Her call to arms was simple: use the data, yes, but don’t let it dull your instincts. The future of retail media belongs to brands that mix intelligence with imagination, who use creativity to convert, not just to count.
A JOANNA QUOTE TO REMEMBER:
“There’s huge potential to create meaningful experiences in retail — to reimagine the journey from discovery through to loyalty, break down the silos, and most importantly, have fun with it.”
