Where Do You Go Next When You’re The Market Leader with Kroger Precision Marketing’s Jenny Holleran at Retail Media Summit UK

When you’re already leading the market, the question isn’t how to grow faster — it’s how to grow smarter. In her high-energy session at Retail Media Summit UK 2025, Jenny Holleran from Kroger Precision Marketing explored what’s next for one of the largest Retail Media Networks in the United States. Speaking candidly about evolution and getting outside of one’s comfort zone, she unpacked how Kroger is redefining its role from a performance platform to an actual partner to brands. The shift: moving beyond just attribution and efficiency toward insights, curiosity, and customer delight.

The Bottom Line

Holleran’s challenge to the industry was simple: stop chasing metrics alone, and start chasing meaning. For Kroger, that means using data not just to optimize ads, but to inspire better brand decisions, proof that even the biggest and most powerful Retail Media Networks can innovate in the crowded retail media landscape.

The Takeaways

From Chasing Metrics to Chasing Clues

Retail media can’t just be about attribution anymore. That’s table stakes. Holleran challenged brands and networks alike to look deeper than the numbers, using data to investigate and interrogate, not just report.

“If brands are trying to build the story, let retailers be the detectives. Let us have the data to help you chase those clues.” Holleran highlighted Kroger’s collaboration with Barilla, which showed this approach in action. By using shared data models to understand shifting customer behavior, the campaign delivered a 1.8x increase in household penetration and a 1.7x incremental ROAS, but more importantly, new insight into why people buy, not just what they buy.

From Planning Audiences to Planning Moments

Knowing when and where to connect with consumers is where the magic happens.

“It’s just as important to understand when to talk to someone as who you’re talking to,” Holleran said.

Holleran shared how Kroger uses behavioral signals to spot life moments, from restocking pantry staples to planning birthdays or road trips. This “moment-based” approach makes retail media feel human, timely, and far more effective than broad audience buckets.

 From Efficiency to Effectiveness

Clicks and CPMs might make for easy wins, but they don’t do the work to build brands. Retail media is about more than chasing short-term sales. Holleran argued that true effectiveness means balancing short-term return with long-term relevance.

“If you’re just chasing easy clicks, you’re narrowing your audience and missing the brief on brand building.”

Her favorite example? Mondelez’s Oreo crosswalks — a playful campaign that turned a Kroger store entrance into a physical brand moment. “Every time my kids see a crosswalk now, they think Oreos.” Performance and creativity don’t have to be at odds; they can work in harmony to deliver results for brands and brilliant experiences for shoppers.

What Jenny said

“Don’t stop with the simple metrics just because we can measure them. Chase clues, plan moments, and focus on being effective — not just efficient.” — Jenny Holleran, Kroger Precision Marketing