The Conscious Commerce Effect: Engineering Intent Across Every Touchpoint at Retail Media Summit UK

The future of retail media will be built by the people, platforms, and partnerships that bring them to life. In this fast-paced but insights-packed session from Retail Media Summit UK, brought to you by SMG and ADWEEK, ADWEEK’s Brittaney Keifer led a conversation with Nick Henthorn (SVP Europe, InfoSum), James Taylor (CEO & Founder, Particular Audience), Holly Aresty (Head of Customer Growth EMEA, Rokt), and Lachlan Gow (President, EMEA Operations, Qsic) on what’s next for the industry, from privacy-safe innovation to the creative and collaborative mindset defining retail media’s next chapter.

The Bottom Line

The next wave of retail media requires both technological and cultural shifts. The leaders on this panel made one thing clear: brands that balance privacy with personalization, context with creativity, and competition with collaboration will define what comes next.

Key Takeaways

Privacy, Responsibility, and Relevance Must Coexist

The panel agreed that responsible data use begins with transparency and customer value. As Henthorn put it, “Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.” Retailers and media owners need to design with trust in mind — using data to enhance experiences, not exploit them.

“It starts with the consumer — the engagement and the value exchange that sits between them and the brand.” — Nick Henthorn

Aresty added that consumers will walk away from irrelevant messaging — 62% abandon their carts when they’re hit with poor personalization. Relevance isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a trust signal that shoppers expect.

Context Is King And Data Is the Crown

Every panellist agreed that creative only works when it fits the moment. Gow called it “the difference between being a value add or a distraction.” Aresty expanded: “Context is critical, but it has to be layered with first-party data.” The best results come when creative, data, and timing align — when content isn’t just placed well, but understood well.

“If content is king, context is queen — and together they drive relevance.” — Lachlan Gow

Campaigns that combine behavioral insight with contextual precision deliver better outcomes, from beauty retailers using AI-driven recommendations to convenience brands optimizing ad delivery relevancy by time of day.

Collaboration Is the Next Competitive Edge

One theme we heard across Retail Media Summit UK was the need for better and more intentional collaboration. As the conversation during this session turned to scale, Henthorn offered a bold take: retail media needs more coalitions, not walled gardens.

“Retailers have done a stellar job standing up their own networks — but to compete with platforms like Amazon, collaboration is essential.”

By connecting data responsibly between retailers, media owners, and tech partners, the industry can move from fragmented buys to true omnichannel opportunities. The future, the panel agreed, will belong to those willing to share — data, learnings, and customers’ attention.

Quote to Remember

“Retail media doesn’t need more silos — it needs more collaboration. The technology exists. What’s next is mindset.” — Nick Henthorn