Retail Media Networks (RMNs) are emerging as high-ROI advertising platforms driven by first-party data and omnichannel activation. This whitepaper provides a strategic and technical blueprint for retailers to design, operationalize, and scale their own RMNs using existing digital infrastructure.
Shelf-Made Success: Building Retail Media Networks That Convert
Photon outlines how RMNs enable deterministic targeting, closed-loop attribution, and full-funnel monetization across digital and physical channels. The content is tailored for digital leaders, marketing technologists, and commerce executives looking to build performance-driven media ecosystems with measurable impact.
What You’ll Gain from This Whitepaper:
RMN Architecture and Definition
Understand how to structure RMNs using loyalty, app, and POS data to build monetizable audience graphs.
Ad Inventory Monetization Framework
Learn how to package on-site, in-store, and off-site ad placements into sellable, data-driven inventory.
Capability Maturity Model
Assess readiness across data governance, tech stack, partner workflows, and campaign operations.
Operational Best Practices
Define SLAs, governance rules, and customer experience guardrails for scalable media execution.
Advanced Measurement and Attribution
Implement metrics like ROAS, CLTV, and incrementality across multiple ad formats and channels.
Deployment Roadmap
Follow a stepwise plan from MVP formats to DSP integration and always-on media orchestration.
Build a Revenue-Generating RMN Using First-Party Assets
Whether you're a retailer with strong loyalty data or a digital brand exploring new monetization pathways, this whitepaper will help you define a scalable strategy, configure the right capabilities, and deliver measurable media performance.
Download the whitepaper now and get access to Photon’s RMN playbook, case studies, and a capability framework designed for enterprise deployment.
Meet the authors
Deepak Sharma
Chief Client Strategy Officer
Deepak Sharma is a vanguard of Customer Success (CS) across diverse industries and geographies. As a key member of the leadership team, he is instrumental in defining and executing the Gen AI strategy for Photon. This includes the development and implementation of PAVE (Photon AI Value Engine) ecosystem, which drives AI adoption internally and facilitates AI commercialization for clients, creating exponential mutual value, placing us at the forefront of the AI transformations.
John Negrau
Vice President – Client Strategy and Innovation
John Negrau is part of the Strategy Consulting Group at Photon, leading the Consumer Vertical (B2C, D2C, Retail, CPG). He blends and balances digital enablement, AI strategy, technology, data, and processes that drive frictionless relationships between our customers and the customers they serve.
Mahesh Chandramouli
Director, Client Strategy and Innovation
Mahesh Chandramouli is a Strategy Director at Photon, where he leads AI-led digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 clients. With a strong background in operating model design, portfolio optimization, and innovation strategy, he helps enterprises scale smarter and move faster in today’s digital-first world. He’s passionate about unlocking business value through bold thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and next-gen technology.
Diya Mathew
Consulting Lead – Client Strategy and Innovation
Diya Mathew is a Strategy & Operations Consultant at Photon. She drives business transformation for B2B and B2C clients across real estate, technology, and retail. At Photon, she leads go-to-market and digital transformation engagements, aligning business and technology.
We are ready to help
“Retail Media Networks aren’t just a marketing innovation—they’re a strategic imperative in today’s digital-first economy. As data privacy reshapes the landscape and first-party data becomes the new currency, RMNs offer retailers and brands an unprecedented opportunity to monetize digital assets, elevate personalization, and drive measurable business outcomes. At Photon, we help enterprises embed RMNs into the very fabric of their digital strategy—scaling with precision, speed, and purpose to create lasting competitive advantage.”
Mukund Balasubramanian
Co-founder & CTO, Photon
