Firebelly Marketing Team · Social Media Marketing

Retail Media Strategy for CPG Brands: Lessons from Eric Martindale on Driving Retail Growth

illustration of a smiling woman shopping online using a giant smartphone. she points at grocery icons while pushing a cart, with a plant nearby. bright, cheerful tone.

Retail media strategy for CPG brands is quickly becoming one of the most important drivers of growth.

For years, social sat at the center of most CPG marketing strategies. It built awareness, created engagement, and helped brands get noticed. That hasn’t changed.

What’s changed is where the purchase actually happens.

More often than not, it’s happening inside platforms like Instacart, Amazon, Costco, and Target. And if brands aren’t thinking strategically about how they show up there, they’re missing a critical part of the equation.

Eric Martindale has been talking about this shift for a while, and much of what he’s saying aligns with what we at Firebelly are seeing across the brands we work with.

Growth Isn’t Linear. It’s Staged.

One of the most useful ways to think about retail growth is as a progression, not a single moment.

In environments like Costco, for example, products don’t jump straight to national success. They move through stages. A small rotation can expand regionally. Regional success can lead to national distribution. And from there, a product can become a core item.

That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident.

Retail media plays a meaningful role in accelerating each stage. It helps drive the velocity and visibility needed to justify expansion within a retailer.

Getting on the shelf is one milestone. Staying there and growing is another.

Retail Media Is a Lever, Not a Tactic

Many brands still treat retail media as something to test on the side. It’s often approached as a tactical add-on rather than a core part of the growth strategy.

That mindset is starting to break down.

Retail media is increasingly being used as a lever for sales, especially as more purchase decisions shift to digital platforms. According to eMarketer, it’s one of the fastest-growing channels in advertising today.

We’re seeing the same trend across CPG. Brands that take retail media seriously are not just generating impressions. They’re influencing what happens at the point of purchase.

Precision Beats Automation

Another theme Eric emphasizes is execution, specifically how much precision matters.

It’s easy to rely on automation and assume platforms will optimize for you. In reality, that often leads to wasted spend.

This becomes especially important in environments like Costco, where SKU counts are limited. If you’re one of only a few options in a category, broad targeting doesn’t add value. It just increases cost without improving outcomes.

A more effective approach is to focus on:

How customers are actually searching
Which keywords drive meaningful results
Ongoing performance monitoring and adjustment

Retail media requires active management. Platforms like Amazon and Instacart offer powerful tools, but they only work when they’re used intentionally.

Not All Platforms Work the Same Way

Another mistake brands make is treating retail media as a single channel.

Each platform operates differently. Instacart, Costco, DoorDash, and Amazon all have their own dynamics, constraints, and opportunities. What works in one environment won’t necessarily translate to another.

Brands that perform well recognize this early. They tailor their approach based on the platform rather than trying to apply a single strategy everywhere.

That level of nuance is becoming increasingly important as retail media continues to evolve.

From Awareness to Action

At Firebelly, we often think about growth as a progression from awareness to affinity to action.

Social media plays a critical role in building awareness and shaping perception. It helps brands connect with their audience and create demand.

Retail media is what helps convert that demand into purchase.

These aren’t competing strategies. They’re complementary. And when they’re aligned, the impact is significantly stronger.

Final Thought

Retail growth isn’t about doing more. It’s about understanding where and how decisions are made, and showing up effectively in those moments.

The brands that win are the ones that invest in the point of purchase, execute with precision, and adapt their strategy to each platform they operate in.

Retail media isn’t new. But the way it’s being used is evolving quickly.

And the brands that recognize that shift early will have a meaningful advantage.