Google is making bold moves in the retail media space, as reported in Adweek, rolling out new AI-powered features for DV360 that promise to make retail media buying smarter and more efficient. Among the most talked-about updates are expanded custom bidding algorithms that let advertisers optimize for business-specific outcomes like profit margins or new customer acquisition. As an agency that thrives on translating platform updates into real-world results, we welcome this shift away from cookie-cutter metrics. That said, while AI can crunch data at a scale humans can’t, it doesn’t inherently understand the nuances of your business. We always advise clients that tools like custom bidding are only as smart as the strategies and signals you feed into them. For example, seasonal pushes, inventory shifts, or launching a new product line require expert oversight to inform AI models — something we’ve done successfully for both challenger brands and established players. Automation helps, but it’s not a “set it and forget it” solution.
Google also introduced Retailer Ad Manager, a new platform that allows retailers to better manage first-party audiences and offer more precise retail media opportunities within Google’s ad stack. For brands, this is a promising development that can streamline access to high-value audiences. But it also means retailers will increasingly control the rules of engagement around audience targeting, measurement, and reporting. That’s why flexibility and diversification in data strategies are more important than ever. We’ve already been helping clients balance retailer-owned data opportunities with diversified audience approaches to maintain agility and avoid over-reliance on any single platform or partner.
On the measurement front, Google is addressing long-standing gaps by improving how it tracks retail media’s contribution across the full customer journey. Better attribution is always welcome, but we remind clients that platform-reported metrics often stop at the last click or stay within platform boundaries. Full-funnel attribution requires stitching together insights from multiple channels and validating them with third-party tools. It’s a layer of analysis that can make the difference between thinking you know what’s working and actually knowing.
While Google’s latest AI upgrades bring powerful tools to the table, they are still just that — tools. Technology can amplify a smart strategy, but it can’t replace one. At B3 Media Consulting, we specialize in helping brands combine platform innovation with hands-on expertise to ensure that their retail media strategies are not only tech-forward but business-smart.
Let’s Make Your Retail Media Smarter
If you want to make the most of Google’s AI tools and avoid common pitfalls, reach out to B3 Media Consulting. We’ll help you turn technology into tangible results.
Source [https://www.adweek.com/media/google-new-ai-tools-retail-media-solution-dv360/]