Ekow Mensah, VP Retail Media at Secret Sales joins Colin Lewis to cover the necessity of aligning retail media strategy with a company's overall trade and product teams, rather than operating in isolation, likening it to building a "second business within the business".

Mensah shares his extensive experience, including launching eBay's international sponsored advertising product, and details the strategic approach to building a retail media business at Secret Sales, an off-price fashion and beauty marketplace. 

A key focus is the importance of understanding seller needs, differentiating communication based on whether you're dealing with large brands or smaller owner-operators, and crucially, analysing data to demonstrate the tangible impact of advertising on GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) and margin contribution. Mensah also highlights the significance of seasonality.