The FMCG Guys

Quo Vadis, Retail Media? With this question in mind (Where are you going, Retail Media?), we invited two of the best respected voices of this industry: Kiri Masters, Retail Media Analyst, and Adam Smith, Head of Retail Media at British Supermarket Iceland. In this conversation, we explore the structural differences between the US and UK markets, why retail media has moved from hype to a lasting industry priority, and how new forces like agentic shopping and AI-powered discovery could reshape the entire model. We also comment Iceland's ambitious in-store retail media rollout, the importance of measurement and internal alignment, and the growing tension between performance, creativity, ethics, and retailer brand identity.
 
Tune in to hear about:
Why retail media in the US and Europe has evolved differently, from market structure and GDPR to e-commerce penetration and offsite capabilities

Agentic shopping and how AI-driven discovery could disrupt onsite retail media and reduce valuable shopper signals

Why retail media must sit close to the trading function and how internal stakeholder management is often the hardest part

Iceland's retail media opportunity: a loyal customer base, 9 million weekly transactions, and a major in-store digital screen and analytics rollout

Measurement, creativity, private label vs branded investment, and the ethical questions retailers will increasingly face as retail media expands into new categories and formats

More 
Kiri's Newsletter: www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com
 
Kiri's piece on US vs UK
https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com/p/why-us-retail-media-hits-different
 
and ethical dilemmas in retail media 

https://www.retailmediabreakfastclub.com/p/5-ethical-dilemmas-in-retail-media

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/  
Audio Mixing by Modest Ferrer
Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian
Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZWWZAjWjuRI 
Consumers are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) to discover and evaluate products. This shift is beginning to transform the traditional path-to-purchase, with recommendations now being generated by algorithms rather than search results alone. This makes the digital shelf more important than ever. Product information no longer influences only search results on retailer websites; it increasingly feeds the datasets and content ecosystems that power AI recommendations.

To do this, your hosts Christine and Daniel are accompanied by Beyza Kapu, Global Ecom Tech & Data Analytics Director at L'Oréal and Salim Bachatene, SVP Global Sales, eCommerce at NielsenIQ.

We discuss:
• Why AI discovery is becoming a new front door for commerce
• How this shift is reshaping the path-to-purchase
• Where AI gets its product information from—and why digital shelf execution matters
• What brands should do today to ensure their products are visible, accurate, and recommendation-ready

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlInEn6P_RI 
Sandie Dilger is the CMO at Proper Snacks, the fast-growing UK snacking company behind Proper and Eat Real. In this episode, she joins Daniel Torres live from London to discuss how Proper is redefining snacking through better-for-you ingredients, bold creativity, culturally relevant branding, and fast-paced innovation, while also sharing lessons from her unconventional journey into FMCG leadership.
Tune in to hear about:
Reinventing snacking as an act of positive well-being
Making healthier snacks mainstream through taste, fiber, and better ingredients
Using creativity, design, and cultural relevance to build standout brands
Competing with bigger players through speed, innovation, and challenger thinking
Career lessons from moving across FMCG, agencies, and leadership roles
More 
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/  
Audio Mixing by Modest Ferrer
Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian
Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.

Richard Jones is the Global Go-to-Market Director at iconic beer leader Carlsberg. One of the pioneers of Digital in FMCG, he's now leading Sales Digitalization at the Danish group. He joins Daniel to speak about the evolution of FMCG and how he's exporting his Digital experience to accelerate the "physical" mainstraeam business.
Tune in to hear about:
The evolution of eCommerce in FMCG since he started in the function in 2011
Leading a team through the pandemic when he was based in the US
Digital's role in an FMCG today and how it's more than digital commerce
How he's applying his eCommerce experience in his current Route-to-Market role by, for example, empowering sales reps
Customer behavioural changes
 
More 
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fmcgguys/
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/  
Audio Mixing by Modest Ferrer
Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian
Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The FMCG Guys (Dwyer Partners SL) or its partners. The FMCG Guys make no representations or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any information discussed, and accept no responsibility for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Listeners are encouraged to seek their own professional advice before acting on any of the topics covered.

Watch the visit to Matt's Private Collection here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWxOrGQlp4I  
Matthew Lee is the Founder of Retail Media Leader SMG, the operator of some high-profile Media Networks like Boots, ASDA, Deliveroo or WHSmith. He's also a Guinness Record Rolling Stones collector and one of the most well regarded, as well as colourful, personalities in our industry. He welcomed us in his private collection, where we wondered at all the memorabilia and spoke about his career and Retail Media as a whole.
Tune in to hear about:
How he became obsessed with the Rolling Stones and the connection with Retail Media
Pioneering targeted coupons and brand-funded promotions using shopper data
Going entrepreneurial and the Toblerone idea that catapulted his business
Scaling the business and going all-in with Retail Media and Digital, to growing the business to 500+ employees and working with some of the top names in British Grocery and beyond