⚡ THE ESSENTIALS IN 20 SECONDS
- Shoppable media means ads or content that let you buy, or add to cart, from the ad itself or in very few steps.
- It exists in video, connected TV, social media, recipes, emails and content sites.
- It often connects with a retailer so the purchase happens in its store.
- Its big advantage is shrinking the distance between inspiration and purchase; its challenge is measurement.
IN THIS ARTICLE
You see a recipe, you like it, and with one click the ingredients are in your grocery cart. You see a product video on connected TV and scan a code to buy it. That is shoppable media: content you can buy from in the moment.
Shoppable media: ad or content formats that include a direct way to buy or add products to cart, either on the platform or at a connected retailer, reducing the steps between discovery and purchase.
Most common formats
| Format | How you buy | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| Shoppable video | Product button or card in the video | Product demo |
| Shoppable CTV | QR code or send to phone | Connected TV commercial |
| Social commerce | Purchase inside the social app | Short creator videos |
| Shoppable recipes | Ingredients to a retailer’s cart | Cooking and food sites |
| Shoppable display | Add to cart from the ad | Display on content sites |
| Livestream shopping | Purchase during a live stream | Launches and deals |
How it connects with retail media
Many shoppable formats send the purchase to a retailer: the ad lives on a social network, a recipe site or TV, but the cart is at the grocer or marketplace. That is why shoppable media is part of commerce media: it links the moment of inspiration with the place of purchase. When the retailer takes part, you can measure with real sales data instead of clicks alone.
Why it works
Every step you remove between interest and purchase reduces the chance that the shopper gets distracted or ends up buying another brand. That is why shoppable media works especially well for impulse purchases, food and beauty.
On social and short video
Social platforms brought shoppable media into the mainstream with built-in shops and creator videos with tagged products. The key here is that content should not feel like an ad: authentic creator videos usually convert better than highly produced pieces, and they are cheaper to test in many variations.
On connected TV
On CTV, the typical format is a QR code or an option to send the product to your phone. It works best when the code stays on screen long enough, the benefit is clear (for example, a discount) and the landing page loads fast on mobile.
How to measure it
- Use links with identifiers by format and by creative.
- Prefer retailer integrations that report real sales.
- Measure add-to-carts, not just clicks.
- Review brand sales at the connected retailer during and after the campaign.
- When possible, use closed-loop measurement or incrementality tests.
Common mistakes
- Sending people to a slow page or one where the product is unavailable.
- Using a QR code that appears for only a second.
- Not checking inventory at the connected retailer.
- Measuring only clicks and concluding “it did not work”.
A typical case (fictional)
A sauce brand sponsored recipes on a cooking site with ingredients shoppable at an online grocer. At first it measured only clicks and the numbers looked modest. When the retailer shared sales of the products added from the recipes, it found that the average basket included several of its products, and many buyers were new to the brand.
In shoppable media, the metric that matters is in the cart, not in the click.
Checklist
- Product available at the connected retailer.
- Fast mobile landing page.
- A clear benefit in the creative.
- QR visible long enough on CTV.
- Measurement of add-to-carts and sales.
- A control-group test if spend is high.
- Creative variations ready to rotate every few weeks.
Agency secrets about shoppable media
What I have learned:
If a shopper needs more than three clicks, it is not really shoppable.
Nothing kills a campaign faster than an out-of-stock product at the end of the click.
Recipes, tutorials and creator videos convert because they give something before selling.
Shoppable media turns inspiration into sales, as long as the path to the cart is short and the product is there.
I’m Alonso Jiménez, a Retail Media account director. I manage campaigns on Amazon, Walmart, Target, Instacart and Mercado Libre every day, for brands in the US, Mexico and Latin America.
Frequently asked questions
What is shoppable media?
Ads or content that let you buy or add to cart directly, in very few steps.
Which shoppable media formats exist?
Video, CTV with QR codes, social commerce, shoppable recipes, shoppable display and livestream shopping.
How does it relate to retail media?
Many formats send the purchase to a retailer, which allows measurement with real sales.
How do I measure shoppable media?
With add-to-carts, sales at the connected retailer and, when possible, incrementality tests.