The Future of Relevant Retail Media

The IAB UK’s latest forecast, Futurescape, dropped a bold statement: “All media will become retail media.”

It’s a provocative line - but also a logical one when you explore their findings. 

There is a high possibility that media owners, broadcasters, and retail media networks will begin to merge, and therefore the lines between content and commerce will blur completely. 

The result? An ecosystem where awareness, engagement, and conversion happen seamlessly - all within a single consumer experience.

No more funnel. Just one continuous journey. 

It feels so strange right now, as every media plan is currently based on, and measured against, the funnel. But if we think of where the future may take us, this multi-stage consumer journey could very well become our reality.

The rise of retail media is forcing a drastic rethink.

The IAB forecasts that on-site retail media spend will reach £8.6bn by 2030, growing by around 17% per year. That growth won’t just come from supermarkets and the obvious RM marketplaces. It’ll come from publishers, broadcasters, and content platforms building commerce-enabled environments - where ads can drive discovery, engagement, and purchase in one flow.

As new ad formats and video move into retail spaces, and retail media expands into new verticals like travel, fashion, and finance, every moment of attention could become shoppable. Every impression could drive outcome. And it will - with relevance. 

In this new world, brands won’t need to choose between upper-funnel storytelling and lower-funnel efficiency. The same media partner could deliver both.

That’s where RAAS LAB comes in.

When every surface becomes retail media, relevance becomes the currency that makes it work. And to achieve that, brands need technology that can adapt in real time; aligning creative, context, and outcome in every impression.

RAAS LAB’s human-logic AI connects creative and media optimisation at the impression level. That means one creative framework can evolve into thousands (even millions) of variations, adapting to the content, the audience, and the moment of intent.

In a world where media touchpoints merge, that agility matters. It ensures the right creative message lands, no matter the screen, format, or funnel stage, because the classic funnel we’re so used to, no longer exists.

The Future, Simplified

If the next decade of advertising is about collapsing the funnel, then relevance will be what holds it together.

The winners won’t be the brands shouting loudest, but those who can listen, adapt, and respond in real time: matching every message to its moment.

All media may become retail media.

But only relevant media will deliver results.