Are we heading toward a future where all media is commerce media?
In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, Nick and Paul sit down with Kelly Wearmouth, a leader in the world of adtech and retail media. Her career has taken her from working with global brands like Unilever and Microsoft to helping shape Amazon’s advertising business. Now, as Managing Director at Mars United Commerce, she’s driving connected commerce and helping brands rethink how they reach consumers. Kelly shares her journey through adtech, insights on the evolving commerce media landscape, and strategies for brands to stay ahead.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Convergence from opposite ends: Traditional retailers are evolving in-store screens into broader digital capabilities, while digital-first retailers are expanding into physical environments, merging into one connected ecosystem.
Friction is the silent killer: Removing every click, step, and barrier from sampling, browsing, and checkout can turn moments of inspiration into measurable momentum.
B2B can be commerce-creative, too: Distributor networks and trade enablement demand new thinking, new training, and new activation layers beyond traditional media.
Sensory overload: Too much in-store media risks overwhelming shoppers, and why retailers will need to curate their environments as inventory grows.
Connected creative is a work in progress: The industry is still learning how to pull creative consistently across every touchpoint — and to bring contextual relevance to retailer data beyond ROAS.
Consolidation is inevitable: As retail media networks fragment, shared infrastructure and marketplace partnerships will streamline access, measurement, and scale.
Soundbites to listen out for:
ROAS Isn’t Everything
“ROAS as we all know, is not the be all and end all metric. It's definitely not the only thing to hang your hat on, but I could never have known at that moment when I thought I was taking gold to this client, that actually, it wouldn't solve all challenges.”
Frictionless by Default
"The thing we always sort of drive home in our strategic planning is to remove as much friction from that customer journey as possible. So whether that's providing a deep link to enable the customer to add something to the basket or enabling them to pre-populated their detail so they can request a sample, whatever it is.Removing friction is at the centre of everything that we plan and build on.”
Connected Commerce
“The commerce sort of addition to the name, was an evolution from just bringing to the forefront what we do globally, which is all about connecting clients brands with their shoppers that has got commerce capability linked in there somewhere, because of course, everyone in the end wants to get their products into their customers basket.”
When Does It Just Become ‘Media’?
“Personal opinion is that over the next 2 to 3 years, the discussion will evolve to when does it just become media or when is it just another publisher bringing something to bear?”
Consolidation Is Coming
“As the industry continues to fragment, consolidation has to happen because otherwise clients are trying to navigate 25 different media networks.”
AI Could Flatten Brand Value
“I think my greatest fear is that customers just start from a place of ‘find me the cheapest Mars bar’, because then if everything comes down to that one P in the marketing piece, that's an enormous challenge for brands, because all of that value that you've built and invested in for that brand, is going to come down to price.”
About the guest
Kelly Wearmouth is the Managing Director of Mars United Commerce ANZ, where she leads regional strategy and growth across Australia and New Zealand. She has nearly two decades of experience shaping commerce, ad tech, and digital marketing, with a strong focus on retail media innovation. During her decade at Amazon, she played a pivotal role in building its advertising business globally and locally, launching the company’s first global advertising campaign, securing its first global ad agreement, and establishing a $100M+ advertising operation in ANZ.
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