This WTF information, sponsored by Fluent, explores what precisely non-endemic commerce media is and what these advert placements appear like; why non-endemic commerce media is useful for advertisers in addition to retailers, retailers and publishers; the position of first-party information in non-endemic commerce media — and its impression on income; and what to search for in a commerce media associate (whether or not you’re an advertiser or a service provider).
In a performance-driven period the place acquisition prices are climbing and the ROI from conventional channels like paid social and search is on the decline, manufacturers are feeling the strain to do extra with much less.
On the identical time, e-commerce manufacturers throughout retail, journey, ticketing and monetary expertise have what most advertisers need: an untapped goldmine of high-intent visitors and first-party information, ready to be monetized.
Enter non-endemic commerce media: a approach for manufacturers to promote on websites or apps that don’t promote their merchandise, unlocking a brand new income stream for retailers whereas giving advertisers entry to contemporary audiences and smarter concentrating on.
On this WTF explainer, Digiday and Fluent break down the what, why and the way of non-endemic commerce media — and why it’s quick turning into a go-to efficiency channel for advertisers and a progress lever for retailers.
01
What’s non-endemic commerce media, and the way does it differ from endemic placements?
Endemic advertisements present up the place you anticipate them (e.g. a retailer selling merchandise it already sells). Non-endemic commerce media, alternatively, locations advertisements for complementary services or products in environments the place they aren’t bought — however nonetheless make contextual sense to the patron.
Think about these examples:
- A traveler confirms a resort reservation and sees a proposal for lounge entry or a journey rewards card.
- A music lover purchases a ticket to a live performance exterior their residence state and will get served advertisements for discounted rental automobiles or resort stays.
- A health fanatic buys new exercise gear and receives a proposal for a 30-day free trial of a wholesome meal equipment subscription.
The takeaway: The worth of commerce information extends properly past conventional retail, unlocking new monetization alternatives throughout industries.
Non-endemic commerce media works finest when it feels native to the shopper expertise — particularly in locations the place prospects aren’t accustomed to seeing advertisements, like in a banking app. And with right this moment’s evolving buyer journey, these surprising however related moments are extra useful than ever.
“In a world the place each touchpoint issues and each second is an opportunity to form choice, non-endemic media affords a fantastic alternative to succeed in audiences exterior their regular echo chambers in methods which are contextually related,” CMO and Fluent advisory board member Jennifer Olsen stated.
In different phrases, context is all the pieces in non-endemic commerce media. The best placements are people who align with the patron’s mindset — complementing their buy and including worth in a approach that feels additive slightly than disruptive.
02
What sort of stock is out there in a non-endemic commerce media setting?
Non-endemic commerce media advertisements can seem on retailers’ and retailers’ websites, of their apps, throughout off-site channels (like CTV), in shops — in any a part of the shopper journey the place buyers are engaged.
Take Walmart, for instance. Since early 2024, Walmart has supplied non-endemic advert placements — each in-store and off-site — for manufacturers in classes like automotive, leisure, monetary companies, quick-service eating places and journey.
Some of the widespread and efficient placements? The order affirmation — or “thanks” — web page. It captures robust engagement whereas the shopper continues to be in a shopping for mindset.
“It is a high-intent person, somebody that has sometimes already made a purchase order. They’ve a bank card in hand,” stated Brian Hogan, Fluent’s evp of commerce media. “So it’s an ideal atmosphere to serve related model affords.”
Different examples of non-endemic commerce media placements embody:
- Cargo monitoring and order standing pages
- Electronic mail receipts or return portals
- Subscription confirmations or survey completions
- Loyalty dashboards
These are areas the place prospects are sometimes open to customized affords, and so they all share one aim: reaching prospects when consideration is excessive and friction is low. Most significantly, these advertisements don’t intrude with a sale.
03
What do non-endemic commerce media advertisements appear like?
Non-endemic commerce media advertisements aren’t conventional banner advertisements — they’re designed to really feel like an extension of the shopper expertise.
“That’s what builds belief with the shopper,” Hogan stated.
Advertisers ought to take cues from the environments the place their advertisements will run, together with font varieties and shade schemes. If an advert feels too disconnected or blatantly promotional, buyers will tune it out.
“We wish to make it really feel purposeful and never promotional,” Hogan stated. “That’s a key half within the inventive — when the message is related and well-placed, buyers usually tend to have interaction.”
Non-endemic commerce media advertisements sometimes embody:
- A recognizable model emblem or product picture
- A transparent, benefit-led headline
- A local design that feels additive — not intrusive
Retailers, retailers and publishers can experiment with totally different codecs to shock and delight customers, reinforcing worth whereas driving motion.
04
Why is non-endemic commerce media engaging to advertisers?
At its core, non-endemic commerce media is a performance-driven progress channel — giving manufacturers entry to incremental audiences and measurable outcomes.
Non-endemic commerce media delivers:
- Excessive-intent audiences: Non-endemic commerce media provides advertisers entry to customers in a shopping for temper — typically throughout checkout or instantly after a purchase order. “Advertisers love that they’re reaching actual consumers, not simply browsers, and sometimes in a really high-intent second,” Hogan stated. “That’s why you’re seeing a lot finances shifting from conventional channels into the commerce media house.”
- Incremental scale: As an alternative of competing for restricted endemic placements or counting on oversaturated platforms, manufacturers can faucet into retailer, service provider and writer stock to scale their attain and join with contemporary audiences.
- Smarter concentrating on: Non-endemic commerce media permits advertisers to make use of first-party service provider information — like product class or buy historical past — to ship customized, related messaging in a privacy-safe approach.
- Confirmed efficiency: As acquisition prices rise and returns from legacy platforms plateau, entrepreneurs are shifting focus towards metrics like buyer lifetime worth, Olsen famous. “Order affirmation pages provide an unimaginable place to seek out certified and doubtlessly high-value prospects,” Olsen stated. Past conversions, it’s an opportunity to construct deeper buyer relationships and long-term loyalty.
05
Why would retailers, retailers and publishers need non-endemic advertisements on their websites?
For retailers throughout verticals, non-endemic commerce media is a seamless monetization channel, providing a easy path to raised efficiency and extra revenue.
Non-endemic commerce media delivers:
- Incremental income: Non-endemic advertisements monetize high-traffic moments which are sometimes neglected. As a result of these placements don’t compete with current model partnerships or vendor promotions, the income is incremental, creating new worth with out disrupting current monetization methods.
- Enhanced buyer expertise: These advertisements aren’t distractions — they’re related, customized affords that preserve buyers engaged. In a examine carried out by Fluent, 63% of buyers who noticed post-purchase advertisements after each buy stated they enhanced the procuring expertise — and 57% of those that transformed stated they ended up discovering a brand new services or products that they love.
- Seamless integration: Non-endemic commerce media is often a turnkey channel, with platform companions dealing with inventive, concentrating on and optimization. This enables retailers to unlock high-margin, scalable income with restricted inner assets — whether or not they’re increasing an current commerce media technique or are simply getting began.
06
OK, that each one is sensible. However the place does non-endemic commerce media sit within the advertising and marketing funnel? Higher? Center? Or is that this a efficiency advertising and marketing device?
Most non-endemic commerce media placements sit squarely within the decrease funnel. It is a performance-driven channel, making it ultimate for driving buyer acquisition, app installs, subscription sign-ups or lead era.
Success metrics are clear and measurable: click-through charges, conversions, CPA, ROAS and, for retailers, income per transaction.
With clear visitors and exact concentrating on, non-endemic commerce media affords a closed-loop atmosphere permitting for correct reads on advert efficiency. “The concentrating on is sharper, and the format drives motion,” Hogan added. “It’s a straightforward channel to justify spend.”
07
How is first-party information from retailers, retailers and publishers used within the non-endemic commerce media setting?
Inside commerce media, retailer and service provider information is often utilized in three key methods:
- Viewers concentrating on: First-party alerts — like buy historical past, searching conduct and site — outline high-value segments.
- Actual-time decision-making: Knowledge is used to pick out and rank affords for every shopper based mostly on predicted relevance and intent.
- Efficiency measurement: Retailers can analyze which segments reply to which affords and modify future placements based mostly on engagement.
Retailers retain full management over how a lot of their first-party information they contribute. “Every thing is tokenized, consent-based and privacy-compliant,” Hogan stated. “Retailers determine how a lot information is shared, and nothing is personally identifiable.”
With that stated, the extra perception a service provider offers, the extra successfully the platform can personalize affords and optimize efficiency. It’s a win throughout the board — for customers, advertisers and retailers alike.
“Retailers are centered on the enterprise of retail. So we’re really utilizing this information on a regular basis, we’re simply utilizing it in methods which are nearer to the core of our companies, like nurturing buyer worth and eradicating friction from the shopper journey,” stated Olsen. “The concept that we are able to leverage the info we already should create a brand new, completely incremental income continues to be pretty novel for many retailers.”
08
How a lot income can a retailer, service provider or writer anticipate to get from non-endemic commerce media advertisements?
For retailers and retailers who associate with a platform on non-endemic commerce media, there are not any prices, and income is shared.
The payout mannequin is often based mostly on efficiency — comparable to value per click on or value per acquisition — and the income share is structured to reward stock high quality and engagement.
“Retailers can earn wherever from 20 to 40 cents per transaction,” Hogan stated. “There’s minimal elevate — and it’s actually incremental.”
As tariffs loom and financial uncertainty builds, these advertisements give retailers, retailers and publishers the flexibility to generate extra revenue from current belongings.
“As a pure extension of the shopper expertise, this affords a seamless solution to generate incremental revenue with little or no funding,” Hogan stated. “We’ve got retailers asking, ‘Why did we not do that earlier than?’ That is pure revenue to their backside line.”
09
What must you search for in a non-endemic commerce media associate?
Whether or not you’re an advertiser or a retailer, the precise associate ought to provide ease, transparency and outcomes. Right here’s what to prioritize:
For advertisers
Search for a associate that may ship robust concentrating on and efficiency. Key qualities embody:
- Excessive-intent stock: Attain incremental audiences at moments that matter — like checkout, post-purchase or order monitoring.
- Privateness-safe concentrating on: Select a platform that permits exact concentrating on utilizing first-party alerts, with out compromising client privateness.
- Actionable attribution: Prioritize clear reporting and real-time controls to optimize spend and enhance ROI.
- Viewers flexibility: Go for platforms that allow you to goal particular retailers or scale throughout classes to match your technique.
- Take a look at-and-learn mindset: Search for companions who align together with your objectives and proactively optimize to maximise efficiency.
For retailers, retailers and publishers
The proper associate ought to provide help to unlock income with out added complexity. Search for:
- Incremental monetization: Select an answer that provides worth with out disrupting your present monetization technique.
- Straightforward integration: Prioritize platforms which are fast to launch, with minimal operational elevate.
- Model-safe affords: Defend model integrity with full management over which advertiser affords seem in your web site or app.
- Clear income mannequin: Get full transparency into payout constructions — so that you at all times know what to anticipate.
- Development alternatives: Flip untapped touchpoints — like publication signups or subscription renewals — into revenue-generating moments.
About Fluent
Whether or not you’re seeking to drive environment friendly progress or unlock untapped income, non-endemic commerce media is a win-win for advertisers and retailers alike.
To find out how Fluent will help your enterprise monetize high-intent moments with performance-driven options, attain out to our group right here.
