As The Mars Agency prepares to undertake our first client migration to Roundel Media Studio on April 1, Allison Hinsch and Ryan Miller offer their perspective on the benefits the new self-serve platform brings to advertisers.
The recent introduction of Roundel Media Studio represents a major step forward in Target’s digital advertising capabilities.
This self-serve platform offers advertisers a streamlined and efficient solution for activating, managing, and reporting Target Product Ads, Roundel’s formal name for sponsored product ads.
One notable aspect of Roundel Media Studio is its joint-service model, which draws upon the respective expertise of Roundel and platform partner Criteo. This collaboration brings together Target’s deep understanding of consumer behavior and Criteo’s advanced technology, resulting in a platform that combines innovation with industry-leading insights.
The enhanced features of Roundel Media Studio are designed to cater to the diverse needs of advertisers. With the ability to optimize strategies based on conversions, clicks, or revenue, users can tailor campaigns to align closely with specific goals within Roundel’s broader Kiosk reporting platform.
This flexibility empowers advertisers to fine-tune strategies and maximize the effectiveness of advertising efforts — while causing minimal disruption for a search manager or specialist. The Retail Media Studio platform within Kiosk will have a similar look and feel to Criteo’s owned platform. Additionally, all other third-party API integration partnerships (such as Skai and Pacvue) should continue to operate for advertisers as they currently do.
A key strength of Roundel Media Studio is its user-friendly interface. Whether advertisers are seasoned professionals or newcomers to digital advertising, they’ll be able to navigate with confidence thanks to the platform’s intuitive design and comprehensive support resources.
As for potential drawbacks, one point to address is the platform’s overall ramp-up window. The advertisers invited by Target to move over to Roundel Media Studio will need to set-up new campaigns, and therefore will require a ramp-up time frame to effectively evaluate performance.
This could result in below-average reporting results for some advertisers. An important reminder for advertisers and agencies, therefore, is to keep an open mind, as this is a normal part of the platform transition rollouts we’ve experienced across multiple retail media networks.
Additionally, while historical performance data will remain in the current Criteo platform, it can’t be migrated over into the Roundel Media Studio system so will have to be tracked manually.
It’s worth noting that other retailers — namely Walmart and Kroger — have embarked on similar paths, indicating a broader industry shift toward self-serve platforms. This suggests that the launch of Roundel Media Studio is not only timely, but also reflects evolving industry dynamics. (Updates to our latest Retail Media Report Card also illustrate this trend.)
Overall, the launch of Roundel Media Studio represents a positive advancement for Target’s digital advertising ecosystem. By leveraging a joint-service model, offering enhanced features, and prioritizing ease of use, Roundel has positioned itself as a formidable player in the competitive landscape. As advertisers continue to seek innovative solutions for reaching their target audiences, Roundel Media Studio stands ready to deliver results with efficiency and effectiveness.
About the Authors
Allison Hinsch is a Director of Commerce for The Mars Agency, where she spearheads initiatives that drive growth and enhance brand presence within the Target business segment. Drawing from more than a decade of robust experience in connections strategy, target audience analysis, national and shopper media, her drive is rooted in consistently delivering impactful solutions tailored to client objectives.
Ryan Miller is also a Director of Commerce for The Mars Agency. She is responsible for building media strategies at Target across multiple clients that will deliver strong performance and achieve holistic goals. Miller’s previous experience involved integrated media planning, strategy, and best-practice process implementation across multiple retail media networks.