What Challenger Brands Need To Know To Win in 2026

The retail media landscape has exploded over the last few years. Every retailer now has a network. Every platform ispromising better targeting, stronger ROAS, and “unmatched shopper insights.” And every brand is being told they needto spend more, move faster, and show bigger, flashier results.

It’s noisy. It’s confusing. And for emerging and challenger brands, it’s easy to feel like you’re always trying to keep up.

At Paradox, we’ve had a front-row seat to how retail media can help brands scale. And we’ve also seen where itbecomes a distraction, a budget drain, or, most commonly, a missed opportunity because the strategy wasn’t aligned towhat actually drives shopper behavior.

Here’s the truth no one tells you about retail media.

Truth #1 Retail Media Isn’t a Marketing Strategy

Retail media is a lever, not a plan. When brands treat it like their entire strategy, they end up chasing ROAS instead of building long-term velocity. The brands who win understand that retail media is one piece of a much bigger system. Yourpackaging, your positioning, your in-store story, your influencer content, your PDP experience, they all work together.Media amplifies the foundation. It cannot replace it.

Truth #2 Retailers Reward Consistency

Every retailer has its own algorithm, its own ecosystem, and its own definition of what “good” looks like. But across the board, one thing is true: consistency matters. Consistent spend. Consistent content. Consistent signals that you arebuilding a brand shoppers want. The reward for consistency isn’t just better performance, it’s long-term category health,stronger relationships with buyers, and a retail flywheel that compounds over time.

Truth #3 Creative Matters More Than Spend

You can have the best media plan in the world, but if shoppers scroll past your content, none of it matters.Retail media is becoming more visual, more competitive, and more saturated. Brands who win invest in creative that is ownable, clear, and conversion-driving. The biggest unlock we see for challenger brands? Strong hero images, thumb-stopping video, and clear messaging that builds recognition across every retailer.

Now… let’s talk about what most partners don’t tell you.

There’s a reason so many brands feel confused or misled in retail media. Many partners talk about it as if it’s a magiclever. Spend more. Scale faster. Hit ROAS. Repeat.But challenger brands deserve the truth. Here it is.

1. ROAS Isn’t a Real Indicator of Retail Health

ROAS is a digital metric, not a retail strategy.It ignores in store sales, ignores category dynamics, and ignores the moments that actually drive growth.Many agencies push ROAS because it makes them look good on a dashboard. But high ROAS does not equal velocity.It never has.

2. More Spend Doesn’t Mean More Growth

Some partners recommend bigger budgets simply because that’s how they get paid.But challenger brands need efficiency. They need focus.Right spend is smarter than more spend.

3. You Can’t Fix a Weak Retail Story with Ads

If your packaging is unclear, your positioning is fuzzy, or your PDP isn’t optimized, no amount of media will save it.Most agencies don’t say this because it’s outside their scope.We say it because it’s the truth and it impacts your bottom line.

4. Retail Media Only Works When It’s Integrated

Media alone doesn’t drive sustainable growth.It has to connect to your in-store presence, your creative system, your shopper journey, your content, and yourpositioning. Most agencies stay in their lane. We don’t, because it doesn’t serve the brand.

5. Retailers Are Watching More Than Your Metrics

They notice consistency, category contribution, innovation, content quality, and commitment to the business.Agencies rarely talk about this because they’re not in the rooms where those conversations happen. We are.

What Actually Drives Profitable Growth

The brands performing best in today’s landscape aren’t the ones spending the most. They’re the ones building a strongretail engine.

That means:

• a full-funnel strategy across retailers

• content that matches shopper intent

• budgets aligned to category opportunity

• media that supports velocity, not vanity metrics

• a coordinated story across packaging, PDPs, in-store, and offsite

This is where retail media works.
This is where your brand actually grows.

How Challenger Brands Should Plan for 2026

As you build your 2026 approach, ask yourself:

• What shopper behavior do we need to influence?

• What does success look like beyond ROAS?

• How do we show up consistently across retailers?

• What creative assets will help us stand out in-feed?

• How do we invest smartly, without chasing every tactic?

Retail media will never get simpler. But your strategy can.

The Paradox POV

Our approach integrates strategy, creative, media, and in-store so brands aren’t guessing. Instead, they operate from one unified retail system that’s measurable, repeatable, and built for long-term growth.

Because at the end of the day, challenger brands don’t need more noise, they need clarity. They need focus. And they need partners who understand how retail really works.

If you’re planning your 2026 retail media strategy and want a smarter, more profitable approach, we’d love to talk.