Retail Media: Who really owns the customer? with Camilla Ray, Nectar360 - Legends of Adtech Podcast

In this episode of Legends of Adtech, host Julia Linehan is joined by Camilla Ray to unpack one of the most talked-about (and misunderstood) areas in the industry right now: retail media. With over 15 years of experience and access to insights from more than 24 million Nectar users, Camilla breaks down what retail media really means beyond the buzzwords, exploring how first-party data, measurement and omnichannel strategy come together to create genuinely valuable customer experiences. From the evolution of retail media channels to the rise of incrementality and AI-powered planning, this episode gets into the mechanics behind the hype. But at its core, this conversation is about one thing: the customer. Camilla shares what a truly customer-first (or rather, customer-obsessed) approach looks like in practice: why the customer ultimately owns the relationship, and how brands and retailers must collaborate to earn their attention. Expect sharp insights on measurement standardisation, the reality of AI in planning, and why the future of retail media will be defined not by technology alone, but by smarter collaboration, better creativity, and a relentless focus on delivering real value. Welcome to Legends of Adtech: the podcast where we go beyond the buzzwords and straight to the people at the coalface of the adtech industry. Every two weeks, we sit down with the industry’s boldest thinkers, pioneers, and disruptors, to find out how they’re rewriting the game. This is their story. Connect with Camilla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-ray-42908a2/ Learn more about Nectar360: https://www.nectar360.co.uk/ About Camilla and Nectar360: Camilla Ray is the Planning Director at Nectar360, where she applies more than 15 years of deep expertise in retail media, omnichannel customer strategy and data‑driven commercial transformation.She leads a 22‑person strategic planning team spanning Sainsbury’s, Argos and agencies; driving first‑party data strategy and retail media planning that delivers measurable commercial impact. Camilla has pioneered new frameworks for predictive analytics, live planning and governance, enabling more precise decision‑making and improved commercial outcomes.With digital acceleration reshaping the retail landscape, Camilla is committed to championing insight‑rich, responsible use of data, ensuring both brands and Nectar360’s 24 million customers benefit from smarter, more connected experiences. Nectar360 owns and operates Nectar, the UK’s largest coalition loyalty programme, helping the UK’s biggest brands to connect with customers. It manages Sainsbury’s and Argos’ retail media services, utilising its own insights and media expertise to connect the Sainsbury’s businesses, FMCG and GM brands and customers. Through the unrivalled data provided by the 24 million members of the Nectar loyalty programme, Nectar360 understands consumers better than anyone else, offering brands a clear view of exactly who their customers are and what they buy. About The Digital Voice™ & Adtech Juice: The Digital Voice™ is a B2B boutique PR agency with boundless energy for PR, social marketing & events, specialising in adtech and martech companies, ranging from startups to those heading for IPO! Adtech Juice is The Digital Voice™'s brand new adtech learning hub, where you can level up your adtech knowledge no matter your learning level. Dive in: ADTECH JUICE: https://www.adtechjuice.com LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adtechjuice TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@adtechjuice THE DIGITAL VOICE™: https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk To stay up to date on what, where, and when at TDV make sure to follow us on our other social channels too: LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalvoice YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU3YMC9i7AFVET9NtmsaiQ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalvoicePR OUR PODCAST: https://www.adtechjuice.com/podcast For the latest news visit https://www.thedigitalvoice.co.uk