# agentsite-static-version=0fab0a2f-7834-456b-ade9-53fd9a9ce8f7
# the-middlemen-podcast.com

> AI-optimized mirror of the-middlemen-podcast.com containing 82 pages totalling 9,042 words of clean markdown content, structured data, and semantic HTML. Original source: https://the-middlemen-podcast.com. Last updated: 2026-09-10T17:41:29.269Z.

Each page is available as HTML (with JSON-LD structured data) and Markdown (text-only, ideal for LLMs and RAG).

## Homepage

- [The Middlemen Podcast — The people behind commerce media](/content/site-root-2.html): Long-form conversations with the operators, builders, and leaders shaping commerce media, retail media and ad tech. Hosted by Tom Limongello, Todd Sawicki and Scott Messer. (485 words)
- [The Middlemen Podcast — The people behind commerce media](/content/site-root.html): Long-form conversations with the operators, builders, and leaders shaping commerce media, retail media and ad tech. Hosted by Tom Limongello, Todd Sawicki and Scott Messer. (482 words)

## Articles & Blog Posts

- [The Middlemen Podcast — The people behind commerce media](/content/episodes/index.html): Long-form conversations with the operators, builders, and leaders shaping commerce media, retail media and ad tech. Hosted by Tom Limongello, Todd Sawicki and Scott Messer. (852 words)
- [When Campaign Results Aren't Enough — Molly Hjelm, RedVest Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/when-campaign-results-arent-enough-molly-hjelm-redvest-media.html): Ace Hardware's RedVest Media held its first upfront at Wrigley Field, about a year after launching. Tom sat down with Molly Hjelm, Corporate Vice… (320 words)
- [The Middlemen Podcast — The people behind commerce media](/content/events/index.html): Long-form conversations with the operators, builders, and leaders shaping commerce media, retail media and ad tech. Hosted by Tom Limongello, Todd Sawicki and Scott Messer. (200 words)
- [Digital Envy is Holding Back In-Store Retail Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/digital-envy-is-holding-back-in-store-retail-media/index.html): Paul Brenner and Michelle Dooley on the four scorecards problem and the illusion of precision. (235 words)
- [Retail Media Needs Commerce Infrastructure Not an Ad Server – Regina Ye, Topsort — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/retail-media-needs-commerce-infrastructure-not-an-ad-server-regina-ye-topsort.html): Why static shopper segments underperform real-time purchase intent, and the difference between serving and optimization. (251 words)
- [The Modern Grocer — Vincent Finazzo, Riverwards — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-modern-grocer-vincent-finazzo-riverwards/index.html): How assortment gets built out of cookbooks, and why most brands lose their edge after acquisition. (209 words)
- [Shopify Part 1 — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-middlemen-episode-7-shopify-part-1/index.html): Why D2C brands choose Shopify, and expert insights on real costs, customization, and the importance of owning your customer data. (54 words)
- [Why Hy-Vee Went All-In on In-Store Retail Media – Britt Polihronis, Red Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/why-hy-vee-went-all-in-on-in-store-retail-media-britt-polihronis-red-media.html): 10,000+ screens across the Midwest, and why regional retailers may have advantages national players overlook. (161 words)
- [36% Forget to Buy What They Discover on Social – Christine Foster, Kroger Precision Marketing — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/36-forget-to-buy-what-they-discover-on-social-christine-foster-kroger-precision.html): Recorded on the Kroger rooftop at Cannes: Audiences Everywhere, and the disappearing upper funnel. (180 words)
- [What Does Commerce Media Look Like Beyond Amazon? – Collin Colburn, IAB — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/what-does-commerce-media-look-like-beyond-amazon-collin-colburn-iab.html): Why most retailers need a different strategy than Amazon, and why disclosure may beat standardized measurement. (181 words)
- [Winning Brand Budgets – Michael Peroutka, GoPuff — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/winning-brand-budgets-michael-peroutka-gopuff/index.html): The Pepsi Challenge, conquesting through sampling, and why GoPuff monetizes at roughly 3-4% of sales. (145 words)
- [Marc Walkin of QSIC — High Fidelity for Every Aisle — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/marc-walkin-of-qsic-high-fidelity-for-every-aisle/index.html): How in-store audio is being reinvented as a powerful, data-driven retail media channel. (47 words)
- [The Digital Promise – Parbinder Dhariwal, CVS Media Exchange (CMX) — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-digital-promise-parbinder-dhariwal-cvs-media-exchange-cmx.html): ExtraCare loyalty data, the CorIQ AI platform, and the “I already bought this” retargeting problem. (217 words)
- [Who Controls the Grid? — Andreas Reiffen, Pentaleap — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/who-controls-the-grid-andreas-reiffen-pentaleap/index.html): Merchandising margin versus ad revenue, and ranking the grid on compound margin. (207 words)
- [The Pro Phase: Building a Full-Funnel Retail Media Network – Elyse Blouin, Lowe's Media Network — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-pro-phase-building-a-full-funnel-retail-media-network-elyse-blouin-lowes-med.html): Lowe's new GM on creators, Pro versus DIY signals, non-endemic audiences and closed-loop measurement. (222 words)
- [The End of Rented Identity — Nikhil Raj, MetaRouter — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-end-of-rented-identity-nikhil-raj-metarouter/index.html): First-mile data infrastructure, and why traditional audience pipelines are too slow. (210 words)
- [Costco Retail Media Comes to Google — Mark Williamson — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/costco-retail-media-comes-to-google-mark-williamson.html): Retail media moving into high-intent search, and why most offsite hasn't worked until now. (139 words)
- [The Commerce Media Flywheel — Mark Grether, PayPal — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-commerce-media-flywheel-mark-grether-paypal/index.html): What happens when a payments company becomes a commerce media platform. (159 words)
- [Taking Club Membership to the Racetrack – Harvey Ma, Sam's Club Connect — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/taking-club-membership-to-the-racetrack-harvey-ma-sams-club-connect.html): Why paid membership creates deterministic purchase data, and how sampling became an advertising business. (243 words)
- [From Casual to Causal: Proving In-Store Works — Liz Roche, Albertsons — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/from-casual-to-causal-proving-in-store-works-liz-roche-albertsons.html): Why ad plays aren't enough, and what it takes to move from pilot programs to network scale. (174 words)
- [Another Nike take, Teads-Outbrain, & Walmart Non-Endemic — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/episode-11-another-nike-take-teads-outbrain-walmart-non-endemic.html): Tom and Todd dive into Nike's DTC pivot, the Teads-Outbrain merger, and Walmart's non-endemic push. (48 words)
- [Parking Lots & AI Recipes: Shopper Marketing's Future with Josh Ginsberg — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/parking-lots-ai-recipes-shopper-marketings-future-with-josh-ginsberg.html): How shopper marketing is shifting from basic promotions to immersive, AI-driven brand experiences. (48 words)
- [The Virtual Grocery Chain: How Independent Grocers Aggregate for National Scale — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-virtual-grocery-chain-how-independent-grocers-aggregate-for-national-scale.html): Why independent grocers were overlooked in retail media—and how RSA and Inmar use aggregation and incentives to unlock national scale. (62 words)
- [Stop Waxing Poetic: Sarah Marzano of eMarketer on In-Store Retail Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/stop-waxing-poetic-sarah-marzano-of-emarketer-on-in-store-retail-media.html): Cut through the hype with Sarah Marzano on commerce media, in-store tech and evolving retail narratives. (48 words)
- [Why UK Retail Media remains ahead of the US — Sean Crawford, SMG — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/why-uk-retail-media-remains-ahead-of-the-us-sean-crawford-smg.html): Why UK retail media leads the US, with insights on holistic buying and the evolution of retail media networks. (62 words)
- [The House of Insurgent Brands — Thrasio CEO, Dave Johnson — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-house-of-insurgent-brands-thrasio-ceo-dave-johnson.html): How Dave Johnson is rebuilding the e-commerce giant after its meteoric rise, bankruptcy, and a bold new strategy for a modern house of brands. (69 words)
- [Possible '26 Recap — Retailers Are Getting Better at This! — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/possible-26-recap-retailers-are-getting-better-at-this.html): Loyalty-led product maturity, AI as a feature rather than the main event, and buying flexibility beyond sponsored search. (183 words)
- [Neuralift's Jonathan Mendez — ok you have a CDP, so what? — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/neuralifts-jonathan-mendez-ok-you-have-a-cdp-so-what.html): How the limitations of customer data platforms led to AI-driven solutions for smarter customer segmentation. (52 words)
- [Retail Fluency — Claudia Johnson, Flywheel Commerce Network — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/retail-fluency-claudia-johnson-flywheel-commerce-network.html): Claudia dives into the rising importance of retail fluency to stay ahead in today's fragmented commerce landscape. (53 words)
- [When Traffic Moves, Commerce Resets — Sharon Gee, Commerce — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/when-traffic-moves-commerce-resets-sharon-gee-commerce.html): Feeds, payments, identity and fulfillment: what actually resets when discovery shifts offsite. (174 words)
- [Building the One-Stop Ad Shop: Bobby Watts, Ahold Delhaize USA — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/building-the-one-stop-ad-shop-bobby-watts-ahold-delhaize-usa.html): Bobby Watts reveals how Ahold Delhaize is building an AI-powered, omni-channel retail media platform for grocery. (53 words)
- [Do You Know Your Reach Rate? Joe Dressler of Adform — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/do-you-know-your-reach-rate-joe-dressler-of-adform/index.html): A candid Thanksgiving roundtable on the buzzwords, challenges, and future of retail media and audience measurement. (53 words)
- [Horizon Built a Multi-Retailer Ad Platform? Dr. Ram Singh of Night Market — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/horizon-built-a-multi-retailer-ad-platform-dr-ram-singh-of-night-market.html): Horizon Media's Dr. Ram Singh unveils Night Market's NEON platform for multi-retailer ad buying for agencies and brands. (59 words)
- [Mastering the four corners of Retail Media with Kiri Masters — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/mastering-the-four-corners-of-retail-media-with-kiri-masters.html): Retail media is bigger than ads: Kiri Masters breaks down the 4-corners framework and why most players still think in MarTech terms. (65 words)
- [The Value of Customer Context – Jon Flugstad, MetaRouter — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-value-of-customer-context-jon-flugstad-metarouter.html): The end of rented identity, and why retailers are building identity graphs they control themselves. (183 words)
- [Can You Trust Incrementality? – Scott Cunningham, Alliance for Audited Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/can-you-trust-incrementality-scott-cunningham-alliance-for-audited-media.html): Should retailers disclose how they measure incrementality, or is it time for independent verification? (137 words)
- [Kevel's James Avery — Retail Media is just the perfect native ad — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/kevels-james-avery-retail-media-is-just-the-perfect-native-ad.html): Our first guest on The Middlemen: James Avery, CEO of Kevel. (45 words)
- [Beyond Transactions — Marco Steinsieck, Backpack Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/beyond-transactions-marco-steinsieck-backpack-media.html): Predictive commerce powered by life-stage data: reaching people for what they are about to need. (125 words)
- [Don't Overthink In-Store Retail Media — Marlow Nickell, Grocery TV — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/dont-overthink-in-store-retail-media-marlow-nickell-grocery-tv.html): Why simplicity, not over-engineering, is the key to unlocking the true potential of in-store retail media. (53 words)
- [Retail Media Must Be Planned, Not Allocated — Brian Monahan, Albertsons Media Collective — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/retail-media-must-be-planned-not-allocated-brian-monahan-albertsons-media-collective.html): Why retail media must be planned, not allocated — and how Albertsons is reimagining the store as a media canvas. (64 words)
- [Creative is Half the Battle — Matt Krepsik, MediaRadar — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/creative-is-half-the-battle-matt-krepsik-mediaradar.html): Matt Krepsik, CEO of MediaRadar, on how creative is the driving force behind advertising success (50 words)
- [From Amazon Evangelist to the Omnichannel Future of Retail Media — Jeff Cohen, Skai — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/from-amazon-evangelist-to-the-omnichannel-future-of-retail-media-jeff-cohen-skai.html): Jeff Cohen breaks down the shift from Amazon's category-creation era to an omnichannel future where connected channels drive growth (63 words)
- [Creators are coming to Retail Media — Obviously's Mae Karwowski — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/creators-are-coming-to-retail-media-obviouslys-mae-karwowski.html): How the creator economy is transforming retail media and what it means for brands, agencies, and creators today. (51 words)
- [In-Store Retail Media with Trevor Sumner of Raydiant — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/in-store-retail-media-with-trevor-sumner-of-raydiant.html): How interactive in-store digital media is transforming the shopper experience (39 words)
- [Commerce Media is a Layer (Not a Channel) — Conor McKenna, Luma Partners — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/commerce-media-is-a-layer-not-a-channel-conor-mckenna-luma-partners.html): A banker's-eye view: the trough of disillusionment, and why transactions are the new cookie. (134 words)
- [Permission to Measure Outcomes Across Retailers — Ben Kartzman, Attain — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/permission-to-measure-outcomes-across-retailers-ben-kartzman-attain.html): How Attain collects permissioned data from its portfolio of apps and measures outcomes across retailers and publishers. (55 words)
- [Your Ears are Always On — 7-Eleven Gulp Media, Qsic & Media Ads & Commerce — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/your-ears-are-always-on-7-eleven-gulp-media-qsic-media-ads-commerce.html): An introduction to audio retail media at convenience stores, featuring 7-Eleven Gulp Media, Qsic, and Andrew Lipsman (60 words)
- [Can Financial Media Networks aggregate retailers? Tom Burgess, Snipp — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/can-financial-media-networks-aggregate-retailers-tom-burgess-snipp.html): Financial Media Networks are hot, but Snipp has an interesting twist to get to SKU level data (54 words)
- [A DSP that returns my calls — Jeremy Woodlee, Infillion — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/a-dsp-that-returns-my-calls-jeremy-woodlee-infillion.html): The revival of MediaMath's DSP and its impact on the evolving retail media landscape. (49 words)
- [CES + NRF 2026: How In-Store Retail Media Is Changing — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/ces-nrf-2026-how-in-store-retail-media-is-changing/index.html): A CES + NRF banded-pack episode on why in-store retail media is changing—and how scale, pragmatism, and shopper flow shape what works. (65 words)
- [The History of Retail Media Part 2 — The Current State of Retail Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/middlemen-episode-retailmedia-2/index.html) (25 words)
- [Friendship with Meta is Priceless — Carlos Garcia, Meta CPG Director — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/friendship-with-meta-is-priceless-carlos-garcia-meta-cpg-director.html): The evolving partnership between Meta and CPG brands, and how creative diversity is reshaping digital advertising (54 words)
- [Lean Back, We Got This: Marcus Pratt on Agencies and Offsite Retail Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/mediasmith/index.html): Marcus Pratt, SVP at Mediasmith, shares his expert insights on the evolving landscape of off-site retail media. (58 words)
- [Orchestration Is Much More Than We Think — Drew Cashmore, Vantage — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/orchestration-is-much-more-than-we-think-drew-cashmore-vantage.html): Drew Cashmore breaks down orchestration, trade, and the future of retail media — and why retailers need better collaboration to compete with Amazon. (68 words)
- [Who's Buying? A Sell-Side View with Shay Brog of Burt — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/whos-buying-a-sell-side-view-with-shay-brog-of-burt.html): How Burt's data tools help publishers and retail media networks gain clearer insights, benchmark performance, and discover new sales opportunities. (61 words)
- [Programmatic Finds a Way — Koddi's Harsh Jiandani — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/programmatic-finds-a-way-koddis-harsh-jiandani/index.html): The evolving landscape of programmatic retail media, highlighting both its current challenges and emerging innovations. (49 words)
- [Criteo's Long Game — Sherry Smith — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/criteos-long-game-sherry-smith/index.html): Sherry Smith, Managing Director of the Americas at Criteo, provides a solution to the fragmentation in the retail and commerce media industry (55 words)
- [Does Grocery Search Actually Work? Blutag's Shilp Agarwal & Clive Humby on Gen AI Search — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/does-grocery-search-actually-work-blutags-shilp-agarwal-clive-humby-on-gen-ai-search.html): How generative AI and conversational search are transforming grocery shopping (46 words)
- [Sunshine by a Thousand Pinholes: Offsite Media's New Era with Scott Messer — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/sunshine-by-a-thousand-pinholes-offsite-medias-new-era-with-scott-messer.html): Scott Messer joins as a new host, bringing the publisher perspective to how new signals and transparency are reshaping media quality. (65 words)
- [A Colossal Misunderstanding? — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/middlemen-episode-2-colossus-ssp/index.html): Another ad tech scandal based on questionable tactics with cookies, this time from Colossus SSP (44 words)
- [Shopify Part 2 — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/shopify-part-2/index.html): Shopify's partnership with Target Plus (24 words)
- [Are PLAs Enough? — Ari Paparo — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/are-plas-enough-ari-paparo/index.html): Ari Paparo on why PLAs fall short, how retail media is repeating old ad-tech debates, and what modern ad serving should be. (61 words)
- [Holiday End Cap — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/holiday-end-cap/index.html): Lessons from 35 retail media conversations—and how they're shaping in-store, offsite, and federation in 2026 (44 words)
- [History of Retail Media 4, dunnhumby edit — Peter Bond of the CPG Guys — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/history-of-retail-media-4-dunnhumby-edit-peter-bond-of-the-cpg-guys.html): How loyalty data and dunnhumby's partnership with Kroger shaped the evolution of retail media. (47 words)
- [Retail Media Series Part 3 — The Oracle — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-middlemen-podcast-ep-6-retail-media-series-part-3-the-oracle.html) (19 words)
- [Kroger's Big Screen Moment — Christine Foster — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/krogers-big-screen-moment-christine-foster/index.html): Kroger's partnership with Barrows unfurls a new canvas for in-store media, blending digital innovation and experiential design. (46 words)
- [Trade is Eating Retail Media — Troy Townsend, CEO of Zitcha — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/trade-is-eating-retail-media-troy-townsend-ceo-of-zitcha.html): How Zitcha's platform can help retailers manage both Trade and Retail Media (40 words)
- [In-Store Media brings a veteran to the plate — Sean Cheyney, Vistar Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/in-store-media-brings-a-veteran-to-the-plate-sean-cheyney-vistar-media.html): Vistar's acquisition by T-Mobile, and practical ways to think about integration, infrastructure, costs and KPIs for in-store retail media (56 words)
- [Why TV operators love CTV + Retail Media: Alex Holtz, IDC — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/why-tv-operators-love-ctv-retail-media-alex-holtz-idc.html): Alex Holtz (IDC) on CTV + retail media: FAST platforms, data/identity, GenAI creative, and where ad budgets could shift. (54 words)
- [Nielsen IQ's Xavier Facon — Stop inventing tech & put the puzzle pieces together — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/nielsen-iqs-xavier-facon-stop-inventing-tech-and-put-the-puzzle-pieces-together.html): Xavier Facon explains how retailers can unlock the true potential of retail media. (45 words)
- [Retailers, Don't Put the Full Burden on Brands — Molly Hjelm, Ace Hardware's Red Vest Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/retailers-dont-put-the-full-burden-on-brands-molly-hjelm-ace-hardwares-red-vest-media.html): Why retailers must share the marketing load with brands and bring true enterprise support to retail media. (55 words)
- [Keith Bryan on launching Best Buy's RMN & why Retailers will buy Publishers — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/keith-bryan-on-launching-bestbuys-rmn-why-retailers-will-buy-publishers.html): The inside story behind launching Best Buy's Retail Media Network (44 words)
- [How Cool CPG Brands Buy Retail Media with Eleanor Hayden — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/how-cool-cpg-brands-buy-retail-media-with-eleanor-hayden.html): Practical insights on how indie CPG companies navigate and optimize retail media strategies (41 words)
- [Bonus Episode — SLAP Happy! — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/middlemen-episode-4-ttd-slap/index.html): We untangle lots of ad tech jargon (30 words)
- [The Middlemen Podcast Episode 1: MFA Made For Advertising — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/middlemen-episode-1-mfa/index.html): Made For Advertising sites are getting some unwanted scrutiny (32 words)
- [Retail Media in Warehouse Mode — Costco's Mark Williamson — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/retail-media-in-warehouse-mode-costcos-mark-williamson.html): Member-first culture and the primacy of the merchant team, and how that shapes Costco's approach to retail media (50 words)
- [The History of Retail Media — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/middlemen-episode-3-history-retail-media/index.html): By looking back we can remove some of the confusion that comes from current discussions of retail media that seem to consider retail media a new thing. (64 words)
- [Snowflake's Prabhath Nanisetty tells us to stop moving data — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/snowflakes-prabhath-nanisetty-tells-us-to-stop-moving-data.html): Snowflake's Retail Industry Lead breaks down what Snowflake actually does. (34 words)
- [The Audience Enabler — Praveen Menon, Rippl — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/the-audience-enabler-praveen-menon-rippl/index.html): Praveen Menon of Rippl explains retail identity, closed-loop measurement, CTV, and why federated retail media networks matter. (46 words)
- [Doing More with Less — Austin Leonard, Dollar General Media Network — The Middlemen Podcast](/content/episode/doing-more-with-less-austin-leonard-dollar-general-media-network.html): Austin Leonard breaks down how Dollar General built an investment-grade retail media network with national scale and real omnichannel identity. (56 words)

## Resources

- [Full Page Index](/index.html): Browse all cached pages with rich metadata
- [About This Cache](/about.html): Methodology, technical details, and usage guidelines
- [XML Sitemap](/sitemap.xml): Machine-readable sitemap for crawler discovery
- [Robots.txt](/robots.txt): Crawler directives
- [AgentSite Network](https://agentsite.network/network.html): Public index of AgentSites and their machine-readable resources