When Big Brands Go Programmatic: Lessons from Best Buy Ads

When enterprise retailers dive into programmatic, the ripple reaches far beyond their own walls. Best Buy’s entry into the ad tech ecosystem marks more than just another retail media launch — it signals a shift in how the biggest consumer brands are thinking about growth, customer relationships, and digital independence.

Retailers used to rely on ad networks or third-party DSPs to monetize their audiences. Today, the most forward-thinking brands are building their own advertising infrastructure, treating media as a core business pillar rather than a side revenue stream. In this transformation, Best Buy stands out as a case study in how legacy retail can merge creativity with data-driven performance — without losing control of the customer experience.

The Rise of Retail-Owned Ad Networks

Retail media has rapidly become the new frontier for programmatic investment. For years, advertisers sought precision through third-party data and performance platforms. Now, retailers are reclaiming that precision by using their own first-party data — the most reliable source of purchase intent available.

The logic is simple: retailers know their shoppers better than anyone. By owning their ad platforms, they can offer brands direct access to verified audiences while maintaining privacy compliance and creative consistency. The result is a more transparent, efficient marketplace where retail data becomes the new currency of digital advertising.

Best Buy’s launch of its retail media network reflects this trend perfectly. It’s part of a broader wave of retail giants, from Target to Walmart, recognizing that their digital shelf space and consumer data can generate as much value as their physical stores. But while the opportunity is massive, success depends on more than data — it requires a new kind of programmatic maturity.

Retail media isn’t a side business anymore — data is the new shelf space in retail ad ecosystems.

Programmatic as the Bridge Between Brand and Buyer

The beauty of programmatic advertising lies in its ability to bridge two worlds that often operate in isolation — brand storytelling and measurable performance. Retailers like Best Buy are using programmatic systems to connect their marketing and media operations more fluidly, ensuring that creative decisions align directly with sales results.

When programmatic infrastructure is integrated with commerce data, the brand can see which impressions actually drive conversions, both online and in-store. This feedback loop allows retail marketers to optimize in real time — adjusting bids, creatives, and placements based on verified behavioral signals rather than assumptions.

For large-scale retailers, this creates a new balance between efficiency and brand-building. It means they can operate at the speed of automation while maintaining the precision of curated brand messaging. That harmony — between technology and creativity — is where programmatic truly shines.

Programmatic connects creativity with performance — bridging brand storytelling and performance metrics.

Best Buy’s Experiment: Controlled Scale Meets Creative Flexibility

Best Buy’s move into programmatic advertising wasn’t just about monetization. It was about control. By launching its own ad platform and integrating programmatic technology, Best Buy created a channel where it could dictate the quality of creative, manage audience access, and oversee brand alignment without handing the keys to an external network.

This approach allowed the company to blend scale with flexibility. Advertisers could tap into Best Buy’s audiences using familiar programmatic interfaces, but under the retailer’s strict quality and data parameters. The result: a media network that’s both scalable and curated, allowing Best Buy to deliver value to advertisers without diluting brand integrity.

This balance is precisely what the next wave of retail media will depend on. As more brands enter the ad tech space, they will need infrastructure that is agile enough to adapt to changing formats and policies, yet stable enough to maintain performance and trust.

And that’s where Screencore’s philosophy aligns perfectly with the needs of modern retailers.

Scale only matters when it’s controlled — programmatic maturity with transparency, data integrity, and creative agility.

How Screencore Enables Programmatic Maturity Without Complexity

At Screencore, we believe that programmatic maturity doesn’t have to mean technological overload. Our open RTB-driven platform helps major retailers and advertisers scale efficiently while maintaining full visibility and control across every channel.

Screencore connects over 300 buyers with 500,000 publishers worldwide, processing thousands of real-time transactions every second. For enterprise retail clients, this means instant access to a trusted, transparent ecosystem capable of delivering immersive, high-quality ad experiences on web, mobile, and CTV — all within a privacy-first framework.

Where traditional DSPs create dependency, Screencore empowers independence. Retailers can build, optimize, and measure their campaigns without adding another intermediary layer. The focus stays on creative excellence and performance transparency — not platform maintenance.

Best Buy’s programmatic journey shows what’s possible when large-scale retailers prioritize control, clarity, and creative agility. At Screencore, we’ve built the infrastructure that turns those principles into action, allowing brands to scale faster while safeguarding what matters most — data integrity, ad quality, and user experience.

Want to see where transparent, encrypted identity is taking programmatic next? Dive into our breakdown of Encrypted ETIDs and auction transparency — and why they’re set to become the industry’s trust standard.

Big Brands Move Programmatic. Screencore Helps Them Move Faster

As the line between retail and media continues to blur, one thing becomes clear: every brand with an audience has the potential to be a media company. The question isn’t whether to go programmatic — it’s how to do it right.

With Screencore, retailers and advertisers gain a trusted partner in building scalable, transparent, and immersive programmatic ecosystems. We help big brands move fast — without losing sight of quality or control.

Let’s build your programmatic future together with our team.