Host James Welch sits down with Criteo’s Steve Mader, a commerce heavyweight operating at the intersection of retail’s future and global brand strategy. Steve unpacks the critical signals from Amazon Unboxed and reveals how Criteo is simplifying and democratising access to retail media for the world's biggest brands. Tune in for a masterclass on rewiring organisations for e-commerce and why the "move fast and break things" mantra might just make you an ass.

Interview Guide

This chat follows our "Signals & Sparks" format, where we find the method in the madness and the data behind the creative spark. Here’s what we covered:

The Signal in the Noise: Steve focuses on the recent Amazon Unboxed conference, highlighting their move towards campaign builders and full-funnel orchestration agents. He views this as a major signal for the industry: a shift towards simplifying the buying process and democratising access to retail media tools, ensuring you don't need an "army of hands-on keyboard folks" to operate effectively.

Connecting the Dots: Steve connects the dots by leveraging Criteo's massive scale—over 230 retailers—to paint a unique picture of shopper behaviour. He explains how combining search trends with performance media data allows advertisers to target abandoned baskets and build custom audiences, ultimately helping large brands "rewire themselves" to capitalise on e-commerce growth.

Quick-fire: The quick-fire round to get to know them better:

1. Hero: The original leadership team at Kantar in Boston, who taught him the foundational "four box models" of retail that he still uses 20 years later.
2. Best Decision: Moving to London with his wife without ever having visited before, a decision that led to "cartoon character" children with dual accents and a love for the city.
3. Worst Decision: Adopting a "move fast and break things" mentality early in his career within a culture that didn't support it, learning the hard way that if you break things alone, "all you are is just an ass."
4. Funniest Moment: Watching his usually articulate wife go completely mute on live Canadian television during the London Olympics when news anchor Peter Mansbridge put a microphone in her face at a pub.
5. A Bright Spark: Patrick Ryan, former Global Head of Business Development at PHD, recommended for his unique storytelling ability and skill in orchestrating agency opportunities.

📍 Keywords:

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