When your own tech partners start publicly celebrating your struggles, you know the game has changed. In this episode, I unpack the fascinating shake-up happening in retail media, sparked by Criteo’s recent challenges — from high-profile client losses to a wave of nimble competitors seizing their moment.

What’s even more intriguing? Many of these challengers once relied on Criteo’s own infrastructure to get started.

We’ll dive into the irony of Criteo facing the very playbook it once used to disrupt the adtech giants of the past, the role of real-time bidding in eroding their moat, and the strategic crossroads they face today. Will they acquire their way back into the lead, or will a consolidation of challengers rewrite the rules entirely?

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[0:12] – Adweek article reveals Criteo’s client losses and competitive pressures
[0:51] – Competitors’ cheeky LinkedIn reactions and what they signal about the market
[2:00] – The irony: Criteo once played this disruptor role in adtech!
[3:18] – How real-time bidding is dismantling Criteo’s pricing power
[4:47] – The 'frenemy' effect: why partners are now becoming rivals
[6:05] – Two scenarios for how this standoff could end
[8:21] – The ticking clock: looming shifts toward AI-driven shopping

Links & Resources

Criteo’s Frenemies Pile On

Retail Media Breakfast Club