Unlocking Retail Media Building Scalable Commerce Media Networks with Sam Wright
Jan 13, 2026
Sam Wright, strategic advisor at Kevel and former Klarna retail media lead who globalized Klarna Media. He walks through launching and scaling retail media businesses. Topics include shifting from trade dollars to measurable performance, aligning C-suite with product teams, carving org models for speed versus integration, leveraging SKU-level transaction data, and fintechs’ edge with first-party shopping data.
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Klarna Grew Retail Media From Merchant Requests
- Sam Wright joined Klarna in 2016 and evolved from UK marketing into building Klarna Media as merchants began requesting marketing support.
- That organic shift turned value-add co-marketing into a monetized ad business growing to 120+ people across affiliate and advertising.
Begin Retail Media Only After Core Business And Demand
- Start retail media when you have a strong core business and merchants already asking for expanded value.
- Modernize ad tooling before scaling so one campaign manager isn't the bottleneck delivering ad-hoc, manual campaigns.
Get C-Level Alignment To Resolve UX Versus Ads
- Secure C-level alignment and a sponsor to resolve UX versus monetization conflicts and set clear product expectations.
- Keep leadership check-ins while giving teams agency to prototype formats, pricing, and go-to-market plans.