Retail Identity, Audience Enablement, and the Rise of Federated RMNs

In this episode of Middlemen, we’re joined by Praveen Menon, Head of Product at Rippl, the Retail Media Network operated by Bridg, a Cardlytics company.

The conversation centers on a common misconception in retail media: that it’s simply retargeting or a continuation of legacy ad tech. As Todd Sawicki frames it, the technology itself isn’t new — identity graphs, closed-loop measurement, and purchase-based audiences have existed for years. What’s new is how those capabilities are being combined specifically for the retailer use case.

Todd introduces the idea of shifting from audience extension to audience enablement, highlighting how retailer first-party identity changes what’s possible across measurement, incrementality, and CTV. Praveen explains why deterministic identity tied to real transactions is the foundation that makes closed-loop retail media work in practice, not just in theory.

The episode also explores why retail identity is especially powerful for CTV, and how retail data helps solve long-standing challenges around viewer identification and outcome measurement.

Finally, the discussion touches on the emergence of Federated Retail Media Networks. Unlike most RMNs, which operate as single retailers with a single loyalty dataset, Rippl represents a model where multiple retailers participate in shared identity infrastructure — enabling scale, interoperability, and easier activation for brand buyers.

This episode is a clear look at why retail media isn’t just an extension of digital advertising, but a reassembly of proven technologies into a system that finally works for retail.

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