‘You can’t afford to sit this one out’: Retail Marketing Summit adds Unmade, Pernod Ricard, Sonder, Big W and Bread Agency to schedule

March 5, 2025 10:00

The realities of retail media and the power of Big W’s Live Shopping on the shopping experience are two late additions confirmed for Mumbrella’s Retail Marketing Summit 2025.

‘Inside Retail Media: Pitfalls and Power Moves’ is a collaborative session between the Retail summit and Unmade’s REmade event.

Head of curated content at Unmade Cat McGinn will be moderating an insightful discussion on retail media in 2025.

Pernod Ricard’s head of light spirits, digital and insights, Maddie Jahnke, and Sonder’s founding partner Jonathan Hopkins, will be delving into retail media’s realities, associated risks and the profit-boosting opportunities.

From determining if brands are really achieving their retail media ROI objectives to sharing tips for maximising revenue while maintaining customer loyalty, the talk will unpack at lot. This will be about practical strategies and knowledge of retail media operations.

(L-R): Jonathan Hopkins, Maddie Jahnke, Cat McGinn

“As curator of the REmade conference and editor of Unmade’s retail media newsletter, I’ve had a ringside seat for the sector’s rapid evolution,” McGinn said.

“There’s plenty of hype, and no shortage of complexity, but retail media isn’t just the latest buzzword—it’s fundamentally reshaping how brands connect with shoppers and how retailers monetise their owned ecosystems. With a much-touted $3 billion market on the horizon, the big question is: are we building something sustainable, or just chasing the next gold rush?

“This session brings together some of Australia’s most innovative retail media leaders to cut through the noise—unpacking what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. If you’re in retail, FMCG, or media, still figuring out your place in this space, or evolving your retail media offering, you can’t afford to sit this one out.”

Meanwhile, social media company Bread Agency is booked for a session alongside its partner, department store chain Big W.

‘BIG W Goes Live: The Future of Retail Reshaping the Shopping Experience’ will see Bread Agency’s co-founders, Mary Proulx and Amaury Treguer (who’s serving as a moderator), take to the Retail Marketing stage with Big W’s head of marketing, customer growth, Ben Schick, and senior manager, social media, Sally McLean.

(L-R): Amaury Treguer, Mary Proulx, Ben Schick, Sally McLean

Together, the four will use learnings, data and insights to analyse and explain how Big W successfully leverages Live Shopping – an online sales event where products are showcased; their uses are demonstrated; viewers can ask questions; and if they like what they see, they can purchase them straightaway – and why the offering is becoming increasingly popular.

Delegates looking to energise their brands with Live Shopping events and engage their customers on a deeper level should make this session a priority.

The Retail Summit’s schedule is booked with top brands and their respective retail marketing and media leaders.

Revlon’s marketing director for ANZ, Amy Kingon Smith, is joining Spark Foundry strategy director, Josh Green, and Lucy Neville – a content creator and podcast host – to discuss how brands can go global while ensuring a local presence; Michael Hill CMO Jo Feeney has a session on how the jeweller revitalised its brand by honouring its history; and more.

Mumbrella’s Retail Marketing Summit is fast approaching, with the event scheduled for March 19 at the Crown, Sydney.

Tickets are available now.

Editor’s note: Mumbrella has changed the way it deals with company names. House style is now to use standard proper noun capitalisation on all names regardless of brand typography. Brand typography may be retained in direct quotes from releases.