Lowe’s is the latest retailer to debut an ad network

Lowe’s is selling more than just Christmas trees and plywood. Announced this week, the big-box retailer has come out with an advertising business called One Roof Media Network, which is definitely not an ad network catering to rural motels.

Through the network, brands will be able to buy banner and search ads on the Lowe’s app and website. It’s also selling sponsored content on its website and social channels. The platform was built alongside the ad-tech companies Criteo and CitrusAd.

• If your brand is already selling power drills at Lowe’s, you could now reach customers while they’re browsing the retailer’s site and reading product reviews.
• Samsung, Kohler, and GE Lighting all participated in the network’s beta testing, according to the company.

Lowe’s is also letting brands use its sweet, sweet first-party data to target users outside of its own properties, according to Business Insider.

But wait, isn’t privacy such a big deal now? How are they just going to, like, sell their shoppers’ own first-party data? Great questions! There are a few ways, explained Eric Schmitt, an analyst at Gartner.

• They could build custom audience sets for a specific brand. A marketer might want to target “frequent power tool buyers who spend a lot, but seem to favor other brands,” for instance.
• Create standardized segments, like “commercial contractors and builders” or “DIY enthusiasts,” and make these available to buyers through a demand-side platform.
• Or, run data through a “clean room,” which would anonymize or aggregate it while still allowing for targeting.

“Generally speaking, retailers want to avoid the risk of data leakage, and so will keep close control over valuable information like unique customer identifiers, purchase frequency, amounts, and other details,” Schmitt wrote.

Zoom out: Retailers know a lot about their customers. What they like, what they buy, and when they want it. That’s all incredibly valuable data. Conversely, marketers are also looking for alternatives to Amazon. That’s why Kroger, Target, CVS, and now Walmart are getting into the ad game.—RB