Owned media networks are transforming digital advertising
If you’re relying on someone else’s platform to interact with your customers, you don’t control the experience, and you definitely don’t control the economics. The old playbook? Renting audience access from third-party platforms like Google or Meta. That used to work when data was cheap, ad targeting was sharp, and competition for digital space wasn’t through the roof. Today, all of that has changed.
Right now, we’re seeing intelligent companies take matters into their own hands. They’re converting their digital environments, websites, mobile apps, loyalty systems, into revenue channels. These are owned media networks. No middleman. No algorithm working against your best interests. Just intelligent use of assets you already have. Retail giants like Walmart and Amazon have led the way, building ad businesses from their internal traffic. But it’s moving well beyond retail now, because the economics make sense.
When you own the media, you own the data. That gives you direct access to customers, real-time feedback loops, and much higher margins. In fact, some retail media operations are reporting profit margins up to 90%. That’s not small change. It’s fundamentally different from operating on razor-thin margins through traditional channels.
This shift puts pressure on everyone else to catch up. Leaders who make the transition now are in a stronger position to fine-tune the model, test what works, and move faster while others are still figuring it out. Waiting too long puts revenue in someone else’s hands.
Third-party data accessibility and escalating advertising costs render traditional models unsustainable
The digital advertising model that marketers have relied on for years is breaking down. Increasing regulation, rising operating costs, and fundamental changes in browser technology are making old strategies ineffective.
Governments have built new walls around consumer data, GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California. Major platforms are doubling down on privacy policies that limit third-party tracking. Even browsers like Safari and Chrome are cutting off the pipelines advertisers used to depend on. That means your access to targeting data is shrinking fast. You’re not getting the same precision, and your spend isn’t going as far.
At the same time, competition across traditional ad platforms has intensified. More players chasing the same limited real estate. As a result, the price of getting your brand in front of the right people has spiked. Research shows costs on platforms like Meta and Google have nearly doubled in the last few years. That’s a hard ceiling for most teams. Many are now spending more just to get the same results they had before.
For companies still locked into this model, the returns are deteriorating. It’s no longer a question of optimization. The structure itself has shifted. Persisting with traditional platforms as the core of your media strategy is like running against a headwind that only gets stronger.
Now is the time to reset. If your media model is built entirely on third-party data and rented space, the foundation is unstable. Executives need to be asking: how much of our customer reach are we really in control of—and how much is being dictated by companies that don’t share our incentives?
First-party data is emerging as a key competitive advantage
When access to third-party data declines, what remains is what you own. First-party data, information collected directly from your customers through their interactions with your digital products, is now your most reliable asset in an increasingly restrictive data environment.
First-party data gives you unfiltered visibility into how your customers think, behave, and buy. That level of clarity allows for precise targeting, refined personalization, and smarter product development. It also plugs directly into your advertising strategy, offering measurable performance without depending on outside providers. Privacy laws don’t restrict what you collect directly with consent, they restrict how you obtain data from others. That distinction is now central to any forward-looking marketing or monetization plan.
What’s changing is where data comes from and what companies do with it. The organizations investing in owned media networks are turning their data into structured advertising environments where partners can tap into consumer behavior at a higher fidelity. This allows monetization without compromising user trust or legal compliance. For example, financial services platforms are using transactional data to enable targeted campaigns based on actual spending, not projected intent.
C-suite leaders should treat first-party data as a core operational resource. It impacts growth, retention, and profitability across teams. The more structured and integrated your first-party data, the more autonomous your business becomes in a system that’s moving away from data sharing and toward data ownership. In a global market increasingly defined by regulation and platform risk, the safest, and smartest, data is your own.
Multiple industries are building high-margin advertising businesses through owned media networks
This shift toward owned media networks didn’t stop at retail. What began with companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Target is now scaling across sectors, finance, travel, telecom, healthcare, and more. Enterprises in these industries are realizing they already have what matters: customer relationships, digital platforms, and high engagement environments.
Financial institutions are a clear case. Chase and PayPal have launched their own advertising platforms, using real-time transactional data to drive targeting. This level of accuracy gives advertisers stronger ROI and offers the platform owner a major edge in monetization.
United Airlines is another example. With its owned media arm, Kinective, the airline is converting flight screens, mobile itineraries, gate displays, and loyalty program data into ad inventory. That gives them something valuable to bring to brand partners: access to a controlled, high-attention customer environment. The same is now emerging across hospitality and telecom, where customer engagement occurs routinely on owned digital infrastructure.
What makes this shift so effective is the margin profile. Unlike traditional digital ad networks, where agencies and platforms take a cut, owned media allows companies to keep a far larger share of advertising revenue. Retail media networks, for instance, report margins up to 90%. The infrastructure already exists within the business. The audience is already there. Most companies don’t need to build traffic, they just need to move from passive engagement to monetized attention.
For executives, this is about recognizing underutilized assets. Owned digital and physical environments, mobile apps, kiosks, booking systems, account dashboards, have potential far beyond core product delivery. The data, the traffic, the trust, they all exist. What’s missing for many is the structure to turn those touchpoints into high-margin, self-sustaining advertising businesses.
Early adopters of owned media networks will secure a lasting competitive advantage
The window to act is limited. Owned media networks are scaling quickly across industries, and the companies moving early are locking in the benefits, prime advertiser relationships, better data infrastructure, and greater pricing power. The longer others hesitate, the narrower their strategic options become.
Owning a media channel means establishing a system of control. Early movers get to set the foundation. They define the formats, build the tech stack, and train their teams around internal ecosystems rather than external dependencies. That control compounds. Once pricing structures, audience segmentation models, and platform integrations are established, it becomes difficult for late entrants to gain the same ground without conceding leverage, time, or cost.
Industry signals point to this shift accelerating. Two-thirds of marketers plan to increase their investments in owned media this year. The market trajectory is clear. Within five years, most major enterprises are expected to have some form of owned media revenue stream. Still, many companies either lack a strategy or are stuck in planning cycles that delay execution. That delay has a cost, a direct opportunity loss.
For executives making long-term growth decisions, this is not a question of experimental marketing. This is foundational. Like loyalty programs or eCommerce platforms, owned media networks are becoming a standard operational layer. Those who move early shape the rules. Those who wait will be responding to them.
Key takeaways for decision-makers
- Shift to owned media is accelerating: Businesses should transition from third-party platforms to owned media networks to gain full control over customer engagement and ad monetization, cutting rising external costs and improving margins.
- Traditional ad models are losing viability: Leaders should reassess reliance on platforms like Google and Meta, as increased privacy restrictions and soaring ad costs are shrinking ROI and undermining long-term sustainability.
- First-party data is now a strategic asset: Executives must prioritize the collection and activation of first-party data to enable targeted advertising, meet privacy standards, and reduce dependency on external data sources.
- Cross-industry adoption is gaining traction: Organizations in finance, travel, and telecom are already leveraging their digital ecosystems for high-margin advertising; leaders in all sectors should identify underused customer touchpoints to unlock similar revenue streams.
- Early action defines advantage: Companies building owned media infrastructure now will secure better partner deals, shape market pricing, and avoid late-mover disadvantages; hesitation risks long-term revenue loss and competitive lag.
