CANNES – In retail media, like many trends in advertising, all roads right now are leading to AI. For Uber Advertising, that intersection represents a unique opportunity to capitalize on high-intent moments.
The transportation and delivery giant has been leveraging AI capabilities for nearly a decade, initially to match drivers with riders. Now, those same technologies are being applied to create advertising experiences that deliver precision targeting based on location, food preferences, and purchase patterns.
“It’s going to create the sort of serendipity within context to our experience that will drive greater resonance for the advertiser,” said Edwin Wong, head of measurement science, Uber Advertising, in this video interview with Beet.TV.
From digital-to-physical measurement
Uber nowadays sits at the crossroads of digital advertising and physical world actions. While much of the industry spent decades trying to move consumers from physical to digital environments, Wong sees Uber’s advantage in the reverse journey.
“Starting a little while ago when I had a little time that I spent at Pinterest, I started to see that fundamental flip of us going digital to analog,” Wong said.
According to eMarketer, U.S. retail media ad spending is projected to reach over $62 billion in 2025, a $10 billion increase from the previous year, with a compound annual growth rate of 17.2% expected between 2024 and 2028.
Emotional connections through utility
While Wong’s role focuses on analytics and measurement, he recognizes that emotional impact remains crucial for advertisers. Rather than viewing utility and emotion as separate domains, he sees Uber’s service as inherently emotional through the convenience and serendipity it delivers.
“We just actually released a great study … called ‘Gen Uber,’ which speaks to the mindset of the consumer. The majority of Uber users, they start to understand that Uber isn’t just a service that is a utility, it’s actually connecting us in real life.”
Wong highlighted a recent campaign with luxury skincare brand La Mer during Formula 1 events in Miami. The brand outfitted Uber Black vehicles “down to the seatbelt” with branded elements and product samples, creating memorable experiences for riders lucky enough to be matched with these special vehicles.
@livelikeria Late nights just got a glow-up. From May 2–4, @LA MER has teamed up with @Uber to bring beauty sleep straight to your backseat. Select an Uber Premier in Miami between 6PM–midnight and you might just end up in a La Mer luxury ride with deluxe samples waiting for you. #LaMerPartner
Balancing proprietary insights with industry standards
As Uber Advertising continues developing its measurement capabilities, Wong acknowledges the dual need for innovative proprietary metrics and adherence to industry standards.
“When marketers are looking for is outcome-based measurement and when you think about that, you have to create incrementality for the marketer,” Wong said. “And so those systems that rely on first-party signals are things that we’re building right now with marketers.”
At the same time, Wong emphasized the importance of third-party validation for metrics like brand lift and viewability. He noted that Uber Advertising already works with more than 20 measurement partners covering various aspects of campaign performance.
The retail media landscape is growing increasingly complex. With the proliferation of retail media networks, advertisers are seeking standardization and improved measurement capabilities while still valuing the individual insights that platforms like Uber can provide.
You’re watching Beet.TV coverage from Cannes Lion 2025. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
