Uber, Publicis and McKinsey on Reframing the Role of Last-Mile Media
CANNES, France — The advertising funnel is collapsing – and delivery apps are catching the debris.
That is the argument emerging from commerce media executives who say platforms like Uber and Uber Eats are becoming advertising destinations precisely because they intercept consumers at the moment of decision.
“They really capture intent in motion and in real time,” said Jill Cruz, evp of commerce strategy at Publicis Commerce, in a video interview with Beet.TV at Cannes Lions. “When it comes to last-mile, you’re capitalizing on what we’re buying right now.”
Panel line-up:
- Jill Cruz, evp, commerce strategy, Publicis Commerce
- Kristi Argyilan, head of global advertising, Uber
- Moderator: Quentin George, partner, McKinsey & Co.
Discovery happens mid-journey, not just at the start
The conventional view of consumer discovery places it at the top of the funnel – awareness campaigns, brand storytelling, the creative work celebrated at Cannes. But Cruz and Argyilan argued that discovery also happens deep inside a transaction, when a consumer has already committed to one purchase and is open to another.
“Sometimes I might go to Uber Eats and I might know already what I want for dinner,” Cruz said. “But as I get into maybe that restaurant or get into that store as I’m shopping for something, I might find other opportunities and other things that I may need.”
Argyilan said Uber is seeing this in search behavior. “People are coming to our platform to search for new ideas, places to go to eat, which is kind of interesting to see what a utility that we’re becoming,” she said.
The funnel collapses, but brand still matters
The speed of last-mile commerce – order, wait, receive – creates what Argyilan called “the collapse of the funnel.” Discovery and purchase happen in minutes, not days. But both executives pushed back against the idea that everything is now performance marketing.
“Performance marketing is there to capture demand that’s already being created,” Cruz said. “Brands are there to create that demand.” She cited a Foster’s beer spot from the Cannes reel as an example of creative work that rekindled interest in a brand she had not considered in years.
Argyilan agreed, but reframed the question. “Everything is expected to be performant, but what the metrics are vary greatly,” she said. “I don’t think that we will ever replace the need to make a human connection. And that is especially important in terms of what brand marketing does.”
Redistribution now, but the pie will grow
Asked whether brands should shift linear television budgets into last-mile platforms, Cruz said the current reality is “mostly a redistribution” rather than a net increase. But she noted that last-mile platforms offer advantages for categories like alcohol, where retail media networks can be constrained by retailer relationships and regulatory sensitivities.
“When you start to drive outcomes, that opens up dollars,” Cruz said. “I do think the pie will grow as more performance is seen and as more incrementality gets driven.”
Argyilan credited Publicis for separating its Uber investment from the broader retail media pool, which she said allowed both sides to treat Uber as “a more concrete marketing platform versus a trade marketing platform.”
Physical and digital experiences converge
Uber’s advertising strategy is not limited to in-app placements. Argyilan described how the company’s creative studio is building campaigns that cross from digital to physical – World Cup activations, airport experiences, and promotional events like free pizza giveaways at Cannes.
“There are just these different ways that we tie digitally and then physically into the experience,” Argyilan said. “We’re trying to do as much of this digital-to-physical crossover as possible.”
The company recently introduced Uber Marketing Manager, a self-serve platform intended to unify advertising workflows across Uber and Uber Eats. Uber also announced offsite ad solutions that extend its first-party data signals to Meta and Google Shopping.
Ad fatigue is a shared problem
When asked who blinks first if conversion rates drop due to ad fatigue – the platform or the advertiser – Cruz declined to answer directly. She said the question has not yet become urgent because both sides share the same goal.
“We want the consumer to have a great experience,” she said. “If they have too many ads and there’s ad fatigue, or if the CPMs are too high and our agencies aren’t able to buy, we’re not able to accomplish the goals we want.”
Argyilan suggested that AI and agentic commerce could make last-mile platforms even more valuable by offloading routine tasks and creating more space for discovery. McKinsey has estimated that 10% to 35% of e-commerce transactions could eventually be initiated, influenced, or completed through AI-native experiences.
CANNES, France — The advertising funnel is collapsing – and delivery apps are catching the debris.
That is the argument emerging from commerce media executives who say platforms like Uber and Uber Eats are becoming advertising destinations precisely because they intercept consumers at the moment of decision.
“They really capture intent in motion and in real time,” said Jill Cruz, evp of commerce strategy at Publicis Commerce, in a video interview with Beet.TV at Cannes Lions. “When it comes to last-mile, you’re capitalizing on what we’re buying right now.”
Panel line-up:
- Jill Cruz, evp, commerce strategy, Publicis Commerce
- Kristi Argyilan, head of global advertising, Uber
- Moderator: Quentin George, partner, McKinsey & Co.
Discovery happens mid-journey, not just at the start
The conventional view of consumer discovery places it at the top of the funnel – awareness campaigns, brand storytelling, the creative work celebrated at Cannes. But Cruz and Argyilan argued that discovery also happens deep inside a transaction, when a consumer has already committed to one purchase and is open to another.
“Sometimes I might go to Uber Eats and I might know already what I want for dinner,” Cruz said. “But as I get into maybe that restaurant or get into that store as I’m shopping for something, I might find other opportunities and other things that I may need.”
Argyilan said Uber is seeing this in search behavior. “People are coming to our platform to search for new ideas, places to go to eat, which is kind of interesting to see what a utility that we’re becoming,” she said.
The funnel collapses, but brand still matters
The speed of last-mile commerce – order, wait, receive – creates what Argyilan called “the collapse of the funnel.” Discovery and purchase happen in minutes, not days. But both executives pushed back against the idea that everything is now performance marketing.
“Performance marketing is there to capture demand that’s already being created,” Cruz said. “Brands are there to create that demand.” She cited a Foster’s beer spot from the Cannes reel as an example of creative work that rekindled interest in a brand she had not considered in years.
Argyilan agreed, but reframed the question. “Everything is expected to be performant, but what the metrics are vary greatly,” she said. “I don’t think that we will ever replace the need to make a human connection. And that is especially important in terms of what brand marketing does.”
Redistribution now, but the pie will grow
Asked whether brands should shift linear television budgets into last-mile platforms, Cruz said the current reality is “mostly a redistribution” rather than a net increase. But she noted that last-mile platforms offer advantages for categories like alcohol, where retail media networks can be constrained by retailer relationships and regulatory sensitivities.
“When you start to drive outcomes, that opens up dollars,” Cruz said. “I do think the pie will grow as more performance is seen and as more incrementality gets driven.”
Argyilan credited Publicis for separating its Uber investment from the broader retail media pool, which she said allowed both sides to treat Uber as “a more concrete marketing platform versus a trade marketing platform.”
Physical and digital experiences converge
Uber’s advertising strategy is not limited to in-app placements. Argyilan described how the company’s creative studio is building campaigns that cross from digital to physical – World Cup activations, airport experiences, and promotional events like free pizza giveaways at Cannes.
“There are just these different ways that we tie digitally and then physically into the experience,” Argyilan said. “We’re trying to do as much of this digital-to-physical crossover as possible.”
The company recently introduced Uber Marketing Manager, a self-serve platform intended to unify advertising workflows across Uber and Uber Eats. Uber also announced offsite ad solutions that extend its first-party data signals to Meta and Google Shopping.
Ad fatigue is a shared problem
When asked who blinks first if conversion rates drop due to ad fatigue – the platform or the advertiser – Cruz declined to answer directly. She said the question has not yet become urgent because both sides share the same goal.
“We want the consumer to have a great experience,” she said. “If they have too many ads and there’s ad fatigue, or if the CPMs are too high and our agencies aren’t able to buy, we’re not able to accomplish the goals we want.”
Argyilan suggested that AI and agentic commerce could make last-mile platforms even more valuable by offloading routine tasks and creating more space for discovery. McKinsey has estimated that 10% to 35% of e-commerce transactions could eventually be initiated, influenced, or completed through AI-native experiences.
