Welcome Christine Mihajlov! Former Roundel Executive Joins MPG to Drive Digital Ad Growth

Welcome Christine Mihajlov!
Former Roundel Executive Joins MPG to Drive Digital Ad Growth

We’re excited to introduce you to Christine Mihajlov, who recently joined as Sr. Director, Omnichannel Operations, CPG by MPG.

With an impressive background in digital advertising, most recently as Director of Partner Solutions at Roundel, Target’s Retail Media Network, Christine has a wealth of experience developing innovative media strategies that consistently exceeded objectives for Target's top national brand partners. Before joining Roundel, Christine honed her merchandising acumen at Target, where she acquired a deep understanding of product assortments, market trends, eCommerce, and joint business negotiations. This depth of experience has been instrumental in shaping her approach to media strategies, allowing her to create impactful solutions that resonate with brand partners and retailers alike to drive exceptional sales growth.

Today, Christine leverages this expertise to assist our clients in meeting the increasingly complex eCommerce requirements of Target and others. We recently sat down with her for an insightful Q&A session, where she discussed retail media trends and other strategic insights pivotal for brands as they refine their strategies for 2025.

Having had some conversations with MPG clients over the past two months, what do you feel is critical for them to do or consider to succeed next year?

What is critical for all advertisers to be successful in a complex and competitive retail environment is to think strategically when putting together marketing plans. While on-site sponsored search is a powerful tool, it is important to keep in mind that the shopper journey is not linear or one-stop. There are several touchpoints along the path to purchase where it’s important to connect with shoppers to inspire, educate, and ultimately convert them. A best-in-class approach to building a successful marketing strategy is what Roundel terms “objection-based” media planning and buying. Strategy starts with what is the “problem to solve” or business objective. Once the business objective is established, the next step is to thoughtfully and intentionally develop marketing plans that leverage the best “tool(s)” to drive awareness, consideration, and conversion. It’s a basic formula that sometimes gets lost in today’s performance marketing world. ROAS (return on advertising spend) is important but it’s not the only KPI (key performance indicator). For example, if brand building is the “job to be done” then reach and engagement might be the best KPI’s. If gaining market share is the business objective, then “new to brand” is an important KPI. At MPG, we can help you develop a holistic marketing plan and channel strategy that aligns to your business objectives.

Given your Roundel experience, can you talk about Roundel’s strategic priorities for the next 12-18 months and how these might affect our clients?

Roundel has two main strategic priorities in the coming year. First—and a consistent north star for Roundel—is continuing to enhance its best-in-class closed-loop reporting for clients. This closed-loop measurement is expected to expand in 2025 to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The second priority for Roundel in 2025 is the expansion of “Roundel Media Studio,” Roundel’s self-service hub. Roundel Media Studio is a great new option for those brands who want to do their own “hands-on” management of their Roundel campaigns. Launched in 2024 for sponsored search or “Target Product Ads,” the goal in 2025 is to expand beyond sponsored search. Of course, managed service will continue to be an option for those brands that want the experts at Roundel to build, manage, and optimize their campaigns. Given our experience and expertise, we’re helping many MPG clients in this area.

How does Roundel approach omnichannel marketing to ensure a seamless customer experience, and how should that impact marketing strategy? When it comes to Roundel, what are some of the most effective ad strategies you’ve seen?

What sets Roundel apart is similar to what sets Target apart from other retailers; thoughtful curation and building a genuine connection with their “guest” or customer. Part of Roundel’s purpose is to meet guests where they are in their purchase journey by developing holistic marketing approaches that include not only Target.com but also social channels like Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest, Target’s own offsite private marketplace, aptly named “Bullseye,” Google, and YouTube, to name a few. There is a lot of competition for the consumer's attention, and Roundel understands that whether it’s leveraging social influencer partnerships such as “LTK” or connecting digital to instore via instore screens, meeting the guests where they are drives discovery, inspiration, and ultimately, conversion.

Are there any best practices you’d share for brands to drive omnichannel revenue growth?

You may have heard the saying that “data is king,” and this is especially true when it comes to the digital shelf. 73% of shoppers say that product content on the digital shelf is the number one reason they buy, says Retail Dive. With consumer attention span limited, product content must be curated and clear, and communicate a meaningful reason to buy the item. Product descriptions, product images, and videos are key to driving conversion. My first piece of advice for brands: Spend the right amount of time and investment in your product detail content on any retailer website. Only when that content is best in class, should you invest in media driving to that digital shelf.

MPG’s expert omnichannel has the experience needed to optimize your eCommerce and digital content strategies. Please reach out to Christine or your account lead for a conversation.