SKU-Level Brief: Create Precise Retail Media Campaigns

Introduction

Every winning retail media campaign starts with a SKU-Level Brief, a one-page document that aligns your team on exactly which products you’ll promote, to whom, when and how much you’ll spend. This level of precision prevents wasted budget and ensures each SKU gets the attention it deserves. To revisit the eight pillars that make briefs truly effective, see 8 Key Elements of a Retail Media Brief You Can’t Miss. When you’re ready to flesh out your document, follow these seven steps.

1. Define Your Campaign Objectives

Begin by stating your primary goal for each SKU: awareness (impressions), performance (ROAS), or a mix of both. Write a clear, measurable objective—e.g., “Increase TACoS for our Dark Roast Pods to under 20 % by end of Q2.”

2. List and Describe Each SKU

Create a table of every product you plan to advertise. For each SKU include:

SKU Code & Name
Category
Life-cycle Stage (new, evergreen, clearance)
Key Features (size, flavor, certification)

This granular breakdown helps both brand and retailer teams optimize creatives and bids for each item.

Flat digital illustration of a checklist and a package box representing SKU details, on a blue background with the text "LIST AND DESCRIBE EACH SKU" below.

3. Set Target Audiences per SKU

Using your first-party data, assign one or more audience segments to each SKU. For example:

Frequent Buyers (purchased 3+ times) → Premium Dark Roast
Cart Abandoners (added to cart but didn’t purchase) → Variety Pack

Leveraging real shopper behavior ensures your ads speak directly to the right shoppers.

4. Define Budgets and Bidding Strategies

Allocate a daily or total budget for each SKU. Specify bid types—CPC, CPM or auction priorities—and any bid adjustments for high-value audiences.
Example: “Bid +15 % above base CPC for loyalty members on our Espresso Pods.”

5. Specify Creative Requirements

List the exact assets needed per SKU:

Image dimensions (e.g., 1,200 × 1,200 px)
Headline text (≤ 50 characters)
CTA language (“Shop Now,” “Try & Save”)

If you need video or carousel ads, note length, format and variant counts here.

6. Establish Timelines and Milestones

Outline key dates:

Brief approval by MM/DD
Creative delivery by MM/DD
Campaign launch on MM/DD
Mid-campaign check-in and optimization window

A clear calendar keeps everyone accountable and on schedule.

7. Define Metrics & Reporting

Decide which KPIs you’ll track for each SKU:

Impressions, Click-Through Rate, ROAS, TACoS
Inventory alerts (stockouts, low coverage)
Week-over-week sales lift

Flat digital illustration of a calendar with marked milestones and a clock icon, on a green background with the text "ESTABLISH TIMELINES AND MILESTONES" below.

Include a link to your shared dashboard or reporting template so stakeholders can monitor performance in real time. For guidance on structuring your brief questions, see HubSpot’s 8 Questions to Help You Write a Compelling Marketing Brief.

A well-crafted SKU-Level Brief guarantees that every product you advertise has a clear playbook—eliminating confusion and maximizing ROI. This is the sixth installment in my Retail Media Mastery series. Keep following my posts to learn step by step—next up, we’ll dive into omnichannel media mix strategies for retailers. Stay tuned!