From Shoppers to Superfans: Community Media Networks Are Key to Winning Gen Z’s Loyalty
Look beyond transactions to tap into authentic connections to drive deeper engagement, loyalty, and lasting brand impact.
By Rachel Klausner, Chief Revenue Officer at Genuin
It’s the classic battle of scale versus substance. Except it doesn’t have to be a battle.
Brands have a dizzying array of options when it comes to channels and platforms for connecting with consumers online and on the go.
One familiar option: the massive reach of Retail Media Networks (RMNs). An increasing number of retailers — from Amazon and Walmart to Grubhub, Albertsons, and Home Depot — have brand advertisers chasing conversions in a sea of shoppers.
An emerging trend, however, is using the power of community engagement and high-impact video to influence the consumer experience. Genuin’s white-label Community Media Network solution provides a new opportunity for brands to connect with consumers across the entire purchase funnel, from discovery through conversion to post-sale loyalty. It’s all about engaging niche communities, fostering real connections, and turning consumers into loyal advocates.
The question isn’t which one is better; it’s how they can work together for your brand’s long-term goals.
Understanding the Key Differences
While both Retail Media Networks and Community Media Networks offer powerful engagement and marketing opportunities, they operate on different principles and serve unique purposes.
RMNs are advertising ecosystems built around consumer shopping platforms that allow brands to advertise directly to shoppers while they browse or search for specific products. The focus is primarily on driving immediate conversions, leveraging first-party data on shopping behavior to target consumers at key moments in their purchase journey. They offer massive reach, giving brands access to millions of shoppers who are often ready to buy.
With rich first-party data, retailers can serve highly targeted display or promoted product ads based on consumer behavior, preferences, and purchase history. RMNs make it easy for consumers to click and buy directly from these product listings or search results, creating a direct path to purchase.
However, RMNs come with some drawbacks:
- The heavy ad presence can lead to ad fatigue, as shoppers are constantly bombarded with promotions.
- Engagement tends to be lower since the focus is on transactions rather than building long-term relationships.
- Brand selection is often driven by the recency of exposure rather than true brand loyalty — a quality historically integral to building some of the world’s most recognizable brands.
- Competition for top ad placements is fierce, often pricing out smaller brands and discouraging comparison and discovery.
A Community Media Network focuses on building interest-based communities where brands, creators, and consumers contribute vertical video content. Unlike Retail Media Networks, which are primarily centered around shopping, CMNs emphasize engagement, attention, conversations, and shared experiences. These platforms allow users to interact with content that speaks to their passions and hobbies, fostering a sense of belonging within the community. This creates an army of advocates who keep coming back and bring their friends. This is loyalty. This is true, long-term ROI.
Digging Deeper into the Community Media Network Model
With a content-driven approach, brands can connect through storytelling and creative engagement, making their ads feel more authentic and meaningful to community members.
One of the biggest advantages of Community Media Networks is their ability to attract a highly engaged audience. People join these communities because they care about the shared interests that bring them together, whether it’s beauty, fitness, gaming, or another passion. As a result, engagement rates are naturally higher because the content resonates deeply with users. For example, platforms like Sephora or Ulta benefit from beauty enthusiasts who actively seek out relevant content and ads, making interactions more meaningful and valuable for both the brand and the consumer.
Another key benefit is the level of trust and authenticity these networks foster. Ads in CMNs feel more natural because they align with the community’s shared interests and values. Brands can advertise in a way that feels like a genuine part of the conversation rather than a noisy banner ad.
Example: Take a snack food brand sponsoring a “Big Game Entertaining” community within a grocery store app. This contextually relevant branding will resonate with members who are likely to host their friends for sporting events, making the creator, brand, or even user-generated content feel useful and relevant. The content-centric approach and ability to target niche, in-the-moment audiences give brands a way to be memorable and connect deeply with their most passionate customers.
Key Differences Between Retail Media and Community Media Networks
- Focus on Engagement vs. Transactions
The most fundamental difference between RMNs and Community Media Networks lies in their focus. RMNs are transactional by nature, all about pushing products and making instant sales — it’s transactional at its core. You’ve got consumers ready to buy, and RMNs are there to give them that final nudge. CMNs, on the other hand, play the long game. It’s not about getting a quick sale; it’s about creating lasting relationships through rich content, interactions, and building a community that loves your brand every day — not just today. - Audience Types
RMNs target shoppers who are already in that “I’m here to buy” mode, which is great for direct response marketing. Community Media Networks take a different approach, adding mid-funnel prospecting and retention engagement to the commerce media landscape. We help brands reach people who are passionate about specific interests and want to engage with content that resonates with their lives, not just what they need today. This creates an audience far more likely to connect with your brand on a meaningful level. - Advertising Context
In RMNs, ads are all about getting in front of shoppers at the right moment to trigger a sale. They’re effective but purely transactional. In Community Media Networks, ads seamlessly blend into the conversation, making them feel like a natural part of the community. It’s advertising that feels authentic and relevant. - Reach, Scale, Ad Saturation, and Relevance
RMNs can reach millions through platforms like Amazon and Walmart. Community Media Networks, however, are where you find smaller, niche audiences that are highly engaged and loyal. In typical RMN environments, shoppers are bombarded with up to 60% ad coverage, which can lead to ad fatigue and may sacrifice customer experience. Community Media Networks avoid this problem by focusing on relevant, interest-based content that feels less like an ad and more like a value-added part of the community experience. By living in its own space within the retailer’s property — rather than being just one more format on a page already ridden with banners — Community Media Networks provide a smarter, more sustainable strategy for brands looking to build long-term relationships with customers.
The Long View: Community Media Networks Are a Smart Investment
For brands seeking to build authentic, long-term loyalists, Community Media Networks offer a powerful alternative to traditional retail-focused advertising options. While Retail Media Networks (RMNs) excel at driving transactional results in the moment, they often miss the mark when it comes to actual branding and brand awareness for long-term success. Community Media Networks create spaces where brands can genuinely connect with their audience, fostering two-way conversations that translate into higher customer loyalty and lifetime value.
In the long run, Community Media Networksoffer sustainable growth opportunities. While RMNs deliver scale and quick sales, Genuin focuses on building relationships through memorable, high-attention, authentic video content that also happens to be shoppable without ever leaving the owned-and-operated environment. Platforms like Genuin are leading the charge, helping brands thrive by creating communities where engagement and authenticity fuel long-term success.
