Implementing new retail media technology can feel like wrangling a tornado—meetings blur together, topics get lost, and suddenly, no one knows who owns what. The key to avoiding this chaos? Clear, structured discussions that focus on the right questions at the right time.

At Pentaleap, we’ve seen what works (and what absolutely doesn’t). Here’s how we break implementation into three critical conversations, ensuring a smooth rollout, minimal stress, and maximum success.

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1. Technical Readiness & Integration Planning

Goal: Identify technical requirements, integration needs, and potential roadblocks—before they derail your timeline.

Key Stakeholders:
Pentaleap: CTO, Head of Product, Client Success Manager, Engineers
Your Team: CTO, Digital Solutions Architect, Product Manager, Engineers

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What Needs to Be Covered:

- Current ad tech stack solutions

- Key team members responsible for implementation

- Integration requirements and dependencies

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Questions to Ask:

- What is the volume of your traffic (AdRequests)?

- How many products are in your feed file?

- Where are your servers hosted?

- Which of the following ad call setups most resembles your system?  

• Search happens in the backend in real-time

• Search is triggered from the front-end in real-time

• Search results are cached in HTML

- How do you approach demand?

• Use private demand

• Use existing third-party demand

• Want to add additional third-party demand

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2. Measuring Success – Analytics & KPIs

Goal: Define what success looks like and ensure proper measurement from day one.

Key Stakeholders:
Pentaleap: Senior Marketing Analytics Consultant, Senior BI Analyst, Client Success Manager
Your Team: Product Manager, Business Intelligence Analyst, Digital Optimization/Testing Manager

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What Needs to Be Covered:

- Current and future performance goals

- Key internal teams involved in measurement

- Data reporting and benchmarking

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Questions to Ask:

- Which KPIs matter most to you?

- Can you share current website traffic and SPA volumes?

- What are your biggest challenges in optimizing your current setup?

- What’s your internal approach to measurement? Any specific requirements?

- How can we make your success story measurable and impactful?

- Are there internal BI or testing teams we should be working with?

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3. Ad Unit Rollout – Setting Up for Success

Goal: Ensure a seamless rollout of Pentaleap ad units by training the right people and defining placement strategy.

Key Stakeholders:
Pentaleap: Product and Client Success teams
Your Team: Monetization, Ad Ops, UX/UI, Merchandising

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What Needs to Be Covered:

- How you plan to use Pentaleap ad units

- What’s working (and what’s not) with your current setup

- Ad grid configuration and best practices

- Team training and ownership

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Questions to Ask:

- What’s your current ad grid setup?

- What’s your target ad grid setup with Pentaleap?

- What do you want to keep and change vs. today?

- How many products per page do you show?

- How many ads per page do you currently show—and how many would you like to show?

- Are there any areas on your page that should remain untouched by our system? (Page types, device types, etc.)

- Who on your team owns your current ad inventory and should own Pentaleap ad inventory?

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Bonus: Campaign Rollout (If Applicable)

For clients using Pentaleap to launch campaigns

Goal: Train key team members to set up Pentaleap campaigns and equip ad ops teams with the knowledge and tools to effectively sell and report on them.

Key Stakeholders:
Pentaleap: Director of Ad Operations, Client Success Manager
Your Team: Head of Sales, Partnership Manager, Account Executive, Account Manager

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What Needs to Be Covered:

- How you plan to leverage Pentaleap campaigns

- Interest in supporting long-tail or category advertisers

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Questions to Ask:

- How are you currently securing funding from advertisers?

- How many active brands do you have running paid media campaigns?

- What are your team’s roles in JBP (Joint Business Planning) with Merchants?

- What other products are you currently monetizing?

Key Takeaway

Implementation doesn’t have to be a nine-month odyssey filled with endless meetings and technical headaches. While integrating with some retail media vendors can drag on for three quarters (and test your patience), Pentaleap streamlines the process—getting you up and running in as little as four weeks. Structure your discussions around these three (or four) critical areas, keep your team aligned, and set yourself up for long-term success. And don’t worry—we’re with you every step of the way.

Ready to make your implementation smooth and stress-free? Let’s talk.

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