DG Media Network

Cannes Lions 2026 showed how connected retail media is shaping brand growth. Austin Leonard, DGMN's VP & GM, and Tony Rogers, Dollar General's Chief Marketing Officer, covered commerce media, delivery, in-store media, AI, creative, influencers, and the evolving retail landscape in sessions throughout the week. The takeaway: connection across onsite and offsite channels, paired with measurable performance, drives real results. Grateful for the conversations and momentum ahead. ADWEEK photo credit: Sean T. Smith Photography

Cannes is off to a strong start for DGMN, with our team bringing retail media, AI, and full-funnel activation into the global conversation. At ADWEEK House, Austin Leonard joined Paul Lentz, Liz Roche, and Sean Crawford to spotlight the growing role of in-store activations as a critical driver across the customer journey, connecting digital engagement to real-world purchase moments at scale. In the DoorDash space, Tony Rogers joined Vassili S., Katie Williams, and Adam MacEachern to explore how AI is reshaping the path to purchase, and how brands can leverage intelligent tools to create more connected, cohesive customer experiences from discovery through conversion. More to come this week as our team on the ground continues to share how DG Media Network turns everyday proximity into measurable performance, reaching high-frequency shoppers and driving national impact.

Please join us in welcoming our DGMN summer interns, Avery Horejsi and Meagan Long! Avery is our Measurement, Reporting & Insights Intern and is currently pursuing a Master's of Business Administration at William & Mary. Meagan is interning with DGMN's Creative & Brand team and is pursuing a Master's in Marketing at the University of Florida. Welcome, interns!

Please join us in welcoming Urgyen Dolma as our new Sr Manager of Business Systems! Urgyen comes to DGMN with a passion for data and an extensive background in operations and sales systems. In her free time, she can be found enjoying spending time with friends and family, hiking, or training for her first marathon this November. We're looking forward to the impact that she will have on the team. Welcome, Urgyen!

Next week, we're bringing our Semi-Cannes Kinda Life to the Croisette, sharing how DGMN turns neighborhood reach into national growth. Explore our full schedule and join sessions featuring Austin Leonard, VP & GM, and Tony Rogers, Dollar General CMO, if you'll be in Cannes. Monday, 6/22: 2:40-4:30PM at the HUMAN Space, rooftop above Van Cleef & Arpels on La Croisette, 17 Bd de la Croisette | Austin speaking on the panel "From Shelf to Screen — Commerce Media Delivered" 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecwpQv-S 9PM at Morrison's Pub, 10 Rue Teisseire | "Semi-Cannes Kinda Life," a private concert experience featuring Third Eye Blind QSIC Kevel DoorDash 🔗 https://luma.com/r2voae4y Tuesday, 6/23: 9:20-10:10AM at ADWEEK House, Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes, 10 Bd de la Croisette | Austin speaking on the panel “The Store as Stage: Reinventing the Shopper Experience” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJ2e7TUU 11-11:30AM at DoorDash Cannes Space 65 Bd de la Croisette | Tony speaking on the panel "From Clicks to Cravings: AI Know What's Next" 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e-h5aVcM 11-11:30AM at Salon Dinard @ Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes, 10 Boulevard de La Croisette | Austin speaking on the panel "Connecting Onsite and Offsite: A New Model for Retail Media" Beet.TV Kevel The Trade Desk 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e5iFiCQe 4-6PM at dentsu Beach, 45 Boulevard de la Croisette (across from the Mondrian Hotel) | Tony speaking on the panel "The Next Frontier of Discovery & Commerce Transformation" 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ervjZ8Pa 4-6PM at Morrison's Pub, 10 Rue Teisseire | Austin judging "Retail Media Celebrity Rumble" with Colin Lewis and Kiri Masters Pacvue 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ebCJdmvx Wednesday, 6/24: 10-10:30AM at dentsu Beach, 45 Boulevard de la Croisette (across from the Mondrian Hotel) | Tony speaking on the panel "The Social Equation: From Feed to Culture" 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ervjZ8Pa 10-2 at The CPG Guys House | "Semi Cannes Kinda Lunch," a casual lunch mixed with networking and panels BIG HAPPY Kevel Pacvue Recess 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eujzvuZg Thursday, 6/25: 9-10AM at Journal House 61 Boulevard de la Croisette | Austin speaking at "Accelerating Advertising with RMNs" with Deloitte Digital 🔗 https://lnkd.in/enUvgeiy See you there.

Creative is no longer just a brand asset. It is a performance driver across the full funnel. Join us next week at our "Semi-Cannes Kinda Lunch" co-hosted with The CPG Guys, where the power of creative comes to life as we rethink the integrated marketing model in today’s retail media landscape. Featuring Tony Rogers, CMO at Dollar General and Gabby Stoller of BigHappy and moderated by Sri Rajagopalan, the conversation will explore how brands are activating creative across onsite, offsite, digital, and in-store environments to drive measurable outcomes. From CGI to immersive formats, the focus is on work that captures attention and converts with impact. Special thanks to Kevel, BIG HAPPY, and Pacvue for helping us put on this event! Register for our "Semi-Cannes Kinda Lunch:" https://lnkd.in/eujzvuZg 📍 The CPG Guys House ⌚Wednesday, 6/24 at 11:45AM 🗓️ The Power of Creative: Rethinking the Integrated Marketing Model

Dollar General CMO Tony Rogers joined Peter V.S. Bond and Sri Rajagopalan on The CPG Guys’ 600th episode to share how DG is elevating the omnichannel space and turning neighborhood proximity into national performance. It’s a compelling look at how DG Media Network connects high-frequency shoppers across rural, suburban, and beyond through enterprise integration, measurable media, and full-funnel impact for brands. Give it a listen. 🎧 https://lnkd.in/evfEybsy

At our Semi-Cannes Kinda Lunch, co-hosted with The CPG Guys, we're bringing together industry leaders to tackle one of the biggest shifts in marketing today: the rise of the collapsed funnel. “The Funnel Collapsed. Now What?” will explore how brands and retailers will rethink strategy in a world where upper and lower funnel signals happen simultaneously and performance depends on how well those signals are connected. The conversation will reinforce a critical reality: brands need integrated, full-funnel commerce strategies that drive both immediate conversion and long-term growth, supported by transparent, closed-loop measurement. Join us for perspectives from: 👉 John Roswech from DoorDash 👉 Joe McCorkle from Kevel 👉Anne Harrell from Pacvue Austin Leonard, VP & GM at DGMN, will lead the discussion on how brands seek to operationalize this shift in a continuously changing retail media landscape. Thank you to our friends at Kevel, BIG HAPPY, and Pacvue for helping us put on this event. See you there: https://lnkd.in/eujzvuZg 📍 The CPG Guys House ⌚Wednesday, 6/24 at 11:10AM 🗓️ The Funnel Collapsed. Now What?