Context vs. Behavior: Evidence Shows Contextual Commerce Media Drives Stronger Results
By Katherine Meyer, Product Marketing Manager at Chicory
As we know, offsite retail media has exploded. Brands now have more options than ever to expand their scale. But more doesn’t always translate to better.
A recent third-party measured Chicory campaign found that contextual commerce media can deliver materially stronger performance than behaviorally targeted programmatic media, especially when looking at incrementality.
These results reinforce an important truth: Reaching shoppers anywhere is not the same as reaching them in an active mindset and at the right moment.
The Problem With Behavioral Programmatic in Grocery
Behavioral targeting has long been the default for offsite campaigns. It absolutely solves for the scale limitations of onsite. But in some ways, the industry over-corrected, swinging too far toward programmatic inventory. And because programmatic relies heavily on behavioral data, it often reflects only past purchase behavior, not present intent.
The limitations:
Behavioral data over emphasizes people already likely to buy, causing incrementality to suffer.
Ads appear during passive, irrelevant, or possibly harmful browsing moments.
Shoppability add-ons don’t fix mismatched mindset and moment.
In other words, serving an ad to someone who bought something last week isn’t the same as reaching them while they’re actively making food decisions.
Contextual Commerce Media Works Because It Aligns Mindset + Moment
Contextual commerce media is built differently. It reaches shoppers while they’re actively making food decisions: searching for recipes, planning meals, building grocery lists.
The mindset is active, not passive. The moment is close to the point of purchase, not disconnected.
This combination of active mindset + right moment is what drives stronger outcomes.
Head-to-Head Test: Contextual Commerce Media Outperforms Behavioral + Shoppability
In a recent national campaign measured by a third-party provider, Chicory ran a head-to-head comparison: Contextual Commerce Media vs. Behaviorally Targeted Programmatic Media with Shoppability
The results were clear:
2X+ higher incremental ROAS
Contextual commerce media delivered 2X the incremental return on ad spend compared to behavioral targeting.
2X higher sales lift and penetration
Contextual placements drove significantly higher household penetration and incremental sales lift.
7% more new-to-brand shoppers
Because contextual reaches people in moments of food decision-making, it captured more new or lapsed customers who weren’t already predictable buyers.
So does contextual commerce media drive greater incremental sales than behaviorally targeted programmatic media with shoppability? According to our test, Yes.
These results reinforce what we’ve long believed: Mindset beats retargeting. Context outperforms past-purchase behavior.
Proof Not All Offsite Media Performs the Same
As retail media expands offsite, one thing is increasingly clear: performance depends on mindset and moment, not just behavior or scale.
Behavioral targeting and shoppability features can only go so far when ads appear in passive or low-intent moments. By contrast, contextual commerce media reaches shoppers in high-intent, decision-making moments, when they’re searching for recipes, planning meals, or choosing what to buy next.
That’s why in head-to-head testing, contextual signals delivered stronger incremental outcomes: higher iROAS, deeper penetration, and more new shoppers.
For brands and RMNs focused on shopper growth and full-funnel impact, the takeaway is simple: not all offsite media performs the same, and context delivers a measurable advantage.
Ready to see how contextual can outperform your current offsite tactic? Learn how Chicory can drive stronger incrementality for you.