# Why iROAS Metrics Are So Inconsistent (And Why Debate Is Good For The Industry)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club-7115586/why-iroas-metrics-are-so-inconsistent-and-why-debate-is-good-for-the-industry
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club-7115586/why-iroas-metrics-are-so-inconsistent-and-why-debate-is-good-for-the-industry.md
Podcast: [Retail Media Breakfast Club](https://stenobird.com/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club-7115586)
Published: 2026-05-05T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/79fcd234
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/79fcd234/548503ec.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/retail-media-breakfast-club-7115586/episodes/why-iroas-metrics-are-so-inconsistent-and-why-debate-is-good-for-the-industry
Duration seconds: 455

## Resource

Today I unpack the intense industry reaction to a piece of Albertsons Media Collective, Ovative Group, and Kellogg School of Management research that challenged how we measure iROAS in retail media. When a single campaign’s return can swing wildly — up to 6.5x — based purely on methodology, it raises some uncomfortable but necessary questions. I walk through the biggest critiques that surfaced from practitioners and academics, and why this debate matters more than ever for brands trying to make sense of their performance data. I also share how the authors of the study responded to the pushback, and what they didn’t address. More importantly, we get into what this all means for real-world advertisers, especially mid-market brands navigating opaque reporting standards. If you’ve ever questioned whether your campaign results are telling the full story, this episode will give you a fresh lens to evaluate retail media measurement. This episode is sponsored by Mirakl Ads Timeline [00:00] – Why controversial research is better than silence, and what sparked this debate [00:31] – The headline finding: iROAS can vary dramatically depending on measurement methodology [01:24] – Key critique: Are these methodologies even comparable in the first place? [02:07] – The BSTS debate: causal method or misapplied forecasting tool? [03:08] – A practical question: What are brands actually using iROAS for? [04:30] – The authors respond: what the study was, and wasn’t, designed to prove [05:39] – What mid-market brands should do next: pushing for transparency and better disclosure Links & Resources The white paper in question, titled iROAS Demystified , is a collaboration between Albertsons Media Collective, Ovative Group, and professors from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Ma…

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