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Particular Audience, a global leader in AI-powered retail media technology, has announced the appointment of Matt Romano as Vice President of Partnerships. Romano, a founding architect of retail media with transformative experiences at organizations like The Home Depot, Triad Retail Media, Rakuten, and most recently, Western Union Media, brings unparalleled expertise to the company. His arrival is a significant milestone in Particular Audience’s mission to revolutionize retail media across the United States and Europe.
Addressing the Retail Media Landscape
“Every retailer and vendor is striving to close the technical gap with giants like Amazon and Walmart,” said Romano. “The challenge lies in building smarter, more dynamic experiences for shoppers. Unfortunately, most organizations lack the tools and infrastructure needed to achieve this.”
This statement underscores the urgency for retailers to adapt in a competitive landscape where consumer expectations are ever-evolving. Particular Audience’s advanced technology offers a solution to these challenges, providing an integrated, AI-driven platform capable of transforming retail media performance.

A Proven Leader Across Retail Media Pioneers
Romano’s career trajectory serves as a blueprint for success in retail media. At The Home Depot, he spearheaded the creation and scaling of the retailer’s advertising network, turning it into one of the company’s most profitable and rapidly growing initiatives. This achievement redefined the relationship between brands and retailers, embedding advertising seamlessly into the customer journey.
During his five years at Triad Retail Media as Vice President of Platform Strategy, Romano played a pivotal role in the development of Walmart and eBay’s retail media networks, which were still in their infancy at the time. His contributions significantly enhanced Triad’s value, culminating in its acquisition by WPP for $300 million in 2016. According to James Taylor, CEO of Particular Audience, “Alumni of Triad Retail Media dominate the retail media space today, and Matt’s leadership during that era covered programmatic advertising, audience extension, agency sales, and self-serve sponsored advertising. His depth and breadth of experience are unmatched.”
Romano further demonstrated his strategic prowess at Rakuten, where he was instrumental in shaping the company’s monetization strategy by connecting brands with Rakuten’s expansive digital ecosystem. Most recently, he launched a global media network at Western Union Media, leveraging the company’s international reach to create innovative advertising opportunities for global brands.
The Opportunity at Particular Audience
Romano’s decision to join Particular Audience highlights the company’s unique position in a rapidly evolving market. While many retail media solutions still rely on outdated keyword-based targeting and struggle with native search integrations, Particular Audience offers an AI-powered platform that unifies all aspects of retail media performance. This holistic approach ensures smarter, more dynamic shopper experiences.
“Particular Audience delivers the most advanced AI-powered retail media platform available today,” said Taylor. “It’s not just about search or recommendations or auction mechanics—it’s an end-to-end system that understands shopper intent, automates placements, and delivers measurable results at scale. Retailers can choose either a fully integrated solution or specific modular components, but the value is transformative from day one.”
Retail Media’s Growth Potential
The global retail media industry, valued at $160 billion, is experiencing rapid growth. Yet, many networks are hindered by manual processes and outdated technologies. Particular Audience’s platform bridges these gaps, enabling retailers to compete effectively with industry giants. “Particular Audience provides a best-in-class AI engine that integrates seamlessly into any retail media tech stack,” said Romano. “Our goal is to empower every player in the space to achieve better results, faster.”
Empowering Retail Media Networks
Particular Audience’s global operations span the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia, partnering with ambitious retailers like Target, Petbarn, and Hamleys. Networks utilizing its technology report impressive results, including up to three times higher engagement, double the onsite inventory, and ad revenue growth of 4-10x.
As retail media continues to mature, Particular Audience’s modular and enterprise-grade technology offers crucial tools for success. From intelligent automation and dynamic campaign optimization to advanced reporting, the platform integrates seamlessly into existing retail media stacks. “Our technology enables networks to deliver measurable outcomes without disrupting their current infrastructure,” said Taylor. “Matt’s expertise will help us set the course for the entire industry.”
Shaping the Future of Retail Media
Romano’s appointment signals a strategic focus on driving measurable outcomes and personalization at scale. Particular Audience’s AI systems are designed to automate campaigns, optimize performance, and deliver actionable insights, setting a new standard for the industry.
“Retail media is evolving rapidly, and the networks that succeed will go beyond basic ad-serving tools,” said Taylor. “They will leverage deeply integrated AI systems that provide measurable outcomes and seamless personalization. That’s exactly what we’ve built at Particular Audience, and with Matt on board, we are ready to bring this innovation to every corner of the industry.”