Chase Launches Retail Media Network; Air Canada and Whataburger Among First Set of Clients

Chase Bank has launched a digital media business that “combines the scale and audience of a retail media network with the exclusive advantages of Chase’s first-party financial data, institutional credibility and precise targeting capabilities,” according to a company statement.

Chase Media Solutions is one of the first bank-led media offerings but it follows in the footsteps of the many major retailers drawing on their access to first-party customer data and close connections to consumers to help brands advertise to high-intent audiences.

Through its new media offering, brands will be able to connect with Chase’s 80 million customers, including 6 million small business clients, and Chase Bank clients will begin to receive advertising in the form of personalized offers and the ability to earn cash back with partner brands.

“Our deep understanding of consumer spending across categories has driven us to reimagine what retail media networks can offer,” said Rich Muhlstock, President of Chase Media Solutions in a statement. “Like retailers, we have first-party data and a dedicated audience. But what sets us apart is the unrivaled scale and insights from our customers, having long served as a trusted guide for their financial decisions. Chase reaches across brands, merchants and shopping verticals, providing a comprehensive view of purchase behavior; this strengthens the degree of personalization, helping brands deliver offers that stoke consumer interests.”

Air Canada, Solo Stove, Blue Bottle and Whataburger are among the first brands to test out Chase Media Solutions with a series of 30-day campaigns.

“The Chase team succeeded in creating a thoughtful, targeted offer that exceeded our expectations,” said Scott O’Leary, VP of Loyalty and Product for Air Canada in a statement. “Two distinct offer constructs drove incremental revenue and awareness for Air Canada among Chase’s cardmember base. These tests clearly demonstrated the potential of the Chase Media Solutions channel, and we look forward to working together more in the future.”

The launch of Chase Media Solutions follows the company’s integration of the card-linked marketing platform Figg, which JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired in 2022 with the goal of building out an “owned, two-sided commerce platform.”

Chase touted the “unparalleled insights across consumer categories” that will be available to its advertising partners through the slate of travel, dining and shopping offers that the bank makes available to its customers. Among the other advantages for advertisers that Chase highlighted:

• The company’s owned transaction data, which will allow brands and agencies to target customers based on purchase history;
• The ability to clearly attribute results from media investments; and
• The institutional credibility of Chase to offer verified audiences and brand-safe advertising channels.

Chase is not the first non-traditional entrant into retail media; companies including United Airlines, Planet Fitness, Uber and Lyft also are following the model laid out by retailers — to capture advertising spend as other, more established marketing channels experience signal loss due to cookie deprecation and other privacy crackdowns.  

To learn more about retail media, check out our full guide here.