Mary Arbuckle and Irina Dwyer have launched an new independent agency specialising in onsite retail media (RM), BuckledUp.

According to PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook 2022-2026, a combination of traditional retailers and Amazon retailers is projected to build a $2bn retail media segment in the next five years. BuckledUp aims to simplify the channel for brands by planning, buying, managing, and measuring all onsite RM activity, which is managed through retailers' online self-service systems.

Arbuckle and Dwyer bring a wealth of experience to their new venture, with backgrounds in ecommerce and marketing. They have worked with big brands such as Bunnings, Dulux, Simplot, Sorbent, General Mills, Wes Health, and Specsavers.

"It’s just the two of us – we are a micro-agency specialising in a very small part of the total RM channel. We’ve worked ‘in the trenches’ so we really understand the challenges that brands face and how internal silos can be tricky to manage," said Co-Founder and Director of BuckledUp, Irina Dwyer. "For brands working across multiple industries, we can help to get across multiple systems and nuances – this is what we specialise in and are passionate about."

"With my background in ecommerce and digital, along with Irina’s experience in in-house marketing teams and agencies, we felt this would be the perfect blend of our 40+ years of end-to-end experience and skillset," said Co-Founder and Director of BuckledUp, Mary Arbuckle.

BuckledUp's unique selling point is its brand-centric approach. The agency does not receive any kick-backs from retailers, instead focusing on helping brands understand how onsite RM can help them achieve their KPIs.

"Our point of difference is that we work from a brand perspective; we don’t get any kick-backs from the retailers. We simply work with brands to understand how onsite RM can help them achieve their KPIs," said Arbuckle.

In addition to working directly with brands, BuckledUp also collaborates with other agency partners to produce a unified RM approach.