GoWit partners with Publicis to grow retail media across MENA and Africa

Retail media is gaining ground in the Middle East and Africa as brands look for more direct ways to reach shoppers.

With e-commerce sales rising and digital ad budgets shifting toward performance channels, retailers and agencies are under pressure to prove results at the point of purchase. 

That shift is prompting closer ties between global agency networks and retail-focused technology firms.

Advertisers want clearer data, faster execution and measurable returns. Retailers, for their part, are seeking new income streams beyond traditional sales. 

In that context, ad-tech firm GoWit has entered a commerce and retail media partnership with Publicis Media Middle East, part of France-based Publicis Groupe.

The agreement covers markets across MENA and Türkiye, where consumer spending and online retail are expanding. 

The companies say the aim is straightforward: simplify retail media operations and help brands run coordinated campaigns across several countries without adding layers of manual work.

Linking brands and shoppers 

The partnership brings together GoWit’s AI-powered retail media platform, GoWit One, and Publicis Media’s regional client base and buying scale.

By integrating advertiser demand with premium retail inventory, the companies plan to connect brands and consumers across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Türkiye. 

The focus includes fast-moving consumer goods, electronics and home improvement — categories where purchase decisions often happen quickly and close to checkout, whether online or in store. 

For advertisers, the collaboration allows campaigns to run across multiple markets with shared measurement standards.

Brands can track performance in a closed-loop system and adjust spending across on-site, off-site and in-store placements.

Publicis Media’s Core ID framework will support privacy-conscious targeting as data regulations evolve. 

Retailers are expected to benefit from added advertiser demand, helping them generate more revenue from digital placements and better manage inventory.

Automation and scale 

At the center of the agreement is GoWit One, an AdOps platform built to manage campaigns across different retailers and markets from a single system.

Publicis Media will act as the exclusive pilot agency partner for the platform in MENA. 

The companies say automation could reduce manual campaign processes by as much as 98%, cutting duplication and improving speed to market. 

Executives describe the move as part of a broader effort to build a more organized and accountable retail media market across MENA and Türkiye, with a focus on transparency, efficiency and measurable returns.