Hightouch launched Hightouch for Offsite Media Networks, a self-service audience management platform developed in partnership with Databricks, the data and AI company.
Together, Hightouch and Databricks will empower retailers to build and activate AI-enhanced custom audiences across 50+ media channels—including DSPs, CTV platforms, and walled gardens—to secure premium brand dollars faster and more efficiently. This novel solution helps retail media networks (RMNs) stand out in a competitive landscape dominated by powerhouses like Amazon, Walmart Connect, and Roundel, according to executives of both companies.
Hightouch is a Composable CDP that empowers companies to activate their data warehouse to power personalized marketing and business operations. Used by leading organizations like PetSmart, Warner Music Group, Calendly, Spotify, and GameStop, Hightouch enables anyone to deliver personalized customer experiences, optimize performance marketing, and move faster by leveraging data and AI across their organization.
Solution Details
The new product is built to deliver an end-to-end solution built directly on retailers’ existing cloud data warehouse. Officials touted the new platform will Increase match rates across ad platforms with the flip of a switch to increase audience reach and drive more CPM revenue. It is being offered with unbundled pricing for an easy onramp so customers only pay for the tools they need to get started and bring in new capabilities as offering evolves and scales.
Other key features include:
- Warehouse-native audience builder: Use Hightouch’s self-service visual audience builder to curate premium custom audiences based on all of your first-party data in Databricks including loyalty, purchase, and behavioral insights.
- AI tools for predictive targeting: Develop and syndicate powerful AI predictions and dimensions using Databricks, then syndicate them across audiences through the Hightouch platform.
- Seamless integration: Quickly test and launch new offsite media channels by activating audiences across a deep catalog of media channels and marketplaces.
Hightouch Demo at NRF 2025
Tejas Manohar, co-founder and co-CEO at Hightouch, stated as a result of partnering with major retailers, they have identified a growing and unmet need for solutions to deliver fast, flexible, and scalable custom audiences for offsite campaigns.
“We are thrilled to partner with Databricks, the leading Data Intelligence Platform for retailers, to make AI-powered audiences accessible to everyone,” said Manohar in a statement announcing the partnership. “By layering Hightouch’s self-service tools on top of the Databricks foundation, retailers can build and monetize differentiated custom audiences faster than ever before.”
Major retail media networks, including one of Europe’s largest online retailers and one of the world’s largest delivery app services, use Hightouch for Offsite Media Networks to monetize and measure custom audiences across offsite channels like The Trade Desk, Meta Ads, and Google Ads. A demo will be held the NRF Big Show on Jan. 13.
Databricks View
Rob Saker, global VP retail at Databricks, noted his company is the only unified platform that allows retailers to leverage AI, and increase personalization while maintaining unified governance, to deliver data-driven outcomes.
“Retailers who can harness the power of data intelligence — AI that can reason on their first-party data — have an advantage in attracting media buyers,” said Saker. “Our partnership brings together the benefits of Hightouch’s self-serve audience builder and the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to help customers build better offsite audiences and drive more ad sales.”