Deichmann moves media planning in-house via AI platform and Vodafone data

This shift signals a maturing 'hybrid' model where large retailers bypass agency planning cycles to match the speed of digital retail operations. By bringing the technical backbone in-house, Deichmann gains direct visibility into ROI and customer acquisition costs across a fragmented video landscape. For the broader ecosystem, this move validates the use of telco-grade deterministic data over traditional panel-based measurement. It pressures agencies to pivot from being strategic gatekeepers to technical execution partners. Watch for other high-volume retailers to adopt similar 'managed service' platforms that unify linear and digital planning in a single, data-integrated environment.

Deichmann's decision to internalize media planning through the AEOS OS platform from All Eyes On Screens reflects a broader trend among European advertisers seeking tighter control over campaign data and optimization speed. The platform uses Vodafone's deterministic household viewing data covering over one million German households to balance advertising pressure between linear TV and streaming in real time, with a feature called geobalancing that automatically shifts spend between channels when linear performance falls short of targets. Deichmann's move follows a successful internally planned TV campaign for its Graceland brand that outperformed relevant benchmarks, which laid the groundwork for the ongoing collaboration. AEOS CEO Marin Curkovic positions the platform not as a traditional agency replacement but as an operating model for brands wanting to regain direct control over media budgets, while still working with established agencies for execution-specific tasks.

The timing of Deichmann's shift coincides with Mediaplus, the agency it replaced, launching its own AI-based planning system. Mediaplus announced Plus.AI on June 16, 2026, a global AI-based steering system that integrates first-party data, behavioral insights, and media workflows into a single connected environment. The launch came just days before Deichmann's announcement, suggesting the agency was already responding to client pressure for more transparent, AI-driven planning. For Deichmann, however, the calculus favored an independent platform over an agency-owned tool, preserving full data ownership and eliminating the latency inherent in agency approval cycles.

Research from Keen Decision Systems quantifies the broader in-housing trend that Deichmann's move exemplifies. A February 2026 survey of 120 brand and agency senior leaders found that 44% of advertisers plan to bring more media planning functions in-house, driven by budget maximization pressures and the availability of AI-powered planning tools. The same survey found that 62% of advertisers expect budget increases in 2026, yet CTV saw the lowest expected investment growth at just 19%, trailing linear TV, search, and digital audio. This context matters for Deichmann because AEOS OS's ability to optimize across both linear and streaming inventory positions the retailer to capture efficiency gains precisely where spend is shifting, rather than relying on a single-channel strategy.