Nift CRO Saket Mehta on redefining commerce media through AI-powered gifting, customer loyalty, and experience-first monetization.

1. What attracted you to Nift at this stage in your career and what excites you most about joining as the company’s first Chief Revenue Officer?

Over my career, I’ve worked on all sides of the advertising equation and at companies at every stage of growth, from early stage to IPO to acquisition to Fortune 500. I was on the buy side at TubeMogul/Adobe, the sell side at Chartboost, and the publisher side at Gopuff and Block, where my focus was building and leading revenue and partnership teams. During my time at Block, Nift was a partner of ours for three years, so I’ve seen firsthand how the model drives strong revenue while prioritizing the customer experience. I was also able to get to know Elery Pfeffer, Nift’s founder and CEO, very well while working with him as a client, and I’m thrilled to join Nift now because we share a clear view of both the market opportunity in front of us and the best way to accelerate Nift’s growth.

The timing is also perfect for me to step into the CRO role because commerce media is at an inflection point. The primary challenge most revenue owners face today is monetizing CMN inventory while still offering personalized customer experiences. Brands and commerce platforms are both rethinking how to connect with consumers in ways that feel more contextually relevant and native. Nift is addressing this challenge by prioritizing the customer experience while unlocking revenue. The company is positioned to see explosive growth by solving commerce platforms’ ad challenges, and I’m excited to help achieve that.

2. In your view, how does Nift’s model differ from the retail media playbook and why do you see it as especially well-suited for fintech and other consumer-facing platforms?

Our two-sided ad marketplace, which connects commerce platforms to advertisers and brands to new customers, solves the problem of intrusive ads for consumers, platforms and brands alike.

Consumers are annoyed by traditional retail media formats like sponsored search, banner ads and sponsored product ads because they interrupt the digital experience. Commerce platforms want monetization opportunities that enhance their customer experience. And brands are looking for cost-efficient ways to reach and convert new customers.

Nift addresses the pain points of all three groups by creating positive customer moments through relevant gifting. Commerce platforms partner with us to unlock passive revenue by showing appreciation to their customers and DTC, midmarket and enterprise brands and subscription companies join our platform to efficiently lower their CACs.

Also, Nift works across all verticals, including fitness, travel, utilities and others, not just retail. And because it enables consumer-facing platforms to generate revenue without compromising the experience, it’s a particularly good fit for fintech companies like Block, Klarna and Zip, where trust and the customer experience are at the heart of the business model.

3. How do you see collaborations such as the one with Klarna shaping the broader industry’s approach to integrating ad inventory into customer experiences?

Our partnership with Klarna serves as proof of concept on multiple levels. It shows that gifting drives customer loyalty for our partners that operate consumer-facing platforms as well as brand engagement. It’s also a great example of how major fintech players are moving away from interruptive ads and toward experience-first models. In addition, it provides a framework other consumer platforms can replicate to integrate advertising in a way that’s authentic to their brand. And finally, it demonstrates how the right advertising approach can strengthen rather than strain customer relationships.

4. You’ve led advertising partnerships at companies ranging from startups to IPOs. What lessons from your time at Block, Gopuff and TubeMogul (which was acquired by Adobe) will you bring to Nift as it scales its revenue and partnerships?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you always have to start by understanding the customer’s problem and focus on solving that. I’ve also learned how valuable it is to blend technology and sales in the right way to move faster. Developing real human relationships and knowing when teams need to rely on human expertise instead of digital tools are key, too.

I’ve also learned the importance of building a strong team and a great work culture. As a leader, I aim for a high “do-say ratio,” meaning people keep their word when they say they’ll do something. Experience has also taught me how valuable it is to hire adaptable team players who can move fast and learn quickly. People with those qualities are crucial to the growth of any business.

5. Can you share how AI is being applied to personalize experiences and generate incremental revenue for partners?

Nifts are thank-you gifts introducing customers to new brands and products that are relevant to them based on their history and interests. We use AI to align brand gift offers with each recipient’s preferences and behavior. Matching a customer with offers personally tailored to them drives higher engagement, and our brand partners are seeing conversion rates of up to 40%, versus 1%–3% for traditional digital ads.

We also use machine learning to identify the best moments for our partners to present a gift. Nifts can be delivered at nearly 20 different customer moments, including post-purchase, not just at checkout. For example, a partner might present a Nift to thank a customer for downloading an app, making an on-time payment or leaving a review. Partners can even offer a Nift to acknowledge a customer’s birthday or anniversary. The technology helps identify the best time and context to present the offer. Our AI also enables seamless integration into customer journeys. Nifts can be integrated into email, SMS or in-app or in-store experiences.

6. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for commerce media over the next 2–3 years and how does Nift plan to stay ahead of the curve?

Commerce media is quickly expanding beyond retail into other verticals, like fintech, travel, lifestyle and gaming, so there’s a big opportunity for us over the next few years as the market broadens. We’re seeing a shift toward advertising that enhances rather than interrupts the customer journey and an increased focus on performance, with companies looking to drive measurable, attributable revenue.

As more players enter the commerce media space, differentiation will become harder. But the biggest challenge will still be balancing integrations that feel fully native with authentic customer experiences that don’t feel intrusive. Think about a financial services company that presents a non-endemic banner or video ad on its platform. The ad disrupts the experience and annoys the customer. The company can avoid that, and add value to the experience instead, by presenting an offer that acknowledges and rewards the customer for a specific action, like making a second on-time payment or opening a new account.

Nift is focused on staying ahead by being a first mover into new categories, like we are in fintech, where our recent partner launches include Klarna and Zip. We also let platforms connect with customers at multiple touchpoints, not just during the transaction, so offers are well-timed and delivered through the right channel for each customer. And we’ll continue to lead with proof of results, focusing on the outcomes while ensuring the consumer experience is repeatable.

7. How do you see Nift’s growth impacting consumer loyalty and brand engagement in the long run and what role do partnerships play in scaling that impact?

Nift is building the foundation to become a primary channel for brand discovery by 2026, giving platforms a way to deliver relevant, well-timed offers to customers. Our growing partner ecosystem will be key to scaling that impact, especially as we expand internationally. Strategic partnerships with platforms that are leaders in their industry drive credibility for our solution, expand our distribution and create network effects where every new platform and brand increases the value for all participants.