Retriever Lab

“Stay curious, dare to move”

Retriever Lab is an environment in which we explore new developments in media planning and AI, informed by research insights, technological trends and data from the Retriever database.

Within the Lab, we examine how data, technology and market structure evolve together. We develop and test ideas that help media planners work more efficiently and support publishers in strengthening their position within the planning landscape.

Clients are invited to preview beta versions of upcoming initiatives and to contribute to the development of experimental tools, insights and applications — as a starting point for dialogue, not as finished products.

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17 August 2026

Retriever MCP – A secure AI layer on top of the Retriever subscription
AI assistants are increasingly being used to structure briefs, prepare campaign proposals and process market information. However, for specific questions about the Dutch and Belgian media markets, they often depend on information available on the open web. For professional media data, that information is frequently incomplete, outdated or insufficiently structured.

Within Retriever Lab, we are exploring how professional media data can be used securely in AI-assisted media planning. To support this, we are developing Retriever MCP: a secure, additional AI layer on top of an existing paid Retriever subscription. The connection gives authorised users access to the structured Retriever media database within their existing access rights.

Not public access, but access within the subscription
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol. It is an open standard that allows AI systems to access information from external data sources in a controlled way. With Retriever MCP, the Retriever media database remains the protected source. The connection does not make media data public or publish data on the open web. Nor does it provide external AI systems with unrestricted access to the database.The MCP functions solely as an additional access layer for paying Retriever clients, on top of their existing subscription and within the access rights associated with that subscription.

What does this mean for media planners?
Within the authorised environment, a media planner can, among other things:

search for media brands and publishers in the Retriever database;
retrieve detailed information about a media brand;
access circulation and audience data;
retrieve rate information;
explore media types as a starting point for cross-media selection.

The Retriever database already enables media planners to find answers to questions such as “Which trade publications are available within this segment, and what are the current rates?” Retriever MCP adds a new way of working with that data: authorised Retriever information can be accessed directly within an AI-assisted workflow, without having to move back and forth between separate systems.

Also relevant for publishers
For publishers, Retriever MCP does not change the way their data is managed and protected within the Retriever database. The information remains part of the protected Retriever environment and is not made publicly available through the MCP. Only authorised Retriever clients can access data through this additional layer, within the rights of their paid subscription.

As media planners increasingly work with AI-assisted workflows, high-quality, structured media data becomes even more important to ensure that media can be found and selected accurately within professional planning processes. Retriever MCP therefore explores how existing professional media data can be integrated securely into new forms of media planning, without making the database itself public.

Beta phase
Retriever MCP is currently in beta and is available to existing Retriever clients. The connection is set up as an additional layer on top of the existing Retriever subscription. Participation in the beta is coordinated with the management of the relevant organisation, so that its use aligns with internal media planning processes and existing access rights.

Disclaimer
The Retriever media database remains the primary and protected data source. The connection does not make the contents of the Retriever database public and does not publish this data on the open web.

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30 April 2026
Inspiration for publishers: Menu magazine as a media channel

At Retriever Lab, we explore new developments in media planning. Lately, these are often driven by AI, but sometimes inspiration comes from something entirely different.

In a hospitality venue, we came across a concept we hadn’t seen before: a glossy magazine of around 40 pages that also serves as the menu. So instead of browsing a traditional menu to place an order, you flip through a magazine. It features the founder’s story, photography, lifestyle pages, and the menu itself. In between, there are advertisements from local businesses.

At first glance, it resembles a local lifestyle magazine, like those found in many cities—publications that highlight local retail and hospitality and are distributed via shops, hotels, or cafés. But there is a key difference here. This magazine isn’t sitting on a table for someone to casually pick up. You have to use it. Anyone who wants to order takes it in hand and flips through it. The first exposure is therefore not incidental, but part of the experience.

Then a second moment emerges. After ordering, there is waiting time. The magazine remains on the table and is often picked up again. This creates a second, voluntary reading moment, where people browse more calmly and attentively. It thus combines a mandatory first point of contact with a second, more attentive reading moment.

The example we saw was created for a single hospitality venue in Marbella, but the idea could scale more broadly. Imagine a publisher producing menu magazines for multiple locations and bringing together local advertisers across hospitality, retail, and lifestyle.

Whether it is scalable remains an open question. But as inspiration, it shows how print can also work in environments where attention is already naturally present.

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2 March 2026
Future Fit Review – Reflection Tool for Media Brands (Beta)

The media market is changing. AI and digital platforms enable content to be produced, rewritten and distributed more quickly and efficiently. As a result, text production is becoming less scarce and, in itself, less distinctive.

As content becomes easier to create, the question for editorial media shifts. Not only what do we publish? but more importantly: what enduring role do we fulfil for our audience?

Structural value does not arise automatically. It lies in authority, in unique access, in the role a medium plays in the information and decision-making processes of its audience, and in the robustness of its revenue model.

On this basis, Retriever developed the Future Fit Review within Retriever Lab. A proprietary reflection framework was created, translating international research insights on AI, brand strategy and value creation into a structured analytical methodology.

The Future Fit Review is an AI-assisted reflection report which, based on a framework developed by Retriever, helps publishers analyse their structural position in a changing market. The report does not focus on individual articles or solely on reach, but on the underlying role a medium plays within its ecosystem.

It does not claim to be exhaustive, but aims above all to serve as a directional discussion tool within your organisation.

The analysis is structured around several core dimensions, including:

Authority and reference value
Unique and difficult-to-replicate access
Role in information and decision-making processes
Structural position within the media landscape
Economic robustness of the model

Based on publicly available information and the media kit data provided for this purpose by the publisher, the AI generates — exclusively at the publisher’s request — a concise report containing observations and possible development directions. The report does not claim to be exhaustive, but is intended primarily as a guiding discussion tool within the publisher’s own organisation.

We hope publishers will recognise themselves in the main lines of the analysis, while also discovering new perspectives that may prompt internal discussion about the further development of their medium. The Future Fit Review is intended as an internal reflection document — not as an end point, but as the starting point for a strategic dialogue within your organisation.

Would you like to request an analysis?
Retriever offers every interested publisher the opportunity to request one complimentary analysis (a PDF report based on the media kit provided for this purpose by the publisher and any additional relevant information).

Please send your request to Bengt Jager: bengt@retriever.nl
(Kindly ensure the request is submitted by an authorised decision-maker within your organisation.)

Disclaimer
The Future Fit Review is a beta instrument and is provided exclusively as an internal discussion document for use within the requesting publisher’s organisation. The analysis is based on media information supplied by the publisher for this purpose, publicly available sources, and processing through a reflection and analysis framework developed by Retriever with AI assistance.

The content is indicative and intended as a starting point for internal consultation. The document does not constitute an audit, valuation or binding advice. No rights may be derived from this document.

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27 January 2026
Advanced Media Planning Module (Beta)

Media Scheduling – Campaign Overview – Material Order Form

Within Retriever Lab, we are testing an advanced media planning module that supports planners in setting up cross-media campaigns more efficiently, generating interim budget overviews and transferring planning data into their own systems and tools. The public launch is scheduled for spring 2026, following incorporation of feedback from the testing phase.

Media planners are invited to take part in the beta phase.
Would you like to join the test team? Please send your request to: bengt@retriever.nl