Unpacking the Digital Shelf

Brian Yamada, Chief Innovation Officer at VML, says this era of AI innovation could be best described using the title of the Oscar Winner for Best Picture at the 2023: Everything, Everywhere All at Once. So Brian joined the podcast to take some of the craziness out of it all by digging into the 3 waves of AI innovation - content, experience, and agents. How you should think about them and how to work through them within your organization and with your partners.

After a decade of rapid growth and experimentation, ecommerce for many is moving into a more mature phase, while of course still being incredibly dynamic. Many companies are finding that the new opportunities for category growth lie in establishing the best practices for omnichannel execution and then scaling those capabilities while adapting it to each local market. Vivian Valks, Global Ecommerce Acceleration Manager at Arla Foods, has been at the front lines of that ecommerce growth curve at Mondelez and at Arla. She is now leading Arla’s efforts to bring together the crossfunctional collaboration across teams and in every market to improve the consumer’s omnichannel shopping journey and drive better results. She joined the podcast to lay it all out.

During her 35 years at Mars, Angela Mangiapane has been a leader in the front office, the middle office, and the back office, most recently as President of Mars Global Services for the last 9 years.. She has been a witness to, and a driver of, the digital era. And from those experiences come great wisdom and principles that should be guides to the coming generations of digital and technology leaders, as well as human beings in general. Rethink Collaboration. Get Your House in Order. Unlearn to Relearn. As she prepares to “rewire” instead of “retire”, Angela generously agreed to join the podcast and pass along some of her observations and encouragements to our you. Listen up.

I’m assuming all of you listening are human, so I also assume all of you, like me, struggle with beliefs about ourselves and our capabilities that hold us back from our full potential. If you’re not human, please connect up with me on LinkedIn, because I have questions. In the meantime, though, for us humans, and because of systemic barriers, particularly women, we need to find ways to rewire our brains to SNAP out of it and pivot to beliefs and actions that help us achieve our goals and lift others up with us. Today we are joined by Erica Anderson Rooney is the author of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, in which she details a neuroscience-backed method for altering the subconscious beliefs that hold us back.

When it comes to the promise of Social Commerce, we have the Social part down, but the Commerce part is still very much a work in progress. We have news on that front. Andrew Criezis, President at NIQ, recently returned from a trip to China with insights, data, and experiences that foretell new social commerce experiences and formats that might just make the leap across the pond this time. And yes, of course, it involves AI.

Join Chris Perry, Chief Learning Officer at Firstmovr, as he discusses the groundbreaking ENDCAPS awards that celebrate excellence in digital merchandising and PDP activation. Explore the importance of product detail pages and how AI is enhancing them while maintaining human creativity. Discover the balance between storytelling and SEO, along with successful tactics from leading retailers. Chris also shares insights on the future of digital interactions, encouraging brands to strive for recognition and embrace innovative practices.

Andrea K. Leigh, an expert in digital commerce and retail, shares insights from the NRF 2025 conference. She discusses groundbreaking technologies like digital shelf talkers and AI warehouse robots revolutionizing shopping experiences. The conversation highlights the resurgence of in-store shopping and how brands are blending online and physical environments. They also delve into strategic challenges retailers face, including consumer behavior shifts and the influence of GLP-1 drugs on spending. Additionally, insights on return experiences are emphasized for boosting customer loyalty.

Join Tim Caggiano, Head of eCommerce Reporting & Analytics at Nestle, along with Salim Bachatene from NielsenIQ and Michael Nunes from Pacvue as they dive into the evolving digital data ecosystem. They unpack the intricate layers of data management in e-commerce, emphasizing the need for strong cross-functional collaboration. Issues like customizing KPIs, embracing digital shelf strategies, and leveraging AI for personalized shopping experiences are addressed. Discover how brands can navigate these complexities to unlock meaningful growth!

Technologists who work on DTC and retailer.com sites spend a lot of time doing things like building personas, creating customer journey maps and service blueprints, and conducting usability studies. But if you're a brand selling your products on a retailer's platform, you don't need to worry about that, right? After all, you don't control the user experience.... or do you? While it's true that brands don't control the User INTERFACE of retailer eCommerce platforms, their product content, product data, and advertising interacts with it to create a unique User EXPERIENCE and ultimately shapes the path to purchase. This is an audio rebroadcast of a webinar focused on just that, led by Lauren Livak Gilbert, with guest experts Amanda Wolff, CRO at Jenda, and Bailie Duncan, Lead Product Owner at Jackson Family Wines.

Jeriad Zoghby, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Interpublic Group (IPG), shares crucial insights into the ever-shifting landscape of consumer behavior. He discusses the rise of convenience-driven shopping, emphasizing features like subscription services that enhance the buying experience. Zoghby explores the importance of engaging consumers as partners in e-commerce, supported by quality interactions and AI-driven solutions. He also highlights findings from a large-scale survey on regional consumer differences and offers strategies for brands to leverage social media and click-and-collect services.