Beyond The Shelf

Dave’s guest this week is Jordan Witmer, Managing Director of Retail Media & Consulting at Salt Media, where he helps brands unify creative, data, and performance across today’s fragmented retail media landscape.Jordan’s journey spans Black & Decker, Hershey, and Johnson & Johnson (now Kenvue), giving him a rare, full-funnel view of how commerce, media, and measurement intersect.In this episode, he and Dave unpack:Why ROAS isn’t dead — it’s just misunderstoodHow to balance brand goals and item-level data for smarter optimizationThe shift toward campaign-first creative that adapts across every platformWhy physical retail is making a comeback in an AI-saturated worldConnect with Jordan on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This episode originally aired on October 31, 2023.  We'll be back with a brand-new episode of Beyond the Shelf on 1/7/26.  Happy Holidays!Dave sits down with Jared Taitel, Director, eCommerce Marketing at PepsiCo, for a wide-ranging conversation on scaling creativity in one of the world’s most complex digital commerce environments.Jared shares how PepsiCo approached creative automation early - and how the partnership with It’sRapid helped his team move away from one-off asset creation toward a more scalable, repeatable model across thousands of SKUs. The conversation explores what it takes to operationalize creative at enterprise scale, without sacrificing quality or brand standards.Dave and Jared also discuss Jared’s unconventional path from the music industry into marketing leadership, the mindset shifts required to navigate constant change, and how emerging technologies, including generative AI, are reshaping retail media, content production, and team workflows.Connect with Jared on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This episode originally aired on April 1, 2025. We'll be back with a brand-new episode of Beyond the Shelf on 1/6/26.  Happy Holidays!Dave sits down with Eric Altschul, Director of Digital Commerce Content at Mondelēz International, to discuss how one of the world’s largest CPG companies approaches digital content, automation, and the digital shelf.Eric shares how eCommerce evolved from a secondary priority into a core function at Mondelēz, the role content plays in shaping shopper experiences across retailers, and why mobile-first visuals and PDP optimization are critical to winning online. He also discusses how partnerships - including Mondelēz’s work with It’sRapid - help teams automate and standardize content creation across thousands of SKUs while meeting retailer-specific requirements.Connect with Eric on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

Dave’s guest this week is Matt Krueger, SVP of Digital Commerce & Marketplaces at Buffalo Games, home to some of the most beloved puzzles and games in North America.Matt shares how he’s helping bring a modern, data-driven approach to a classic category — from keeping content fresh across thousands of SKUs to using AI and creative experimentation to stay ahead of platform changes.He and Dave dig into how Buffalo Games balances storytelling with analytics, why creative inspiration sometimes comes from outside your own category, and what it takes to keep a “low-velocity” product exciting on the digital shelf.Listen for an inside look at how digital strategy, content innovation, and AI are reshaping the puzzle aisle.Connect with Matt on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

Dave’s guest this week is Richard Gilbert, Head of Retail Partnerships at Worldpay. With more than a decade shaping the future of payments - from SaaS platforms to PayPal and now Worldpay - Richard has a front-row seat to how the checkout experience is evolving.He and Dave discuss how payment technology is becoming a brand moment, not just a transaction - from instant checkout and tokenization to BOPIS workflows and the rise of AI in commerce. Richard also shares what makes a truly great retail partnership and why he believes we’re just scratching the surface of B2B payment innovation.Connect with Richard on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

Dave’s guest this week is Carly McMillen, Director of Marketing at AdLabs. Carly shares how she’s flipping the traditional PPC playbook—focusing on contribution margin instead of ROAS—and what that means for smarter, more sustainable growth. She and Dave also dive into how brands can stand out on Amazon, the creative strategies that still make a difference, and the new AI tools changing the way advertisers test and optimize campaigns.Plus, Carly breaks down what’s next for Amazon Marketing Cloud and why data-driven storytelling is quickly becoming every brand’s biggest advantage.Connect with Carly on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week we're re-airing our 10/21/25 episode featuring Joanna Crishock, VP of Digital Merchandising & Operations at Ahold Delhaize USA. She shares how she’s helping iconic brands like Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, and The Giant Company stay agile, customer-focused, and digitally connected.  From her early days in consumer insights to leading omnichannel strategy across merchandising, operations, and retail media, Joanna brings a powerful “why-first” mindset to every challenge.Dave and Joanna discuss:How to bridge retail media and merchandising teamsWhat true customer-centricity looks like in digital retailWhy asking why is the key to better strategy and collaborationHow Joanna’s team helps brands deliver personalized, seamless experiencesWhat makes AD USA’s retail media offering stand outPlus: from Halloween treat planning to back-to-school dinners, why the best retailers solve for real life, not just transactions.To find out more about AD USA's retail media and full-funnel omnichannel capabilities, reach out to a member of their sales team at ad.retail.media.sales@aholddelhaizeusa.comConnect with Joanna on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week Dave is joined by Molly Hjelm, Corporate Vice President & Head of Retail Media at Ace Hardware's RedVest Media, . Molly shares what it takes to build a retail media network from scratch, while honoring the voice of thousands of independently owned stores.She breaks down what hyperlocal really means (it’s not just geography), how she applied learnings from grocery and dollar, and why in-store activation still matters in a digital-first world.Connect with Molly on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week on Beyond the Shelf, we’re joined by Carter Zwick, Partnerships and Insights Lead at Snag, a retail activation platform helping brands get in front of the Gen Z shopper with smarter sampling and real-world insights.College students are some of the most valuable—and most overlooked—shoppers in the market today. So how do you reach them early and build brand loyalty that lasts?Carter shares how his own caffeine habits were shaped in a college dorm room, why brands need to meet students where they are (physically and emotionally), and how to turn sampling into something measurable, actionable, and long-term.What You’ll Learn:Why the college campus is one of the most powerful—and underutilized—marketing arenasHow early brand experiences shape long-term loyaltyWhat new brands can do to win share from legacy competitorsWhy product sampling isn’t just for awareness—it’s a long gameConnect with Carter on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker

This week's guest is Ash McMullen, Head of E-Commerce at Advantice Health.  At Advantice, Ash leads eCommerce and Amazon strategy for the brands Kerasal, AmLactin, Triple Paste, Dermoplast, New-Skin and Domeboro.  Dave and Ash explore:How Ash helped scale her dad’s Amazon business before agencies were even a thingWhy audience and content come before product in today’s innovation cyclesWhat it takes to rebrand brick-and-mortar hero products for today’s digital-first worldWhy micro-influencers are gaining groundHow Ash builds teams that thrive through chaos (and Prime Day curveballs)Connect with Ash on LinkedInFollow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedInLearn More about It'sRapidGet the It’sRapid Creative Automation PlaybookTake It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI surveyEmail us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image AuditTheme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.comProducer: Jake Musiker