The current environment forces brands to rethink old models, like one described by Evan Moore, SVP of commerce partnerships at NBCUniversal, in which television content generates a massive shopping opportunity, but essentially tells viewers to, “Find it yourself, dude.”
(L-R) AS Beauty’s Scott Kramer, Kismet’s Benjamin TiltonUnifying the journey with first-party data
The panel members agreed that managing the modern shopper journey requires a unified view of the customer. A strategic focus on acquiring and unifying first-party data from every possible source—from a QR code on a physical product to a purchase on a retail partner’s website—is now fundamental.
“The way I like to think about a seamless customer journey is really from the consumer’s perspective, and thinking about a strategy where you are acquiring first-party data across all channels,” said Kait Stephens, CEO and co-founder of Brij. “You’re unifying that data so it’s consistent.”
Such a strategy is crucial for new and growing brands like Kismet, a modern dog food company. Benjamin Tilton, head of digital at Kismet, explained that whether a customer discovers them through a veterinarian, during one of their community “pack walks,” or via a purchase on Chewy, the brand’s data must inform a message that “feels consistent for every touch point that customer is hitting.”
(L-R) Brij’s Kait Stephens, Merkle’s Steve DuranFrom complex dials to a simple lever
With a unified data foundation in place, brands can leverage AI not as another complicated dial to turn, but as a key to simplification. Andrius Baranauskas, director of product for merchant marketing at Shopify, explained that the future of commerce platforms is about reducing complexity, not adding to it.