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  • Show Notes

    This episode of It's a Customer's World podcast focuses on the shift towards customer centricity in retail and the broader implications for brands and advertisers. Andy Murray talks with Sharon Gai, an expert in e-commerce, digital transformation, and AI with significant experience at Alibaba, to explore how China-based companies prioritize customer experience in developing their platforms.  

    They discuss the importance of first-party data and closed-loop reporting in creating more relevant consumer experiences and the challenges brands face in accurately defining and achieving these experiences.  

    Sharon shares insights into the 'golden triangle' framework of product, merchandise, and context used by Chinese e-commerce companies, emphasizing the role of hyper-personalization and the use of extensive consumer data in crafting targeted marketing strategies.  

    The conversation also delves into the potential impact of generative AI on e-commerce and the need for brands to experiment and adapt to remain competitive.  

    Questions and Topics: 

    0:00 Episode Introduction 

    2:38 Introducing Sharon Gai 

    3:26 Discussion on China’s E-commerce Approach 

    13:01 Exploring the Future of Consumer Experience 

    17:46 The Role of Reviews in E-commerce 

    22:39 The Impact of Data Privacy on Consumer Experience 

    26:03 The Future of E-commerce and AI 

    Additional Links

    Sharon Gai's website

    Sharon Gai's book

  • Show Notes

    In this episode of It's a Customer's World Podcast, Andy Murray takes on the role as guest alongside Molly Rapert and Rod Thomas. Special host, Brent Williams, leads the trio through a lively conversation over their latest whitepaper on Retail Media Networks. 

    The Retail Media Networks whitepaper discussed in this episode is the second release of academic research on the topic, conducted by the Sam M. Walton College of Business's Customer Centric Leadership Initiative and research team. 

    Join Andy Murray and the Walton College research team as they discuss significant developments in Retail Media Networks over the last year and how crucial strategic clarity, alignment, and standardization will be vital for future success. 

    Questions and Topics: 

    0:00 Episode Introduction 

    1:15 Guest Introductions 

    3:26 Macro view on the changes in Retail Media Networks from last year 

    6:21 How do you distill all the expert interviews and insights 

    7:59 What did you find: a bullish or bearish perspective on Retail Media Networks? 

    13:33 Where have gaps closed vs where they have not in terms of strategic clarity 

    15:48 How value is created and whether it has changed from the previous year 

    19:58 The way forward 

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  • In this episode of It’s a Customer’s World Podcast, Andy Murray is joined by Chris Riegel. Founder and CEO of STRATACACHE. Chris is an expert in emerging technologies with 20 years of experience in systems and networking technology ventures, including acquisitions of technologically advanced companies to build the STRATACACHE family. STRATACACHE offers retail transformation and exceptional customer experiences through advanced marketing technology solutions.

    In their conversation, Andy and Chris trade thoughts on the current state of in-store digital signage, the future of retail technology, the evolution of retail media networks, how retailers can become more customer-centric, and much more.

    Questions and Topics

    00:00 Episode Introduction

    01:00 Guest Introduction

    03:00 Viewing digital signage from the perspective of the consumer

    09:33 What is driving the pendulum swing back to in-store digital displays? 

    12:28 What shoppers using a phone in-store tells us about the customer experience 

    20:12 The importance of customer data

    25:00 Where is the line between relevant ad personalization and “creepiness”?

    27:52 What have you learned about executing Retail Media effectively?

    32:37 Looking at European trends 

    34:10 Forecasting the evolution and growth of RMNs

    36:06 The benefit of a customer-centric approach when entering an emerging space

    43:58 Why retailers need to stay true to their core mission of serving customers

  • In this episode of It’s a Customer’s World Podcast, Andy Murray is joined by Katie Hotze. Katie is the CEO & Founder of Grocery Shopii, a Charlotte-based tech startup that uses machine learning to fuel online grocery shopping. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, data analytics, and business strategy, Katie was able to turn a personal frustration with online grocery shopping into a nationally-recognized retail tech disrupter that’s rapidly expanding in North America.

    In their conversation Andy and Katie explore the problem she is solving for consumers and retailers, the power of shoppable recipes, the impact of generative A.I., what is next in the world of retail technology, and much more.

    Questions and Topics

    02:25 What led to the creation of Grocery Shopii?

    06:10 How did you know you had a customer problem worth solving?

    11:00 How big is the space for shoppable recipes?

    15:30 What makes Shopii standout?

    21:38 Special use cases for Shopii

    24:40 What impact has this had for retailers?

    31:24 How do you see generative A.I. shaping the future of shopping?

    37:22 What is next for Grocery Shopii?

  • In this episode, Andy is joined by J.K. Symancyk, CEO of PetSmart. J.K. has spent the last two decades as a senior leader for large retailers such as PetSmart, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Meijer, and Sam’s Club. In each of these leadership positions he has relied on a customer-centric mindset that stems from his unique background as a Theatre student at the University of Arkansas. 

    In their conversation, Andy and J.K. discuss how to truly listen to customers through store walks, identifying customer problems that are worth solving, advice for students and young professionals, the power of human connection in a tech-focused world, and much more.

  • In this episode, Andy Murray is joined by Despina Kokkaraki, CMO at strategy Tonic. Despina has spent decades in the customer experience and customer data space. In their conversation Andy and Despina explore characteristics of a successful customer data strategy, the upskilling deficiency in retail today, ethics surrounding personalization and data privacy, the future of data privacy in the United States and how retailers can prepare for a cookieless world, and much more.

    Despina also fields a few questions from senior marketing students at the University of Arkansas.

    Topics & Questions 

    01:32 Guest Introduction

    04:03 What experiences built competencies to be successful in this space?

    06:51 Why is there such a movement towards first party data?

    10:06 How can retailers obtain actionable and valuable first party data?

    13:49 What role does upskilling play in this evolving space?

    15:58 What makes up a successful customer data strategy?

    18:09 Understanding personalization and boundaries that need to be addressed

    21:17 What is a RFM model?

    24:30 The power of segmenting customer data

    25:47 What US retailers can learn from European retailer’s approach to customer data strategy 

    29:52 Questions from Walton College Marketing students

    30:23 How can companies measure emotional reactions in a privacy appropriate manner?

    32:28 How can marketers better understand ethical boundaries related to data privacy?

    34:46 How students and young professionals can build competencies in the customer data space

    36:17 The importance of having a specific strategy for the data you are collecting

    38:10 What gives you hope for the future of customer data?

    Show Links

    Connect with Despina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/despinakokkaraki/

    Connect with Andy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/

    Follow CCLI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-centric-leadership-initiative-sam-m-walton-college-of-business/

    Check Out Strategy Tonic: https://www.strategytonic.com/

  • Andy is joined by Simon Hathaway, Group Managing Director of EMEA at Outform. Simon has decades of experience in retail, with a deep understanding of the digitization of the industry and a proven track record in building businesses, transforming capability, and growing reputation.

    Their conversation explores the increasingly digitized retail space, differing views on mobile devices in-store, the relationship between retail technology and CX, and much more.

    Topics & Questions 

    00:00 Episode Introduction

    01:02 Guest Introduction

    02:02 The current landscape of the physical retail space

    03:06 What current retail innovations are scalable?

    05:34 The impact of mobile devices in-store

    08:37 Retail innovation in Europe vs United States

    13:09 How innovation can impact discovery in-store

    15:25 How is investment in retail technology perceived?

    20:08 Retail technology and Retail Media Networks

    21:37 What technology innovation is most promising in physical retail?

    24:29 How will the creative ecosystem shape the future of retail technology?

    27:41 The relationship between retail digitization and CX

    31:10 How does Outform help their clients?

    32:30 Questions from Walton College of Business Students

    39:24 A new era of shopper insights

    Show Links

    Simon Hathaway: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-hathaway-7229394/

    Outform: https://www.outform.com/

    Digital Mannequin Demo: https://vimeo.com/outform/digitalmannequin 

    Andy Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/

    bigQUEST LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/thebigquest

  • In this episode of “It’s a Customer’s World” podcast, @Andy Murray is joined by @Chris Wallace, Co-Founder and President of @InnerView Group. Chris has a rich background as customer experience (CX) strategist and is frequently published in popular outlets including Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Ad Age. 

    In this show, Andy and Chris take a deep dive into customer experience strategy. Listen in to the full conversation as they define CX, why it is important for businesses today, the biggest challenges organizations face today in finding alignment around CX, and much more. 

    Topics and Questions

    00:00 Podcast Introduction

    01:17 Introducing Chris Wallace

    02:22 Getting started in Customer Experience (CX)

    03:36 Defining CX

    05:00 Identifying if a brand is truly customer centric

    06:06 What are the greatest challenges in becoming customer centric today?

    08:15 Where does CX live within an organization?

    11:16 How to measure the impact of CX

    14:38 How brands can listen and understand their customer

    16:52 The importance of a human touch in CX

    19:50 What is the most important aspect of CX?

    23:23 Trying to understand consumer sentiment at scale

    26:01 The strong correlation between company culture and CX

    31:03 What is the role of technology in-store?

    36:00 Companies that are currently excelling at CX

    38:00 What does InnerView do for their clients?

    40:52 What insights have been uncovered through the work of InnerView?

    42:42 Advice for students and young professionals

    Show Links

    Chris Wallace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherewallace/

    InnerView Group LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/innerviewgroup

    Andy Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/

    bigQUEST LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/thebigquest

  • Andy is joined by Simon Francis, Executive Chair of Flock Associates. Simon has extensive experience leading transformation through integrated and effective marketing and communications. Since founding Flock Associates, Simon has helped brands like Amazon, Ford, Shell, Toyota, McDonalds, and ASDA navigate marketing transformation at many levels.

    Their conversation covers a wide range of topics including the entrepreneurial journey, navigating the growing complexity of MarTech, practices that drive successful transformation, the potential impact marketing has on society, and much more.


    Topics and Questions

    00:17 Guest Introduction

    03:30 Simon’s entrepreneurial journey

    04:58 What new challenges do marketers face today?

    06:11 Dealing with variable challenges in marketing today

    09:30 The fundamental underpinning of technology and DEI at Flock Associates 

    11:15 Flock Associates Pillar 1: People

    14:04 The blurred lines between marketing and commerce

    16:45 Handling the growing complexity of MarTech and AdTech

    20:35 Flock Associates Pillar 2: Partners

    24:53 Flock Associates Pillar 3: Procurement

    27:30 Bringing in finance

    31:16 The power of testing

    32:04 Flock Associates Pillar 4: Process

    39:02 Advice for students

    42:36 The need for leadership today

    44:12 Hope for the future

  • Andy Murray is joined by Ted Wright who currently serves as CEO of Fizz, a global leader in Word of Mouth Marketing. Ted is recognized as a top thought leader in the space and has won numerous public speaking awards for his talks on Word of Mouth Marketing.

    In their conversation, the two explore the power of WOMM, key differences between an advocate and an influencer, misconceptions around measurement, and much more.

    Topics and Questions:

    01:14 Guest Introduction

    03:32 When did you first see success with Word of Mouth Marketing?

    07:00 Re-igniting the Pabst Blue Ribbon brand

    14:40 The connection between advocacy and culture

    17:22 Misconceptions around brand advocacy 

    25:12 How advocates differ from influencers

    28:35 Taking on attribution in WOMM

    35:46 Ratings and reviews

    40:06 How you can learn more about WOMM

  • Andy Murray is joined by long-time CPG expert, Kelly Downey. Kelly currently serves as a strategic consultant at Oxford SM and has over 30 years of experience working within the CPG industry. Her career has driven change in field and headquarter sales, trade planning, shopper marketing, and digital/agile transformation.

    Their conversation explores the strategic challenges facing the CPG industry as Retail Media Networks continue to transform the way business is done both internally and externally.

    Topics and Questions

    00:50 Guest Introduction

    03:59 Consistent themes and challenges across Retail Media Networks

    6:54 How the complexity of RMNs has changed the way leaders are viewing the industry

    10:02 The recent shift in expectations and investment in Retail Media Networks

    13:27 Where should leadership come from internally on Retail Media Networks?

    15:41 How RMNs will impact investment in Shopper Marketing

    21:12 What should senior leaders know about the current reality of RMNs

    26:04 Reorganization in a rapidly changing Retail Media environment

    29:04 Setting boundaries in how you approach spending

    30:22 Discussing ownership of RMN dollars

    32:45 What senior leaders can learn from those with hands on keyboard

    38:26 The power of collaborating with the finance team

    41:27 Being strategic vs reactive in an emerging RMN space

    43:20 Managing varying brand expectations

    44:21 Advice for senior leaders

    47:18 The benefit of industry share groups and collaboration

    Show Links

    Kelly Downey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-dow...

    Andy Murray:

  • Andy Murray is joined by industry expert, John Sheehy. John has over 30 years of experience in media and technology and recently served as Global Brand President for Starcom Worldwide.

    Their conversation addresses how the emergence of retail media networks will shape the media industry of the future, and wraps up with John sharing sage advice to graduating seniors.

    Topics and Questions

    00:00 Welcome to the show

    00:50 Guest introduction

    04:10 Characterizing the change we see in media today

    06:13 How have clients adapted to a changing retail landscape?

    08:09 What challenges do new brands face in terms of discovery?

    12:20 Are marketing fundamentals still relevant today?

    15:01 Any advice to mid-tier brand CMO’s?

    18:23 What is New Road Capital?

    23:29 Where do you see opportunity in an emerging RMN space?

    27:36 The importance of collaboration

    30:09 Questions from Walton College students

    30:33 Leveraging varying expertise to take on new challenges

    35:14 What moment in your career has refined you the most?

    36:45 How early did you know what you would be passionate about?

    Show Links

    John Sheehy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-sheehy-a97b1275/

    Andy Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/

    CCLI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-centric-leadership-initiative-sam-m-walton-college-of-business/

    bigQUEST: https://www.bigquest.com

    New Road Captial: https://newroadcp.com/

    RMN White Paper: https://tinyurl.com/ymjaxuch

  • Andy Murray sits down with Jeff Bustos, VP of Commerce and Measurement at the Interactive Advertising Bureau to discuss their journey to develop standards and definitions in an evolving retail media space. Their conversation addresses numerous challenges the retail media industry is facing today, and how collaboration can lead to a brighter future.

    Topics and Questions:

    00:51 Guest Introduction

    3:44 How have you seen the retail media space evolve over the last few years?

    5:03 What is IAB?

    7:00 How standards across definitions and metrics can elevate the industry

    9:38 What challenges are IAB facing in reaching uniformity in industry standards?

    11:28 What is the timeline on defining and alignment on industry terms?

    12:17 What challenges are ahead on the standardization of measurement?

    14:05 How can non-endemic brands use RMN to meet their marketing objectives?

    16:35 How will media agencies evolve with the growth of the RMN space?

    18:26 What metrics are being sought out on the commercial side of RMNs?

    20:55 The benefit of narrowing down on key metrics

    22:28 What has surprised you on your journey with IAB?

    25:45 What changes were key in forcing the introduction of RMNs?

    29:46 The importance of classifying different RMNs

    31:00 Global perspective on RMNs

    32:26 Viewing Retail Media in an in-store environment

    34:19 How you can work with Jeff or IAB

    Show Links

    Jeff Bustos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bustosjeffrey/

    Andy Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/

    CCLI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-centric-leadership-initiative-sam-m-walton-college-of-business/

    bigQUEST: https://www.bigquest.com

    IAB: https://www.iab.com/

    RMN White Paper: https://tinyurl.com/ymjaxuch

  • In this episode, Andy is joined by longtime retail and sustainability expert, Laura Phillips. Laura spent over 2 decades at Walmart where she served as SVP for Corporate Sustainability as well as SVP of Global Sourcing. Andy and Laura explore the evolution of sustainability, in-store challenges in an omnichannel world, and answer questions from Walton College of Business students. Big thank you to Molly Rapert, Katie Fowler, Arthur Cummisky, Megan Maciulski, and Kendall Wentworth for their questions!

    Questions and Topics

    00:00 Welcome to the Show

    00:50 Introducing Laura Phillips

    03:28 How do consumers view sustainability?

    6:01 The impact of personal sustainability

    8:30 How can supplier collaboration generate innovation?

    10:47 How can merchants be customer-centric?

    13:54 The power of observation

    15:24 How important is the in-store space in an omnichannel world?

    18:00 How can packaging impact the in-store effectiveness of a product?

    21:17 Questions from Walton College of Business students

    22:10 The role of curiosity in career growth

    24:30 How can corporations regain consumer trust regarding sustainability?

    26:29 What is the most unexpected challenge faced in sustainability?

    28:00 How can young adults lead a sustainable lifestyle?

    29:07 What is one thing you wish you knew entering the workforce?

    30:39 How a positive approach to difficult challenges can lead to success

    32:43 What the future looks like for Laura Phillips

    Show Links

    Laura Phillips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-phillips-5412a52/

    Andy Murray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlmurray/

    CCLI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-centric-leadership-initiative-sam-m-walton-college-of-business/

    bigQUEST: https://www.bigquest.com

    Student Profiles:

    Katie Fowler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-fowler-144989248/

    Arthur Cummisky: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-cummisky/

    Megan Maciulski: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmaciulski/

    Kendall Wentworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-wentworth/

  • It's a Customer's World podcast host Andy Murray sat down with Eric Howerton, Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Whyte Spyder. 

    Eric is an expert in optimizing a brand’s digital shelf and in this episode he covers his journey into this space and how important an optimized digital shelf is for a brand’s e-commerce growth. 

    Questions and Topics:

    00:51 Guest Introduction

    06:27 How to manage conflicting goals to create effective PDPs

    08:33 How do retailers vary in the e-commerce space?

    10:25 Do people understand the challenges in this space?

    11:17 The interconnection of RMNs and e-commerce

    14:42 The underestimated investment it takes to be effective in an evolving retail space

    16:11 Who does Whyte Spyder work with?

    18:30 Is there a difference in marketplace PDPs vs 1st Party PDPs

    19:28 How to achieve better returns on ad spend by improving PDPs

    21:45 How to stay on top of such a fast moving space

    24:00 The profile of a person that would be successful in this space

    27:07 The importance of problem solving in an ambiguous space

    29:07 How do you see the industry evolving in the next few years?

    30:55 The journey of selling a company you started

    33:30 Advice for prospective entrepreneurs

    35:00 The future of PodcastVideos.com

    37:55 Promo code for first recording session

  • In this episode of It's a Customer's World, Andy is joined by long-time industry leader, Bryan Gildenberg. Bryan has decades of experience in CPG and e-commerce and currently is the SVP of Commerce at OmniCom Commerce Group. Their conversation focuses on the ever-changing retail landscape and explores the promise and reality of retail media networks.

    Topics and Questions:

    00:50 Guest Introduction

    03:32 How retail media networks have blurred the lines in retail

    04:48 How would you describe the promise of retail media networks?

    07:08 How would you describe the current reality of retail media networks?

    09:22 How the industry is underestimating the tech investment Amazon made to get to this point

    11:33 Connecting paid search results to traditional retail strategy

    13:00 The importance of inventory forecasting in an evolving retail space

    14:20 Understanding how RMNs vary across different retailers

    15:30 How can traditional retailers leverage their physical presence?

    18:30 Can the industry support the rapid emergence of countless RMNs?

    21:20 How will the evolution of retail impact aggregation amongst CPG companies and retailers?

    23:10 How will the evolution of retail impact agencies participating in this space?

    25:54 What challenges are media teams facing?

    30:45 The fundamental difference between performance marketing and shopper marketing

    33:47 What new challenges will young brands face in terms of discovery?

    37:13 How social media platforms are serving as a source of discovery

    39:12 How Amazon’s removal of friction has set them apart

    42:37 The positive impact of relevance engineering teams

    44:10 How will retailers adapt as consumers grow weary of heavy ad loads

    46:50 What will the future of RMNs look like in 2-3 years?

    49:07 Will there be more or less RMNs in 2-3 years?

    52:41 Wrapping up

  • The democratization of data is changing the retail landscape. Michael Ellgass, EVP Retail Marketing Solutions at IRI, discusses how insights teams need to adapt to meet the demand for data.

    Questions and Conversations:

    01:33 Guest Introduction

    02:22 Where does IRI come into play for most companies?

    03:59 How does the RMN trend play out from a data/insights perspective?

    05:33 What challenges are retailers having to work through to get good customer data?

    07:32 How do you get to insight as opposed to having an abundance of insights?

    09:14 What are you learning about the ability to predict human behavior?

    10:25 How should the customer be viewed from a measurement standpoint?

    12:23 How do we simplify challenges related to attribution?

    13:58 How has the technology evolved around attribution and market mixed marketing?

    15:55 How do you view the value of the traditional sales funnel in today’s environment?

    17:30 What has surprised you working in the data industry for the last 7 years regarding the consumer?

    19:44 How important is storytelling alongside the ability to find insight?

    21:47 What do you wish you knew in your career before being exposed to the importance of data and insights?

    24:00 Has there been a trend towards treating customer-centricity as the true north?

    25:51 What would you say to a graduating student that is looking to join a data and insights company?

    28:29 How has the demand for insights and talent evolved?

    30:43 What questions should senior executives have on their mind regarding data?

    33:28 Any final thoughts for graduating seniors?

  • In this episode of “It’s a Customer’s World” podcast, host Andy Murray is joined by CPG and E-Commerce thought leader, Chris Perry. Their conversation provides education on essential terms to understand in the emerging space of Retail Media Networks.

    Listen in to learn about the following terms and concepts in the context of Retail Media Networks:

    03:17 RMNs

    05:40 On-Platform

    07:30 Off-Platform

    11:30 PDP

    13:34 Digital Shelf

    15:36 DSP

    20:15 DMP

    22:15 Trade Desk

    24:45 LiveRamp

    28:00 First-Party Data

    29:25 Clean Rooms

    33:55 Segmentation in Retail Media

    42:45 CPM

    45:10 CPC

    50:15 ROAS

    50:52 ACOS

    53:33 IROAS

    56:33 Last Touch Attribution 

    57:16 Multi Touch Attribution

    58:20 MMM

  • 01:00 Guest Introduction

    04:25 The Shared Challenges around RMNS

    09:40 The Role of Academic Research in an Evolving Space

    14:50 The 7 C's to Reach the Future

    18:45 Finding Consistency in an Evolving Space

    24:00 The Leadership Mindset Needed to Lead Through Change

    28:00 The Importance of Outcomes

  • 00:46: Introducing the Retail Media Network research project

    01:40 Getting to know the Walton College of Business research team

    03:00 Why the Walton College of Business is invested in RMN research

    08:15 The promise of Retail Media Networks

    15:20 The reality of Retail Media Networks

    28:28 The future of Retail Media Networks

    36:00 How industry experts view the current and future state of Retail Media Networks

    DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER HERE:

    Realizing the Promise of Retail Media Networks