Beyond The Shelf

This week, Dave speaks with Steve Dennis, President & Founder of Sageberry Consulting.

Steve brings decades of experience across retail strategy, operations, and transformation — and shares a candid look at why so many companies struggle to adapt, even when they know what needs to change.

In this episode, he breaks down the challenges of breaking down silos, the leadership mindset required to drive transformation, and why incremental thinking is one of the biggest risks in today’s rapidly evolving retail landscape.

He also shares his perspective on AI, retail media, and what separates companies that successfully evolve from those that fall behind.

Topics covered:

•  Why retail transformation is so difficult to execute 
•  The impact of organizational silos on customer experience 
•  The “knowing vs. doing” gap in leadership 
•  Why incremental thinking holds companies back 
•  How AI is reshaping the retail landscape

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Producer: Jake Musiker

This week, Dave speaks with Simon Angove, CEO of Syndigo.

Syndigo’s acquisition of 1WorldSync marks a major shift in how brands and retailers manage product data, content, and the entire commerce experience.

In this episode, Simon breaks down the strategic rationale behind the deal, the growing complexity of the digital shelf, and why “every shelf” — from in-store to AI-driven discovery — now matters more than ever.

He also shares how AI is evolving from experimentation to real operational workflows, and what brands need to do today to stay competitive in an increasingly machine-driven buying environment.

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Producer: Jake Musiker

We're live from Syndigo Connect 2026!  In this BTS Live miniseries, we'll be featuring interviews some of the best and brighest minds in in the digital commerce space, right from the show floor. 

Connect with Russ on LinkedIn

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

We're live from Syndigo Connect 2026!  In this BTS Live miniseries, we'll be featuring interviews some of the best and brighest minds in in the digital commerce space, right from the show floor. 

We continue the miniseries with Russ Dieringer, Founder and CEO of Stratably. He joins Dave to break down what’s real vs hype when it comes to AI and agentic commerce, where brands are seeing traction today, and why strong data foundations remain critical to unlocking meaningful impact.

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

This week we're replaying our 3/10/26 episode with Joe Lamberson, Director of Digital Initiatives & Partnerships at Acosta Group, to discuss how brands can modernize digital shelf execution and keep up with rapidly rising retailer expectations.

With Acosta supporting thousands of brands across retail and ecommerce, Joe has a unique perspective on the operational challenges brands face—from content creation and item setup to retailer scorecards and image requirements.

A major theme of the episode is the Acosta × It’sRapid partnership, and how automation is helping brands scale digital shelf content creation while maintaining quality and compliance.

They discuss:

• Why digital shelf content refresh has become an always-on process
• How AI is helping brands break the speed / quality / cost tradeoff in content creation
• The growing importance of mobile hero images and retailer scorecards
• How Acosta works with technology partners like It’sRapid to help brands scale content execution
• Why image creation, visual analytics, and automation are becoming essential capabilities
• What generative search and AI could mean for product discoverability

Connect with Joe on LinkedIn

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

We wrap up our BTS Live at Shoptalk Miniseries with Retail Media Breakfast Club's Kiri Masters, who talks with Dave about the next phase of retail media.

As AI reshapes the shopper journey, Kiri explains why traditional ad formats — especially sponsored product ads — may become less central, and how retailers will need to rethink monetization and customer experience.

She also shares perspective on emerging AI shopping experiences and why the industry is still in a rapid test-and-learn phase. 

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

In this BTS Live Minisode from Shoptalk, Dave speaks with Daniel Torres Dwyer of The FMCG Guys about key themes emerging from the event.

While AI continues to dominate the conversation, Daniel points to a more nuanced reality — where excitement is balanced with caution as brands navigate uncertainty and evolving market conditions.

He also shares thoughts on emerging AI-driven commerce experiences and where they may — or may not — deliver real impact.

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

Our BTS Live from Shoptalk Miniseries continues! Dave speaks with DSI's Lauren Livak Gilbert about how AI is impacting both organizations and the digital shelf.

Lauren highlights the growing importance of talent, upskilling, and internal transformation as AI reshapes the industry, and explains why brands should focus on evolving their content strategies - not replacing them.

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

Our BTS Live from the Commerce Media Brand Summit miniseries concludes with Shawn McGahee, Sr. Director, Performance and Insights at Roundel.

Shawn speaks with Dave about the growing maturity of retail media — from a focus on ROAS to a deeper emphasis on incrementality, measurement, and real business outcomes.

He shares how Roundel is approaching measurement through a portfolio of testing methods, why brands need to start with clear business objectives, and how retail media insights — especially from creative — can extend beyond campaigns to influence broader strategy.

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Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker

Our BTS Live series continues - this time from Shoptalk 2026!  

In this minisode, Dave speaks with Manish Sharma from Think Blue about the next phase of AI in digital commerce.

As AI moves beyond experimentation, the focus is shifting toward workflow automation, productivity gains, and measurable business impact.

Manish shares how he’s seeing this evolve across brands, retailers, and technology partners — and why the next step is proving real, scalable value across the ecosystem. 

Connect with Manish on LinkedIn

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Is your PDP ready for AI? Get Your Free PDP Readiness Audit

Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Producer: Jake Musiker