Unpacking the Digital Shelf

We are in chaotic times in marketing. Our guest David Tiltman, Chief Content Officer at WARC, mines some historical references to call it the “lightless middle of the tunnel”. But encouragingly, the most recent research is telling us that, even in the age of machines, brand matters. What are your distinctive brand assets? What are your category re-entry points? Being clear on those and ensuring that your entire consumer experience is rich with them - and coherent across all of the touchpoints - will drive value with both your audiences, human and machine.

Digital transformation was once sold as a destination. Today, we know the reality: it is a permanent state of being. As AI and Agentic Commerce accelerate the pace of disruption, your teams aren't just facing new tools—they are facing "transformation fatigue." How do you keep your workforce engaged, agile, and optimistic when the finish line keeps moving? This episode is an audio rebroadcast of a Digital Shelf Summit 2026 session that tackles the human side of the Agentic revolution. Our guests, Chelsey Alexander CEO & Founder at Open Gate Consulting, Jennifer Angelus, Senior Director-Digital Shelf, Ecosystems & Capabilities at Danone, Malvika Jaggi, VP Partnerships & Platforms at One Tree Brands, and Jyoti Malik, Senior Director eCommerce at Belkin share practical strategies for managing resistance, communicating vision during chaotic times, and building an organization that doesn't just endure disruption, but thrives on it.

Jamie Clapper here, and welcome to another episode of Unpacking the Digital Shelf: B2B Edition. Today, we’re joined by a true pioneer in the digital space—Steven Javor, Head of Digital Customer Experience and Channel Digital Commerce (Canada) at Schneider Electric. Steven has been shaping the digital landscape for over 30 years. From the early days of webcasts in the '90s to pioneering B2B ecommerce across Europe, the US, and Canada, he has seen every major shift in tech firsthand. In this episode, Steven takes us to the absolute cutting edge of digital marketing: Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. We dive into what it actually takes to make your products visible to AI models, why 90% of your AI citations are coming from sources outside your website, and why the biggest challenge in AI isn't the technology—it’s change management and human trust. Whether you’re trying to optimize for LLMs, lead an enterprise AI transformation, or understand how Gen Z and Millennial buying habits are reshaping B2B, this episode has it all … so lets get to unpacking!

As AI fundamentally changes how consumers discover and buy products, the digital shelf is evolving into the agentic shelf. In this episode, Todd Hassenfelt, Chief Decision Officer at firstmovr, breaks down why brands can no longer rely on traditional search rankings or buying their way to the top. Todd explores how Amazon’s Alexa for Shopping influences consumer choices on product detail pages and explains why brands must adapt fast.

Social is continuing to evolve as a channel for discovery and commerce, with AI accelerating that evolution, bringing social content and product discovery closer together. And that creates an interesting new dynamic for brands, because the content created to inspire and influence shoppers is increasingly influencing what AI platforms and agentic experiences understand and recommend. Teresa is joined by Kate Musgrove, Managing Director - APAC at Bazaarvoice. Bazaarvoice works with brands and retailers around the world to harness the power of user-generated and creator content from ratings and reviews through to visual and social content to drive discovery, engagement, and conversion across the shopper journey.