🎙️ In this episode, we sit down with Al Schuster and Heather Johnson, the dynamic duo behind Polaris Brand Promotions — a leader in experiential marketing and retail brand activation. With decades of combined experience, Al and Heather have built Polaris into a powerhouse that connects national brands to local consumers through high-impact, human-centered promotions.

We explore how Polaris uses AI and data-driven insights to supercharge field marketing — from optimizing retail demos and sampling strategies to improving rep performance and campaign ROI. Al shares lessons from scaling operations across thousands of in-store activations, while Heather offers a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is helping streamline logistics, scheduling, and training across distributed teams.

Whether you’re in CPG, retail marketing, or brand experience strategy, this episode offers a rare look into how a modern promotions company is adapting to an AI-powered world without losing the human touch.

🔍 Topics we cover:

• Using AI to optimize field marketing at scale

• Brand sampling strategies that drive conversion

• Rep performance tracking and feedback loops

• Why human connection still matters in AI-driven campaigns

#ExperientialMarketing #RetailPromotions #AIinMarketing #FieldMarketing #BrandActivation #CPGMarketing #PolarisPromotions #ShopperMarketing #MarketingOps #AIandHumans