The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Anita Watkins, CEO of the Insights Association which empowers more than 30,000 data and insights professionals. Its collective voice fuels growth, strengthens advocacy, and advances careers. Guided by ethics and truth, we bring understanding to an uncertain world.Follow Anita on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-watkins-8b33224Follow the Insights Association online at: https://www.insightsassociation.org/Anita answers these questions:You spent two decades at Kantar, most recently as Chief Solutions Leader for Creative, Innovation, and Qualitative — and now you’re leading a trade association. What drew you to the Insights Association at this particular moment in the industry’s evolution?The IA represents over 30,000 data and insights professionals. In your first months as CEO, what surprised you most about stepping into an advocacy and membership role versus a commercial one?CPG companies are under enormous pressure — tariffs, private label competition, shrinking research budgets. How is the insights function holding up, and where do you see it either gaining or losing strategic influence in the C-suite? The IA just held its Ignite: CPG event in Cincinnati. What were the dominant themes that emerged, and what does that tell us about what CPG insights leaders are most anxious about right now?You have a webinar series literally titled “Simulating Humans” — that’s a provocative framing. How should CPG brands think about AI-generated synthetic respondents vs. real consumer research, and where does the IA draw the line on standards?AI is both a threat and an opportunity for the insights profession. In your view, what’s the single biggest risk AI poses to the integrity of consumer data — and what is the IA doing about it?The IA has been driving the Global Data Quality Excellence Pledge and launching new resources around procurement and incentive guidelines. For CPG brands buying research, what should they actually be demanding from their vendors right now that most of them aren’t?Survey fraud and data integrity issues have become a serious industry problem. How bad is it, and what levers does the IA have to enforce qualit

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Flywheel, the commerce acceleration division of Omnicom.Follow Phil on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-camarotaFollow Flywheel online at: http://www.flywheeldigital.comPhil answers these questions:1. Walk us through what it actually means to be Jury President — how much of it is scoring work versus managing a room of strong personalities with different creative instincts?2. Before you even got to Cannes, what did the prep work look like — building a "shared language" or judging framework with your jurors before deliberations began?3. Creative Commerce is a relatively young category compared to Film or Print — did that shape how you approached defining what "great" looks like this year?4. You've talked about expecting "AI tension" going into this year's judging — where did that show up in the room, and how did the jury navigate it?5. With jurors from Singapore to South America to Europe, how do you reconcile genuinely different regional definitions of great commerce creativity into one Grand Prix?6. Were there moments where you, personally, had a strong point of view on a piece of work but had to hold back because — as you put it — you're "not the arbiter of taste"?7. Commerce creativity spans everything from in-store experience to retail media to end-to-end digital journeys — how do you judge fairly across such different formats and channels?8. You're Global CCO at Flywheel, one of the biggest players in commerce creativity — how did you handle the optics and reality of judging a category so close to your day job?9. Were there conflict-of-interest guardrails Cannes puts in place for Jury Presidents whose own agencies or clients might have submitted work?10. Did anything from your Flywheel vantage point — pattern-spotting across retailers and brands — sharpen or distort your lens as a judge?11. What did last year's Grand Prix winner, VML's "Preserved Promos" for Ziploc, teach you about what separates good commerce work from truly great work — and did that shape your criteria this year?12. Now that it's

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week’s topics:Tariff Refunds for e.l.f. BeautyHas Amazon cracked the grocery code?Kraft Heinz investing in marketingSafeway joins the AI raceCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Nick Hannity, CMO at Newell Brands, a major American global consumer and commercial products conglomerate. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company manufactures, markets, and distributes over 50 well-known brands across three core segments: Home & Commercial Solutions, Learning & Development, and Outdoor & Recreation.This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.Follow Nick Hammitt on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-hammitt-2491a1/Follow Newell Brands online at: https://www.newellbrands.com/Nick answers these questions:Chris told us at CAGNY and then again on the podcast that Newell's digital content output increased 500% in 2025 with the same headcount. As CMO, walk us through what that transformation actually felt like inside the marketing organization — was it exhilarating, terrifying, or both?We're sitting here at Cannes Lions, the global festival of creativity. There's a real tension in our industry right now between AI-generated content at scale and genuinely breakthrough creative work. How does Newell think about that balance — and does AI make your creative better or just faster?Chris described Newell's "Inogen" platform — digital AI personas built on consumer segments that function as always-on focus groups. As CMO, how are you actually using those in briefing and campaign development, and how much do you trust them versus traditional research?Chris was incredibly sharp on the shift from SEO to GEO — optimizing content for LLMs rather than search engines. What does that mean practically for how your brand and content teams are now being briefed and structured?Given the scale of what Newell is building internally on AI, how has your relationship with your agency partners evolved? Are they keeping pace with where you are internally, or are you finding yourself ahead of them?Chris mentioned that retailers are actually coming to Newell and asking to be taught what you're doing with AI. That's a remarkable reversal of the traditional power dynamic. How are you as CMO leveraging that credibility in your joint business planning conversations?You're here at Cannes Lions su

This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and features a panel called “Retail Media Executive Brief” which was produced by EMarketer and sponsored by Sensor Tower, featuring Sensor Tower’s Ian Simpson, Following Ian Simpson on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iansimpsonFollow Sarah Marzano on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahzmarzanoFollow Debra Aho Williamson on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrawilliamsonFollow Andrew Lipsman on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lipsman-10b2162Follow Kiri Masters on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-mastersFollow EMarketer online at: http://emarketer.comFollow Sensor Tower online at: https://sensortower.com/CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appea

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week’s topics:P&G Q4 resultsAmazon Q2 resultsJameson teams with NFLOpen AI crosses 1 million usersCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and features a panel called “The New Rules of Discovery: How Consumer Behaviors are Reshaping Commerce” which was produced by EMarketer featuring EMarketer's Sarah Marzano interviewing Roundel's Shawn McGahee.Follow Sarah Marzano on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahzmarzanoFollow Sean McGahee on LinkedIn at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/smcgahee/Follow EMarketer online at: http://emarketer.comCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Rich Lehrfeld, SVP and General Manager of Walmart Connect International and Sam's Club Connect, the retail media business units of Walmart.This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.Follow Rich on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-lehrfeld-776b7786/Follow Walmart Connect online at: https://www.walmartconnect.com/Follow Sam's Club Connect online at: https://www.samsclubconnect.com/Rich answers these questions:1. Now that you’re leading Walmart Connect alongside International advertising and Sam’s Club Connect, what does “one connected global advertising ecosystem” actually look like operationally — and how soon will advertisers feel the difference?2. What capabilities or playbooks from Walmart Connect US are you most excited to bring into international markets, and conversely, what can Connect and international teach the core US business?3. This is Sam’s Club Connect’s first time at Cannes Lions — what’s the headline message you want advertisers and agencies to walk away with?4. How does a presence at Cannes fit into COnnect’s broader growth strategy, especially as it scales offerings like in-club, Omni Experiences, and audio/fuel screen ads?5. The industry conversation is shifting from impressions and ROAS toward broader business outcomes — what does that shift look like in practice for how Walmart structures its advertiser partnerships?6. What’s the biggest misconception brands still have about what “success” should look like in retail media today?7. How does Walmart’s first-party data — and Sam’s Club’s membership model specifically — change the kinds of insights and long-term value you can offer advertisers compared to transaction-only data?8. Where do you see the lines blurring most between media, commerce, and in-store/in-club experience — and which of those convergence points is Walmart investing in most aggressively right now?9. With Walmart’s scale, data, and tech now spanning Walmart Connect, International, and Sam’s Club Connect, what’s your vision for the next big unlock for advertisers — and how do you think about translating that scale into measurabl

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week’s topics:Utz Brands going privateKraft Heinz partners with DisneyNestle selling half of water portfolioCinven acquiring SalsifyCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

In this episode, the CPG Guys are joined by Mark Williamson, AVP of Retail Media at Costco, the world’s largest club format omnichannel retailer. Follow Mark on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkwilliamson/Follow Costco Retail Media on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/costco-retail-media/Follow Costco online at: https://www.costco.com/f/-/company-informationMark answers these questions:So Mark, let’s kick it off with the big news that completely shocked the industry. At recent industry events, you took the stage and did what almost no other Retail Media Network does: you completely exposed Costco's full technology stack—revealing every single identity vendor, DSP, and clean room provider you use. Why did you make the deliberate choice to embrace absolute transparency, and how has that transparency directly influenced ad spend from skeptical brands and agencies?Transparency builds the ultimate trust, no doubt. Now Mark, you have a beautiful phrase that we absolutely love: "Retail media at Costco exists to accelerate merchandise sales." You maintain a strict structural hierarchy where merchandise velocity and member loyalty sit firmly at the very top. If a digital ad campaign doesn't help move a physical pallet of product or reinforce the value of a membership card, it simply doesn't belong in your ecosystem. How do you enforce this "merchant-first" philosophy when national brand managers come in with legacy KPIs focused entirely on vanity ad metrics? Pallet velocity over vanity metrics every single day of the week! Mark, let's talk about your unique "Last-Mover Advantage." While other networks rushed to stand up brittle, overly complicated platforms out of the gate, Costco spent its time quietly observing the market and engineering a robust private data cloud from the ground up. How did waiting and prioritizing a clean, unfragmented data foundation allow you to completely leapfrog the "black box" reporting traps that have frustrated CPG teams for years?That backend data foundation is the real secret sauce. Let’s look at a highly disruptive offsite capability you recently rolled out: Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs)

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Ali Miller, GM of Advertising and Tim Castelli, VP Global Ad Sales at Instacart.This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.Follow Ali on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/about-ali-miller/Follow Tim on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timcastelli/Follow Instacart Ads online at: https://company.instacart.com/adsAli & Tim answer these questions:So Ali, let’s kick it off with you on a massive macro trend. We just read Nik Modi's latest RBC Capital report, Modi’s Musings Volume 4, and theme number one is that Cultural Relevance > Brand Equity—meaning scale alone doesn’t protect you anymore; you have to turn online platforms into an active "economic substrate" for identity and transaction flow. How is Instacart evolving its ad tech stack to let legacy CPG giants quickly move at the speed of a viral TikTok trend or cultural moment, turning immediate social media inspiration into a converted grocery basket? That speed to conversion is everything. Tim, let’s talk about some news you announced at Cannes this week. Let’s start with your AI Shopping assistant. What makes Instacart’s AI assistant different?As consumers look to collapse choice complexity because of low mental energy and rising anxiety, the visible shelf is shrinking from 50+ items down to 1 or 2 AI-curated recommendations. How does this radically compressed digital real estate change your ad business strategy and Joint Business Plans with brands? You mentioned you're intentionally not running ads in AI experiences yet. Walk us through how you’re thinking about that. Jumping back to the news…Immersive Feed feels like a direct response to how consumers are already discovering food on social media. How do you make sure that experience feels additive and not just like another ad unit? Does this foreshadow more to come with media publishers and creators? And for Ads Studio – is that essentially opening up Instacart's own marketing engine to brand partners? What made you confident enough in that internal capability to turn it into a commercial offering?Tim, let’s pivot to New Revenue Streams and Business Models.

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week’s topics:Kroger & Cola-Cola to launch exclusive LTOBig food running out of movesCostco opening stand-alone gas stationsMore Walmart executive shufflesCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

This episode was recorded in France at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and features a panel called “How Retail Media Becomes a Growth Engine” which was produced by EMarketer and sponsored by Sensor Tower, featuring Albertsons Media Collectives' Liz Roche, Omnicom's Claudia Johnson,  EMarketer's Sarah Marzano, Goodway Group's Angela Myers & Bain & Co's Shweta Bhardwaj.Following Liz Roche on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eroche1Follow Sarah Marzano on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahzmarzanoFollow Claudia Johnson on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-johnson-b133436Follow Angela Myers on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-myers-2257aa1Follow Shweta Bhardwaj on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhardwajshwetaFollow EMarketer online at: http://emarketer.comCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation b

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Deepak Maini, SVP and GM of Walmart +, Walmart’s membership program helping members save more time & money with exclusive benefits. Follow Deepak on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-maini-49b9089/Follow Walmart+ online at: https://www.walmart.com/plusDeepak answers these questions:Walmart+ has grown from 3 benefits at launch to 12 today — still at $98 a year. How does that expanding benefit stack change the behavior of the Walmart+ member in ways that matter to CPG brand partners — in terms of basket size, purchase frequency, and category loyalty?Walmart reaches 150 million shoppers every week across ecommerce and 4,600 stores, with data mapped to the SKU level. How does Walmart+ membership amplify the quality and fidelity of that first-party data signal — and how should CPG brands be thinking about activating against it differently than they do with non-member data?Before running Walmart+, you led the VP/GM role for Customer Digital Identity and Data Platform at Walmart. How does a logged-in, identified Walmart+ member change the economics of the digital shelf for CPG brands, particularly as agentic commerce and AI-powered discovery reshape how shoppers find products?The honest question your CPG audience wants answered: when brand partners think about their joint value creation with Walmart, how should they be weighting Walmart+ member households versus non-member households in their investment strategies? Is the gap in lifetime value as dramatic as what your major online competition has seen with their loyalty subscription program?The addition of Peacock to Walmart+‘s streaming choices drove a record number of sign-ups in Q3. What does entertainment engagement tell you about a member’s overall relationship with the Walmart ecosystem — and does streaming behavior surface any insights that CPG partners can act on?Walmart Connect grew 33% in the U.S. last quarter, representing, along with membership fees, about a third of Walmart’s operating income . How tight is the integration between Walmart+ membership data and the Walmart Connect advertising platform — and what does that mean for a CPG brand trying to close the loop from impression to in-store purchase?Walmart tested its first advert

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week’s topics:PepsiCo Q2 ResultsSmucker’s Twinkies ProblemWalmart Summer RollbacksWakefern is SN’s retailer of the YearCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Chris Riedy, Chief Revenue Officer at Ibotta and Yeimy Garcia Smith, SVP, Global Measurement and Enablement at Circana. Ibotta is is a performance marketing platform allowing brands to deliver digital promotions to over 200 million consumers through a network of called the Ibotta Performance Network. This episode is sponsored by Ibotta and was recorded in Cannes Francine at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.Follow Chris on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisriedyFollow Ibotta online at: http://ibotta.comFollow Yeimy online at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeimyChris and Yeimy answer these questions:From Circana's macro perspective, where does the traditional measurement infrastructure break down first in this fluid loop?Are you guys competing, complementing, or building a completely distinct layer of demand? Where do brand equity investment and performance investment harmoniously meet in this modern loop, and how do you ensure one isn't starving the other?What does trustworthy, mathematically sound measurement actually look like in 2026, and why is it an absolute baseline requirement right now?When you listen to CPG brands express their deep frustrations with modern attribution models, what is the core complaint you hear, and how do you define "trustworthy truth" to a skeptical CMO?Yeimy, what does it mean for the industry that promotions can now be evaluated on equal footing with media? And Chris, for a brand CMO sitting here at Cannes today, how should this change the way they think about where promotions sit in their investment mix?Yeimy, when Circana runs the numbers across the entire consumer staples landscape, what unexpected, baseline operational traits do a legacy multi-billion-dollar giant and an agile, emerging challenger brand have in common when it comes to capturing actual volume growth today?Chris, expanding on that, when Ibotta double-clicks down on a hyper-growth challenger brand like Chomps — which Circana crowned a Growth

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Christine Gambino, CEO of Omni, Omnicom's next-generation marketing and sales intelligence platform. It connects strategy, creativity, media, CRM, commerce, data, and AI to help brands grow with greater clarity, speed, and measurable business impact.Follow Christine on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-gambino-59683ab8Follow Omni online at: https://www.omc.com/omni/Christine answers these questions:Christine, you came up through Flywheel — one of the most commerce-native organizations in the industry — and now you're operating at the platform level as CEO of Omni. What did that journey from commerce practitioner to enterprise platform operator teach you about what CPG brands actually need from a marketing intelligence system?Your move from Flywheel to Omni was a deliberate cross-capability appointment. What was the mandate when you stepped into the CEO role, and what did you see as the biggest operational gaps you needed to close?At CES you demonstrated Omni live — walking through a campaign brief in real time, from media budget breakdowns to synthetic audiences to creator suggestions. For a CPG brand team watching that demo, what's the "aha moment" you're trying to create? In other words, What should click for them?You've been clear that Omni is additive, not a replacement — your words were: "It's meant to give real-time insights to teams and brands through our agentic environment." For CPG marketers who are worried about what AI means for their jobs, how do you make that case authentically, not just rhetorically?Omni now integrates Acxiom's 2.6 billion consumer profiles, Flywheel Commerce Cloud, and IPG's data and technology assets. That's a massive data convergence. How are you ensuring that consolidation creates clarity and speed for CPG clients rather than complexity?Omni is reported as having 41+ frontier LLM models and 24,000 monthly active users across 77 countries. What does it actually mean operationally to manage a platform at that scale — and how do you govern consistency of outputs when so many models and markets are in play?Flywheel's Commerce Cloud is described as the larges

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. This week’s topics:General Mills Q4 ResultsKroger to acquire Giant EagleAsda partners with Amazon on Retail Ads ServiceExecutive changesCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Liz Buchanan, President, North America at NielsenIQ, the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and full retail  tracking/measurement while revealing new pathways to growth.This episode is sponsored by NielsenIQ.Follow Liz Buchanan on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-buchanan-35b2007/Follow NielsenIQ on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nielseniq/Follow NielsenIQ online at: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/Liz, Sri & PVSB recap the key learnings from NIQ's 2026 Consumer 360 event.CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Kiri Masters, Founder & Host of the Retail Media Breakfast Club Podcast.This episode was recorded in Cannes France during the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity at the House of Consumer Goods & Retail.We explore behind-the-scenes undercurrents ofthe festival.Follow Kiri on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiri-masters/Follow the Retail Media Breakfast Club on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retail-media-breakfast-club/id1782187624Follow the Retail Media Breakfast Club on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3s5MuqcrsOmQDKn3uMYJKbFollow the Retail Media Breakfast Club on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@retailmediabreakfastclubCPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.