eTail Palm Springs is coming up soon – February 24-27 in Palm Springs, CA, and I can’t wait – make sure to register while you still can!
Today we’re going to talk about the evolving buyer’s journey, and how good data that drives personalization and effective usage of AI are driving today’s leading e-commerce brands. We’ll also explore what attendees of eTail Palm Springs can expect, including some exciting new features of this leading event for e-commerce brands.
To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Liz Robillard and Kristin Schoenstein, Worldwide Business Research.
About Kristin Schoenstein
Kristin Schoenstein has been a Program Director at Worldwide Business Research since 2010 and has been producing events since 2004. She currently specializes in the retail and eCommerce sector where she heads up the Future Stores portfolio and co-produces eTail West. She also successfully launched and grew WBR’s customer experience portfolio. In her role, she is responsible for market research, content creation and speaker faculty management for each event. Prior to WBR, she produced events in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector and got her start organizing educational programming for physicians. In her free time, Kristin heads out to the East end of Long Island where she enjoys boating, yoga, running and days at the beach with her husband and three daughters.
About Elizabeth Robillard
As an Senior Conference Director at Worldwide Business Research, Elizabeth oversees the organization of three business conferences per year. Conference organization includes conducting extensive phone research with 60+ industry experts per event, using call notes to compile a three day conference program that encapsulates top research takeaways, confirming a roster of industry leading speakers for each program, working with our marketing team to write effective copy for all outbound marketing messages, coordinating with sales and logistics teams to ensure the best possible onsite experience and prepping for and running the live event. Most recently, she has joined the eTail team and along with co-producer Kristin Schoenstein, puts together eTail Palm Springs. The other events in her portfolio include Future Branches Austin & Boston. She currently lives in New York City with her cat Wednesday.
Resources
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Transcript
Note: This was AI-generated and only lightly edited
Greg Kihlstrom:
eTail Palm Springs is coming up soon, February 24 through 27 in Palm Springs, California. And I can’t wait. Make sure to register while you still can. Today, we’re going to talk about the evolving buyer’s journey and how good data that drives personalization and effective usage of AI are driving today’s leading e-commerce brands. We’re also going to explore what attendees of ETL Palm Springs can expect, including some exciting new features of this leading event for e-commerce brands. To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Liz Robillard and Kristen Schoenstein from Worldwide Business Research. Liz and Kristen, welcome to the show.
Kristin Schoenstein: Hi, Greg. Thanks so much. Thanks, Greg.
Greg Kihlstrom: Yeah, I guess I should say welcome back to the show because we’re returning champions here. Excited to be back.
Kristin Schoenstein: Yes, thanks for having us.
Greg Kihlstrom: Absolutely. So why don’t we get started? For those that didn’t catch you last time you were on, why don’t you each go through a little background on what you’re currently doing at eTail and WBR?
Kristin Schoenstein: Sure, I’ll start. I’m in the Chief of Staff role for eTail, which is a relatively new role for me. I transitioned a few months ago and basically I’m still producing our eTail events on the West and East Coast, so Palm Springs and Boston, but looking at also strategy for the show and just more collaboration across all of our different department. So it’s been a really fun kind of transition getting to know our teams better and just kind of working on the overall strategy for the show moving forward. And Liz and I work very closely together on both the East Coast and West Coast shows and really collaborate on the speaker recruitment and writing the programs. And we’re also joined by our colleague, Leo Martinez. He’s just joined us on Palm Springs as well. So we’re really excited about kind of the new setup and our new team.
Liz Robillard: Yeah. Uh, so I have sort of recently taken over Kristen’s old role, which was, um, you know, portfolio director of e-tail Palm Springs and Boston. So that basically just means working on the research, working on speaker recruitment. Um, I had previously been working on a couple of other events alongside of working on e-tail and other industries. So now I’m all e-commerce all the time and I love it. That’s exciting.
Greg Kihlstrom: Well, yeah, let’s dive in here. So we’re going to talk about a couple things today. And I want to start with the topic of the evolution of the buyer’s journey and how the That traditional buyer’s funnel, anybody that’s been in marketing 101 classes or whatever, I’m sure you’ve seen that many, many times. But the funnel of today is not so much a funnel anymore, but something else altogether. And so I was wondering, can you talk about how the buyer’s journey has evolved and why traditional methods like funnels and approaching it as a even linear progression is not serving marketers as well as it used to?
Kristin Schoenstein: Sure, I’ll take this one. This came up quite a bit in research, kind of the saying that the funnel is dead or we have to completely rethink the funnel. So we dove into this a little bit on our Palm Springs event. I think it’s just coming down to the path to purchase being really blurred. And especially Gen Z kind of coming in and changing things up quite a bit. They have different priorities and influences and technology compared to other generations. They’re really on social media a lot and using it for all different things. Entertainment, news, social and learning and all of their shopping is kind of influenced by what they’re doing on social. And we’re seeing sort of an endless loop of exploration, inspiration, community and loyalty, and kind of going back to the beginning for that. So instead of kind of the funnel with the huge, you know, the marketing funnel that has the huge open top, and sort of that general advertising, it’s more, we’re hearing kind of more of an hourglass shape, or just sort of across the board, different touch points where you have to keep engaging. engaging customers in different ways. And I think the challenge here for the brands is to really figure out when to deliver that inspiration for customers to buy. And I’m seeing that customers are really looking for specifics. They want brands to get into a lot of detail around fit, material, they want how to’s. So we’re seeing brands really focus on video and getting involved with customer reviews and UGC. So it’s just a lot more interaction and engagement than in the past, you know, where we had that kind of just beginning push at the top of the funnel. We’re also seeing, you know, this new generation, they’re very price conscious, they’re very value driven. They are doing a ton of initial research before they buy. They’re doing a lot of price comparisons. They’re searching for things all over the place. So we’re just seeing the path to purchase being completely non-linear, more of like a loop. And brands sort of need to be everywhere along this path. So we’re seeing focus on post-purchase as well, not just at the beginning of the cycle, but after they purchase and beyond. And hence, that’s our kind of new shape of the marketing funnel that we’re seeing.
Greg Kihlstrom: Yeah, and along the lines of giving those specifics that you mentioned that customers want, some of those specifics can and should be personalized, right? So like very, very specific to that customer, their point in the journey. all of the above. So I feel like we’ve been talking about personalizing for years and years. It feels like we’ve been talking about it for decades. But are we finally, maybe with Gen AI, with some of the other tools at our disposal, are we finally at a point where true personalization at scale is possible?
Liz Robillard: Yeah, I mean, we’re thinking that we’re really, really getting at least very close to that point, especially when we’re talking about, you know, personalization at scale as well. It’s definitely starting to become a reality, and Greg, you’re totally right with AI, with machine learning. You know, retailers can create personalized experiences that feel super tailored, no matter how they’re being, you know, where they’re being interacted with, online, in-store. Retailers are using real-time data that they have access to. to figure out what their customers want, what they need, and they’re integrating that data through everything from online shopping habits to purchase history to make those connections really strong. The market for hyper-personalization, which is almost sort of like that next step, we’re hearing the word micro-personalization a lot as well, is booming. Obviously, this comes with sort of its own challenges, though. It takes a big investment. It’s definitely not a cheap undergoing. It also comes with a ton of privacy concerns. Retailers need to worry about whether or not they’re towing that line of providing value or being a little bit creepy. So that kind of comes with this conversation. But, you know, outside of the challenges, I think personalization and where we’re at with it is it’s kind of an exciting time. And I think it’s, you know, what every retailer really needs to harness in order to kind of exceed those revenue goals, get those conversions and, you know, really get that customer satisfaction and loyalty as well.
Greg Kihlstrom: And of course, you know, we’re talking about personalization and involving AI. You mentioned machine learning, other applications of AI as well. All of this requires a lot of data, right? And good data at that. And ideally, real-time data where possible. What are you seeing in terms of how brands are adopting real-time data? You know, are brands focused enough on good real time data, you know, the, the, the maximum garbage in garbage out, you know, how focused are brands on this aspect?
Liz Robillard: Another great question. The level of adoption, depending on the companies that we talk to, definitely varies. I feel like the more and more we have this real-time personalized conversation, the more and more retailers are really getting to understanding what they need in terms of data and what an actual sort of data governance strategy looks like. You know, a lot of forward-thinking companies are investing in advanced tools. Of course, we talk about CDPs at eTail, which, you know, pulls together different data from, you know, different sources instantly. And that really sort of helps them get that complete view of each customer and respond to them quickly. But it feels like there’s still kind of this lack of focus on data quality, which, Greg, it’s exactly what you said, garbage in, garbage out. The smarter brands and the ones that are moving a little bit quicker and have kind of gotten to the root of this problem are prioritizing the quality over just collecting a bunch of data that doesn’t really matter. They’re cleaning it, they’re validating it, they’re storing it properly. And they’re also sort of breaking down those silos between the different channels as well by integrating information from their websites, their apps, their CRMs, the in-store interactions, to really get more of that holistic picture. And again, get just the data that they need and get it into the hands of the folks across the business who need it. And, of course, all that’s being helped by investment in tech that helps process all of that data and really gets the business the actual data and insights that they need with the results that they need. Yeah, I mean, I think it’s sort of a mixed bag of where people are at, but I think the smarter retailers are really kind of realizing that the key to this is kind of having that clean, well-housed, and easy-to-use data.
Greg Kihlstrom: And so I want to I want to talk a little bit more about AI is, you know, certainly lots of talk about it already in a number of different ways. But that doesn’t mean that everyone is as educated about it as they should be. Right. So I think, you know, events like like eTel Palm Springs and others are great opportunities for people to talk about this and share knowledge and just kind of even commiserate if needed about some of these things, because there’s a lot to discover for many brands. It’s highly likely that most attendees of eTel Palm Springs are going to be using AI in some way already, but As we probably know, using a few things, kind of a scattershot approach is not enough to be successful. So with so many platforms each having their own AI, quote unquote, feature, there’s so much fragmentation, which isn’t good for marketers either, and definitely isn’t good for end customers. Can you talk about what you’re seeing here as far as, you know, it’s, there’s sort of a, everybody’s gotta say they do AI, but there’s also, that’s leading to this fragmentation. You know, what are you seeing in the market here?
Kristin Schoenstein: Sure, I’ll take this one. I think it’s, you’re right, we’re definitely seeing a lot of fragmentation with the AI landscape, with e-commerce, and I think that’s a big challenge for marketers and the end customer, and everyone’s at sort of a different stage in this, in the maturity process. Technology is constantly changing. I think this is obviously just a progression, but many retailers at West shared their experience with AI implementation, kind of talking about the way that they’re using it. We’re seeing that 80% of retailers were already using AI for inventory management in 2024. And 24% had implemented AI-driven e-commerce personalization. And so it’s sort of like different. Obviously, everyone’s using it for different things. But it is piecemeal right now. At least it feels that way. And it can lead to, obviously, some inconsistencies with the customer experience. For example, a retailer might use AI for chatbots, and then they use a totally different tool for inventory management. And then they might use another tool for recommendations. And the systems are kind of not talking to each other. So we’re seeing more comprehensive AI powered kind of platforms coming up that are really kind of integrating all of these things. So that is what you know, what’s coming down the pipe. But I think still a lot to go here, a long ways to go, I guess you could say.
Greg Kihlstrom: Yeah, and I think, you know, I would characterize it as there’s a high level of awareness about AI, but potentially a low level of education about a lot of the details, right? So, you know, I think one of the things that I know eTail is taking a focused approach on is, highlighting real-world use cases. So again, not just talking about theory and as much as I love to wax poetic about AI and all that stuff and what it could do, it’s like looking at real-world use cases and case studies rather than a purely theoretical approach. Can you talk a little bit about why that’s so important?
Liz Robillard: For sure, yeah. I think, you know, in 2023, we were coming at AI from such a high level. We were really sort of talking about it from that, like, future focus, here’s what could be possible, not really drilling down into the actual use cases. I think in 2024, we got a little bit more into the nitty gritty, some of the things that you could do with it, and I think you know, through the research for both Palm Springs and I just finished the research for Boston as well, we’re almost starting to hear like people are hitting this fatigue point because it feels like, again, this sort of fragmented process and just constantly hearing AI, AI, AI, but not really how to kind of streamline it across the business and what that looks like. You know, the reason why we’re pretty dead set on making sure that we have all the different use cases, but also sort of a vision for how folks can think about this from a little bit more of a streamlined perspective. So as kind of the dust settles and we start thinking about what this means, like business impact wise, you know, we’re seeing that companies are really trying to hone in on how to make the most of everything. You know, they’re taking a good look and auditing what they’ve already implemented, figuring out what works best for them, for their business, for their customers, and then kind of scaling those successful applications across the board instead of just dabbling in, you know, little experiments and projects. You know, businesses are kind of diving deeper and integrating AI into their real core processes and really sort of identifying the places where it’s making an actual impact and making a difference. The secret sauce for success here is just, again, making sure that AI initiatives align with specific business goals. I think there’s something to be said about really making sure you’re investing in something for the right reason. Anytime you’re investing in something new, really tying it to a specific objective. Of course, you know, going back to that data piece, if we’re gonna be investing in AI, we have to make sure that the data quality is high and accessible. And that’s sort of all the key parts to these, you know, really strategic use cases. There’s also a little bit of a human element, I think, because there needs to be this teamwork between, you know, tech folks and business teams, and really sort of this understanding across, you know, the organization. as to what this technology can do and sort of how to unlock its benefits. So I feel like there’s a little bit of a human conversation that needs to happen too, outside of even just the use cases across the org.
Greg Kihlstrom: Yeah, yeah, and that’s a great segue to the last thing I wanted to talk about is just a little bit more about the event itself and some of the opportunities, certainly a lot of learning opportunities, but also some increased opportunities for networking and other types of education. Can you talk a little bit about what can attendees expect in Palm Springs and what drove some of the, maybe some of the new aspects of the event this year?
Liz Robillard: Yeah, absolutely. We are launching a couple of ways to sort of build the ETail community. We’ve always loved the fact that, you know, our sponsorship manager, Chet, he always says that, you know, coming to ETail is like coming to a family reunion because we’ve got this, you know, really strong community of folks that we built over the years. But, you know, we kind of want to make sure that people who are new to the event, maybe haven’t been before, you know, our ETL newbies have all the information that they need about the event and can kind of network ahead of the event, get to know each other a little bit and sort of have this built-in network before the event starts. So we’re doing this, you know, ETL newbies session right at the beginning of the event, just to get, you know, groups of people who haven’t been before the chance to, you know, get to know each other and sort of have a built-in network. We’re also, you know, building out a meet your crew, networking event too, that’s also going to be happening on the first day of the event. Really an opportunity for, you know, like-minded folks to bond about certain non-work interests. So I think there’s like a film buffs, there’s a, you know, fitness, gurus, there’s a bunch of different categories of, you know, different people you might be able to meet at the event. And again, all sort of with the idea of continuing to kind of build the ETL community and making sure, you know, attendees to the event really sort of feel like a part of the family. I think the last new thing that we’re doing And this really kind of came out of wanting to make Etail the place, over the years we’ve had, you know, so many folks who started out, you know, as managers, senior managers, even, who over time have ended up as CMOs, CEOs, who have really, you know, throughout the years sort of built their careers, you know, at Etail, have met new people, have networked. So we’re gonna be doing some career development workshops at the event as well and just sort of give folks who are, you know, just getting started or sort of in a midpoint of their career, you know, the chance to build their personal brands and, you know, build their careers at eTail. So those are some of the new things that we’re working on.
Greg Kihlstrom: That’s great, yeah. And it sounds like you’re, this is the first event that you’re going to have an AI summit as well. Can you talk a little bit more about that?
Kristin Schoenstein: Sure. I actually wasn’t sure if Liz was going to say that right when we were talking all this stuff about AI. But, you know, we just kind of felt like with the amount of times that AI came up in research, it made sense to launch a specific summit around it. So we’re doing that on Monday of the show. It’s February 24th. It’s an all day summit. And we’re really focused on use cases. getting really kind of specific into how are different organizations using AI? What are the successes that they’ve seen? What are some of the roadblocks? How are they solving maybe internal challenges with implementing AI? So lots of use case specific stuff happening, which we’re excited about. So yeah, that’s happening on Monday alongside our other three summits. So lots to choose from that specific day.
Greg Kihlstrom: Wonderful. Well, Liz and Kristen, thanks so much for joining. One last question before we wrap up here and just looking ahead to the, to Etel Palm Springs. What are each of you looking forward to most this year?
Kristin Schoenstein: Well, I’d have to say sitting here in the dark and the rain and the wind, I am looking forward to the weather. I have to say it. I mean, just getting to Palm Springs in February is like such a relief. So yes, definitely excited about the warm weather. We do a lot of things outside during the show. So looking forward to the sun, but yeah, it’s just, it does, like Liz said, it feels like a family. It feels like a reunion. I love getting our whole staff, you know, together Practically, I feel like half the company comes. So it’s a really nice chance for us as a team to really bond. But then, yeah, just getting to see all the speakers year after year, I love that part of it, just kind of the networking piece of it.
Liz Robillard: I’ll also throw in that, you know, I probably shouldn’t say this one, but I love the food at eTail.
Kristin Schoenstein: Lots of networking breaks with all different foods. Cheryl, our meeting planner, really kills it every time with the menus. So yes, I agree, Liz.
