Digital Shelf Institute Archives

Lauren Livak Gilbert is the Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, a community of more than 11,000 brands and retailers navigating eCommerce and the digital shelf. She leads research, education, and industry collaboration on emerging commerce trends. Lauren specializes in agentic commerce, product content, citations, measurement, and helping brands turn complex digital shifts into practical strategies that drive customer acquisition and growth.

Max Sinclair is the Founder and CEO of Azoma (formerly Ecomtent), an agentic commerce platform helping brands improve visibility and performance across AI-powered shopping. He leads company strategy, growth, and enterprise partnerships while advising brands on product discovery, content, and conversion across ChatGPT, Amazon Rufus, Walmart Sparky, and Google Gemini. Max also co-hosts The New Frontier: The Agentic Commerce & Answer Engine Optimization podcast.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[1:30] Lauren Livak Gilbert introduces the Digital Shelf Institute and its collaboration with Azoma on agentic commerce research
[2:05] Max Sinclair outlines agentic commerce as a growing leadership and board-level priority
[4:36] What the five C’s framework covers for brands navigating AI-powered shopping
[8:22] How existing digital shelf foundations support the shift toward agentic commerce
[11:13] Lauren explains the need for richer product context and deeper shopper understanding
[17:04] Why citations, trusted sources, and external content influence product recommendations
[24:01] Max and Lauren examine accuracy, misinformation, and brand control across AI platforms
[31:12] Max connects agentic commerce efforts to customer acquisition, conversion, and measurable growth

In this episode…

Agentic commerce is becoming a priority for brands, but many teams are still defining how it fits into their eCommerce strategies. Rather than replacing the digital shelf, it expands how AI systems discover, evaluate, and recommend products. How can brands turn this shift into measurable growth?

Digital shelf strategist Lauren Livak Gilbert and agentic commerce entrepreneur Max Sinclair answer by organizing the challenge around five C’s: completeness, context, citations, correctness, and customer acquisition. Their framework shows brands how to strengthen product data, answer detailed shopper questions, build trust through credible sources, and correct inaccurate information across AI platforms. Lauren recommends treating agentic commerce as an extension of existing digital shelf work while developing a deeper understanding of shopper needs. Max emphasizes monitoring the entire category, identifying the sources AI tools rely on, and connecting visibility efforts to conversion and incremental revenue. Together, their guidance offers a practical way to prepare internal teams, prioritize investments, and measure meaningful business impact.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant talks with Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, and Max Sinclair, Founder and CEO of Azoma, about decoding agentic commerce through the five C’s. Lauren and Max show how brands can improve data completeness, add richer context, strengthen citations, ensure correctness, and drive customer acquisition. They also discuss AI shopping behavior, brand accuracy, and practical measurement.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“When you're thinking about agentic commerce, you need to have the right answers to the questions that your shoppers are asking.”
“So context is providing additional information about your product that someone might be searching for.”
“You have to play by the rules, and I think you can.”
“And within five days, the LLMs were surfacing their brand.com versus the influencer content.”
“You need to be able to understand you've made this change in content, and it's impacted your sales.”

Action Steps:

Strengthen product data completeness: Keeping attributes, feeds, metadata, and product details accurate across channels gives AI shopping tools the foundation they need to recommend products correctly.
Add richer context to product content: Answering the longer, more specific questions shoppers ask helps AI systems connect products to real use cases, needs, and environments.
Monitor and improve citation sources: Understanding which retailer pages, brand sites, media outlets, and communities influence AI results helps brands build trust and improve visibility.
Correct misinformation quickly: Publishing clear, authoritative information on owned channels can reduce inaccurate claims and improve how AI platforms represent the brand.
Connect agentic commerce to business outcomes: Measuring changes in traffic, conversion, revenue, and customer acquisition helps teams prove value and prioritize future investment.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

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Lauren Livak Gilbert is the Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute (DSI), which shapes the future of digital and advances commerce through community, content, and education. In her role, she defines the strategy for creating a global industry commerce community to support brands, retailers, and future leaders in the complex digital environment. As a thought leader in digital and design, Lauren has over 10 years of experience driving impactful multichannel design content, transformative digital shelf solutions, and high-conversion web UX designs across multiple regions. Before DSI, she held numerous roles at Johnson & Johnson, where she owned the digital shelf for consumer products in North America.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[1:37] Lauren Livak Gilbert introduces the reinvented omnichannel organization of the future
[3:01] Why companies must evolve their organizational structure to match consumer shopping habits
[6:21] The stages of organizational maturity and the three key principles of reinvention
[11:38] Amazon’s shift toward automated negotiations and Walmart’s expanding partnership opportunities
[16:25] How AI can automate forecasting and content creation
[23:23] Lauren’s future vision of humans as strategic orchestrators supported by AI agents
[32:32] Embracing data-driven decisions and learning through experimentation and failure

In this episode…

The pace of change in digital commerce has forced brands to rethink their organizational structures. Traditional structures built solely for brick-and-mortar sales can no longer keep up with evolving customer expectations and constant platform updates. How can brands transform their organizations to stay relevant in the omnichannel marketplace?

Seasoned digital commerce strategist Lauren Livak Gilbert urges brands to transform their overall operations instead of merely choosing where eCommerce belongs in the company. Presenting yourself to retailers as a single unified company, setting shared goals across teams, and using AI to automate tasks like forecasting and content creation are essential. Lauren also highlights the need for clean, standardized data and advises HR leaders to prepare the next generation of digital talent. These shifts position businesses to adapt quickly and thrive.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant sits down with Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of The Digital Shelf Institute (DSI), to discuss building the reinvented omnichannel organization of the future. Lauren explains why shared goals drive higher eCommerce sales, how AI frees teams for strategic thinking, and why HR must rethink talent development.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

“What I actually found is that we're asking the wrong question about where eCommerce should sit.”
“You have to show up to your customers as one company, not separate disconnected teams.”
“If every team is doing something different, it's just common sense you're not going to reach goals.”
“You can use AI to automate a lot of forecasting and free up more mindshare.”
“Brands waiting to play around with AI will be light years behind when competitors move quickly.”

Action Steps:

Establish shared goals across departments: Aligning marketing, sales, and eCommerce teams ensures everyone works toward the same outcomes and prevents teams from competing against each other. This unified focus drives higher eCommerce sales and builds organizational cohesion.
Present a single face to retailers: Showing up as one company when working with retail partners fosters trust and clarity. This approach avoids miscommunication and helps negotiate stronger opportunities for growth.
Invest in data standardization: Cleaning and organizing your data infrastructure prepares the business for seamless AI integration. Without accurate and consistent data, AI tools cannot deliver reliable insights or value.
Use AI to automate repetitive tasks: Automating forecasting, content creation, and other manual work frees employees to focus on strategy and innovation. This shift enables teams to think more holistically and drive long-term growth.
Redefine HR recruitment and career paths: Updating hiring practices to identify and develop digital-savvy leaders ensures a strong talent pipeline. Preparing future leaders now safeguards the organization against skill gaps as technology and commerce rapidly evolve.

About BWG Connect...

Lauren Livak Gilbert is the Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute (DSI), which shapes the future of digital and advances commerce through community, content, and education. In her role, she defines the strategy for creating a global industry commerce community to support brands, retailers, and future leaders in the complex digital environment. As a thought leader in digital and design, Lauren has experience driving impactful multi-channel design content, transformative digital shelf solutions, and high-conversion web UX designs across multiple regions. Before DSI, she held numerous roles at Johnson & Johnson, where she owned the digital shelf for consumer products in North America.

Nate Pinkston is the Head of Growth for Retail Media at Microsoft, where he manages end-to-end ownership of sales, customer success, and account management for the world’s largest retail media networks. As a digital marketing and engagement leader, he uses analytics to develop innovative solutions in the AdTech, MarTech, and retail industries. Nate has led teams to design and launch new products, reach new customer segments and markets, and work with C-suite executives to drive growth.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

[2:38] How the structure and approach to joint business plans (JBPs) have evolved with retail media
[7:41] The importance of internal team alignment and preparations for JBPs
[12:51] Collaborating with retailers and internal teams for JBPs
[14:44] What is the eCommerce team’s role in organizing JBPs?
[20:24] Retailers' receptiveness to brand’s insights and innovative ideas during JBPs
[28:53] The value of transparency and continuous learning during the JBP process
[38:54] How to standardize the JBP process

In this episode…

With more companies adopting retail media advertising, joint business plans (JBPs) between retailers and brands have become a requirement. Yet these plans are still in the initial stages, with both parties unsure of how to proceed. What steps can you take to collaborate with retailers and ensure your JBP reflects your business goals?

As early adopters of retailer media, Lauren Livak Gilbert and Nate Pinkston have invested countless hours and resources helping brands and retailers navigate JBPs. Industry standards for joint business plans haven’t been established yet, so Lauren and Nate recommend formulating recurring cross-functional meetings with internal teams and retailers to collaborate on strategies. This should be an integrated, holistic process that aligns the practices and goals of each team and party. Additionally, retailers are open to brand insights and ideas, so offering data and innovative approaches is crucial for establishing standardized business practices.

In this week’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant hosts Lauren Livak Gilbert of the Digital Shelf Institute and Nate Pinkston of Microsoft to discuss the ins and outs of joint business plans. Together, they explain how to optimize this digital strategy session, the importance of data-sharing and cross-functional collaboration, and the eCommerce team’s role in JBPs.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

"The more you can try to figure out who those functions are...the broader approach you can build." - Lauren Livak Gilbert
"Embrace the immaturity to say, let's bring definition here that's going to serve us." - Nate Pinkston
"We're starting to see that people are starting to get that...everything needs to work together in order to be successful." - Lauren Livak Gilbert
"You're not going to have a merchant or a sales team that just focuses on eCommerce versus in-store; those are going to come together." - Nate Pinkston
"Retailers want to partner; they want to grow; they want to triple our sales this year." - Aaron Conant

Action Steps:

Create a cross-functional omnichannel team that meets regularly: This promotes knowledge sharing across departments, ensuring a holistic strategy that aligns with company-wide objectives.
Leverage brand size, whether big or small, to cultivate unique retailer relationships: Each brand size offers distinct advantages in flexibility or resources when approaching joint business planning.
Engage in early JBP preparation by involving essential functions, like finance and revenue growth management: Good preparation allows for better alignment and execution of strategies.
Embrace the role of eCommerce teams as orchestrators of the JBP process: This ensures a forward-thinking and adaptive approach to digital challenges.
Prioritize transparent communication and data sharing with retail partners: Increased transparency leads to more innovative opportunities and can strengthen partnerships.

About BWG Connect...

Marc Walkin is the Co-founder and Head of Marketing and Growth at Turbyne, a vertically integrated B2B SaaS platform that simplifies retail media. With over 15 years of experience as a marketing leader, he has built modern retail and CPG brands, including Stop & Shop, Popcorners, Beech-Nut, and Staples. Marc specializes in brand transformation, corporate strategy, and shopper and digital marketing playbooks.

Lauren Livak Gilbert is the Director of the Digital Shelf Institute (DSI), which shapes the future of digital and advances commerce through community, content, and education. In her role, she defines the strategy for creating a global industry commerce community to support brands, retailers, and future leaders in the complex digital environment. As a thought leader in digital and design, Lauren has experience driving impactful multi-channel design content, transformative digital shelf solutions, and high-conversion web UX designs across multiple regions. Before DSI, she held numerous roles at Johnson & Johnson, where she owned the digital shelf for consumer products in North America.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

How are organizations structuring eCommerce and digital?
Crucial considerations for implementing eCommerce and digital into organizational departments
The barriers to accelerating eCommerce in organizations
Retail media’s impact on organizational structures
Allocating ad spend to maximize profitability
Lauren Livak maintains the importance of prioritizing channel investments
Key shifts in organizational structures

In this episode…

Digital and eCommerce are necessary capabilities for brands, but integrating them at scale has become increasingly complicated. Some organizations position these functions in their IT departments, whereas others incorporate them in marketing or sales. How should you consider digital’s role in organizational structures?

Digital shelf expert Lauren Livak says that while you may integrate eCommerce into your IT department initially, it must expand throughout the business. Evaluating your organizational structure helps you determine its primary focus and consolidate digital capabilities within the specified area and the remaining departments. This should include cross-functional collaboration and involve every member of the company. With retail media extending throughout all major merchandisers, connecting your advertising efforts to digital is crucial. When considering eCommerce’s position in your business objectives, prioritize your investments to target consumers in their most frequented channels rather than distributing your ad spend based on industry trends.

In today’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Lauren Livak Gilbert, the Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, about digital’s place in organizational structures. Lauren talks about the barriers to rapid eCommerce acceleration, key shifts in organizational structures, and how to implement digital into business departments.