The Drum catches up with Digitas’s Amy Lanzi at Possible in Miami to hear how the merging of data, AI and storytelling will deliver hyper-personalized experiences, foster deeper loyalty and create a seamless convergence between customer relationships and commerce.
“It’s not just about points and loyalty cards any more”
Amy Lanzi, CEO of Digitas North America, has been deep in the world of commerce marketing for long enough to spot a real shift when she sees one. And right now, speaking to The Drum at the Possible conference in Miami, she says we’re on the brink of a major one: the arrival of CRM 3.0.
“It’s not just about points and loyalty cards any more,” she says. “It’s about using information to deliver better experiences that make you faster, stronger, which leads to real loyalty. We’re moving from ‘like’ to ‘love’ to true loyalty.”
The rise of CRM 3.0 reflects a much bigger transformation across the entire marketing landscape and nowhere is that more visible than in commerce marketing. And if there’s one thing Lanzi admits she didn’t quite predict, it’s just how fast retail media has exploded.
“I don’t think I thought it would escalate as quickly as it has,” she says. “Amazon came in as such an interesting unicorn – a retailer and a tech platform. And now, seeing everyone else pile in – not just the Walmarts of the world, but even United Airlines launching their own retail media network - it’s been remarkable.”
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In this new world, retail media has gone from being a niche tactic to becoming central to many brands’ strategies. But Lanzi is quick to point out the nuance: retail media and commerce media aren’t the same thing.
“Retail media is where a retailer uses its first-party data to target you, both on its site and off it. Commerce media is broader – it’s when you’re scrolling Instagram and can instantly buy something shoppable. They’re different but connected.”
And the growth isn’t slowing. As more retailers sharpen their first-party data offerings, the whole pie is getting bigger – and Amazon, which currently makes up 75% of the market, may end up with a slightly smaller slice.
“I can foresee more retail media networks getting more dollars,” says Lanzi. “Amazon’s ahead, sure, but others are building capabilities fast. And because the average consumer shops across four or five retailers, there’s real opportunity.”
However, all this optimism comes with a major caveat: without solid measurement, momentum could stall.
“If you don’t show the power of it through measurement and outcomes, we won’t see the money continue to flow,” she warns. “Amazon’s measurement product is fantastic. But universal measurement across retail media? That’s important – and we’re not there yet.”
The inconsistency across retail media networks, each at different stages of maturity, remains a major barrier. Efforts like the IAB’s push for universal standards are promising are a great start, but more works needs done.
Meanwhile, AI is stepping in to help – in some ways expected, in others, surprisingly creative.
Lanzi outlines how AI can already help media buyers navigate the fragmented landscape, predicting where to place the next dollar most effectively across different retail media platforms. But AI’s real magic, she says, will come through personalization.
“Imagine going to Walmart online and instead of seeing the same product page as everyone else, you see one tailored to your past purchases, your habits. If you bought shaving cream last time, you might see skin-sensitive options highlighted next time. That’s where AI can really change the creative experience.”
She points to Amazon’s new AI agent, Rufus, which uses 40,000 reviews to create smarter, more relevant recommendations, as a glimpse of what’s coming: “We can imagine a world where Rufus actually orders things for you based on your habits - where agents are talking to agents.”
With AI getting smarter, first-party data becomes even more valuable. And it’s here that traditional media owners might start feeling the heat.
“If we live in a cookieless world, the future for traditional media owners really depends on how much first-party data they have,” says Lanzi. “If they don’t build an identity spine, if they don’t have something unique to train their AI models on, they risk falling behind.”
Publicis Groupe, Digitas’s parent, has invested around $300m into AI initiatives like CoreAI and Lanzi says that’s essential for agencies to stay ahead: “You can’t just rely on the same public models everyone else uses. Otherwise, everyone’s marketing looks the same.”
Another big topic at Possible this year? The evolving marketing tech stack – and how brands decide what they really need.
“It depends on the organization,” Lanzi says. “If you just need mass reach, maybe you don’t need all these end-to-end software solutions the industry is trying to sell you. But if you want personalization and efficiency, you absolutely do.”
She says there’s a growing appetite for “cloud-based, bring-your-own-data” models – more transparency, fewer black boxes and much tighter control for brands over their own customer data.
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One thing Lanzi is keen to hammer home is that commerce isn’t just about “lower funnel” any more. Storytelling still matters.
“People buy stories. Great storytelling is what makes someone want to buy something,” she says. “You need to weave great commerce moments into stories – whether that’s for Sephora or Helion – because without that authenticity, consumers won’t engage.”
In short: the future is full funnel, full service – and fully personal.
So what’s the big takeaway from Possible and from Lanzi’s view of the world right now?
It’s that CRM, commerce, media, AI and storytelling are no longer separate topics. They’re converging fast into a single, fluid ecosystem – and if brands want to keep up, they need to think about loyalty, data and creativity as one.
“CRM is having a major blow-up moment,” she says. “It’s about knowing your customer, creating better experiences – and it’s going to be the engine of the next wave of brand growth.”
Fasten your seatbelts. CRM 3.0 is coming – and the future of commerce marketing will never look the same again.
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