Podcast Summary: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®
Episode #669: It's Already Time to Start Planning for the Holiday Shopping Season with Carrie Cockrum, Cella
Release Date: April 28, 2025

In Episode #669 of The Agile Brand, host Greg Kihlström engages in a comprehensive discussion with Carrie Cockrum, Director of Consulting at Cella. As the holiday shopping season approaches, the conversation delves into the latest retail marketing trends, the pivotal role of AI, and strategies for brands to remain agile in a rapidly evolving market landscape.

Guest Introduction: Carrie Cockrum

Carrie Cockrum brings nearly three decades of experience in the advertising and marketing industry to the table. With a rich background working alongside diverse brands such as Camping World, Fruit of the Loom, Wendy's, and Humana, Carrie specializes in helping organizations build and optimize their internal creative agencies. At Cella, she focuses on enhancing operational efficiencies and integrating creative functions seamlessly within larger organizations.

Key Retail Marketing Trends for 2025

Carrie highlights speed as the foremost trend shaping retail marketing in 2025. The acceleration of consumer behavior parallels advancements in technology, particularly AI, necessitating brands to respond with equal rapidity. She emphasizes the importance of delivering genuine, relevant, and timely experiences to consumers who expect immediate engagement.

"Consumers expect to be known faster. They need things served up to them, and they want it to be genuine."
— Carrie Cockrum [05:00]

The Role of AI in Retail Marketing

AI's integration into retail marketing is transformative, serving primarily to enhance rather than replace human efforts. Carrie underscores AI's capacity for data segmentation, real-time campaign optimization, and automation, which collectively enable brands to personalize experiences at unprecedented speeds.

"AI cannot replace what it is that we do. The human element is vital and it's what makes it better."
— Carrie Cockrum [08:25]

She provides examples such as Yum Brands utilizing AI to personalize email campaigns, resulting in higher purchase rates and reduced customer churn. Additionally, AI-driven automation in content generation and fraud detection showcases its multifaceted applications in improving both marketing effectiveness and security.

Maintaining Brand Authenticity with AI

Balancing AI-driven efficiency with brand authenticity is crucial. Carrie asserts that the human element remains indispensable in guiding AI to reflect a brand's unique voice and values. Properly prompted AI can merge consumer data with brand-specific information to create authentic and nuanced content.

"Those nuances are human. And filter that brand information on top of the specific consumer or the specific audience that you're trying to reach."
— Carrie Cockrum [11:56]

Leveraging Social Media Platforms like TikTok

TikTok emerges as a powerful platform for social commerce, offering brands innovative ways to connect with consumers. Strategies discussed include collaborating with influencers, launching hashtag challenges, and encouraging employee-generated content. Carrie emphasizes the importance of creating authentic, engaging content that resonates with TikTok's diverse user base.

"It's genuine content created by folks that may not be those top follower influencers. It can be anybody."
— Carrie Cockrum [15:45]

Planning for the Extended Holiday Shopping Season

The traditional holiday shopping period is expanding, driven by consumers' desires to shop early to avoid stress and secure trending products before they sell out. This shift impacts the significance of events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with a noticeable move towards online shopping.

"Black Friday isn't in stores so much. The in-store traffic dropped approximately 8% in 2024."
— Carrie Cockrum [19:10]

Carrie notes that while Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain relevant, especially Cyber Monday with over 57% of sales coming from mobile devices, the buying season's extension dilutes their standalone impact. Retailers are adapting by extending marketing campaigns and continuously engaging consumers beyond these single-day events.

Recommendations for Retailers

Carrie offers several actionable recommendations for retailers aiming to stay ahead:

1. Invest in Data Tools: Prioritize tools that monitor, gather, and analyze data effectively.

2. Integrate Data into Strategies: Seamlessly incorporate data insights into existing marketing strategies to enhance decision-making.

3. Leverage First-Party Data: With the decline of third-party cookies, building robust first-party data collections is essential for personalized marketing.

4. Understand Social Platforms: Tailor content and engagement strategies to the specific nuances of each social media platform to maximize reach and impact.

"If you aren't already leveraging or looking for ways to get to that first party instead of the third party... Start looking at that, getting your data and information so that you will have it when it's time."
— Carrie Cockrum [24:32]

Staying Agile in Marketing

To maintain agility, Carrie underscores the importance of continuous research and utilizing AI to glean actionable insights. By integrating AI into daily routines, marketing teams can stay responsive to real-time data, allowing for swift adjustments and optimization of campaigns.

"AI has been huge for me as well. Just to be able to start typing in those prompts, trying to understand, let that data tell me what's actually happening out there."
— Carrie Cockrum [25:11]

Conclusion

Episode #669 provides a deep dive into the evolving landscape of retail marketing, emphasizing the critical role of speed, data, and AI in crafting agile and resilient brands. Carrie Cockrum’s insights offer valuable guidance for marketers seeking to navigate the complexities of modern consumer behavior and technological advancements, ensuring sustained growth and relevance in a competitive market.

Key Takeaways:

• Speed and Agility: Rapid response to consumer trends and technological changes is essential.
• AI as an Enhancer: Utilize AI to augment human capabilities in data analysis, personalization, and automation.
• Authenticity is Paramount: Maintain brand voice and authenticity through human-guided AI applications.
• Extended Holiday Season: Adapt marketing strategies to capitalize on a prolonged shopping period beyond traditional peak days.
• Invest in Data: Prioritize first-party data collection and integrate data-driven insights into marketing strategies.

For more insights and strategies on building an agile brand, subscribe to The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® and stay ahead in the dynamic world of marketing.