Key takeaways
– Marketers must meet consumers where they are, because discovery now happens across a web of digital and physical touchpoints.
– Artificial intelligence is best deployed to remove friction in the path to purchase, not to substitute the emotional storytelling that drives loyalty.
– Physical stores remain critical, but retailers are tailoring in-store experiences to local communities to convert discovery into sales.
Shopping is no longer a single linear journey. A recent ADWEEK House Cannes Lions discussion co-hosted with Roundel brought together leaders from retail, tech and brand marketing to argue that discovery happens wherever the consumer happens to be — scrolling, searching, watching or simply walking through a high street. The session, reported by Melissa Ward for ADWEEK, featured voices from Google, Pinterest, Mattel, LTK and Roundel, and underlined a simple commercial fact: presence across moments matters more than platform supremacy. See the full report at https://www.adweek.com/commerce/when-every-moment-becomes-a-shopping-moment/ and learn more about Roundel at https://www.roundel.com.
Discovery begins wherever consumers are
Speakers including Stephanie Sandbo of LTK and Kristin Patterson of Pinterest pushed back on the idea of a single funnel. Sandbo argued the funnel has not so much died as collapsed, with awareness and conversion increasingly interchangeable when commerce is built into discovery. Patterson emphasised mindset over medium: consumers move from inspiration to deeper research — perhaps from Pinterest to Google Search — and then into a store. Google’s Katie Babcock illustrated that discovery can begin in the most mundane moments, such as photographing a bag on a plane and turning that image into a purchase pathway. The implication for brands is straightforward: plan media and commerce so they can convert in any moment, not only along a tidy marketing plan.
AI reduces friction, not emotional connection
There was broad agreement that AI is changing how shoppers search and how retailers respond. Babcock and Sandbo described search queries as longer and richer in context than before, allowing retailers to reduce transactional friction. But the panel was careful to distinguish convenience from connection. Sandbo said creator-led, storytelling campaigns often outperform purely transactional messaging, and Mahta Eghbali of Mattel warned that fandom and emotion must be nurtured if brand relationships are to endure. In short, brands should use AI to answer the consumer’s specific question faster, while preserving the human elements that generate preference and loyalty.
Physical retail continues to matter
Roundel’s Jenny Holleran underlined that people still want the joy of shopping in physical spaces, and that phones in-store are less a distraction than a natural part of the discovery process. Shoppers use mobile devices to validate choices, compare prices, read reviews and look for additional content — turning the store into one node in a larger omnichannel network. Mattel’s approach, as described by Eghbali, is to cultivate interest across socials, games, experiential and location-based entertainment so the in-store moment feels like the natural culmination of an ongoing relationship.
What this means for Irish retailers and brands
For Irish marketers and retailers the conversation offers a set of practical imperatives.
– Invest where context converts. Small and medium Irish retailers should prioritise being discoverable at the moments that matter, whether that is on local search listings, social commerce formats or in-store QR-enabled content. Global platforms matter, but local relevance sells.
– Treat AI as infrastructure, not replacement. Use AI to speed comparison, improve search relevance and personalise offers, but retain human-led storytelling and in-person experiences that build loyalty and justify margins.
– Localise the store experience. Retailers that understand neighbourhood demographics and adapt assortments and merchandising accordingly will convert more effectively than those that apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
– Measure outcomes, not vanity. With more touchpoints comes more measurement options; Irish brands should focus on sales and lifetime value, not just impressions or clicks.
The ADWEEK discussion offers a reminder that omnichannel is not an abstract strategy but a commercial necessity. As discovery fragments across platforms and places, the brands that win will be those that reduce friction to purchase while protecting the human elements that create desire.
Source: Melissa Ward, ADWEEK. https://www.adweek.com/commerce/when-every-moment-becomes-a-shopping-moment/ Additional reading: Google Retail Solutions https://www.google.com/business/industry/retail and Pinterest for Business https://business.pinterest.com.
