AMENIA, NY – Agentic AI and retail media are reshaping how consumers shop and how brands connect with them, said Amie Owen, global chief commerce officer at IPG Mediabrands. In this interview with Beet.TV contributor David Kaplan at the Beet Retreat Berkshires, Owen discussed how artificial intelligence, personalization and the rise of retail media networks are transforming the commerce landscape.
AI already in the aisle
Owen said agentic AI is not so much changing consumer behavior as making it more seamless. Many shoppers, she said, are already using AI without realizing it, whether through voice assistants like Alexa or AI-powered customer service tools such as Walmart’s “Sparky” or Amazon’s “Rufus.”
These agents are “quicken[ing] the demand of what people are really looking for,” she said.
Personalization with guardrails
AI-driven personalization has advanced, but Owen emphasized the need for oversight.
“The capability is there, but you still need that human element to ensure that what is going out into the world is compliant,” she said.
Her team works closely with brand and legal departments to ensure AI-generated content aligns with brand standards and avoids errors. The goal, she added, is to deliver messages that truly resonate with consumers “when they’re looking for it.”
Blurring lines between media and commerce
The growth of retail media networks has erased many of the boundaries between traditional advertising, shopping platforms, and commerce strategies. Owen said her approach is to embrace this gray area.
“Change is going to be the constant,” she said, urging clients to reorganize for agility as commerce now touches every part of the marketing ecosystem.
Performance marketing and AI education
AI-powered performance marketing, Owen said, is not just about moving existing inventory but also driving incremental growth. She stressed the importance of educating both brands and retailers about how shoppers behave differently across physical and digital ecosystems.
“All ships rise,” she noted, when stakeholders understand these shifts together.
Work behind retail media
As AI takes over routine tasks, Owen sees commerce teams shifting to more strategic work. But she acknowledged the complexity created by hundreds of retail media networks, each with its own product pages and consumer touchpoints.
“How is one person actually going to be able to honestly look at that?” she asked.
Mediabrands is developing systems to help clients manage this scale in real time, ensuring they can optimize across thousands of products and platforms.
Ultimately, Owen believes agentic AI will accelerate commerce while pushing agencies and brands to rethink their operating models.
“The new model will eat the old model,” she said, stressing that agility, systems thinking and strategic human oversight will define success in the years ahead.
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