Generative AI tools increasingly rely on community-driven platforms—Reddit, YouTube, Wikipedia, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and more—as primary sources that feed directly into consumer-facing answers. Because AI does not distinguish between search content, social chatter, reviews, creator posts, or earned media, brand visibility now depends on cross-team coordination rather than siloed optimization. Upstream conversations matter: if forums, reviews, or public commentary lack clarity or depth, AI responses will mirror those gaps. And because users often begin with general queries—not shopping-specific ones—early influence happens long before product discovery. To stay visible, brands must unify search, social, PR, and content workflows.

Holiday retail sales will grow 4.5% to reach $1.317 trillion this year, according to our forecast. Retailers who want to carve out a share of that spend will need strong promotional strategies and a seamless digital-physical experience. It’s also not a bad idea to have a plan ready for when the returns start rolling in.

Faced with a global pandemic, consumers leaned into certainty. Forty percent of shoppers said materials and craftsmanship earned their confidence in a brand.

According to a January 2019 survey from product experience management platform Salsify, US digital shoppers expect an average of about six images, and three videos when looking at a product on Amazon or another retailer.

Content is king, even in ecommerce. Product page details—images, videos, reviews, descriptions—can make or break an online sale. According to Salsify, product content has become a greater priority among brand marketers. In 2018, practically all (99%) agree that quality product content is important to sales growth through digital channels.

We talk to four agency executives about the challenges brands need help solving to optimize their Amazon product detail pages.