Variety and KINESSO kicked off Advertising Week in New York in spectacular fashion, hosting the first ever Content Meets Commerce Summit.
The event explored the growing crossover between commerce and content with some of the best and brightest in the industry, including actress Busy Philips, host and co-executive producer of the late-night talk show “Busy This Week” on QVC+.
Keynote discussions, panels and presentations delved into a range of topics, including the evolution of shopping habits and channels in the digital age, the nuance between retail and commerce media, and the emergence of media ecosystems with commerce at their center.
To watch the sessions in full, check out Variety’s Content Meets Commerce Summit roundup article.
In the event’s keynote, Busy Philipps sat down with Stacie Tedesco, VP of streaming at Qurate Retail Group, and Variety co-editor-in-chief to discuss QVC’s place in the digital age of shopping.
“We don’t sell anything on the show,” explains Philipps, “you want what you’re watching but you don’t want to feel like it’s being shoved down your throat.”
The conversation highlights how commerce and content are being woven together through new technology and smart content programming, closing the gap between viewers and the items they see on screen.
The event’s first panel brought together Ashan Khan, Head of Agency Partnerships at Uber Advertising; Aaron Gallagher, Managing Director for Kinective Media by United Airlines; Parbinder Dhariwal, VP of CVS media exchange and Suzanne Skop, Senior Director of Agency and Off-platform Partnerships for Instacart.
Amie Owen, Global Chief Growth Officer at KINESSO Commerce, led the conversation on the nuances of digital commerce and physical retail, covering the differences between a commerce media network and a Retail Media Network and the importance of closed-loop attribution in a world where shopping journeys are increasingly fragmented.
Where is the commerce industry heading? Crystal Wallace, Operations Executive Lead for Data and Tech at KINESSO, joined Jeriad Zoghby, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer of IPG, and Brian Steinberg, senior TV editor at Variety to speculate.
Zoghby and Wallace explored various topics at the heart of the commerce revolution, including the increasing number of ways consumers can now shop – whether online or in-store, and the convergence of retailers, media networks, and streaming services toward ‘media ecosystems’.
To cap off the event, Magno Herran, Netflix’s VP of Global Brand & Marketing Partnerships, and Variety’s business editor Todd Spangler, discussed Netflix’s collaboration with Google for shoppable moments during a recent Emily in Paris episode.
“We’re always thinking about telling the right stories the best way. If we ever do integrations, they have to be very authentic, very thoughtful, and they have to be additive to the experience versus something that we’re forcing brands into the mix.” Said Herran.
The talk focused on how Netflix is seeking to appeal to Gen Z buying habits, investing in innovative ad formats and shoppable activations, without compromising the authenticity of its content.
Contact KINESSO Commerce today to learn how we can help you create engaging experiences that drive sales.
