CGT: Inefficiencies in content creation can seriously hinder personalization efforts. What is a practical approach to creating a framework that enables the dynamic, personalized content that CPGs need to serve a diverse customer base without over-utilizing internal resources?
Thompson: Content bottlenecks are real. CPGs require multiple variations to effectively personalize across different touchpoints and channels, which traditional operating models cannot accommodate. The answer is an end-to-end agent AI content supply chain platform that can plug into your existing or enhanced MarTech stack to understand your brand, audience, and performance. Built on a data-centric approach that drives greater engagement and ROI, enabled by virtual and Gen AI-enabled production solutions, enabling faster delivery, but connected with locally relevant and personalized content tailored to audience size.
We need to move from strict guidelines to flexible systems (design tokens, tonal principles, etc.) and define “non-negotiable zones” and “flex zones” for personalization. Another aspect of this is the human challenge of adoption. We’re seeing that we’re solving this problem by increasing utilization with a “consumer-style” internal user interface, testing how our leading models can perform tasks with easy-to-use prompts, and maximizing time to performance.
CGT: How can CPGs effectively measure what works for consumers and measure business impact?
Thompson: Measuring effectiveness should be done effectively using both internal and external efficiency and effectiveness, rather than just looking at ROI. Internal measures such as tracking content velocity (time from brief to publish), monitoring creative diversity (market fluctuations), and costs by level of personalization (general vs. targeted) are essential. Still, the real impact lies in eliminating channel assets, eliminating duplication of work upstream, and migrating to master templates to save cost and time.
Connected identity and measurement beyond attribution improve campaign delivery performance and enable reallocation of media budgets through AI and agent automation. Ultimately, the new content supply chain reduces the total assets created by enabling data and media connectivity, so CPGs only create what works and learn which assets perform better. This can only be done with a strong connected identity that helps you identify and reach the consumers that matter most.
