The new media-to-shelf: How wired CPG wins in the
age of AI

20th May 2026 | Episode 7 | 50 mins

Reimagine with AI

Most "digital + retail" strategies fail in execution. Jeff explains how to make it real at scale.
In this episode of Reimagine with AI by Sigmoid, I'm joined by Jeff Swearingen (ex-PepsiCo)—one of the early leaders who brought digital-grade precision into brick-and-mortar retail.
We go deep on what Jeff calls "media-to-shelf": connecting targeted media, consumer propensities, and store-level execution so shoppers actually find what the ad promised.
This is not a theory. It's the operating model, data foundation, and cross-functional discipline required to turn signals into sales across markets, categories, and retailers.

Why this matters for executives:

AI doesn't fail because models are weak. It fails because organizations can't align data, incentives, partners, and execution timelines. Jeff lays out the practical playbook for building capability over multiple years while still showing P&L impact early—without waiting for "perfect" data infrastructure.

Key topics covered:

• The moment brick-and-mortar needed digital-level precision
• Building early retail data sets: what worked, what didn't
• How to secure multi-year exec buy-in while proving value yearly
• "Media-to-shelf" and why it changed sales + marketing collaboration
• Mapping consumer propensities to physical locations and store opportunity
• Marker categories, latent demand, and finding unrealized growth
• Why "fidgetal" fails: operating model, planning, and incentives
• The baton pass: making cross-team handoffs actually work
• Digital determinism in retail: what "good enough" looks like
• Transformation leadership: mandate vs movement, and when to use each
• Career advice: becoming "functionally multilingual" in a matrix org