Authenticity, agility and cultural connection took center stage on Day 1 of Retail Innovation Week, as brand leaders, creators and entrepreneurs explored how the retail landscape is being transformed by creator-led content, fandom-fueled media and founder-driven innovation.
Creator Content as Retail Infrastructure
At the Embark Summit, digital commerce experts from New Engen and Primo Water emphasized a major shift: creator content is now core infrastructure, not just a marketing tactic.
Brittany Nobles, Omnicommerce Marketing Manager at Primo, said consumers engage more deeply with conversational, culturally relevant content than with traditional ads. Social media such as TikTok is central to this shift.
One standout success story was a viral creator video featuring Saratoga Water, which led to fast-tracked content deployment and new retail expansion within just three days. This real-time activation illustrated how brands must prioritize speed and relevance in creator-led commerce.
“All good content should be built for scale and performance," Hunter Poole of New Engen said, stressing the role of creator assets in full-funnel strategies across retail media, PDPs and in-store activations.
Fandom as the New Media Channel
In another Embark session, leaders from the worlds of sports, gaming and CPG made the case that fandom – not platforms – is today’s most powerful media channel.
“My kids don’t care about CBS. They care about what it is and who it is,” said Source Media Group's Owen Leimbach, illustrating the shift from traditional media to passion-first marketing.
Panelists, including Heinz's Katie DeBriyn and Hashku's Joel Ponce, outlined how brands can convert cultural moments into retail wins, citing examples like Ore-Ida’s March Madness NIL deal with BYU’s Richie Saunders. The campaign generated viral buzz and double-digit sales growth, powered by in-store activations like the fan-favorite “Tot Clock.”
Gaming was also framed as a mass culture opportunity, with over 3 billion gamers globally and 75 million daily users on Roblox. As creators and fans increasingly dominate attention, the message was clear: passion drives purchase.
Founders Share Grit and Growth
The summit also spotlighted retail founders whose personal stories fueled product innovation.
Gail Becker, founder of Caulipower, shared how a personal need – making gluten-free pizza for her sons – sparked one of the fastest-growing frozen food brands in the U.S. Her leap from PR executive to food entrepreneur, including early support from Walmart, underscored the value of being underestimated.
“Underestimation can be the single greatest entrepreneurial advantage,” Becker said, adding a call to action for greater funding equity for women-led startups.
Meanwhile, Morgan Murdock of Unbothered Foods and Julie Smolyansky of Lifeway Foods offered a behind-the-scenes look at building fermentation-based brands. Both emphasized the importance of manufacturing integrity, noting the challenges of scaling real fermented products in a category often dominated by shortcuts.
Takeaways for Brands and Builders
Across sessions, several key themes emerged:
- Speed and Relevance Matter: From TikTok trends to NIL deals, real-time activation is critical.
- Creators Drive Commerce: Content must span the full funnel, from awareness to purchase.
- Fandom is Full-Funnel: Tap into passions to create deeper, more sustained engagement.
- Founders Fuel Innovation: Resilience and authenticity resonate with both consumers and partners.
- Retail Integration is Essential: Passion must connect to in-store and omnichannel execution.
As Retail Innovation Week continues, the clear mandate for brands is to move faster, think culturally and scale smarter in today’s omnichannel world.
