Global State of Ecommerce 2025 report found that 11.4% of retail traffic from ChatGPT converted to sales, compared with 9.3% for paid search and 5.3% for organic search.

• Discover the right social and discussion platforms for the focus where your brand needs to win influence, prioritizing those most frequently referenced in ChatGPT answers and Google search results for key topics.
• Simplify and structure your branded content to make it easily digestible by both people and machines. For better placement in AI summaries, Solis recommends “chunking” content into focused semantic units that can stand on their own, independent of a larger document.
• Aim for recognition as a trusted, clearly differentiated brand. Cultivate proof points (success stories, benchmarks, certifications), experts advocates, validation by partners, analysts, reviews and press, and consistent visibility everywhere that potential customers are forming opinions and making decisions.
• Monitor your brand visibility, sentiment, referrals from AI to identify opportunities to improve mentions that matter versus competitors. 
  
  

Why is now the moment for agentic AI in business and marketing?

What exactly makes MetadataONE an “agentic” GTM platform—not just another AI automation layer?

MetadataONE has dozens of agents that works together to analyze, build, create, deploy, and optimize marketing campaigns. 

Different paid platforms have different audiences, data structures, and bidding systems. Can MetadataONE ensure campaigns perform optimally across each platform (Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and Reddit)?

How does experimentation work within MetadataONE? 

• Every campaign gets broken down into hundreds or thousands of micro-experiments. The platform automatically mixes audiences, creative, messaging, and bids into unique experiments you’d never have time to build manually.
• Agents analyze performance continuously across channels, CRM data, and downstream pipeline impact for what’s driving opportunity creation and revenue.
• Poor performers are shut off instantly and budgets are allocated to what works. No waiting for your next ‘optimization day.’ The system reallocates spending in real time.
• Every insight loops back into every future campaign.  Humans optimize on what happened last week. Metadata optimizes on everything that’s ever worked for you.
  
  

Every CEO knows the sinking feeling: phones go quiet, referrals dry up, and deals that seemed certain are suddenly “pushed to next quarter.” It’s like standing in a field under cloudless skies, watching the ground crack.

Business droughts are inevitable. The real test of leadership is what you do while you wait for rain.

This article explores how CEOs and marketing leaders can apply a farmer’s wisdom, conserving resources, deepening roots, innovating with new tools, and preparing for growth, to thrive when the pipeline slows.

The Tale of Two CEOs

CEO One: The Panic Response

When the pipeline slowed, John panicked. He slashed the marketing budget, paused campaigns, and pushed sales harder. His logic: conserve cash now, rebuild later.

But when the market shifted, his firm was invisible. No thought leadership, no visibility, no conversations. Competitors had claimed the spotlight. By the time rain came, John’s fields were barren.

CEO Two: The Resilient Response

Mary faced the same pressures. Every dollar mattered. But instead of shutting things down, she refined her strategy:

• Cut low-yield spend (trade shows, vanity blogs).
• Doubled down on client and partner relationships.
• Invested in precision: account-based marketing and AI tools.
• Protected her firm’s visibility with consistent thought leadership.

When conditions improved, Mary’s firm was already top-of-mind. Growth came faster because she had kept the soil fertile.

The CEO’s Drought Playbook

Farmers don’t just hope for rain. They adapt with deliberate, disciplined strategies. Mid-market CEOs and marketing leaders can do the same.

Here’s a practical playbook:

1. Conserve Without Starving

Farming parallel: Focus water on the crops most likely to survive.

Marketing strategy:

• Audit spend — cut what doesn’t deliver measurable pipeline results.
• Drop vanity metrics — measure success by proposals, meetings, and influenced revenue.
• Protect proven channels — don’t sacrifice what consistently generates quality leads.

Practical move: Pause low-value activities like generic newsletters. Keep investing in high-ROI tactics like LinkedIn ads or targeted campaigns.

2. Deepen Your Roots

Farming parallel: Plants grow deeper roots to access reserves.

Marketing strategy:

• Reignite dormant relationships with tailored, insight-driven outreach.
• Create client-only value — private webinars, special insights, or roundtables.
• Empower employees as ambassadors on LinkedIn.

Practical move: Have every partner reach out to five past clients this quarter with a relevant point of view. That’s 25–50 quality conversations.

3. Innovate Your Irrigation

Farming parallel: New irrigation methods keep crops alive in drought.

Marketing strategy:

• Pilot AI tools for research, summaries, and first drafts, freeing teams to focus on creativity.
• Launch account-based marketing (ABM) focused on top 25 dream accounts.
• Tap fractional expertise (like a fractional CMO) to maximize budget efficiency.

Practical move: Run a 90-day ABM sprint with targeted ads, executive outreach, and tailored content.

4. Lead With Visibility

Farming parallel: Farmers walk the fields daily — steady and visible.

Marketing strategy:

• Publish at least one strong thought leadership piece per quarter.
• Stay active on LinkedIn with authentic, CEO-authored posts.
• Show optimism — steadiness reassures both employees and the market.

Practical move: Commit to one CEO-authored post per month. Share a client story, lesson learned, or leadership insight.

5. Prepare the Soil for Rain

Farming parallel: Farmers fertilize and till before the storm clouds gather.

Marketing strategy:

• Build case studies now, not later.
• Refresh your website so it reflects who you are today.
• Invest in training to sharpen business development skills.

Practical move: Task your team (or a fractional partner) with developing three new client case studies during the downturn.

Why This Matters Now

Marketing leaders today face intense pressure with tighter budgets, longer sales cycles, and leadership teams demanding ROI proof. In that environment, panic responses only accelerate decline. Resilient strategies, by contrast, not only preserve visibility but also position firms to capture growth the moment conditions improve.

The Payoff

Weather can’t be controlled, but preparation can. By thinking like a farmer, CEOs resist panic and instead:

• Protect what works.
• Deepen relationships.
• Innovate with AI and fractional expertise.
• Stay visible when competitors go quiet.
• Prepare for growth before it arrives.

And when the skies open, as they always do, your firm won’t just survive the drought. It will already be thriving, ready to capture the rain.

1. What attracted you to Nift at this stage in your career and what excites you most about joining as the company’s first Chief Revenue Officer?

Over my career, I’ve worked on all sides of the advertising equation and at companies at every stage of growth, from early stage to IPO to acquisition to Fortune 500. I was on the buy side at TubeMogul/Adobe, the sell side at Chartboost, and the publisher side at Gopuff and Block, where my focus was building and leading revenue and partnership teams. During my time at Block, Nift was a partner of ours for three years, so I’ve seen firsthand how the model drives strong revenue while prioritizing the customer experience. I was also able to get to know Elery Pfeffer, Nift’s founder and CEO, very well while working with him as a client, and I’m thrilled to join Nift now because we share a clear view of both the market opportunity in front of us and the best way to accelerate Nift’s growth.

The timing is also perfect for me to step into the CRO role because commerce media is at an inflection point. The primary challenge most revenue owners face today is monetizing CMN inventory while still offering personalized customer experiences. Brands and commerce platforms are both rethinking how to connect with consumers in ways that feel more contextually relevant and native. Nift is addressing this challenge by prioritizing the customer experience while unlocking revenue. The company is positioned to see explosive growth by solving commerce platforms’ ad challenges, and I’m excited to help achieve that.

2. In your view, how does Nift’s model differ from the retail media playbook and why do you see it as especially well-suited for fintech and other consumer-facing platforms?

Our two-sided ad marketplace, which connects commerce platforms to advertisers and brands to new customers, solves the problem of intrusive ads for consumers, platforms and brands alike.

Consumers are annoyed by traditional retail media formats like sponsored search, banner ads and sponsored product ads because they interrupt the digital experience. Commerce platforms want monetization opportunities that enhance their customer experience. And brands are looking for cost-efficient ways to reach and convert new customers.

Nift addresses the pain points of all three groups by creating positive customer moments through relevant gifting. Commerce platforms partner with us to unlock passive revenue by showing appreciation to their customers and DTC, midmarket and enterprise brands and subscription companies join our platform to efficiently lower their CACs.

Also, Nift works across all verticals, including fitness, travel, utilities and others, not just retail. And because it enables consumer-facing platforms to generate revenue without compromising the experience, it’s a particularly good fit for fintech companies like Block, Klarna and Zip, where trust and the customer experience are at the heart of the business model.

3. How do you see collaborations such as the one with Klarna shaping the broader industry’s approach to integrating ad inventory into customer experiences?

Our partnership with Klarna serves as proof of concept on multiple levels. It shows that gifting drives customer loyalty for our partners that operate consumer-facing platforms as well as brand engagement. It’s also a great example of how major fintech players are moving away from interruptive ads and toward experience-first models. In addition, it provides a framework other consumer platforms can replicate to integrate advertising in a way that’s authentic to their brand. And finally, it demonstrates how the right advertising approach can strengthen rather than strain customer relationships.

4. You’ve led advertising partnerships at companies ranging from startups to IPOs. What lessons from your time at Block, Gopuff and TubeMogul (which was acquired by Adobe) will you bring to Nift as it scales its revenue and partnerships?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you always have to start by understanding the customer’s problem and focus on solving that. I’ve also learned how valuable it is to blend technology and sales in the right way to move faster. Developing real human relationships and knowing when teams need to rely on human expertise instead of digital tools are key, too.

I’ve also learned the importance of building a strong team and a great work culture. As a leader, I aim for a high “do-say ratio,” meaning people keep their word when they say they’ll do something. Experience has also taught me how valuable it is to hire adaptable team players who can move fast and learn quickly. People with those qualities are crucial to the growth of any business.

5. Can you share how AI is being applied to personalize experiences and generate incremental revenue for partners?

Nifts are thank-you gifts introducing customers to new brands and products that are relevant to them based on their history and interests. We use AI to align brand gift offers with each recipient’s preferences and behavior. Matching a customer with offers personally tailored to them drives higher engagement, and our brand partners are seeing conversion rates of up to 40%, versus 1%–3% for traditional digital ads.

We also use machine learning to identify the best moments for our partners to present a gift. Nifts can be delivered at nearly 20 different customer moments, including post-purchase, not just at checkout. For example, a partner might present a Nift to thank a customer for downloading an app, making an on-time payment or leaving a review. Partners can even offer a Nift to acknowledge a customer’s birthday or anniversary. The technology helps identify the best time and context to present the offer. Our AI also enables seamless integration into customer journeys. Nifts can be integrated into email, SMS or in-app or in-store experiences.

6. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for commerce media over the next 2–3 years and how does Nift plan to stay ahead of the curve?

Commerce media is quickly expanding beyond retail into other verticals, like fintech, travel, lifestyle and gaming, so there’s a big opportunity for us over the next few years as the market broadens. We’re seeing a shift toward advertising that enhances rather than interrupts the customer journey and an increased focus on performance, with companies looking to drive measurable, attributable revenue.

As more players enter the commerce media space, differentiation will become harder. But the biggest challenge will still be balancing integrations that feel fully native with authentic customer experiences that don’t feel intrusive. Think about a financial services company that presents a non-endemic banner or video ad on its platform. The ad disrupts the experience and annoys the customer. The company can avoid that, and add value to the experience instead, by presenting an offer that acknowledges and rewards the customer for a specific action, like making a second on-time payment or opening a new account.

Nift is focused on staying ahead by being a first mover into new categories, like we are in fintech, where our recent partner launches include Klarna and Zip. We also let platforms connect with customers at multiple touchpoints, not just during the transaction, so offers are well-timed and delivered through the right channel for each customer. And we’ll continue to lead with proof of results, focusing on the outcomes while ensuring the consumer experience is repeatable.

7. How do you see Nift’s growth impacting consumer loyalty and brand engagement in the long run and what role do partnerships play in scaling that impact?

Nift is building the foundation to become a primary channel for brand discovery by 2026, giving platforms a way to deliver relevant, well-timed offers to customers. Our growing partner ecosystem will be key to scaling that impact, especially as we expand internationally. Strategic partnerships with platforms that are leaders in their industry drive credibility for our solution, expand our distribution and create network effects where every new platform and brand increases the value for all participants.

1. Having represented media brands and publishers from the magazine era to marketing agencies and content creators today, how has the evolution of the media space shaped the way you approach PR?

We have always followed a top-down public relations strategy, with a focus on national media outlets in television, radio, and print, as well as industry outlets in the B2B space. But as the media landscape expanded and fragmented across digital channels, new opportunities for coverage emerged. This shift encouraged a “more is more” approach, as national media hits began to have shorter life spans. At the same time, coverage—whether national or regional—now lives on beyond its initial run, shared and amplified across digital channels, newsletters, and social media, giving a lasting presence and enduring shelf life. The evolution continues to take shape. Podcasts and Substack writers have expanded the media universe again, and our strategy has adapted to actively target these emerging platforms.

2. For media brands, publishers, content creators and marketing agencies, what are the key ingredients of a successful PR strategy?
First and foremost, companies in the media and marketing space must execute a solid thought leadership campaign. Be willing to comment on timely topics—and say something different from everybody else. That’s how you stand out, and how you demonstrate true thought leadership. After all, what’s the point in commenting if you’re simply saying what everybody else is saying? Media industry leaders must be ready and poised to create their own content via newsletters, bylined articles and blog posts, as well as manage a robust LinkedIn presence. Staying front and center is key, and being viewed as a thought leader in your field of expertise will keep you ahead of the competition. Further, consistency is critical; a one-off effort isn’t going to achieve the same impact as a sustained, long-term campaign.

Beyond that, availability and responsiveness are also critical. In a marketing and media landscape where everything moves so quickly—major announcements, brand controversies and industry shake-ups included—you want to earn the reputation with reporters and producers as a trusted source who can reliably deliver quick, insightful commentary on a tight deadline. A strong PR partner will pave the way to building that rapport with key media contacts.


3. Over the years, the lines between PR, marketing, and digital have blurred. How has this convergence reshaped client expectations and the role of PR firms?

The lines between PR, marketing, and digital have always overlapped, but today the role of PR agencies has clearly expanded. Agencies are now expected to manage comprehensive content strategies as an integral part of campaigns—developing website copy, articles, blog posts, email newsletters, and even coordinating events. Increasingly, they’re also tasked with running social media campaigns. While this may appear to be a natural extension of PR, in practice social media campaigns require a different set of skills, with greater emphasis on design, agility, timeliness and cultural sensibility. Throughout the years, I’ve always found the evolution of our industry exciting and invigorating, and today is no different.


4. You’ve compared the rise of AI to the early days of Google. Can you expand on that comparison?

In the early years of Google, it became evident that articles and backlinks from authoritative domains significantly influenced search rankings, often determining whether a brand appeared on the first page of results. As a result, media coverage became an essential component of SEO strategies. This dynamic persists in the current era of artificial intelligence. Brands, marketers and PR practitioners are learning to navigate and leverage AI tools in a way that benefits their businesses. Like we’ve seen with SEO, positive press drives website visits and overall brand presence. However, negative press can also wreak havoc on search results, living in full view online for years. Media coverage continues to play a central role in shaping how companies surface in searches, underscoring the enduring importance of digital strategy. We, as PR professionals, must be nimble and adapt to meet our clients' needs in a world that is continually advancing in technology.


5. How should agencies balance the use of data-driven tools with the need for creativity, relationships, and storytelling?

Let’s start with storytelling. That is the most effective tool in the arsenal. Creativity and relationships are a close second, and the data-driven tools should be used for polish and efficiency. There are no shortcuts; you cannot circumvent creativity. However, it is important to embrace new technology and leverage it accordingly. Effective ways to use AI include:

• Embrace it like a highly customizable tool, or even a co-worker—not a crutch.
• Bounce ideas off ChatGPT; ask questions, ask follow-up questions.
• Give feedback so it knows why you chose the response you did over the other ones.
• Use it for ideation, format suggestions and design concepts, but not as a substitute for judgment and critical thinking.
• Aim to think of yourself as an artist and a scientist; if you struggle to find that balance, collaborate with a coworker whose strengths complement your own.


6. Many marketing and technology brands are competing for visibility and credibility. What advice would you give them to stand out in today’s marketplace?

Where do I begin? First and foremost, standing out requires a commitment to a long-term plan. Understand that visibility is not achieved through a single quick fix or isolated success. It is not just the iconic New York Times profile, the AP feature, the high-profile podcast appearance, or the viral social media post. Nor is it only the bylined article in The Wall Street Journal or the CNBC appearance. True impact comes from the cumulative effect of all these efforts. Consistency is essential. Much like cultivating a thriving plant, a PR campaign must be nurtured over time to remain vibrant and top of mind.

If I were advising the OG technology leaders (aka Mark, Elon, Jeff), I would advise them to tone down the decadence and up the empathy factor. Leverage your resources to organize worldwide volunteer efforts for good or build housing for homeless people in distressed areas. Put your talent and resources to good work, and the public would be happy for you to boast about it. Think of other iconic leaders that we admire, such as Lady Diana, who went into minefields; Warren Buffett, who committed to giving most of his money away; and Oprah, who literally built schools for girls in Africa.

More realistically, for non-household name technology and marketing brand leaders, it is important to take a stand and be authentic. People crave authenticity. We would also recommend creating and owning an event that showcases your company’s unique strengths on a broader stage and exists separately from the day-to-day business. Another powerful tactic is to revive the pre-dot-com tradition of meetups. They foster community, build brand equity, and deliver real value. Plus, they are fun.

Marketers today are surrounded by siloed, disconnected, and unusable data and struggle to convert it into smart decisions fast enough. We built MADTECH.AI to bridge that gap and make AI-powered marketing decision intelligence (MDI) usable for all. It is increasingly clear that “Speed to Value” is becoming essential because leadership demands measurable results with a minimum of waste. Our mission is to simplify marketing analytics complexity so marketers can act with confidence and make a positive impact.

Your platform is “purpose-built by organization type and user role.” Can you explain how this approach simplifies complexity for both B2C and B2B marketers?

A retail marketer, a B2B strategist, and a CMO all need vastly different signals. Our platform is designed to deliver tailored insights by role and organization type, so users see only what matters most to them. This eliminates noise and reduces the time spent digging through irrelevant data. The result is faster, more accurate decision-making across the board.

You talk about making insights “accessible to all.” Why is democratizing data and analytics so important for the industry right now?

Data silos and reliance on technical specialists often slow down smart decision-making. By democratizing access to data and insights, we empower everyone so they can use data confidently. This creates a culture of agility and alignment across the organization. In an industry moving at high speed, accessibility is the foundation for innovation and growth.

For emerging brands or agencies with leaner resources, how does the platform help level the playing field?

Smaller teams often lack the budgets or talent pools of larger enterprises. We provide them with pre-built models, automated pipelines, and AI-driven recommendations that are ready to use. This allows lean teams to unlock enterprise-grade marketing decision intelligence without the overhead. In practice, it means they can compete on equal terms with bigger players.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation in MarTech + AdTech over the next five years?

The next leap is AI-based Marketing Decision Intelligence. This is deeply data-connected AI that not only reports activity and performance, but also predicts and recommends actions in real time. We’ll also see stronger convergence of MarTech and AdTech, driving unified cross-channel and cross-platform customer journeys. Privacy-first personalization will shape how brands engage with audiences. Together, these trends will redefine speed, precision, and effectiveness in marketing.

What advice would you give to marketing leaders who want to become more data-driven but feel overwhelmed by complexity?

Start by focusing on one or two areas where data analytics can deliver a visible impact quickly. Small wins delivered quickly build confidence and momentum for broader adoption. Choose platforms that remove complexity and make insights easy to use. Most importantly, foster a culture where sharper, smarter, faster decisions, and not just descriptive dashboards and scorecards, define being “data-driven”.