Brandtech vs DaVinci Commerce

Brandtech's Rebecca Sykes on AI Implementation Challenges

In a podcast interview, Rebecca Sykes, partner at The Brandtech Group and head of its emerging technology practice, argues that generative AI can work with messy, siloed data, contrary to conventional wisdom. She emphasizes that brand-specific data, even if disorganized, prevents AI outputs from becoming generic. Sykes highlights that many AI pilots fail at scale because companies only automate isolated steps without re-engineering the entire workflow, using the 'frog in a sock' analogy. She advocates for building new operating models around AI capabilities, focusing on people, processes, and new roles like AI governance. The episode also discusses Brandtech's new global data and AI practice, Jellyfish's 'share of model' tool, and the importance of video in AI brand recommendations.

• Rebecca Sykes is a partner at The Brandtech Group and leads its emerging technology practice.
• Sykes argues that generative AI can work with messy, siloed data, not just pristine data.
• She uses the 'frog in a sock' analogy to illustrate how existing operating models hinder AI transformation.

Jellyfish Research: AI Shopping Reshapes Brand Competition

New research from Jellyfish, a global digital marketing company within The Brandtech Group, reveals that AI shopping assistants are dramatically reshaping competitive dynamics. The Share of Model™ tool analyzed AI recommendations across eight categories in the US, UK, Australia, and Singapore, spanning ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Amazon Alexa. Key findings show there is no single 'AI shelf'—different assistants recommend vastly different brands and products for the same query. AI can erase brand leadership, as seen in US fashion where the top brand held only 7% of the shelf across 120 brands. AI also ignores traditional price positioning, with men's suits in the UK ranging from £27 to £3,295 in one response. The company launched Shopping Optimization, a new capability within Share of Model, enabling marketers to analyze AI recommendations at the SKU level and optimize for agentic commerce.

• Jellyfish research analyzed AI shopping recommendations across eight categories in the US, UK, Australia, and Singapore.
• ChatGPT accounted for roughly 80% of AI product recommendations, Google's AI Mode around 20%.
• In US fashion, recommendations spanned 120 brands, with the top brand holding just 7% of the shelf.

Insurers Become New AI Accountability Players in Ad Tech

At the Programmatic I/O conference, industry leaders discussed the emerging role of insurance companies in AI governance for advertising. Betty Louie of The Brandtech Group noted that insurers are becoming 'a new player in the AI discussion,' with policies that will add a layer of protection but also fragmentation. Executives from Yum! Brands and BBDO shared their approaches to AI oversight, emphasizing the need for auditability and clear internal guidelines. They highlighted the challenges of navigating a fragmented regulatory landscape, including the EU AI Act and various state laws, and stressed the importance of human oversight to prevent cost overruns and errors in AI-driven advertising workflows.

• Gartner survey from April 2026 found 60% of companies using AI will face unexpected charges or exceed budgets due to lack of human oversight.
• More than half (56%) of companies using AI tools implemented them without clear policies, according to Gartner.
• Betty Louie of The Brandtech Group stated insurance underwriters are becoming a 'new player in the AI discussion' at Programmatic I/O.

DaVinci Commerce Unveils Brand Agent featuring Patent-Pending Product Context Memory for Personal AI Agents

DaVinci Commerce today announced a significant expansion of its Agentic Commerce Experience Platform™, introducing patent-pending Product Context Memory™ (PCM) technology and a new platform architecture designed to help brands and retailers compete as LLMs and personal AI agents play a growing role in product discovery, consideration, and purchase.