This year’s Digital Food & Beverage 2025 conference in London brought together over 300 eCommerce and digital marketing leaders from Europe’s top FMCG brands. Across two days of insightful sessions, panel debates, and networking opportunities, the event highlighted some of the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the industry right now.
From retail media growth and AI-powered content strategies to omnichannel evolution and data unification, discussions explored how brands can stay ahead in an increasingly fragmented and competitive landscape. There were also heated debates on e-commerce strategy, internal capability-building, and the role of retail media in driving measurable business impact.
Key Themes That Emerged:
✔ The rise of AI and GenAI – How brands are using automation to enhance customer journeys and content creation.
✔ The ongoing retail media challenge – Standardisation, measurement, and how to justify investment.
✔ The power of data unification – Connecting digital shelf analytics, sales data, and media performance for better decision-making.
✔ The evolving role of digital teams – Should eCommerce sit within marketing or sales?
✔ The importance of simplicity – Cutting through complexity to focus on actionable insights and results.
With leaders from Carlsberg, Kimberly-Clark, Danone, Diageo, Lipton Tea, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Arla Foods, and many more taking part in the discussions, there was no shortage of real-world case studies, success stories, and strategic challenges shared.
So what were the biggest takeaways from the event? Here’s what stood out.
1. Data Is Gold—But Only If You Use It
A key theme running through multiple sessions was that brands collect vast amounts of data, but often fail to act on it effectively. In one session, it was highlighted that 80% of consumers buy from brands that offer personalisation, yet many brands struggle to use their data in real time.
🔹 Three golden rules for success:
- Know your customer – Collect the right data so you know how to market to them.
- Act in real time – Don’t just store data—use it!
- Make it feel human – Tech + emotion = magic. Consumers don’t want to feel like they’re part of an algorithm.
💡 Takeaway: Brands need to shift from data collection to data activation. The best promotions and digital campaigns are those that not only gather consumer insights but immediately apply them to drive engagement, conversion, and loyalty.
2. Where Should Digital Commerce Sit? (Marketing or Sales?)
A debate that surfaced repeatedly was the organisational challenge of where digital commerce belongs—within marketing, sales, or as a standalone function.
Some brands place their eCommerce teams within sales, focusing on conversion and market share growth. Others argue that digital should sit closer to marketing, enabling faster alignment on brand messaging, promotions, and media spend.
💡 Takeaway: The most successful brands bridge the gap between sales and marketing, ensuring data flows seamlessly across teams. Companies that keep these functions siloed risk inefficiencies and missed opportunities.
3. The Power of Timing in E-Commerce
A key discussion around consumer buying behaviour revealed interesting trends in when shoppers make online purchases:
✔ Thursday spikes for weekend planning – A surge in organic sales as consumers prep their baskets for the weekend.
✔ Seasonal events require early engagement – Easter products, for example, peak two weeks before the event, not at the last minute.
✔ For alcohol brands, quick-commerce demand surges between Friday 6pm and Sunday 2pm.
💡 Takeaway: Brands that align campaigns, promotions, and media spend with real shopping behaviour will see far greater ROI than those operating on fixed internal calendars.
4. The 4 Layers of Buying (How Leading Drinks Brands Approach Digital Shelf Strategy)
One discussion from a global drinks company highlighted four key layers influencing online purchase decisions:
- Mission – Why is the consumer shopping? (Stocking up, buying for tonight, gifting?)
- Channel – Are they in-store or online?
- Drivers – What motivates the purchase?
- Barriers – What’s stopping them from buying?
💡 Takeaway: Brands that optimise their digital shelf strategy and retail content based on consumer missions will outperform those relying on static product listings alone.
5. Retail Media: The Secret to Higher ROI?
Retail media is booming, but defining what’s included, how to measure success, and who owns the strategy remains a challenge.
A case study from a leading beverage brand showed that a fully integrated omnichannel retail media approach—combining promotions, on-site and off-site media, and in-store activations—led to 70% of off-site ad viewers purchasing in-store.
💡 Takeaway: One-channel marketing doesn’t work anymore. Consumers don’t shop in a straight line, so brands need connected commerce strategies to engage them across multiple touchpoints.
6. Data Unification: The Missing Piece in Many Strategies
One of the biggest pain points raised? Data silos.
Many brands are still disconnected in their approach to digital marketing, retail media, and sales data. Some key questions raised:
- How do brands connect digital shelf performance with retail media effectiveness?
- How can eCommerce insights better inform marketing decisions?
- What’s the role of AI in making sense of all this data?
💡 Takeaway: Brands that invest in data unification—combining insights from sales, digital shelf analytics, and media performance—will be in a much stronger position to drive strategic growth.
Final Thoughts: What This Means for Your Brand
The Digital Food & Beverage 2025 conference highlighted one clear truth—brands need to get better at connecting the dots.
From breaking down internal silos to using data in real time, the brands that win in eCommerce and digital marketing will be those that:
✔ Have a clear omnichannel strategy
✔ Use data to drive action, not just reporting
✔ Invest in capability-building across teams
🔥 Want to fix your data strategy?
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