At Possible 2025, AI wasn’t just another buzzword, it was the connective tissue running through every conversation. But behind the headline topics, our one-on-one conversations with marketing, retail, and technology leaders across the event grounds revealed a deeper urgency: rethinking how brands engage audiences, personalize experiences, and prove performance in an increasingly fragmented market.

Based on real-time insights gathered through our on-the-ground reporting, here are five hot takes shaping the future and a reflection on where the conversation needs to go next.

The Middlemen Podcast co-hosts Tom Limongello and Todd Sawicki are tracking a shift: retailers and publishers are becoming natural allies.
Retailers bring first-party data and transactional power. Publishers bring brand sales expertise and reach. Together, they could unlock the next wave of retail media growth: not just online, but in-store too.
From shelf labels to digital signage, vendors like Zitcha are connecting traditional displays to the broader retail media ecosystem, creating what Todd called a "chocolate and peanut butter" opportunity​.

At Claritas, a 54-year-old marketing solutions provider, AI is no longer experimental, it’s operational.
Ed Ksobiech shared how Claritas uses AI to power smarter audience development and real-time creative customization across display, audio, video, out-of-home, direct mail, and email.
It’s not just about reaching consumers. It's about delivering the right message, in the right channel, at the right time and optimizing every step for measurable performance​.

Representing LG Digital Screens, Tim Hanley spotlighted a major push: extending retail media beyond online into physical stores.
LG is investing in AI-driven solutions for programmatic buying and content management on in-store digital screens helping retailers activate their first-party data at the point of sale.
While the technology is still early in development, the goal is clear: create more dynamic, targeted in-store experiences that mirror the precision of online media​.

Jorge Montoya from Nextminder is looking beyond traditional data collection.
Nextminder deploys AI-powered synthetic humans to help businesses simulate customer interactions, uncover new insights, and expand their understanding of consumer behavior.
Montoya’s key takeaway from early sessions echoed this mission: getting closer to customers through authenticity and empathy will be essential for building meaningful brand connections in 2025.

Rae-vaughn Lucas, Creative Director at Shared Vision Marketing, captured a tension many feel: AI is becoming critical for scaling creative production, but human authenticity remains irreplaceable.
His team is using AI to optimize processes, but always ensuring a real creative hand guides the final product.
As premium positioning becomes harder to maintain in a saturated market, Vaughn emphasized the importance of balancing AI efficiencies with emotional resonance​.

Across conversations at Possible, one theme ran quietly beneath the surface: innovation is surging but validation is lagging behind.
As retail media expands and AI transforms creative execution, brands face a new challenge: proving that these investments drive real revenue growth, not just engagement metrics.

In this environment, attribution and incrementality solutions are becoming critical.
Platforms like Fospha are helping brands move beyond last-click models to true performance measurement quantifying the real impact of campaigns across channels, including emerging areas like in-store media.

At Possible 2025, AI wasn’t just the future, it was already reshaping how brands connect, create, and grow.
But those who not only innovate but also validate their impact will be the ones who lead the next chapter.

Independently Created. Not affiliated with POSSIBLE.

ClickZ is a ClickZ Media publication in the Events division