Collective Wisdom: Top Takeaways from Naturally Chicago’s “Succeeding at Omnichannel” Panel

These industry experts shared their insights at Naturally Chicago’s “Succeeding at Omnichannel” panel (from left) marketing consultant Laura Luckman Kelber; Zach Rogers, marketing director at Fidelitone; Martina Prencipe, senior partner of development manager at Amazon; Kevin Nitz, vice president of non-alcoholic beverages at Molson Coors; and Graham Edward, senior director of U.S. Emerging Brands at Instacart. All photos by Bob Benenson

The potential value of capturing an omnichannel shopper is staggering. To help emerging brands capture this massive market value, Naturally Chicago’s annual Pitch Competition and Innovation Forum on May 27 hosted a panel titled “Succeeding at Omnichannel” in downtown Chicago.

Moderated by Laura Luckman Kelber, a marketing expert and consultant), the panel brought together the collective insights of industry experts Graham Edward (Senior Director of US Emerging Brands at Instacart), Kevin Nitz (Vice President of Non-Alcoholic Beverages at Molson Coors), Martina Prencipe (Senior Partner and Development Manager at Amazon), and Zach Rogers (Marketing Director at Fidelitone).

Because the value of omnichannel lies in its seamless execution, the panel moved past individual company approaches to offer a unified blueprint for emerging brands. The following strategies represent the collective wisdom shared by the experts on how to successfully build, scale and maintain a thriving omnichannel presence.

1. Reimagining the Omnichannel Ecosystem

Laura Luckman Kelber

An effective omnichannel strategy is less about being available everywhere and more about how beautifully your different sales channels talk to one another.

• Start with the consumer: Every touchpoint must connect seamlessly to build a strong market presence. The goal is a frictionless interaction, whether a customer encounters your product online or on a physical shelf.

• Bridge e-commerce and brick-and-mortar: Digital and in-store channels should not compete; they should feed into each other. Online discoveries drive brick-and-mortar velocity, and in-store visibility reinforces digital sales.

• Prioritize fulfillment flexibility: Meeting consumer demand requires a highly scalable fulfillment system. Leveraging programs like multichannel fulfillment (MCF) allows brands to efficiently manage inventory and orders across multiple external channels from a centralized supply, whether they are selling on a specific marketplace platform or not.

2. Triangulating and Leveraging Data

Graham Edward

Data shouldn't just be collected; it must be weaponized to win shelf space and consumer loyalty.

• Look at the full picture: Do not rely on a single data stream. Triangulate data from various digital and physical sources to build a comprehensive, multi-dimensional understanding of consumer behavior.

• Segment for targeted impact: Use your data to segment the market and target specific consumer demographics. This ensures marketing dollars and product placements drive maximum engagement.

• Tell a story for retail buyers: Real-time data from digital channels can be used to craft compelling narratives about who your consumers are. Showcasing this real-time digital traction is a powerful tool for convincing brick-and-mortar category managers to grant you more physical shelf space.

3. Maintaining Brand Consistency and Simplicity

Martina Prencipe

When expanding across channels, operational complexity can quickly dilute your brand if you aren't careful.

• Keep it simple: Avoid the trap of trying to be everywhere all at once. It is far better to execute flawlessly on a few select channels than to stretch your resources thin.

• Ensure a uniform aesthetic: Maintain a highly consistent look and feel across all platforms. A cohesive visual identity builds consumer trust and recognition.

• Anchor your channels with a clear story: A unified, resonant brand story should serve as the backbone for all consumer touchpoints, ensuring your core message never gets lost in translation between platforms.

4. Balancing Brand Growth and Cash Flow

Kevin Nitz

Scaling too fast can break a growing brand. Long-term success requires a disciplined, holistic view of your operational finances.

• Abandon the silo mentality: Stop analyzing the profitability or performance of each sales channel in isolation. Instead, evaluate them as interconnected components of a holistic, brand-building ecosystem.

• Focus on steady progress: Avoid the temptation to scale prematurely. Prioritize steady, sustainable progress over explosive, unmanageable growth.

• Track the metrics that matter: Establish a clear operational plan anchored by metrics that directly drive financial and strategic success, keeping cash flow top-of-mind.

Key Action Items for Emerging Brands

Zach Rogers

To close out the forum, the collective expertise of the panel boiled down their best advice into three practical, immediate action items for early-stage companies:

• Plan for scale today: Do not wait until you hit a growth spurt to fix your supply chain. Plan ahead and ensure you have scalable logistics and data solutions in place early.

• Reduce uncertainty with shorter decision cycles: In a fast-moving market, don't get paralyzed by long-term projections. Make shorter-term decisions and lean heavily on ecosystem partners to gain data clarity and operational visibility.

• Just get started: Don't let perfection stand in the way of progress. Start small, experiment with new tools, test different strategies, and iterate as you learn what resonates with your audience.