Beyond The Shelf

This show is an open exploration of the people and process behind E-Commerce. Through conversations with innovators in the space, we learn the stories of these leaders and their strategies for E-Commerce success. You can join our mailing list and access more content at itsrapid.ai. David's past guests have included: Bryan Gildenberg from the CPG Guys, Todd Hassenfelt from Colgate-Palmolive, Anne Zybowski from Circana, Randy Mercer from 1WorldSync, Jared Taitel from PepsiCo, David Novak from Salsify, Harvey Ma from Albertsons Media Collective, Carter Jensen from General Mills, Pam Perino from Ghirardelli Chocolate, and many more.

Beyond The Shelf is a business podcast hosted by David Feinleib, with 144 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

David Feinleib hosts Beyond The Shelf, a business show with 144 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Beyond The Shelf

  The Funnel Is a Pinball Machine - with Perdue Farms' Jack Kneuper

  Aug 11, 202629 min

  This week, Dave speaks with Jack Kneuper, Senior Digital Performance Marketing Manager at Perdue Farms. Jack discusses how the shopper journey has become less like a funnel and more like a series of connected moments across creator content, search, retail media, product pages, reviews, promotions, and in-store experiences. He also shares how Perdue is thinking about retail media measurement, AI-assisted reporting, campaign automation, and scaling creator-led content without losing authenticity. Topics covered: Why the funnel now looks more like a pinball machine Evaluating retail media beyond ROAS Using AI to improve reporting and signal detection Automating repetitive campaign workflows Scaling creator-led content authentically Connect with Jack on LinkedIn Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn Learn More about It'sRapid Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Producer: Jake Musiker

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  Episode #138

  REWIND: Always Be Optimizing - with Ferrero's Helen Makri

  Jul 28, 202625 min

  This episode originally aired 5/26/26. Dave speaks with Helen Makri, Sr. Manager of eCommerce Digital Content at Ferrero. Helen shares how Ferrero has evolved its ecommerce content capabilities — from repurposing brand assets for digital to building a more strategic, optimized approach across a large and growing portfolio of brands. In this episode, Helen breaks down why ecommerce content needs to do more than look good. It has to address shopper barriers, support conversion, and be tailored to the needs of each retailer and audience. The conversation also explores Ferrero’s partnership with It’sRapid, including how the team uses It’sRapid Optix™ to test content, uncover clearer insights, customize audience inputs, and optimize PDP visuals earlier in the development process. Connect with Helen on LinkedIn Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn Learn More about It'sRapid Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Producer: Jake Musiker

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  Episode #137

  Building a Smarter Beverage Business - with Waiākea's Daniel Kleinkopf

  Jul 14, 202630 min

  This week, Dave speaks with Daniel Kleinkopf, VP of Marketing & Technology at Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages. Daniel shares how Waiākea is growing across ecommerce, retail, Amazon, international expansion, and brand marketing — while staying grounded in its core pillars of health, sustainability, and ethical impact. The conversation covers how Waiākea thinks about content by channel, why the brand leans on authentic Hawaiian creators and athlete ambassadors, and how the team is using AI across the organization — from everyday productivity to supply chain and inventory decisions. Topics covered: Waiākea’s brand story and sustainability mission Ecommerce, Amazon, and DTC strategy for beverage Content creation across retail, ecommerce, and social channels The Japan launch and adapting messaging for local markets Athlete ambassadors and creator partnerships Practical AI use cases across marketing, operations, and supply chain Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn Learn More about Waiākea Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn Learn More about It'sRapid Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Producer: Jake Musiker

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  Episode #136

  BTS Live from Retail Media Summit: Marlow Nickell (Grocery TV)

  Jul 7, 202610 min

  This Beyond the Shelf Live episode was recorded at the P2PI Retail Media Summit in Chicago, where Dave Feinleib caught up with Marlow Nickell, Co-Founder & CEO of Grocery TV. Marlow shares how in-store retail media has evolved, why regional grocers are leaning in, and how Grocery TV has grown to 6,700 stores. He also discusses why the store remains such a valuable media environment, how brands should think about creative built for in-store, and what Grocery TV’s In-Store Perception Report reveals about shopper receptivity and purchase influence. Connect with Marlow on LinkedIn Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn Learn More about It'sRapid Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Producer: Jake Musiker

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  Beyond The Shelf

  REWIND: The New Rules of Retail Media Creative - with Walmart Connect's Garima Ahuja

  Jun 30, 202626 min

  This week we're repeating Dave's insightful discussion with Garima Ahuja, Sr. Partner Development Manager, Creative Partnerships at Walmart Connect. This episode originally aired 6/2/26. Garima shares how Walmart Connect is helping brands connect with shoppers across the full funnel — from discovery to purchase — using Walmart’s scale, solutions, and first-party signals. She also breaks down why creative has become one of the biggest opportunities in retail media, but also one of the biggest operational challenges. As brands activate across more placements and formats, they need more creative variations, more customization, and faster workflows. Garima and Dave also discuss the partnership between Walmart Connect and It’sRapid, including It’sRapid Optix™️ is helping brands streamline creative production, optimize before launch, connect performance data, and publish creative more efficiently. Connect with Garima on LinkedIn Follow Beyond the Shelf on LinkedIn Learn More about It'sRapid Get the It’sRapid Creative Automation Playbook Take It’sRapid’s Creative Workflow Automation with AI survey Email us at sales@itsrapid.io to find out how to get your free AI Image Audit Theme music: "Happy" by Mixaud - https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Producer: Jake Musiker

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