Director, Industry Insights
Salesforce
Michelle Grant is a Director of Industry Insights at Salesforce, where she helps global retailers and consumer goods companies navigate the future of their business through data-driven research and thought leadership. With deep expertise in retail trends, digital transformation, and the growing impact of AI on commerce, Michelle brings a unique lens to how emerging technologies are reshaping how consumers discover, evaluate, and buy.
Thursday Jul 23
12:00pm - 12:30pm
What happens when a customer asks an LLM which retailer to buy from — and your brand isn't mentioned? As LLMs and answer engines reshape product discovery, retailers must optimize not just for search – but for AI-generated answers. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) require brands to publish precise, high-volume, structured content that AI trusts and cites.
Increasingly, models rely on sources like Reddit, LinkedIn, and Quora – where a single outdated or negative post can disproportionately influence brand perception. Retailers are facing new risks: AI hallucinations, reliance on outdated or paywalled information, and shrinking first-mover advantage windows. This session explores how brands can audit AI responses, scale and syndicate authoritative product and policy content, and prepare for emerging monetization models. Learn how to ensure your brand is recommended – not misrepresented – when AI becomes the primary interface for product discovery and purchase decisions.
Thursday Jul 23
10:30am - 11:30am
Oracle Stage, Broadmoor West
Define how brands maintain authenticity, trust and emotional resonance when content is increasingly AI-generated and infinitely personalized.
