What an AI Strategy Really Means And How to Know If Yours Is Working
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Do you actually have an AI strategy?
Ask any consumer brand operator if they’re using AI in 2025, and you’ll likely get a yes. Maybe they’ve experimented with AI-generated content, plugged a chatbot into customer service, or tested a few automations in Klaviyo.
But those tools alone don’t equal strategy.
Right now, many brands think they have an AI strategy when in reality, they’re just layering AI features on top of broken systems. They’re reacting to pressure, not planning for performance.
The difference between using AI and having an AI strategy is the difference between dabbling and compounding. One adds noise. The other builds momentum.
The Three Signs of a Real AI Strategy
If you want to pressure-test your current approach, ask yourself three simple questions:
Is AI directly tied to revenue?
Brands with a real AI strategy are using it to drive growth in measurable ways.
That could mean converting abandoned carts through AI-powered flows, surfacing upsell opportunities mid-chat, or identifying high-value customers to target with retention offers. If AI isn’t improving conversion, LTV, or customer experience in ways that drive dollars, it’s not strategy. It’s just tech.
Is AI helping you move faster on what your customers are already telling you?
At brands like RMS Beauty, AI isn’t just running in the background it’s actively helping the team respond to what customers are doing in the moment. Whether someone is browsing a specific product or coming back after weeks of inactivity, Ground helps RMS deliver the right message, recommendation, or experience right when it matters most. It’s about creating a system that listens, understands, and acts automatically on real customer signals.
Is it integrated or is it just stacked on top?
Most brands start by using AI in one part of the business usually support or marketing. But strategy means connecting those efforts across the full experience. It’s not just about a smart reply in a chat window. It’s about using what AI learns in that conversation to inform your PDPs, your retention flows, even your merchandising. When AI becomes connective tissue across the business, not just another tool on the shelf that’s when it becomes strategy.
🔌 Book a demo with Ground AI and learn how your brand can benefit from the leading AI revenue engine and the #1 AI preferred partner.
Why This Matters Now
Consumer brands are entering a new operational era. Paid channels are saturated. Teams are leaner than ever. Efficiency isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a survival skill.
And while many companies are still experimenting with AI in isolated areas, others are building full-stack intelligence into their customer experience. Those companies are moving faster, spending less, and converting more.
In the same way CRM once defined customer relationships, AI will define how brands grow or don’t.
What the Leaders Are Doing Differently
The brands pulling ahead aren’t chasing shiny tools. They’re asking better questions.
Not “how do we use AI”
But “where are we leaking revenue and how can AI stop it”
Not “can AI write this email”
But “can AI turn this abandoned cart into a customer automatically”
The result is less noise, more signal, and clearer growth levers.
Moving Forward
AI doesn’t need to be complex. But it does need to be intentional.
If your strategy starts and ends with a chatbot or a few workflows, it’s time to rethink what’s possible.
The brands that win over the next two years won’t be the ones who check the AI box.
They’ll be the ones who make it their growth engine.
Curated Intelligence
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L’Oréal Group to acquire haircare brand Color Wow Read More
Lululemon Sues Costco Over Selling ‘Dupes.’ What’s Behind the Case? Read More
The Ground Community
Built for Innovators. Curated for What’s Next.
Ground is a private community for DTC founders, Heads of Growth, ecommerce marketers, and investors shaping the future of beauty, wellness, and consumer. If you’re thinking about how AI fits into your business and want to learn from others doing the same, this is where you belong. Members get access to curated content, off-the-record insights, a trusted network of operators, and invites to private dinners, panels, and gatherings. New events are coming soon so be sure to sign up now.
Grounded Insights Podcast: Season 1
Shivani Siroya, Founder & CEO of Tala (Series E), talks $0 to $800M growth. Ep 1.
Katia Beauchamp, CEO of Victoria Beckham Beauty, talks brand. Ep 2.
Robert Derow, Managing Director Partner at BCGx (Boston Consulting Group) and Growth Leader, talks the future of growth marketing. Ep 3.
Natalie Holloway, Co-founder & CEO, Bala. Ep 4.
Maggie Sellers, Founder of Hot Smart Rich, talks storytelling. Ep 5.
Grounded Insights Podcast: Season 2
Nancy Twine, Founder of Briogeo, talks building post-Briogeo. S2: Ep 1.
Babba Rivera, Founder of Ceremonia, talks tech-led culture in beauty S2: Ep 2.
Alejandra Tenorio, VP Digital Marketing + eCommerce of RMS Beauty, talks growth and AI Strategy S2: Ep 3. coming soon!
Finding Common Ground
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