Something is shifting, and it’s bigger than loyalty points or “customer journeys.” CRM 3.0 isn’t just another marketing buzzword. It signals a foundational change in how brands build lasting relationships in an AI-first, data-rich world.

I recently read an insightful interview with Amy Lanzi, CEO of Digitas North America, where she explains this shift at the Possible Conference in Miami. Her perspective affirms what we’ve been building at Stob.AI for the past year: the old CRM is dead. We're now entering an era where CRM isn’t a tool, but a connected system of data, AI, and storytelling that drives commerce at scale.

From ‘Like’ to ‘Love’ to Loyalty – Powered by AI

As Amy puts it, CRM used to be about points and reward cards. Now, it’s about experience acceleration. Loyalty today is emotional – built through relevant content, proactive service, and frictionless interactions. The key enabler? First-party data + AI workflows.

And that’s why this matters: most brands are still stuck in CRM 1.5 – collecting data without activating it. The real power of CRM 3.0 lies in automating hyper-personalized interactions across every customer touchpoint, not just storing customer info in a database.

Retail Media Is Just the Start – Commerce Media Is the Bigger Play

Retail media exploded faster than most expected – but let’s be clear: retail media ≠ commerce media. One is about retailers monetizing their data; the other is about embedding purchase points into everyday experiences.

Scrolling Instagram and buying directly? That’s commerce media. And AI is quietly reshaping it behind the scenes – choosing where ads go, what creative to show, and how to dynamically adjust based on behavior in real time.

Measurement Is the Currency of Trust

Here’s the catch: this whole ecosystem crumbles without measurement that actually matters.

Amy points out that Amazon’s measurement stack is leading the pack – but the rest of the market? Still fragmented. At Stob.AI, we’ve seen clients underinvest in automation because they simply can’t see the ROI. Without reliable feedback loops, CFOs won’t back the budget – and marketers stay stuck in reactive mode.

The IAB and other bodies are making progress on standards, but I’d argue the next leap will come from AI-native analytics tools that sit inside the CRM, not outside it. Attribution, optimization, and forecasting should be automated, not outsourced.

Why CRM 3.0 Needs Infrastructure – Not Just Insight

Amy mentions AI agents like Amazon’s Rufus – aggregating reviews and recommending products. But that’s just scratching the surface. The real transformation will come when autonomous agents start taking actions, not just suggesting them.

Imagine a CRM system where agents aren’t just watching – they’re reacting in real time, segmenting users, optimizing creative, adjusting spend, and even triggering operations workflows based on customer signals.

At Stob.AI, we’re already helping clients install AI layers that handle this – turning static CRMs into living, breathing commerce engines.

Traditional Media’s Clock Is Ticking

Amy raises a crucial point: in a cookieless world, the future belongs to those who own identity. Traditional media players that haven’t built a first-party data spine (and can’t feed an AI engine) are going to struggle.

You can’t train AI on thin air. You need rich, structured, cross-channel data – and more importantly, the automation to do something meaningful with it. This is where I see the biggest divide: brands that are collecting data vs. brands actually using it to act.

Storytelling Still Wins – But Now It Has to Convert

One of the best takeaways from Amy’s comments is the role of storytelling in commerce. It’s easy to think of CRM or retail media as purely performance-driven. But emotion sells. People buy stories, not just products.

The future of marketing is full-funnel and fully connected:

  • The top of the funnel builds trust.

  • The middle nurtures relevance.

  • The bottom converts – with AI removing friction and surfacing the right offer at the right moment.

We’re seeing a shift toward marketing systems that blend narrative with automation – think Sephora personalizing skincare content based on browsing behavior, or United Airlines tying loyalty offers to your travel history.

Final Thoughts: CRM 3.0 Is a System, Not a Software

CRM 3.0 is not a tool you buy, it’s a system you build.

And it needs to be:

  • Automated, not manual

  • Personalized, not templated

  • Composable, not monolithic

  • Story-driven, not just data-led

The brands who get this – who build AI-powered infrastructures with intelligent workflows across sales, content, customer service, and loyalty – will not only survive this shift… they’ll lead it.

Original Article: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2025/04/29/why-crm-30-coming-and-what-it-means-commerce-marketing

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