From Data to Impact: Marti Funk on the Next Chapter of Brand Growth

Part of Rokt Connects, a conversation series on performance, marketing, and innovation in 2025

Marti Funk, CMO and partner at Ascendant Network, has seen retail evolve through every cycle. But she says today’s moment demands something different: speed, clarity, and cross-functional thinking. She has worked with some of the most influential marketers in retail and ecommerce. In this Rokt Connects conversation, she shares five leadership lessons that forward-thinking brands are using to drive relevance, performance, and trust in an era of constant change.

1. CMOs must speak the language of finance

To drive impact across the business, marketing leaders are getting closer to finance. That means building strategies that optimize for margin, yield, and measurable growth, not just media efficiency.

Marketers are being asked to speak in financial terms. It’s not just the CMO at the table. It’s the whole team thinking about business outcomes.

Marti noted that this shift is breaking down silos and bringing cross-functional teams together around shared goals.

2. Performance measurement is getting smarter

Brands are moving beyond traditional models like MMM and leaning into clean room strategies and privacy-safe data sharing. The focus is shifting from campaign metrics to sales outcomes.

We’re moving from marketing metrics to business metrics, and that shift is only accelerating.

Retailers and brands that collaborate closely on data are better positioned to personalize experiences and prove ROI.

3. Agentic AI is shaping new shopping behaviors

Consumers no longer need to search. They’re increasingly being met with tailored recommendations driven by agentic AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity. This shift is changing how discovery works.

More and more information is going to come to the shopper, because AI knows them better.

Leading brands are designing content, taxonomy, and experiences for AI-first environments. Many retailers are still catching up, but the most agile brands are already testing and adapting.

4. Strategic partnerships are creating next-level value

Marketers are unlocking value by building unexpected collaborations across ecosystems, particularly in loyalty, entertainment, and sports.

One plus one equals three, or even ten, when you bring together passion, data, and timing.

Examples like Sephora, Lyft, Fanatics, and Ticketmaster show how brands can meet customers in the right context with relevance that feels natural.

5. Fast testing and human storytelling still win

Despite the rise of AI, brand relationships still matter. Marti emphasized the importance of ongoing experimentation and the power of human connection and recounted a lesson she had once heard,

Facts tell. Stories sell. What people remember is how you made them feel.

The best marketers are building flexible frameworks to test quickly and adjust often, while keeping storytelling central to their strategy.

Key takeaway

Lasting brands aren't built on campaigns. They're built on connection. When teams lead with trust, move at the speed of insight, and never lose sight of how people feel, they don't just keep up. They set the pace. 

Learn more from other leaders on Rokt Connects, including Roli Saxena, CEO of NextRoll, who enlightens how growth teams are navigating this evolving landscape with concentration and not only speed.