Forum3 AI-First Newsletter

As 2025 begins to wrap up, one thing is certain, this is the first truly AI-powered holiday season. From personalized shopping assistants to AI-generated storytelling, brands are reimagining how consumers discover, decide, and connect. Shoppers are finding new ways to build their own AI powered experiences.

In this edition we will review:

This holiday season, consumers are chatting instead of searching, asking instead of scrolling, and trusting AI to make smarter choices.

Adobe Analytics reports traffic to retail sites from AI-powered assistants surged 1,300% last holiday season and is forecast to rise another 520% this year, the clearest sign yet that shopping has entered the conversational era.

Example: Walmart’s Sparky – Walmart’s AI chatbot offers side-by-side product comparisons, tracks price changes, and bundles complementary gifts, all through a single conversation.

AI assistants have become digital concierges — learning preferences, reducing decision fatigue, and turning gift shopping from stressful to seamless.

AI isn’t just your shopping helper, it’s also becoming the shopper itself. Welcome to Agentic Shopping, where AI acts on your behalf, handling everything from discovery to checkout.

Example: OpenAI + Shopify + Etsy Integrations
Shoppers using ChatGPT can now describe what they want — “eco-friendly gifts under $50 for a coffee lover” — and the AI browses, compares, curates, and even completes the purchase seamlessly through integrated carts on Shopify and Etsy.

Meanwhile, Google’s “AI Mode” and Product Studio are allowing brands to generate real-time product visuals and recommendations that adapt to a shopper’s behavior instantly.

All of this indicates the line between browsing and buying is blurring. And AI is being used to not just find the perfect gift, but to buy it, track it, and wrap it (digitally) too.

AI is transforming how brands tell their stories. This season, AI-powered holiday campaigns are blending creativity and code to craft stories that feel more personal, more dynamic, and more authentic than ever.

Example: Coca-Cola’s AI “Holidays Are Coming” Campaign
For the second consecutive year, Coca-Cola used generative AI to reimagine its classic holiday ads, featuring custom skylines for major cities, festive animals, and surreal yet familiar holiday imagery.

Coca-Cola’s CMO revealed the campaign was produced in one month instead of a year, at a fraction of the cost, showcasing how AI is redefining speed, experimentation, and creative production.

AI-generated creative is here to stay, bringing new ideas and energy to the art of storytelling.

This is the first year where AI can do more than inspire your shopping, it can actually shop with you. From comparing prices to finding hidden deals and personalizing every gift, these three tips will help you make the most of this new era of smart, stress-free shopping.

Forget scrolling through endless pages and talk to your AI like a personal shopper. Whether it’s Amazon’s Rufus, Walmart’s Sparky, or ChatGPT with shopping integrations, try prompts like:

You’ll get curated, relevant results and your AI will remember your preferences for next time. The better your prompt, the better your presents.

Skip the deal finding chaos and let AI do the bargain-hunting for you. Tools like PayPal Honey and Google Shopping’s AI Mode automatically test coupon codes, monitor prices, and alert you the moment a sale drops. You set the rules; AI does the chasing.

Turn deal-hunting into autopilot and save while you sleep.

AI can now match gifts to people, personalities, themes, and even passions. Upload a photo, describe someone in detail, and watch as AI curates ideas — and even tries colors or the item on — matching the perfect gift.

You’ll get thoughtful, creative ideas that feel one-of-a-kind, not one-size-fits-all. This year’s best gifts aren’t just personalized, they’re perfectly predicted.

Bottom Line: AI is changing how we shop and this holiday, your most powerful shopping partner might just be your AI assistant.

If 2025 was the year of curiosity and experimentation, what will the AI First Playbook for 2026 look like? Andy & Adam shared some of their thoughts in their recent interview with Mike Linton on CMO Confidential.

We will be diving deeper into these predictions on our next AI First Community Call (so don’t miss it!). Note: we are combining November and December’s into one end of year call, scheduled for December 16 at 9 a.m. PT.

Still looking for the perfect gift for your team, client, friends or family? Pick them up a copy of AI First: The Playbook for Future-Proofing Businesses & Brands.

Bulk ordering for teams available — we’re happy to help coordinate and can secure a discount for group orders, just shoot us a reply here.

Give the gift of opportunity and start the new year inspired, equipped, and ready to lead with AI.