AI is the New Storefront: What Marketers Can Learn from Criteo’s Ekapat Chareonlarp

AI isn’t coming for your funnel. It already rewrote it.

We’re not talking about backend tools or campaign automation. Today, over 50% of U.S. shoppers say they use ChatGPT to help them find products. That makes AI the starting point, not the engine behind the scenes, but the storefront itself.

This shift, from search to prompt, isn’t just changing how consumers buy. It’s transforming how marketers build strategy, communicate value, and lead partnerships.

In this PartnerVista Playbook edition, we unpack takeaways from Ekapat Chareonlarp, Global Head of Client Strategy at Criteo, featured on the Never GTM Alone podcast. If you’re navigating partnerships, brand evolution, or just trying to keep up with the AI wave, this one’s for you.

Playbook Lesson #1: AI Is Now the First Touchpoint

“It used to be a landing page. Now it’s the prompt.”

Ekapat frames the consumer journey with sharp clarity: the entry point is no longer your website or ad. It’s the question a customer types into ChatGPT.

According to recent Criteo data, 51% of shoppers use AI tools to find products. They’re not browsing categories. They’re asking for curated advice, pricing comparisons, and product availability. That means every brand must rethink how their story is told through AI, not just through traditional channels.

The implications? Partner messaging, sales enablement, and even paid media need to speak in a language machines (and humans) understand.

Playbook Lesson #2: You Need a POV, Not Just a Plan

“Clients today don’t need more decks. They need confidence.”

In an AI-powered landscape, strategy decks are table stakes. What sets true marketing leaders apart is point of view, especially when navigating uncharted territory.

Ekapat explains that at Criteo, helping clients think through AI doesn’t mean always having the answer. It means framing the right questions, challenging assumptions, and pushing internal teams beyond status quo thinking.

This is especially true in partner organizations, where multiple voices shape the narrative. The job? Cut through the noise with clarity, not clutter.

Playbook Lesson #3: Partnering in an AI-First World Means Rethinking Roles

“It’s not about changing everything. It’s about elevating what you already do.”

Ekapat doesn’t believe in throwing out what works. Instead, he emphasizes adaptation, layering AI into existing partnership strategies, from joint campaigns to co-branded narratives.

The key is speed and experimentation. Many teams wait too long for perfect alignment before taking a swing. But as Ekapat points out, AI enables faster testing, faster learning, and more agility across teams.

That’s not just smart, it’s essential when customer behavior is evolving in real time.

Playbook Lesson #4: Leading Clients Requires Curiosity, Not Control

“You have to be a thought partner, not just a service provider.”

One of Ekapat’s strongest insights was about leadership: in uncertain times, clients aren’t looking for people who pretend to know everything. They want partners who show up with curiosity, honesty, and a shared sense of exploration.

This is especially true when it comes to AI, where the path forward isn’t always clear. The marketers who win aren’t the ones who predict the future. They’re the ones who build it with their customers and partners, iterating as they go.

Final Thought:

AI is changing the storefront, but it’s also changing the boardroom. Every marketer—whether working on partnerships, campaigns, or strategy—now faces the same challenge: how do we stay relevant when the journey starts with a prompt?

For Ekapat, the answer is part mindset, part motion. You lead with a strong POV. You listen harder. You test boldly. And you never go to market alone.