New Flywheel Report Shows How Brands Can Turn Fragmentation into a Competitive Advantage

Rhea-AI Summary

Flywheel, part of Omnicom (NYSE: OMC), released a white paper titled “The Big Shift: From Managing to Mastering Fragmentation”, outlining a Total Commerce model that connects media, retail, trade and consumer engagement as shopping journeys become more nonlinear.

According to Flywheel, 80% of consumers now follow non-linear purchase paths, social platforms are primary discovery engines for most Gen Z and Millennials, 36% of consumers have shifted most searches to generative AI, and retailers increasingly operate full media businesses. The report argues brands should unify discovery, retail activation, media investment, trade planning and measurement into one system, and highlights Danone’s “Become a Home’Rista” campaign, which generated 641 million impressions and multi-brand halo sales, as an example of Total Commerce in practice.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

Market Context

Set against a history where innovation-related announcements sometimes moved shares by several perce...

Analysis

Set against a history where innovation-related announcements sometimes moved shares by several percent and a moderate short-interest signal, this Total Commerce white paper adds to Omnicom’s narrative of adapting to fragmentation, while leaving questions about how quickly such thought leadership converts into measurable financial impact.

Key Figures

Non-linear shoppers: 80% of consumers TikTok GMV: $33.1 billion Gen Z social discovery: 73% +5 more

8 metrics

Non-linear shoppers 80% of consumers Take a non-linear path to purchase (Connected Commerce 2024)

TikTok GMV $33.1 billion Gross merchandise volume in Q1 2026

Gen Z social discovery 73% Gen Z citing social media as main source for new products

Millennial social discovery 67% Millennials citing social media as main source for new products

Shift to generative AI 36% of consumers Have shifted most searches from traditional engines to generative AI platforms

Gen Z AI search shift 45% of Gen Z Shifted most searches to generative AI platforms

Millennial AI search shift 51% of Millennials Shifted most searches to generative AI platforms

Campaign impressions 641 million impressions Danone "Become a Home'Rista" Total Commerce campaign

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jul 07 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	24h Move	Catalyst
Jul 07	Earnings date notice	Neutral	-2.8%	Announcement of timing for Q2 2026 earnings release and conference call.
Jul 01	Marketing study launch	Positive	+4.5%	Release of Connected Content framework to improve advertising effectiveness in fragmented media.
Jun 29	Client win	Positive	+1.1%	Omnicom Media named global media agency of record for IBM.
Jun 25	Product launch	Positive	-0.3%	Launch of Dynamic Contextual Content solution for CTV with NBCUniversal.
Jun 24	Product launch	Positive	+1.0%	Introduction of dynamic streaming fixed ad unit with Paramount for personalized storytelling.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Pattern Detected

Recent news on new frameworks and media partnerships has generally produced modest positive price reactions, with one small negative divergence on a seemingly favorable launch.

Key Terms

gross merchandise volume, retail media, closed-loop measurement, generative ai platforms, +1 more

5 terms

gross merchandise volume financial

"TikTok generated $33.1 billion in gross merchandise volume in Q1 2026"

Gross merchandise volume is the total dollar value of all goods and services sold through a sales platform or marketplace during a given period, measured before subtracting fees, returns, discounts or other adjustments. Investors use it to gauge the size and momentum of a business—like counting every dollar that passes through a busy market to assess demand—but it is not the same as company revenue or profit since the operator typically retains only a portion.

retail media financial

"AI-powered search, social commerce, retail media and organizational silos"

Retail media is the practice of retailers selling advertising space and promotional placements on their websites, apps, in-store screens and checkout areas, using their customer shopping data to target ads. It matters to investors because it creates a high-margin, recurring revenue stream for retailers—like a grocery store renting its endcap for featured products—and can boost profit and valuation by turning customer traffic into advertising sales.

closed-loop measurement technical

"premium content platforms and closed-loop measurement capabilities"

A closed-loop measurement is a system that continuously reads a variable, like a blood sugar level or temperature, and automatically uses that information to adjust an action, creating a feedback loop much like a thermostat that senses room temperature and turns heating on or off. For investors, closed-loop capability matters because it can improve product performance, reduce the need for manual intervention, increase regulatory scrutiny and potential market value, and create competitive differentiation or recurring revenue opportunities.

generative ai platforms technical

"shifted most of their searches from traditional search engines to generative AI platforms"

Software systems that create new content—text, images, audio, code or video—by learning patterns from large amounts of data and then producing original outputs on demand. They matter to investors because they can become core products or cost-saving tools, drive new revenue streams and competitive advantages, and carry risks around data quality, compute costs, regulation and customer adoption, much like a factory that can rapidly produce many different goods once set up.

digital shelf technical

"connected influencer content, retail media, digital shelf activation and in-store experiences"

The digital shelf is the online equivalent of a store’s display space—everywhere a product appears on e-commerce sites, marketplaces, and retailer pages, including its images, description, price, inventory status and customer reviews. For investors it matters because a strong, consistent digital shelf increases a product’s visibility, sales and margin much like a prime physical shelf spot; poor or inconsistent listings can reduce discoverability and hurt revenue and growth outlooks.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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The Big Shift outlines how a Total Commerce approach can connect media, retail, trade and consumer engagement as shopping journeys become increasingly complex.

BALTIMORE, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Flywheel, a leader in commerce and technology solutions and part of the Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Integrated Media offering, today released The Big Shift: From Managing to Mastering Fragmentation, a new white paper examining how AI-powered search, social commerce, retail media and organizational silos are reshaping the way brands drive growth.

While 80% of consumers (OM Research, Connected Commerce 2024) now take a non-linear path to purchase, many brands still manage media, retail, trade, and shopper marketing through separate teams, budgets, and performance metrics. According to Flywheel, that disconnect leads to wasted media investment, missed sales opportunities, unmeasured promotional impact, and reduced organizational agility.

The report argues that brands must adopt a Total Commerce approach, a business model that unifies consumer discovery, retail activation, media investment, trade planning, and measurement into one operating system focused on business outcomes rather than channel performance.

"The way consumers discover and buy products has fundamentally changed," said Mike Feldman, SVP Commerce at Flywheel. "A shopper might discover a product through a creator, research it through an AI assistant, purchase it through a retailer marketplace and pick it up in-store, all within a few hours. The brands winning today are not treating those moments as separate channels. They are organizing around one connected consumer journey."

The report notes that TikTok generated $33.1 billion in gross merchandise volume in Q1 2026, surpassing eBay and demonstrating how quickly discovery and purchase are converging on a single platform.

The report identifies three forces accelerating the fragmentation challenge:

• Consumer discovery has fundamentally changed. Social platforms have become primary discovery engines, with 73% of Gen Z and 67% of Millennials (Salsify, 2025) citing social media as their main source for learning about new products. Nearly half of social media users have also used influencers in their purchase journey.
• AI is becoming a new discovery channel. Thirty-six percent of consumers, including 45% of Gen Z and 51% of Millennials (OM Research - GEO Update April 2026) say they have shifted most of their searches from traditional search engines to generative AI platforms.
• Retailers have become media companies. Retailers now operate advertising businesses, premium content platforms and closed-loop measurement capabilities that increasingly connect media exposure to purchase behavior.

The report arrives as marketers grapple with many of the same trends that dominated conversations at this year's Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, including creator commerce, retail media, and AI-powered discovery. Against that backdrop, The Big Shift emphasizes the continued importance of physical retail, arguing that while discovery increasingly happens across creators, AI, retail media and connected TV, the shelf remains one of the most critical moments in the consumer journey.

"The physical shelf is still one of the most important moments in commerce, but it is no longer where the consumer journey begins," said Phil Camarota, Chief Creative Officer at Flywheel and President of the Cannes Lions Creative Commerce Jury. "By the time a shopper reaches a store or product page, they have already been influenced by creators, retail media, reviews, AI recommendations and countless other touchpoints. The brands that succeed are creating one connected experience, across all those moments."

The report also highlights Flywheel client Danone's "Become a Home'Rista" campaign as an example of Total Commerce in action. Built around the insight that many consumers believed barista-quality coffee required professional expertise, the program connected influencer content, retail media, digital shelf activation and in-store experiences across multiple retailers. The campaign generated 641 million impressions and multi-brand halo sales across Danone's portfolio.

Ariel Dalton, Head of Strategic Insights, Planning & Connected Commerce at Danone shared: "We uncovered what we call the 'barista gap' and built a campaign that inspires consumers to recreate and elevate the coffeehouse experience at home. The success of this campaign demonstrated the power of pairing a compelling consumer insight with the strength of Danone's portfolio, to deliver a daily ritual that feels both elevated and unique to the consumer. What began as a pilot in 2025 has evolved into one of our flagship programs, scaling across multiple retail activation nationwide.

"Fragmentation leaves brands with a simple choice: manage it or master it," Feldman said. "Brands that own consumer journeys across channels, orchestrate with retailers around shared outcomes and align internally around one set of goals will create competitive advantage. The brands that master fragmentation will define the next era of commerce." 

About Flywheel:

Flywheel, a leader in commerce and technology solutions and part of the Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Integrated Media offering, provides best-in-class service that combines tailored expertise with advanced software solutions to help clients drive incremental sales, market share, profitability, and measurable commerce growth.

A leader across major marketplace platforms, Flywheel combines global scale and influence with a customized, client-centric approach designed to deliver impactful business outcomes. Client success remains at the center of the company's mission.

With operations across the Americas, Europe, APAC, and China, Flywheel is widely recognized for the scale of its retail media capabilities, while delivering value across the entire commerce ecosystem. The company helps brands navigate the evolving commerce landscape through integrated solutions built to accelerate growth and performance.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-flywheel-report-shows-how-brands-can-turn-fragmentation-into-a-competitive-advantage-302822256.html

SOURCE Flywheel Digital

FAQ

What is Flywheel’s ‘The Big Shift’ report released July 14, 2026 about for Omnicom (OMC)?

The report explains how brands can move from managing to mastering fragmentation in commerce. According to Flywheel, it proposes a Total Commerce model that unifies discovery, media, retail activation, trade planning and measurement around business outcomes instead of separate channels and teams.

How does Flywheel’s Total Commerce approach help brands, according to Omnicom (OMC)?

Total Commerce aims to connect consumer discovery, retail activation, media, trade and measurement in one operating system. According to Flywheel, this unified model targets reduced wasted media, better promotion measurement, improved sales opportunities and greater organizational agility across fragmented consumer journeys.

What consumer behavior shifts does Flywheel highlight in ‘The Big Shift’ report for OMC investors?

Flywheel highlights that 80% of consumers now take non-linear paths to purchase across channels. The report cites social media as the main discovery source for most Gen Z and Millennials and notes many consumers are shifting searches from traditional engines to generative AI platforms.

How does AI-powered discovery feature in Flywheel’s July 2026 commerce report linked to Omnicom (OMC)?

AI is described as an emerging discovery channel, with many consumers moving searches to generative AI. According to Flywheel, 36% of consumers, including higher shares of Gen Z and Millennials, report shifting most of their searches from traditional search engines to AI platforms.

What role do retailers and retail media play in Flywheel’s ‘The Big Shift’ findings for Omnicom (OMC)?

The report states retailers now act as media companies, operating advertising businesses and content platforms. According to Flywheel, they also provide closed-loop measurement that links media exposure to purchase behavior, making retail media central to connecting marketing and sales outcomes.

How does Danone’s ‘Become a Home’Rista’ campaign illustrate Total Commerce in Flywheel’s report?

Danone’s campaign connects influencer content, retail media, digital shelf activation and in-store experiences across retailers. According to Flywheel, this program generated 641 million impressions and multi-brand halo sales, evolving from a 2025 pilot into a flagship initiative scaled across nationwide retail activations.

Why does Flywheel’s report still emphasize physical retail shelves despite digital fragmentation for OMC?

The report argues the physical shelf remains one of the most critical commerce moments, even as discovery shifts to creators, AI and retail media. According to Flywheel, shoppers arriving at shelves or product pages are already influenced by multiple prior touchpoints along the journey.