The Evolution of Sampling: Retail Refined

 

In a post-COVID world, sampling will be a new experience. The evolution will be solved by the digitization of vending led by a curated consumer journey. In this episode, host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Marci Weisler, Chief Commerical Officer of Vengo Labs, a leading digital marketing and retail tech company connecting brands and consumers in the places they go by combining media, product sampling and retail.  Learn how digital machines will go contactless and be a key tool for data collection from top of funnel to conversion for brands and retailers, as consumers are empowered to have a “remote controlled” shopping experience in the future.

About Marci

Marci Weisler is an accomplished executive and advisor with broad experience growing and managing digital businesses for both startups and brands, with a focus on strategy and execution, innovation and transformation. She’s currently Chief Commercial Officer of Vengo Labs, and prior she had her own consultancy with clients including Kellogg’s, Gilt and Entertainment Benefits Group as well as startups disrupting health, media, and mobile. Marci also founded SWSI Media (Smart Women. Smart Ideas), which powers women-founded and women-led businesses and co-executive produced Queen Bossa series combining competition and mentorship for black women entrepreneurs that aired on BETher.

About Vengo Labs

Vengo is a leader in marketing and retail technology, at the intersection of unattended retail, digital out-of-home (DOOH) media, and attributable product sampling.  Vengo continues to expand both its Core Network and In-Retail solutions and offer new solutions for brands, locations, and stores engaging with consumers.
https://vengolabs.com/

What Melissa Asked

1. Marci, tell us about your role as Chief Commercial Officer at Vengo?
2. You are no stranger to digital strategies and innovation for brands, what are your thoughts on how those aspects will be even more intertwined into physical retail post COVD-19?
3. Sampling in particular will be a challenge in store, especially when it comes to things like beauty testers, how do you see Vengo helping the industry solve for this?
4. What kind of data do you capture and how do you help your clients contextualize that data and glean insights?
5. What have been some of your most successful activations and why? What are key elements for a successful formula?
6. With the world moving to a less touch reliant world, how do you see digital mini machines like yours evolve. You recently implemented contactless machines, how will it work?

Upcoming Event

Melissa will be hosting a webinar titled The New Consumer Behaviors That Will Reshape The Physical Store on June 9th. During the session, she will cover how stores will approach the reallocation of front-of-house and back-of-house employees to better serve new logistical needs and customer expectations.

For more information or to register for the seminar, you can visit Retail Innovation Week.

Listen To Previous Episodes of Retail Refined Right Here!

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

marketers
Daily 12 Minute AI Habits for Marketers with Measurable Results
December 19, 2025

In this episode of The Marketing AI SparkCast, Aby Varma—founder of Spark Novus, which partners with marketing leaders to adopt AI responsibly and strategically—hosts Frank Lazaro, author of Finding 12 Minutes. Their conversation reveals how marketers can practically implement AI into daily workflows and unlock measurable productivity—starting with just twelve minutes a day. Topics Covered: The…

Read More
sports
The Business of Sports Tourism: How Dallas Converts Sporting Events Into Long-Term Economic Growth
December 19, 2025

Dallas–Fort Worth is entering its biggest global sports moment in decades. FIFA has confirmed the region will host nine matches at AT&T Stadium (branded as “Dallas Stadium” during the tournament) as part of the expanded 48-team, 104-match 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the group-stage draw now public and local planning accelerating—from stadium upgrades to…

Read More
in-home senior care
Bridging the Gap Between Hospital Discharge and Daily Life: How In-Home Senior Care Improves Outcomes and Reduces Readmissions
December 19, 2025

As hospitals across the U.S. shorten length of stay and push more recovery into the home, families are increasingly left to manage complex care needs without formal training or support. Roughly one in five patients with chronic conditions like COPD or congestive heart failure is readmitted within 30 days—a cycle that costs the healthcare…

Read More
business
Why Passion Beats the Perfect Business Idea by Ben Maitland
December 18, 2025

In a moment when AI tools, creator platforms, and decentralized media are reshaping how companies grow, founders are being forced to rethink what actually drives long-term success. According to Forbes, citing CB Insights research, 42% of startups fail because there simply isn’t a market for their product or service. As markets move faster and business…

Read More