---
title: "WADE at The LEAD Summit - DAY 1"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/d6dd38fd-3a3e-41e7-b1e1-8064f7ee9efe
source_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/deannaandersen_wade-came-into-the-lead-summit-ready-to-listen-ugcPost-7463202105122508800-TAsT?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAFrUaX0BkrFcqdmToMFUUOoHg_DGFyswYjY"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/events/stack/0ca7f6eb-9515-497f-bf39-20e742781ebb
summary: "Deanna Andersen recaps Day 1 of The LEAD Summit, highlighting key takeaways on physical retail's resurgence, brand conviction over trend-chasing, AI augmentation versus replacement, and CTV as a misunderstood performance channel. The post emphasizes that winning brands know their identity and build everything around it, with insights from leaders at Anthropologie, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, Marquee Brands, Rainbow Apparel Co, and L Catterton."
tags: "retail, brand-strategy, ai, physical-retail, lead-summit, ctv, brand-conviction"
key_entities: "Deanna Andersen (person), A. Candan Erenguc (person), Carrie Gross (person), Natasha Fishman (person), David Cost (person), Matt Skai (person), Marie Chevrier Schwartz (person), WADE (organization), Anthropologie (organization), Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare (organization), Marquee Brands (organization), Rainbow Apparel Co (organization), L Catterton (organization), RETHINK Retail (organization), The LEAD Summit (event), AI greenwashing (concept), brand conviction (concept), CTV (technology), AI (technology)"
classification: "notes"
content_hash: "sha256:84e91fcbe9926a54e565233d51f49c5f7e4549c460400e5e77984e6a42a68f77"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 552
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# WADE at The LEAD Summit - DAY 1

Deanna Andersen 5d Edited Report this post WADE came into The LEAD Summit ready to listen. Day 1 did not disappoint and we're ready for Day 2, kicking off shortly. The content was worth the trip. Reconnecting with clients, investors, and friends, is just always better in person! Here's a brief recap from yesterday: The store never went away. Brand conviction did. A. Candan Erenguc , Anthropologie was clear: physical retail isn't dying — it's bifurcating. The brands winning in stores treat them as destinations, not transactions. Styling. Concierge. Inspiration. The human connection everyone worries AI will replace? That's actually the moat. Anti-trend is a strategy. Carrie Gross at Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare said it simply: one product, one conviction, no trend-chasing. When something didn't work, they said so. That honesty isn't a campaign — it's the brand. Natasha Fishman at Marquee Brands framed it well: authority without relevance is nostalgia. Relevance without authority is noise. Legacy brands don't need reinvention. They need recommitment. Trends come and go. Conviction to your brand DNA is the constant — not just for a season, but for a generation. AI isn't the strategy. The business is the strategy. David Cost, Rainbow Apparel Co named it: "AI greenwashing." Misrepresent your AI use and you're liable. Tools built to eliminate talent have failed. Tools built to augment it haven't. And then there was the contrarian take of the day, which I loved — Matt Skai, L Catterton on CTV as a performance channel. Across his portfolio, the brands writing off CTV aren't seeing a channel problem. They're seeing a creative problem. The data gets misread. The channel takes the blame. Fix the creative first. The brands that showed up strongest yesterday know exactly who they are — and build everything else around that. Lots of meetings yesterday, more today. Now heading into the RETHINK Retail Breakfast, with my good friend Marie Chevrier Schwartz — love being on the road, it's energizing. More to come. 🙌 9 1 Comment Like Comment Share Copy LinkedIn Facebook X Deanna Andersen 5d Report this comment Swap , Emma Shields Like Reply 1 Reaction To view or add a comment, sign in