Giant Eagle, Inc.

Brian Marzullo serves as Senior Director of Loyalty, Digital Marketing and Marketing Operations at Giant Eagle. He leads loyalty strategy, CRM, digital marketing, media, and in-store communication, focusing on personalization and connected omnichannel experiences that deepen customer relationships and deliver measurable business impact.

In an interview with MarTech Outlook, Brian shared his perspective on loyalty, personalization, AI, and the evolution of omnichannel customer journeys in retail.

The Loyalty Architect

I have spent my career at Giant Eagle across roles spanning loyalty, CRM, digital marketing, and in-store customer experience. Each role reinforced a guiding principle that continues to shape my work today: building deeper customer relationships in ways that create lasting value for both the customer and the business.

In my current role, I oversee loyalty strategy, CRM, digital media, and in-store communications. My day-today work centers on orchestrating program mechanics and personalization strategies, then activating them across channels such as email, push notifications, in-app messaging, and physical signage. While strong execution matters, I’ve found that alignment across touchpoints is what truly transforms campaigns into cohesive experiences that resonate and build loyalty over time.

One of the most persistent challenges in retail today is creating a connected omnichannel experience that allows customers to move seamlessly between digital and physical environments. Shoppers increasingly expect their mobile devices to function as everyday utilities—clipping offers, checking prices, tracking rewards, and navigating stores. In response, my focus has been on designing end-to-end journeys that bring loyalty, content, and utility together. Rather than relying on broad, generic messaging, the goal is to deliver relevant moments—the right offer, in the right channel, at the right time. At this point, a connected experience is no longer a differentiator; it is the baseline expectation.

Reinventing Retail for the Connected Era

Emerging technologies are accelerating the industry’s ability to meet these expectations, and artificial intelligence is a major driver of that change. In my experience, the most valuable AI applications are those that automate decision-making, enhance personalization, and increase speed—without replacing human judgment. When used intentionally, AI can help teams scale relevance, enabling more individualized content and offers while supporting faster, more autonomous operational decisions.

“AI is evolving the tool sets and skill sets of marketing teams. Used thoughtfully, it helps teams make better decisions and move faster while preserving human judgment.”

A key area I’ve been closely involved in is expanding personalized offers across channels. Digital customers receive tailored promotions on a recurring basis, while non-digital customers are engaged through personalized direct mail throughout the year. This approach is important because a meaningful portion of grocery customers remain non-digital, and personalization strategies must be inclusive of the full customer base. Beyond delivering savings, these programs are designed to encourage exploration across categories through data-informed recommendations.

What has stood out most is that precision and orchestration matter more than volume. Meeting customers where they are—digitally or in-store—and delivering relevance consistently has proven far more effective than simply increasing message frequency.

From Campaigns to Continuous Journeys

Looking ahead, I believe marketing operations will continue to evolve from campaign execution toward journey orchestration. AI will increasingly augment teams by supporting smarter decision-making, faster execution, and greater adaptability. Across the industry, retailers are exploring ways to better connect loyalty mechanics, personalized content, and utility features into continuous customer experiences rather than isolated campaigns.

I view AI less as a tool for personalization alone and more as an enabler of orchestration at scale—helping organizations move from static campaigns to more responsive, real-time journeys. As these capabilities mature, we can expect tighter feedback loops, more adaptive operations, and experiences that feel increasingly seamless. The organizations that succeed will be those that balance technology with human creativity and judgment.

Advice for Emerging Retail Leaders

For those aspiring leadership roles in retail marketing and operations, my advice is to learn boldly and step outside your comfort zone. Growth often comes from raising your hand for unfamiliar challenges. Embrace AI as an augmentation, not a replacement, and invest equally in building strong relationships with customers and teams.

Communicate with intent, translate complexity clearly, and be willing to share wins while owning opportunities to improve. Demonstrating initiative—by offering ideas, building connections, seeking mentorship, and showing how your work enables others—goes a long way in shaping both your impact and your career.

The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official strategy or positions of Giant Eagle.