Best AI Transformation & Retail Optimisation Company 2025 – Germany & Client Service Excellence Award 2025

As one of the world’s largest marketing solutions companies, Cheil Worldwide Inc. needs no introduction. Since 1973, the company has grown to encompass 54 locations and 7,000 staff, positioning it as the go-to partner for innovative, integrated marketing. Cheil Germany is a crucial part of the brand’s global family, and one of the country’s leading creative agencies. On the back of this recognition, we had the opportunity to catch up with its own Jazz Clement, who told us more about Retail Performance Management, its specialist retail division. 

Comprising 400 experts from 40 countries, Cheil Germany reflects the diversity and excellence of the global brand it is integral to, albeit on a smaller scale, from its offices in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. Every day, this 400-strong team in Germany join 7,000 or so other employees based around the world, blending creativity with technological expertise and data understanding to deliver a unique and seamless service that is perfect for those looking to succeed in today’s omnichannel world.

The knowledge inherent across the Cheil Germany brand can be split into four main categories: marketing and sales, digital platforms and e-commerce, retail and point-of-sale, and live/brand experiences. As its first award suggests, it is the third of these areas we were most impressed with, thanks to the company’s expertise across both digital and brick-and-mortar retail. Its teams’ development of innovative retail formats makes it the leading service provider of its kind in this environment.

Nowhere is the dedication that is inherent throughout Cheil Germany better on display than through Retail Performance Management (RPM) a division of the company designed to both enhance and optimise retail operations from the ground up. Using a blend of innovative solutions and advanced technologies, it is the mission of this collective to disrupt the retail landscape forever – providing its clients with unparalleled performance improvements by leveraging AI tools and data analytics.

“With Retail Performance Management, you gain more than a 6% market share from your competitors.”

Diving deeper into the process behind this offering, the basis of RPM is the fact that success in competitive retail lies in the effectiveness of in-store promotions, a strong brand presence, and streamlined field service management. If they do not have clear and consistent promotion strategies, brands can confuse their customers and lose sales. RPM exists to demonstrate that this need not be the case.

There are a number of areas where potential can be impacted, such as inconsistency with promotional campaigns across different stores, an inefficiency in adapting promotions to the conditions of the local market, or even a lack of staff to successfully execute a consistent strategy. Through a multifaceted solution built around holistic management at the point of sale, RPM supports clients across these areas.

The exhaustive list of services provided by RPM spans everything from merchandising and workforce management to investment optimisation, brand engagement/visibility, advanced analytics, and resource optimisation. Jazz added: “We have also developed a series of proprietary products to both enable and empower our clients and retailer brand performance forwards, again through AI and technology platforms.” These exclusive products include the two standouts of SmartWays and FOBOT.

SmartWays is an AI tool specialising in route planning, blending workflow management with artificial intelligence to help users take their operations to the next level. Increased efficiency, optimised processes, and less time spent on administrative tasks are just of few of the advantages of this product, which has been shown to increase employee productivity in 75% of cases and reduce back-office efforts in 30%.

Samsung Electronics Germany, which is the primary client of RPM and Cheil Germany, was one of many to share the benefits of using this product. “SmartWays has completely revolutionised the management of our field service”, said Samsung Germany’s Director of Retail Strategy and Operation, Erwin Schwabeur. “No other software has allowed us to work as effectively and efficiently.”

RPM’s relationship with Samsung is particularly impressive, given that the latter’s German field operations team is the largest in the country’s market, managing all strategic and operational activities across approximately 8,000 locations. SmartWays was actually developed especially for Samsung’s unique needs, and its ability to optimise route planning and task management is unparalleled.

FOBOT, on the hand, uses AI to power a dynamic-pricing modelling software, optimising a client’s pricing strategy in real time and addressing some of the most common challenges experienced during the sales process as it goes. This allows clients to not only increase their revenue, but also to make informed decisions about their growth. 30% of users reported more accurate sales forecasts based on the historical data and trends, whilst 10% increased their sales thanks to better SKU pricing.

These tools are also used by partners including the German Cooperative Financial Group, ACCENTRO, and EintrachtTech, to name just a few, and as Jazz explained: “With a focus on innovation and agility, we ensure our clients stay ahead of market trends and achieve their business objectives efficiently and effectively.” As well as these local clients, this team also support Cheli’s global subsidiaries, allowing them to expand their signature services to new partners across industries worldwide.

Behind these products and the services mentioned above is a set of core values comprising data-driven growth, AI-enhanced retail execution, and operational excellence. For Jazz and the team here, this trifecta is the secret recipe of unique solutions designed to maximise ROI, streamline operations, and boost the experience had by partners. These values drive every initiative and set RPM and Cheil Germany apart.

Exploring exactly how this is achieved, Jazz commented: “We operationalise our values by embedding them into our daily workflow and KPIs. Every initiative is measured against outcomes like ROI maximisation, efficient processes, compliance, and customer engagement, ensuring accountability and alignment in all we do. This is why clients continue to trust us as their go-to partner for retail performance.”

Another distinguishing factor is the team itself, something Jazz shed some more light on: “The RPM team has been built by seasoned industry experts ranging from brilliant data analysts, and field operations powerhouses to savvy developers and astute strategists.” Combined, their expertise sees boundaries pushed, thinking done outside the box, and the status quo challenged. Uniting them all is an eagerness to explore how technology and data can permanently reshape the retail environment.

This is particularly relevant at the moment, given that retail is currently undergoing a major transformation, driven by online and offline media channels merging to create a flawless journey for customers as they navigate their favourite brands. Then there are trends including retail media, AI analytics, and data-informed omnichannel strategies, all of which are forever altering this landscape, in Germany and beyond.

Such transformations are not without their challenges, however, and obstacles such as stock-outs, dead inventory, and shifting customer behaviours are all things the team must navigate on a daily basis. In order to do so effectively, they leverage data and insights to tackle them quickly, with the creative solutions and tactics they devise not only resolving the more immediate issues but also resulting in long-term competitive advantages that pave the way for their clients’ enduring success.

Just one example of how the company is working towards this is by strengthening its RPM-as-a-Service model, which will allow more brands on the level of Samsung to tap into its platforms and access its consulting expertise. Another initiative set to take place over the next 12 months involves the team running trials on new AI and automation tools, all of which have been designed to enhance analytics in real time, optimise field execution, and ultimately deliver sharper, more valuable insights to clients.

Through these plans, the ability of these experts to combine consulting, proprietary products, and field execution – all under one roof – remains stronger than ever, and positions the team as total solutions providers for retailers looking to boost brand visibility and improve sales performance. In closing, Jazz shared: “This unique positioning makes RPM not just a service provider but a growth partner for brands navigating retail complexity and help them tackle their retail challenges at any touchpoint.”

Recognised as both the Best AI Transformation & Retail Optimisation Company 2025 – Germany and with our Client Service Excellence Award 2025, all of the above demonstrates that Cheil Germany is something truly impressive in this space. The same can also be said of its Retail Performance Management division specifically, which is itself a revolutionary and integral to the brand’s overall success. More information about both of these trailblazing entities is available at the link below.

Contact Details

Contact: Jazz Clement

Company: Cheil Germany

Web Address:  https://www.cheil.de/ / https://www.cheil.de/expertisen/retail-field-force-management