Written by Dan Andersson, GTM & Solution Director, Columbus.

For years, product information has been scattered across teams and systems. Compliance managed the rules. Marketing crafted the stories. Customer experience focused on engagement. Each worked in isolation, often using different data, different tools, and different goals.

Today, that separation no longer works. Customers expect transparency, consistency, and trust across every channel. The businesses that succeed are the ones connecting these dots, using smart data management and AI to bring compliance, marketing, and experience together through a single foundation: a Product Information Management (PIM) system.

From structured data to smarter experiences

Once product data is centralised and structured, AI can do the heavy lifting. It can write descriptions for different audiences, translate product specs instantly, and personalise recommendations. The same information that ensures compliance also powers marketing and customer engagement.

This matters even more as search evolves. GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, is the new SEO. Instead of matching keywords, AI-driven search engines now deliver natural-language answers based on structured product data. In this new landscape, enriched data inside your PIM keeps your products visible, relevant, and trusted.

Customers today don’t just buy on price or design; they buy on trust"

Bridging PIM and GEO for better experiences

One of the biggest advantages of an adaptive PIM ecosystem is how it enhances both discoverability and user experience. Generative search engines now deliver natural-language answers, in comparison to only keyword lists. They combine structured product data with context to generate conversational results.

By enriching and structuring your product data through a PIM, your business becomes part of those AI-driven answers. GEO ensures your products are not only found but also accurately represented, which strengthens trust and increasing conversion.

In short, PIM and GEO work together to keep your brand visible, authentic, and aligned with customer intent.

Real-world impact: Bonava’s AI-powered content

Bonava, a leading residential developer in Northern Europe, shows what this looks like in practice. Using AI and a centralised PIM, they generate accurate property descriptions in multiple languages within seconds, cutting production time and cost dramatically.

The result? Consistent, compliant, and engaging content across markets. Bonava has turned product data into a storytelling engine that builds both trust and efficiency.

Read the full story

The trust loop

Everyone benefits when data is trusted:

• Customers see that what you say is true.

• Regulators know your claims are compliant.

• Your business gains reliable insights.

A PIM enriched with AI closes the loop between these three. Compliance data flows directly into marketing content, creating transparency that builds customer confidence and strengthens your brand.

The bottom line? Compliance shouldn't be seen a cost, but rather a competitive advantage.

From compliance to Digital Product Passports

The EU’s new Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulations are redefining what compliance means in retail and manufacturing. For years, meeting regulations was seen as a cost, a checklist to complete. But with a modern PIM and AI working together, compliance becomes far more valuable.

When managed in a PIM, product information like materials, origin, or sustainability can be structured, verified, and shared seamlessly. Add AI, and this same data transforms into insight and storytelling. A Digital Product Passport becomes not just a regulatory record, but a living product story that builds trust by proving authenticity and transparency.

Imagine a customer scanning a QR code and seeing exactly where a product was made, how it can be repaired, or its environmental footprint. That’s compliance meeting customer experience.

Handled this way, DPPs do far more than satisfy regulators. They also turn transparency into competitive advantage and show that your brand doesn’t just follow the rules; it leads with responsibility, clarity, and confidence.

For C-level leaders, this shift is significant. The brands that treat DPPs as part of their customer experience strategy and not just a compliance task will shortly stand out as the most credible.

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Personalisation at scale

The same adaptive capabilities that make compliance easier also open new doors for personalisation.

Retailers today operate across a growing mix of marketplaces, brand sites, social channels, and AI-powered assistants. In this environment, consistency is still important, but it’s no longer enough. Every channel has its own rhythm, its own audience, and its own expectations.

This is where AI and PIM truly work hand in hand. With a strong PIM as the foundation, AI can automatically adjust tone, format, and product details to match the context. From concise technical data for B2B buyers, to story-driven descriptions for lifestyle consumers, it can localise messaging for different markets. Including to optimise content for search and discovery, and even generate recommendations based on behaviour or intent.

The result is a seamless balance between control and creativity. The data stays accurate and compliant, while the content feels relevant and human. As such, personalisation is not only about producing more content, it’s mainly about making every interaction count by using the same trusted data to connect with customers in a way that feels personal, helpful, and consistent.

For many businesses, this may sound like another layer of compliance. But handled strategically, it’s a powerful opportunity to connect with customers on a new level"

What makes this possible

Today’s most effective PIM ecosystems are built to support adaptive, intelligent product data. They combine strong data governance with automated enrichment, GEO-ready workflows, and the ability to syndicate content seamlessly across hundreds of channels.

A modern PIM platform like Akeneo make this data model real. With automated enrichment, workflow tools, and connectors - Akeneo turns structured data into powerful experiences.

These capabilities make it easier to manage emerging requirements like Digital Product Passport attributes, maintain consistency at scale, and ensure every product story is accurate, contextual and ready for any market. When structure meets agility, businesses can turn regulation into reputation and transform product data into real business value.

Best practices for building an adaptive PIM ecosystem?

1. Keep your core clean – Maintain accurate, consistent product data within your PIM.

2. Layer AI enrichment – Use AI to generate translations, variations, and localised content efficiently.

3. Adapt by channel – Tailor tone and structure for each platform or market.

4. Monitor continuously – Track data quality and performance across channels to refine over time.

5. Prioritise agility – View adaptability not as an IT goal, but as a business advantage.

The takeaway

Product data has become one of the most valuable assets in modern retail. When managed intelligently and enriched with AI, it connects every part of your value chain. From compliance and sustainability to marketing and customer experience.

A robust PIM like Akeneo gives businesses control, structure, and accuracy. Layer AI on top, and that same foundation comes alive, which enables transparency through Digital Product Passports, efficiency through automation, and engagement through personalisation.

The brands that thrive will most probably be those that treat their product data as a living part of their business strategy. A source of truth that drives trust, loyalty, and long-term growth.