eCommerce Evolution

Jones Road's YouTube Playbook with Cody Plofker

Cody Plofker (Jones Road Beauty, Marketing Operators podcast) has run YouTube ads that stay live for two to three years without fatiguing — while most paid social creative burns out in a week. In this episode, he breaks down exactly how Jones Road builds YouTube creative that works, why incrementality is the only measurement system he trusts, and how to use it to win budget arguments with a board that only looks at last-click. Inside the episode: The YouTube creative mistake most brands make: too polished, not punchy enough — and why grittier, longer-form ads (60-90 seconds, even 2 minutes) often outperform short, clean ones Why audio hooks matter more on YouTube than visual hooks — because half your views are happening on a TV with the sound on How Jones Road keeps the same YouTube ad running for 2-3 years without fatigue, while Meta and TikTok creative burns out in a week The "16x9 conversion" trick for turning existing vertical social assets into YouTube ads without a new shoot Why incrementality is the only causal measurement system — and how Cody uses it to win budget fights with the board over channels that "don't look good" on click attribution How Jones Road found their YouTube post-treatment window kept "exploding" over time — the opposite of Meta, where results are mostly baked in fast — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: [00:00] Intro — Brett Curry sets up the interview with Cody Plofker at OMG Commerce's NYC event [02:45] Where YouTube fits in the marketing mix — a quasi-brand, quasi-direct-response channel [03:24] Judging YouTube creative — hooks, pacing, and why longer ads can outperform [07:31] Educational content and Jones Road's creative journey — from UGC to produced TV [09:41] Foundation Stick launch — creator shoots and top-down vs. bottom-up production [12:41] Why Cody co-hosts the Marketing Operators podcast [15:30] Measuring YouTube properly — the 16x9 conversion trick and halo effects [18:22] Incrementality vs. MTA vs. MMM — the case for causal measurement [22:54] Reading individual tests and building an incrementality testing roadmap [26:18] What's next for Cody — AI, new projects, and life after Jones Road [28:37] Audience Q&A — roadmaps, baselining, and Jones Road's early YouTube hurdles — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Andrew's LinkedIn: /cody-plofker/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

What 300 Store Owners Reveal for 2026: Amazon's Slide, AI's Letdown & a Skill Worth 50% More Profit

Andrew Youderian disappears into a cave for six weeks every year to crunch data from 300+ seven, eight, and nine-figure store owners — and comes back with the most honest read on the state of e-commerce you'll find anywhere. This year's survey has a few takeaways that sting: AI adoption hit 73% but produced zero measurable financial edge in 2025, Amazon has quietly slipped from growth engine to supplemental channel, and the single biggest profit lever isn't a tactic at all. Brett and Andrew dig into what the numbers actually say — and what operators should do about it before everyone else catches on. Inside the episode: Why Amazon's share of revenue has fallen back to 2017 levels even as more brands sell there — and the "build a brand, sell on Amazon second" shift behind it The 92% vs. 17% gap: how store owners really feel about selling DTC versus Amazon (and why the P&L explains it — 47% COGS vs. 58%) The AI gut-check: 73% of brands "meaningfully adopted" it, so Andrew pulled their actual sales data instead of asking for ROI — here's what he found The financial-mastery cliff: going from a 4-out-of-5 to a 5-out-of-5 on financial fluency jumps net margins from 9.7% to 14.3% and net income growth ~50% The warehouse stat that became Andrew's most viral thread: own your warehouse and grow ~4%, lease or 3PL it and grow 30–35% The optimist vs. pessimist breakdown — conversion rate, inventory turns, and fixed overhead — and what separates the two camps Why the future belongs to "small, durable brands" — and why the days of hacking distribution are over — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: [00:00] Intro clip — Andrew on treating AI adoption as a growth tool that didn't pan out in the data [00:26] Welcome & introducing Andrew Youderian of eCommerce Fuel [01:31] Backstory — How Brett and Andrew connected, and eCommerce Fuel's origins [03:41] Inside the annual survey — Methodology and respondent profile [05:27] Amazon findings — Declining revenue share, low seller satisfaction, and P&L economics vs D2C [11:22] The Amazon land-grab era ending — 97% of brands now use paid traffic [17:34] CAC, moats, and the Dan Kennedy quote — Spending more to win the long game [20:19] Amazon as a checkout, not a discovery engine — The 40% off-platform sales stat [24:53] AI adoption findings — No financial edge despite 75% adoption [28:26] The nuance on AI — Vibe-coding pitfalls and where AI is actually helping [31:20] Financial intelligence — Why jumping from a 4 to a 5 out of 5 skyrockets margins [39:43] 2026 outlook — Optimists vs. pessimists, and the future of durable small brands — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Andrew’s LinkedIn: /andrew-youderian-ba74a623/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

The Subscription Playbook: 7 Plays to Cut Churn, Lift LTV, and Unlock Zero-CAC Revenue

Most brands treat their subscriber portal like a settings page. Turns out, it's actually their highest-risk revenue moment — 70% of subscribers who log in are there to cancel, skip, or bail. Piyush Jain, CEO of Loop Subscriptions, has the data from 1,900+ D2C brands to prove it, and the playbook to stop it. Inside the episode: How OSEA Malibu cut churn from 10% to 5% without offering a single discount — using a free travel kit timed to the exact order where most subscribers were dropping off The "Mystery Reward" pop-up that intercepts high-intent cancellations in real time — and reduces churn by another 23% for brands using it Why 20–25% of cancellations happen within days of your upcoming order email — and how Four Sigmatic engineered a 40% save rate on their cancellation flow How Good Protein drives 25% of total subscription revenue from upsells — and why second-order subscribers are worth 2x more than first-order ones Non-traditional subscription plays for brands outside consumables: from air purifier filter programs to digital membership add-ons — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: [00:00] Intro — Mystery Rewards & The Portal Churn Problem [00:22] Show Introduction & Guest Welcome — Piyush Jain of Loop Subscriptions [02:29] Why 70% of Portal Visitors Want to Cancel or Skip [04:09] Case Study: OSEA Malibu Cuts Churn in Half With Gift Rewards [06:59] Mystery Rewards — Gamifying the Portal for High-Risk Subscribers [10:55] Streaks & Loyalty Gamification — The Duolingo-Inspired Approach [14:22] Zero-Day Churn — When Customers Subscribe Just for the Discount [19:43] Cancellation Flows — How FourSigmatic Saves 40% of Cancellations [21:42] Increasing Product Consumption to Reduce Churn [25:03] Second-Order Subscribers — Why They're 2X More Valuable [29:13] Upselling as a Zero-CAC Revenue Channel — The Good Protein Story [34:20] Non-Traditional Subscriptions — Air Purifiers, Shoes & Digital Memberships [39:07] How to Increase Subscription Take Rate on the PDP [42:42] Wrap-Up & How to Connect With Loop Subscriptions — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Piyush’s LinkedIn: /piyush-jn/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

The $270 Billion Checkout Problem (And How to Recover Your Share)

Most e-commerce brands pour everything into getting customers to checkout — and then hand them a generic, one-size-fits-all experience that quietly kills the sale. Avi Moskowitz, co-founder of PDQ, has processed millions of checkouts across top Shopify brands (including Jones Road Beauty), and his diagnosis is blunt: cart abandonment isn't a technical problem. It's an emotional one. And it's leaving $270 billion on the table every year. Inside the episode: Why your checkout is the one place segmentation goes to die — and how personalizing it by customer type (first-time, returning, high-value) can drive an 18% AOV lift or double-digit conversion jumps The "WISMO problem": why more than 50% of order-related support tickets arrive the same day the order was placed — and what it tells you about the trust gap you're creating at checkout The free shipping threshold mistake almost every brand is making (hint: they copied a competitor who also just guessed) Surprising checkout wins from PDQ's testing: why moving the economy shipping option down one slot meaningfully increased revenue per session — without a single new ad or product How to think about every order as its own P&L — factoring in CAC, COGS, fulfillm — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: [00:00] Intro — The $270B checkout abandonment problem [00:22] Welcome & Guest Introduction: Avi Moskowitz, Co-Founder of PDQ [01:52] Avi's Background: From Craft Beer to SaaS Founder [03:23] COVID Timing & The eCommerce Wake-Up Call [05:09] The Root Cause of Cart Abandonment: Trust, Not Technology [07:27] How PDQ Solves the Checkout Confidence Gap [14:30] Reducing Friction: Shipping, Delivery Dates & Upsells [23:00] Free Shipping Thresholds & AOV Optimization [34:00] Building a Checkout That Converts Like Amazon [43:24] Thinking in Mini P&Ls: Per-Order Profit Optimization [46:26] Personalized Checkout Logic at the Customer Level [48:24] Where to Find PDQ & Get Your Free Checkout Audit — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Avi's LinkedIn: /moskowitzavi Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

How to Build an Agentic Marketing Team (And Why It's the Skill That Keeps You Unfireable)

Chris Hall — the Ecom Cowboy, former All-American offensive lineman at UT Austin, and the guy who scaled Bruce Bolt to one of Shopify's fastest-growing stores as a team of one — is as entertaining as he is tactical. But underneath the hat and the accent is a marketer who has been thinking hard about what separates the people who survive this AI moment from the ones who don't. His take: the button-pushers are already gone. The marketers who build and manage agents — and who also make bold analog bets — are the ones who get more valuable every quarter. Inside the episode: Why the "team of one" marketer is actually more viable than ever — and the Claude-powered workflow Chris used to handle ads, email, SMS, reporting, and organic social simultaneously at Bruce Bolt How BattleBox turned Whatnot into their #2 revenue channel (surpassing Amazon) — with net-new customers, not cannibalized .com sales — and why most DTC brands are still completely asleep on it The AI stack Chris is actually using: Claude for strategy and execution, Wideframe for agentic video editing, Kive for AI product imagery so clean that seven-figure brands are running it as their entire Instagram feed Why "get sweaty on camera" is one of the highest-leverage moves a marketer can make right now — and the skill it builds that AI literally cannot replicate The two anti-AI bets Chris thinks every brand and operator needs to make in 2026 — and why they work because of AI, not in spite of it — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today! — ‍Chapters: [0:00] Welcome & Introducing the Ecom Cowboy [1:53] Origin of the Ecom Cowboy Brand & Name [2:17] Chris Hall's Football Career at UT & Blocking Von Miller [4:43] From the NFL to Nonprofits to E-Commerce [6:45] Inside Bruce Bolt: One of Shopify's Fastest Growing Stores [9:07] The Future of Marketing Jobs in an AI World [14:26] What Marketers Must Do to Stay Relevant in 2026 [17:32] Getting Claude-Pilled: Building Your Agentic Workforce [21:44] Running an Entire Marketing Team with AI Agents [27:34] Chris Hall's Full AI Stack (Wideframe, Higgsfield & More) [31:36] AI Productivity Hacks: Daily Reports, WhisperFlow & Skills [36:40] The Anti-AI Bet: Live Streaming & IRL Activations [39:11] Why Every Brand Should Be on Whatnot Right Now [47:29] Wrapping Up & How to Find Chris Hall Daily — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Chris' LinkedIn: /chrislukehall Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

Stop Running YouTube Ads Like Meta Ads: The DTC Playbook for 2026

Most D2C brands have tried YouTube ads. Almost none of them are getting credit for what those ads are actually doing. Brett Curry, CEO of OMG Commerce and the guy behind YouTube growth for brands like Native, Arctic, and Dude Wipes, makes the case that in-platform reporting is under-counting YouTube's real impact by roughly 70% — and that the brands leaning in right now are about to widen the gap on everyone still dabbling. This one goes deep: incrementality testing, omnichannel attribution, creative frameworks, and why your Meta winners almost certainly won't survive on YouTube. Inside the episode: Why a 1.0 in-platform ROAS on YouTube is probably a 3.4 in reality — and the 190-test incrementality study behind that number How Arctic drove a 25% Walmart sales lift (and 230% branded search lift) by running YouTube in select markets — measured scientifically against matched control markets The three creative types that actually work on YouTube: hero/brand films, single-creator UGC, and the specific criteria your Meta winners need to meet before you bother testing them How to diagnose a broken YouTube ad using just three metrics: view rate, click-through rate, and average watch time per impression — and what each one tells you to fix Why campaign structure for retail lift looks completely different than for D2C sales — and how to set up for both at once — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today! — ‍Chapters: [0:00] Introduction: Why Most Brands Still Suck at YouTube [1:51] Audience Poll: Who's Actually Winning on YouTube? [3:15] The Core Problem: Bringing a Meta Mindset to YouTube [4:05] YouTube as Trust: Creators, TV, and Time Spent [8:14] Incrementality 101: Measuring the Real Impact of Your Ads [11:22] How Incremental Is YouTube? The 3.4x ROAS Reality [15:28] Going Omnichannel: Using YouTube to Drive Retail and Amazon Sales [19:13] Arctic Case Study: Measuring YouTube's Impact on Walmart Sales [24:09] Creative Diversity: The Essential Elements of a YouTube Ad [27:16] Creative Breakdown: Single Influencer, Hero, and Mashup Ad Examples [38:05] Creative Story Arc: How to Hook Viewers and Drive Action [40:24] Creative Feedback Loops: What Data to Watch and Why [46:09] Campaign Structure: How to Buy Media Based on Your Goals [51:56] Measure, Model, Maximize: The Trifecta of YouTube Measurement — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

YouTube Shorts, TikTok Blitzes, and Attention Battles: What's Actually Working

YouTube ads veteran Brett Curry (OMG Commerce) and TikTok Shop expert Jordan West (Social Commerce Club) went back and forth live on what's actually moving the needle for D2C brands right now — and some of their takes are going to sting. Most brands are still treating Google spend as a given, measuring YouTube with click-based attribution that was never built for it, and ignoring a TikTok Shop launch strategy that flips the creator dynamic entirely. Inside the episode: The YouTube Shorts formula that's working in 2026 — why Brett reversed his position, and the 4 things a video must have (including minimum length) before you waste money testing it The Blitz methodology explained — how Social Commerce Club seeds hundreds of creators in a 24–48 hour window to manufacture momentum and make big creators come to you instead of the other way around Why Jordan thinks most Google spend is a non-incremental tax — and the channel hierarchy he'd use for every D2C brand over $10M The TikTok Shop–to–Shopify halo effect — the data Jordan's team is seeing that almost nobody is talking about yet "My brand is too premium for TikTok Shop" — Jordan's reframe on why that objection is almost always wrong, and what to ask instead Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! Chapters: [0:00] Introduction: Brett Curry & Jordan West Swap Podcasts [1:09] Why YouTube CPMs Are the Most Underpriced in the Industry [5:00] What's Working on YouTube Shorts: The Framework for Winning Creative [7:57] TikTok Shop Deep Dive: Jordan's Obsession with Demand Generation [10:01] Like, Know, and Trust: Why YouTube Is the Ultimate Brand-Building Platform [11:28] Ad Break: OMG Commerce Omnichannel Growth [12:37] The Blitz Methodology: How Social Commerce Club Concentrates Creator Signal [16:46] Moments vs. Blitzes Explained: Definitions and How They Drive Momentum [19:42] How Far Can Brands Actually Scale on YouTube? [21:53] Why MTA Tools Underreport YouTube: The Case for Incrementality Testing [22:58] The Problem with Multi-Touch Attribution: Jordan's New Halo Tracking Concept [25:17] Incrementality Explained with a Retail Store Analogy [28:43] Rapid Fire YouTube Questions: Mashup Creatives and Repurposing Creator Content [30:53] YouTube Targeting Strategy: Why You Still Need to Feed the Algorithm Signal [32:22] Which Brands Should Be on YouTube But Aren't? [33:09] Hot Take: The Right Ad Spend Hierarchy for D2C Brands [34:43] YouTube vs. Meta by Product Type: Apparel, Problem-Solution, and Omnichannel [37:15] If TV Works, YouTube Should Work: The CTV and Linear TV Connection [38:10] Is Your Brand Too Premium for TikTok Shop? Jordan's Answer [39:42] Why TikTok Shop Is a Fundamentally Different Beast Than TikTok Ads [41:05] Wrap-Up: Where to Find Brett and Jordan Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: / thebrettcurry YouTube: / @omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Jordan's LinkedIn: jordan-west-marketer/ ‍ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

Geo Holdouts, Halo Effects, and the Real Results of Your Ad Spend — With Olivia Kory of Haus Analytics

Most DTC brands are making million-dollar channel decisions based on attribution data that's fundamentally wrong. Olivia Kory — CSO of Haus and the incrementality expert Brett references on stage more than almost anyone — breaks down what it actually takes to know if your ads are working. Spoiler: if you've been writing off YouTube based on MTA, you owe yourself a retest. Inside the episode: Why YouTube's true ROAS is 3.4X what the platform reports — and how Haus's 190-test study across 74 brands proved it (plus why your D2C numbers alone are only half the picture) The right time to start incrementality testing — it's not when you're huge, it's when your business gets complicated enough that turning off ads won't give you a clean answer How StockX went from barely spending on YouTube to making it their #2 acquisition channel — by running geo holdout tests and acting on the results Why Meta's optimization might be too good — and how brands like Jones Road are improving their iROAS by making changes that look worse in-platform The surprise winner: AppLovin — Olivia came in skeptical of mobile game ad inventory and got data she didn't expect Haus's new DTC Basics tier — a lower-cost entry point so more brands can stop guessing which channels are actually driving growth Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! Chapters: [00:00] Intro clip — Olivia on treating incrementality as a report card vs. a growth tool [00:22] Introductions & background — Olivia's path from Starcom → TubeMogul → Netflix → Quibi → Sonos → Haus [06:55] What is incrementality? — The randomized controlled trial analogy; geo holdouts vs. click-based attribution [10:45] When should a brand start using incrementality? — The low-to-mid 8-figure inflection point; multi-channel complexity as the signal [15:34] Native platform lift studies (Meta & Google) — Are they worth it? Signal loss, CAPI, iOS 14.5 limitations [17:25] Geo holdout vs. user-level testing — Why Haus was "born out of the ashes of iOS 14.5" and went all-in on geo [19:37] How a Haus geo holdout test actually works — Data ingestion, experiment design, market matching, results [23:20] Actioning on incrementality data — Coaching leadership, making reallocation decisions, improving channel performance over time [26:02] How long should you run a test? — Why 2-week YouTube tests fail; 4–6 week minimums and the role of consideration cycles [27:19] Incrementality as an optimization loop, not a report card — Connor from Ridge, Cody from Jones Road Beauty, and the StockX story [30:42] Key metrics defined — iROAS, iCPA, incrementality factor, and why in-platform ROAS can mislead you [32:47] Branded search — Is it incremental? Simple Modern's 5% read, when Amazon bidding on your terms changes the math [35:57] Treatment window & post-treatment window (PTW) — How Haus structures tests for YouTube, Meta, and CTV; lagged effects explained[39:36] Consideration cycles & post-purchase surveys — Why your path-to-purchase report is probably shorter than reality [41:00] Halo effects: Amazon & retail — Why omnichannel brands that only measure D2C are understating YouTube's impact [41:58] The Haus YouTube study findings — The 3.42x incrementality factor; halo effects that doubled lift when Amazon/retail pulled in; Demand Gen vindicated [44:10] YouTube vs. Meta: how the channels differ incrementally — Meta's short payback window, the "too good at intent" problem, and why YouTube wins on halo effects [46:53] Surprises from the data — YouTube (not surprising to Olivia), AppLovin (very surprising), and why TV results swing wildly based on inventory type [50:16] The biggest levers to improve incrementality — Creative first (30–50% wins), then account structure, traffic composition, and spend level [51:46] A DemandGen campaign running on Gmail — A real audit story and why traffic composition can make a channel look broken when it isn't [53:13] Haus's new DTC Basics tier — A lower-cost entry point to measure D2C and Amazon across core ad channels [54:54] Wrap-up & where to find Olivia — Part two teased around the next Haus YouTube report Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: / thebrettcurry YouTube: / @omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Olivia’s LinkedIn: /olivia-kory-50230812 Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

How Baseball Lifestyle Grew from $2M to $150M with Customer Experience

Scaling an eCommerce brand isn’t just about ads, creatives, or new channels. Often, the biggest growth unlock comes from how you treat customers after the purchase. In this episode of eCommerce Evolution, Brett sits down with Kristin Keys, VP of Customer Experience at Baseball Lifestyle 101, to break down how CX can become a true growth engine. From empowering support teams to turning angry customers into loyal advocates, Kristin shares how great customer experience drives retention, increases LTV, and fuels word-of-mouth growth. If you’re struggling with churn, negative reviews, or rising CAC, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you turn CX into a competitive advantage. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Introduction: CX as a Growth Engine with Kristin Keys (03:12) Why Good CX Drives Retention, LTV & Word of Mouth (07:00) The Baseball Lifestyle 101 Origin Story (14:02) Reducing Refunds, Chargebacks & Negative Reviews (20:04) Empowering Your Team to Resolve Issues on the Spot (24:10) Going Above & Beyond: Community Stories & Surprise Moments (30:51) Key Metrics: Return Rate, Repeat Purchases & Sales from Support (36:50) Biggest CX Mistakes D2C Brands Make (41:46) Parting Advice: Build a CX Team That Loves Your Brand — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Kristin’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-keys-bl101 Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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Full Funnel CRO: The Post-Click Playbook for 7, 8, and 9-Figure Ecommerce Brands

Scaling paid ads isn’t just about better creatives or media buying tweaks. Often, the real unlock is what happens after the click. In this episode of eCommerce Evolution, Brett sits down with Paddy McLarnon, founder of PM Digital Designs, to break down full funnel CRO; from advertorial landing pages to value stacking to subscription optimization. If your CAC is creeping up, your conversion rate feels capped, or your subscription churn is eating margin, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you scale profitably. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (05:01) The Biggest CRO Mistakes Brands Make (07:42) Ad-to-Lander Congruency (09:36) Advertorials & Listicles: Real Examples (16:56) Offer Stacking & Value Perception (19:55) Using Customer Surveys to Build Better Copy (25:13) Why Conversion Rate Can Mislead You (29:27) How to Hit a 72% Subscription Take Rate (36:48) Subscription Offer Breakdown: Real Examples (46:10) Buy Box Optimization & Pricing Psychology (50:13) Email, SMS & Follow-Up Flows — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Paddy’s LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/paddy-mclarnon-cro-for-shopify-brands-2055ba124 Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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AI Employees Are Here: What Claude Cowork, OpenClaw, and MCP Mean for eCommerce

AI in eCommerce marketing isn’t about “better prompts” anymore, it’s about better systems. Brett sits down with returning guest Russ Henneberry (TheClick.ai, co-author of Digital Marketing for Dummies) to unpack what’s new and what’s next: Claude Cowork, agentic workflows, skills that “self-improve,” and what happens when your AI can actually use your files, tools, and data — not just chat about it. If you’re a DTC founder, CMO, or operator trying to scale performance without scaling headcount, this episode is a blueprint for how modern teams are building repeatable AI routines for content, reporting, and decision-making. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:05) What Cowork is: agentic plans, local files, and “skills” (05:20) Skills that self-improve, plus persona + offer as core context (08:10) Cowork as a “brain” with version control, shared across workflows (10:10) Connected sources: Notion transcripts, Zoom notes, and MCP-style integrations (15:10) Parallel agents and context windows: why this runs faster than chatbots (18:05) Skill marketplaces, sharing zips, and the security caution (23:10) OpenClaw/Open-source talk: the 4 “levels” (chatbot → cowork → code → open source) (28:05) Hardware reality: Mac Minis, Apple silicon, and “processing power” as leverage (31:05) Content system: Source → Structure → Format → Polish (newsletter example) (38:30) Click.ai membership, team training, and closing thoughts on revenue/employee — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Russ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russhenneberry theCLICK: https://theclick.ai/ Digital Marketing for Dummies: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Marketing-Dummies-Business-Personal/dp/1119235596 Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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Why Your Creative Isn’t Converting (And What to Fix First)

Creative volume isn’t the unlock. Better messaging is. In this episode of eCommerce Evolution, Brett sits down with Nate Lagos (CMO of Adapt Naturals, former Head of Growth at Original Grain) to break down how great storytelling drives real performance. From selling wooden watches through emotional positioning… to increasing AOV by reframing gift messaging… to building ads that scale without “fatigue” — this episode is a masterclass in understanding why customers actually buy. If you’re a DTC founder, CMO, or operator tired of launching more ads without improving results, this conversation will recalibrate how you think about copy, positioning, and brand personality. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (05:05) Nate’s origin story, and why storytelling became a “performance lever” (07:40) Selling the story behind the materials (10:30) Customer motivation deep dive: status, identity, and gift-giving (15:05) Creative quantity vs quality (19:05) Finding the real “why”: research methods (23:10) Brand as “personality” (30:10) Testing surprises + valence/intensity framework (37:15) Practical frameworks: adjective formula — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Nate’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelagos Adapt Naturals: https://adaptnaturals.com Original Grain: https://www.originalgrain.com/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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7 Habits of Great Brands: Make 2026 Your Best Yet

In this episode, host Brett Curry discusses seven essential habits that successful brands adopt, which struggling brands often overlook. He dives deep into the importance of measuring actionable metrics, respecting momentum in business growth, balancing brand and performance marketing, and understanding the dynamics of demand generation versus demand capture. Listen in and discover the timeless principles of marketing that remain relevant in today's fast-paced environment. An episode packed with actionable insights to enhance your e-commerce strategies for 2026. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (03:08) Measuring Actionable Metrics (07:55) The Importance of Momentum in Business (11:00) Balancing Brand and Performance (14:47) Demand Capture vs. Demand Generation (17:24) Recover hidden Amazon revenue with Threecolts (18:20) Incrementality in Marketing Measurement (23:34) Creative Rhythms and Diversity (26:56) Timeless Marketing Principles for Modern Success (31:55) We Want to Help You Grow — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Join us in LA for Scale with YouTube Ads Live: omgcommerce.com/laevent Sponsor Offer | Threecolts: https://threecolts.com Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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BFCM Breakdown: How Top Brands Won Black Friday with Strategy, Not Just Sales

Black Friday just got more interesting. While most brands were bracing for skyrocketing ad costs and fierce competition, something unexpected happened during BFCM 2025—and it's reshaping how smart brands should approach next year's holiday season. In this jam-packed episode, OMG Commerce CEO Brett Curry sits down with four of the agency's top strategists—spanning Google, YouTube, Amazon, and retention marketing—to dissect what actually worked (and what flopped) during one of the most surprising Black Friday weekends in recent memory. You'll also get the 2026 prep checklist, including why AI is about to eliminate every excuse you have for not planning year-round promos, how to break down channel silos that are costing you sales, and the exact timing strategies that separated winners from everyone else. Whether you crushed it this BFCM or are wondering where you went wrong, this episode gives you the data, insights, and tactical playbook to make next year your best yet. Featured experts: Bill Cover, Google & YouTube Director Luba, Amazon ABM Strategist Barry Bowman, Amazon Ads Specialist Nick Flint, Retention Marketing Director — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:06) Meet the panel (05:52) Google/YouTube: weekend “plateau” + CPM/CPC drops and why it happened (08:50) Amazon: expanded event length, strong YoY, and the “off-Amazon” halo effect (12:28) SMS surpasses email + why brands still underuse it (13:47) What worked across all channels (19:33) Save Money and Connect Your Marketing Channels with Channable (20:35) Top-of-funnel and offer strategy (24:02) What didn’t work on Amazon: skipping promos, waiting too late, and thinking margin over LTV (27:42) Best brands vs. struggling brands (42:22) Playbook for next year (47:02) Channel strategy + 2026 planning (51:00) Final thoughts: AI’s impact on creative + planning (53:11) Fast Funding the Way You Need It with Wayflyer — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Keranique: keranique.com Sponsor Offer | Channable (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://www.channable.com/ Sponsor Offer | Wayflyer: https://wayflyer.com/en/partners/omgcommerce

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AMZ Innovate 2025 Talk: YouTube Ads for Omni-Channel Growth

This is a recording from AMZ Innovate 2025 in New York City. Brett Curry breaks down why YouTube is a fundamentally different growth channel than Meta, TikTok, or Amazon ads, and why most brands struggle when they treat it like “just another social platform.” He explains the four key ways people use YouTube (searching, streaming, scrolling, shopping), shares a proven creative formula to keep viewers from skipping, and walks through an Arctic case study showing measurable lift in branded search and Walmart sales. Finally, he covers why YouTube measurement often understates true performance and what to track instead (search lift, sales lift, geo holdouts, Amazon + DTC combined impact). — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:12) Intro (01:11) YouTube is the missing piece for ecommerce growth (04:07) YouTube on CTV + why creative can’t be a direct Meta/TikTok copy (06:50) Examples of YouTube-powered brand growth (Dr. Squash, Native, BOOM) (10:20) Creative strategy: length, formats, and what actually converts (11:12) The 5-part YouTube creative formula (hook → CTA) (14:34) Creative examples breakdown (RTIC durability, Native UGC montage, OPO Pop) (15:51) Sponsor Offer: Loop Subscriptions (21:18) What metrics matter for creative feedback loops (view rate, watch time, clicks, CVR) (26:01) Why YouTube under-measures + incrementality findings (House Analytics) (28:36) The “trifecta of lift”: Amazon baseline + search lift + overall sales trend (30:41) Sponsor: Fermat (AI-native commerce platform) — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Sponsor Offer | LOOP (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://www.loopwork.co/ Sponsor Offer | Fermat (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): fermatcommerce.com Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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How Beav Brodie Built Tactical Baby Gear to 8-Figures (And Why Amazon & YouTube Are His 2025 Focus)

When Beav Brodie was handed his wife's purple diaper bag to carry around town, he knew something had to change. As a tattooed, custom car-building dad, that bag just didn't fit. So he did what any problem-solver would do—he grabbed his sewing machine and made his own. That side project turned into Tactical Baby Gear, a thriving eCommerce brand that's become the go-to for dads who want gear that's as functional as it is badass. In this episode, Beav shares his journey from knowing absolutely nothing about eCommerce (including what a UPC code was) to building a product line that customers trust and keep coming back for. He also pulls back the curtain on navigating the chaos of 2025—from Meta auction issues to tariff headwinds—and why he's betting big on Amazon and YouTube as his growth channels for the year ahead. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Opening & Introducing Beav Brodie (04:45) 2025 Headwinds, Tariffs & Personal Life Challenges (08:45) Becoming a Real Operator: Systems, SOPs & Founder Mindset Shifts (12:00) Origin Story: From Custom Cars to Tactical Baby Gear (17:00) Manufacturing Realities: COVID, Price Creep & Moving Abroad (24:38) Recover hidden Amazon revenue with Threecolts (25:33) Meta Constraints & The Founder Bottleneck in Content (29:30) UGC, Influencers & Why Authenticity Beats “Pretty” Content (36:25) Offers, Acquisition & The Realities of Low-Repeat Categories (42:10) Brand vs Discounts: Community, Trust & True LTV (47:00) Channel Expansion & Product Philosophy (50:19) PostPilot: Direct mail that prints money. — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Tactical Baby Gear: https://tacticalbabygear.com Sponsor Offer | Threecolts: http://threecolts.com Sponsor Offer | PostPilot: http://postpilot.com/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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How One Brand Went from $0 to $80K/Day on AppLovin in One Week

Think you've maxed out your paid advertising? Think again. In this episode, Miranda Pettinger (365 Holdings/Cuddle Clones) shares how she scaled AppLovin from zero to $80,000/day in just 7 days during Black Friday—and why it's now their highest-spending channel, even surpassing Meta. Miranda doesn't just share success metrics—she breaks down the exact strategy, creative approach, and measurement framework that made it possible. This is the blueprint for brands ready to diversify beyond Meta and Google. If you're spending serious money on Meta and hitting scale ceilings, AppLovin might be your most underrated growth opportunity. Miranda proved it's possible to find incremental customers, better ROAS, and massive scale—all while simplifying your account structure. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Introducing Miranda and Cuddle Clones (07:54) The Journey from Zero to $80,000 a day. (13:27) Targeting, Media Buying and Creative on AppLovin (17:03) Understanding AppLovin (19:38) Analyzing Customer Behavior and Incrementality (22:59) Fermat: Optimize Shopper Experience with AI (23:53) Limitations on AppLovin and Final Thoughts (31:15) Crafting Compelling Ads (37:24) Analyzing Successful Ad Elements (42:17) Targeting and Audience Engagement (46:27) Brand Recall and Interactions (50:25) Utilizing AI for Ad Optimization (53:35) Creative Diversity and Longevity (58:41) Final Thoughts (01:03:08) Save Money and Connect Your Marketing Channels with Channable — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Connect with Miranda on X: https://x.com/mirandpettinger Cuddle Clones: https://cuddleclones.com AppLovin: https://www.applovin.com/ Sponsor Offer | Fermat (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): fermatcommerce.com Sponsor Offer | Channable (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://channable.com/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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Last-Minute Levers for Amazon Q4 | Masterclass Replay

At the start of Q4, OMG Commerce founder Brett Curry hosts a special Last-Minute Levers masterclass to help brands maximize performance during the busiest shopping season of the year. Joined by Amazon strategist Luba Ilyasova, ad expert Jonathan Steffens, and Connor Crook, CEO of Diamondback Tools, the session dives into what’s changed on Amazon in 2025, how to build a profitable holiday strategy, and which final levers to pull before Black Friday / Cyber Monday hits. From international expansion and tariff navigation to using Amazon’s newest ad analytics, profit margin tracking, and creative promotion tactics, this masterclass offers a playbook for protecting margins, scaling smartly, and avoiding common Q4 pitfalls. Whether you’re planning coupons, bundles, or last-minute campaigns, these insights will help make this your strongest and most profitable holiday yet. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (04:32) Diamondback Tools & Amazon’s Role in Brand Growth (06:43) Strategic Fit – How Amazon Complements DTC and Wholesale (11:54) Key Shifts in 2025 – Tariffs, International Expansion & SKU Updates (16:07) Major Amazon Changes – Matching Product to Customer Intent (21:04) Sponsor Acknowledgements & Tool Shoutouts (22:14) Ad Trends and Competitive Landscape in 2025 (25:26) Making Data Actionable – Customer Journey Analytics & Search Query Insights (32:40) Last-Minute Levers for Q4 Success (34:15) Testing New Main Images & Launching Video Ads (35:51) Building Gift Guides & Creative Holiday Angles (37:18) Integrating Email and SMS With Amazon Promotions (39:26) Diamondback’s Promotional Strategy for the Holidays (45:21) Virtual Bundles – Opportunities and Pitfalls (50:27) Balancing Aggression and Profitability in Holiday Ads (52:33) Post-Event Remarketing & Retention Tactics (56:35) Final Thoughts – Promotions That Actually Work (58:37) Closing Remarks – Building Profitable Brands This Holiday Season — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Connor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-crook-bb82b110/ Diamondback Website: https://www.diamondback.com/ Boom by Cindy Joseph (Amazon launch case): https://www.amazon.com/stores/BOOMbyCindyJoseph/page/8ACDB09A-AEB9-4CEE-9311-BC3DCA688D8D Native Deodorant: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Native/page/B87A8989-7690-424A-B775-553034F6E58E Sponsor Offer | AZM Prep (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://amzprep.com/ Sponsor Offer | KAPOQ (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://kapoq.com/ Sponsor Offer | Seller Candy (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://sellercandy.com/ Sponsor Offer | Threecolts (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://www.threecolts.com/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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The 95-5 Rule: Why Your "Efficient" Marketing is Slowing Killing Your Brand

Are you spending more on ads but getting less in return? You're not alone. In this eye-opening conversation, Preston Rutherford, co-founder of Chubbies (which achieved a nine-figure exit and continues to see 8 years of consecutive growth), reveals why most modern brands are stuck in what he calls "the performance trap." Preston breaks down the crucial 95-5 rule—the reality that 95% of your audience isn't actively shopping at any given time—and explains why optimizing only for immediate conversions is slowly eroding your brand. He shares the hard-earned lessons from Chubbies' journey, including their midlife crisis moment when efficiency metrics looked great but the business fundamentals were deteriorating. This isn't about choosing between brand and performance—it's about finding the right balance to build sustainable, profitable growth. If you've ever wondered whether your marketing is building a moat or just buying clicks, this episode is essential listening. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (04:08) The Journey of Chubbies (08:49) Navigating Early Success and Marketing Performance (16:10) Identifying Brand Erosion and Its Consequences (22:00) 1000 Free Postcards with Post Pilot (22:58) The 95-5 Rule (28:53) Balancing Demand Capture and Generation (32:25) Testing and Incrementality in Marketing (52:30) Understanding The Brand’s Impact on Revenue (58:47) Insights from Data Analysis (1:04:18) Running Media Differently for Brand Building (1:09:37) Identifying ICP for Marathon Data (1:12:30) Fast Funding the Way You Need It with Wayflyer — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Preston’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonr Chubbies Website: https://www.chubbiesshorts.com Special Offer | PostPilot (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://postpilot.com/ Special Offer | (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://wayflyer.com/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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Building an 8-Figure Tool Belt Empire with Connor Crook of Diamond Back Tools

What happens when a trial attorney who spent his days in courtrooms becomes the CEO of one of the fastest-growing premium tool belt companies online? Connor Crook's journey from practicing law to building Diamondback Tools into an 8-figure business is packed with unconventional strategies that any DTC brand owner can apply. In this episode, Connor reveals how he leveraged Instagram to become "trade-famous," built an Apple-like product ecosystem that keeps customers upgrading, and made the bold decision to slash his cost of goods by 70% while simultaneously improving quality - a move that transformed his entire business model. — Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today! — Chapters: (00:00) Intro (03:47) From Trial Attorney to Toolbelt CEO (06:45) Building Community and Becoming Insta-Famous (10:26) Promotional Strategies and Customer Engagement (14:45) Open Source Product Development (26:02) Save Money and Connect Your Marketing Channels with Channable (27:25) Creating a Product Ecosystem (32:23) Unlocking Repeat Business Through Product Upgrades (36:14) Reducing Costs and Improving Quality: The Vietnam Shift (46:54) Cash Flow and Profitability in E-Commerce (56:21) Transform Your Subscription Business with Loop — Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links: Connor’sLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-crook-bb82b110 Diamondback Website: https://toolbelts.com/ Special Offer | Channable (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://www.channable.com/ Special Offer | Loop (Mention Ecommerce Evolution): https://www.loopwork.co/ Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D’Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

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