Ecommerce Evolution

You probably know him from the YouTube ad that begins with "YouTube beats Facebook every time…" ‍In this episode, I interview Aleric Heck, founder and CEO of Ad Outreach and KeywordSearch.com, to discuss how eCommerce businesses can leverage YouTube ads for growth. ‍Key takeaways include:- Aleric's journey from creating a successful YouTube channel to becoming a YouTube ads expert, focusing on coaching and consulting businesses.- The importance of crafting compelling YouTube ad creatives using a "hook, educate, call-to-action" framework.- Leveraging YouTube's unique audience targeting capabilities, such as custom intent audiences based on search behavior and affinity audiences based on interests and URLs.- The power of Google's vast data in audience targeting and the potential for even more advanced targeting options in the future.- An introduction to Aleric's AI-powered tool, Keyword Search, which streamlines the process of finding the right keywords and creating custom audiences for YouTube a

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks to Jimmy Sansone (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-sansone-aa80b881/) about the founding story of The Normal Brand.__Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Jimmy’s Background(11:42) Early Days of The Normal Brand(15:51) Working with Family (22:09) Expansion Into Retail Stores(25:03) Benefits of Having Your Own Stores(32:25) Mistakes Made Along The Way(34:46) Culture and Core Values(39:34) Future Plans & Merchandising Strategy (42:28) Outro __Show Notes: Jimmy Sansone (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-sansone-aa80b881/ The Normal Brand (Website): https://thenormalbrand.com/ The Normal Brand (Instagram):https://www.instagram.com/thenormalbrand/ Patrick Lencioni (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth/ Working Genius: https://www.workinggenius.com/&n

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks to Jeremy Horowitz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhorowitz1/) about the current state of eCommerce.__Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Chapters: (00:00) Intro(01:58) The State of eCommerce(12:39) Constructing a Healthy P&L(22:48) Would We Buy This Business? (38:38) The Importance of Focusing on Core Customers(43:29) LVMH: The Ultimate Luxury Company(48:44) Outro__Links: Jeremy Horowitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyhorowitz1/ Let’s Buy A Biz!: https://www.letsbuyabiz.xyz/ __Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.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, Jose

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks to Jeff Cohen from Amazon (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreycohen/) about amazon ads news and trends. __Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction (07:54) Vertical Video for Sponsored Brand Video(15:43) Amazon’s Facebook Integration (19:27) Prime Video Ads and Sponsored TV(31:33) Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) (39:22) AI’s Role In Amazon Advertising (42:15) The Importance of Your Feedback(43:46) Outro __Links: Jeff Cohen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreycohen/ __Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ __Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderia

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks to Brayn Porter (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbryanporter/) about how to build a brand on Amazon.  __Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction(04:11) Simple Modern’s Founding Story(17:42) Demand Capture and Paid Ads(24:40) Building A Brand On Amazon(40:40) Transitioning To a 1P Seller on Amazon(46:23) Outro__Links: Kyle Fraughton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbryanporter/ Simple Modern: https://www.simplemodern.com/ __Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.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,

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks about the parallels between parenting and running a business. __Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction (03:12) Lesson 1 - Where All Making It Up As We Go(06:58) Lesson 2 - You’re Never Really Ready(09:19) Lesson 3 - Listen and Communicate Clearly In Multiple Ways(12:17) Lesson 4 - Admit When You’re Wrong(14:39) Lesson 5 - You Might Want A Coach(19:39) Lesson 6 - Be All In(22:52) Outro __Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.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 Els

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks to Kyle Fraughton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylefraughton/) about ambassador programs and the power of UGC.  __Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction (02:40) Kyle’s Background (03:53) Authentic - The Word of the Year(05:55) Is UGC Dead? (10:51) The Digital Age Version of Word of Mouth(13:32) Strategies To Facilitate Word of Mouth(15:26) What Does A Good Ambassador Program Do?(16:16) Influencer Program vs. Ambassador Program(26:08) How To Set Up An Ambassador Program(34:50) Ambassadors and Ads(38:41) More About Get Roster(43:06) Outro__Links: Kyle Fraughton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylefraughton/ Roster: https://www.getroster.com/__Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcomm

Brett Curry (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/) talks to Sean Frank (http://twitter.com/SeanEcom/) about what it takes to win as a DTC brand in 2024. __Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!__Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction (01:18) The Operators Podcast (06:30) Ridge’s Background(09:38) What To Expect For DTC Brands In 2024(16:08) What Does It Take To Win In 2024(25:13) What Channels Is Sean Most Excited For In 2024(30:15) How To Grow Profitably (38:52) Expanding Your Product Line(43:44) Outro__Links: Sean Frank: http://twitter.com/SeanEcom/ Ridge: https://ridge.com/ The Operators Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/operators/id1684446059__Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ __Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone

If Google isn’t within your top 2 channels for new customer acquisition - 2024 should be the year you change that.In this episode, I interview Matt Slaymaker on the latest and greatest from Google.Here’s a look at what we cover:What are the best brands doing on Google that others aren’t?What are the keys to a better, more productive relationship with your agency?How has PMax evolved, and how can you fully leverage it?What about Demand Gen - Google’s newest campaign type? Spoiler alert: it’s not great... yet. But we see potential. How should we think about AI with Google ads?

So much has changed on Amazon since we started helping sellers on the platform in 2016 (I can’t believe we’ve been in the Amazon game for 8 years).In this episode, I chat with Trenton Bodenbach, OMG Amazon Strategist. We discuss some new potential game-changers on Amazon for 2024, strategy, and who’s winning and who’s not on the platform.Here’s a quick look at a few of our topics:1) Vertical Video for Sponsored Brand Video. Sponsored Brand Video is one of our favorite Amazon ad types. It’s usually in the top 2-3 most effective ad types for the brands we work with. Now, it supports vertical video. Likely, you have more vertical video than anything else. Now, you can use it on Amazon. 2) Shop on Facebook. Amazon controls this for now, but likely there’s more to come. This will allow shoppers on Facebook to buy products directly from Amazon without leaving the Facebook app. 3) Amazon’s continued growth and dominance and what it means.4) Amazon storefronts, posts, and other tools for branding. We b

I love this episode. Not just because my guest, Rabah Rahil, is a super smart dude with an eye for fashion.I love it because we tackle two of the biggest issues facing brands, agencies, and developers in the DTC space:How to think about and utilize AI for better results (especially if you’ve resisted it a bit).How to evolve the customer shopping experience to wow customers and drive better conversion rates.If you’ve been somewhat bearish on AI or maybe just slow to experiment with it, perhaps you need a better framework.Rabah lays out his framework by comparing AI to oil companies and how oil companies find land, drill for oil, and refine it for profit-producing products. It might not be clear right now, but this is a pretty accurate analogy for getting the most from AI.We also talk about the social dilemmas of using AI in our daily lives. For example, if I use AI to write my wife a poem, does that count, or is it cheating? If I use AI to help me craft answers for a job interview, is that a sig

In the DTC space, there are always headwinds.Supply chain issues. Amazon account shutdowns. Meta or Google ad account issues. And new headwinds pop up daily.That's why I love this conversation with Aaron Nosbisch so much. Aaron and my buddy Nick Shackelford run Lucyd - a social ad agency that focuses on CBD and Cannabis products, and now Brez, a very tasty THC drink that's legal in all 50 states.At Lucyd, Aaron and the team grew from nothing to one of the largest CBD agencies in the world. And the road was anything but easy. The story is a crazy one and even involved Aaron emailing Mark Zuckerberg directly when he was getting nowhere with Facebook support.At Brez, they're building a THC brand publicly. The wins and losses are right there for everyone to see. This interview is fun, inspiring, and insightful. Here's a look at what we cover:Why "hacking" your way to solving difficult problems isn't the answer. Being really, really good at the fundamentals is the answer.Why building in public is more fu

Cody Wittick is the man. College hoops player. Agency owner. Podcast host. And, now, new dad!Most important for this discussion: Cody knows how to scale DTC brands with influencer marketing. In this episode, we discuss the right and wrong ways to build an influencer marketing program. We talk about winning creatives and who's smarter: media buyers or the machine. And highlight the parallels between running a business and being a father. What was my favorite part of the conversation, you ask...? How to use influencers to build a creative flywheel.I'm convinced you need enough quantity and quality of creative on a weekly basis to scale on all of your most important platforms. And in the episode, we talk about how. Enjoy!

This year was an AMAZING year of podcast guests.Today, I wanted to reflect on and recap 12 of my favorite lessons from this year.1. Creative Thinking as a Competitive Advantage - Million Dollar Mindset (Ep 231)This episode was the most shared episode of the year. It ended up in a few forums and got a lot of love. What helped Will and the team grow Organifi from $18M annually to over $100M? It wasn’t just hard work. It was creative thinking and problem-solving.Learn the secrets of Moneyball, the Hollywood Black List, and more!2. You Can 13X Through Creative, Data-Driven Marketing - Brendan Bannister (Ep 221)In a similar vein to the podcast with Will Hughes, this interview with Brendan Bannister was a banger. Brendan ran paid media for William Painter during their years of meteoric growth. We talk about the power of design and simplicity. 3. What You Don’t Know About Your Customer Is Costing You. The Missing Piece to Your Attribution, CRO, and Marketing Is Customer Insights - Trevor Crump (Ep 250) / J

How is your finance stack?We all love to talk about our tech or marketing stacks, but the financial side gets less attention.Heck, you might not even know for sure what your finance stack is! My guest today is an eComm legend, Bill D'Alessandro. Bill is the founder and CEO of Elements Brands. He's built or acquired 8 brands and sold 7. Before his time in eComm, he spent 5 years in the investment banking and private equity world. Talking about ad creativity or the latest case studies on scaling with Facebook ads is more of a dopamine hit than talking about finance. BUT, knowing what levers to pull, what to do, and what NOT to do as it relates to your finance stack can instantly add $100s or thousands to your bank account. Here are the 4 components of your finance stack that Bill and I dive into today. Trust me, this interview is fast-paced, interesting and guaranteed to put more cash in your bank account.BankingCredit CardsWorking CapitalDebtYou don't need to be a CFO or a CPA to get value

What do you do when you grow 25% YoY but realize you’re losing money? How do you adjust when what has always worked in the past stops working? What steps do you take when your cost to acquire a new customer is skyrocketing, and nothing is bringing it down?If you’re like some brand owners, you keep doing the same stuff but try to do it better. Sometimes, you need a larger shift that starts with asking better questions and understanding what problem you’re trying to solve. This interview with Anthony Mink, CEO and Co-Founder of Live Bearded, was super fun and energizing to record. Live Bearded is an 8-figure brand that experienced something pretty dramatic but also not uncommon in eCommerce. Their new customer acquisition ads stopped working across ALL ad platforms. We know the brand well; we’ve been running Google and YouTube ads for them for years. Seeing their CPA skyrocket across all channels (Facebook, IG, YouTube) and then helping it come down to the lowest it’s ever been was

In some ways, we know everything and nothing about our customers at the same time. We have mountains of data at our fingertips for every customer interaction. But we can’t see our customers. We don’t really know what they love, why they buy, or what they’re into—even insights into why they bought from us or how they first learned about us are muddy. Even when we think we know, our view is incomplete. That’s where KNO Commerce comes in. Sure, you have a few different attribution tools. They can be helpful but also confusing. And they have biases. Sure, you know conversion rate optimization best practices, but every brand and every customer is slightly different. Getting customer insights through post-purchase or abandon cart surveys can provide clarity into what your attribution or CRO data is telling you…or, more importantly, what it’s NOT telling you. The good news is you don’t have to use KNO to get great customer insights. Any survey tool can work. In

YouTube offers TREMENDOUS scale opportunities.Just ask Dr. Squatch, Purple Mattress, Organifi, and Manscapped.But it's NOT the easiest platform to scale with. We're one of the top spenders on YouTube ads. We've spent more than almost any agency our size on the platform and learned what works and what doesn't.In this episode, I break down the 11 factors that determine YouTube's success.Here's a sneak peak:What has to be true about your landing pages before you can fully accelerate on YouTube?When should you launch a YouTube ad campaign?How to approach YouTube ad performance measurement.What creative elements need to be in place?What role do email, search, and shopping play in your YouTube success?How to think about remarketing and YouTube.Plus, much, much more.

Few DTC brands have been as polarizing or as successful as Chubbies.The Chubbies story is a wild one. It started with humble beginnings, selling shorts one by one in parks around the Stanford campus, leading to an IPO.Four Stanford college students had 3 things in common: 1. They were tired of working for the man. 2. They didn't fit the "Abercrombie" fashion mold of the late 2000s and 3. They loved shorter shorts - BEFORE the short shorts trend. And so, Chubbies was born.  This is a deep dive with Co-founder Preston Rutherford on what Chubbies got right, what they got wrong, and how to think about building a brand.Here's a look at what we cover:Feedback loops. This started when the co-founders were selling their shorts in person. They could immediately read customers' reactions and hear what they liked, what they didn't like and what needed to be tweaked. As the company grew, this shifted to digital and online feedback loops tied to ad creatives, social posts, and user experience

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”“The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.”Not sure where I first heard these quotes, but they definitely apply to this week’s episode.I firmly believe that to grow like no one else is growing, you must do what no one else is doing.In this episode, I walk through 5 growth opportunities that you’re likely under-leveraging or completely missing.This is the recording from a recent talk I gave in Austin, Texas, to a group of 1,200 eager Amazon Sellers and DTC brand owners, where I unpacked these 5 growth opportunities.  While there are a few cases where seeing the video might be more helpful (watch it here), the audio should still be helpful! I hope you enjoy it.