Up Next In Commerce

After more than two-and-a-half years and nearly 300 episodes of uninterrupted commerce content, we’re taking a brief pause. Stephanie and the team behind Up Next in Commerce is busy cooking up some fun and exciting ideas for our next season of the show, and while that’s happening, we’ll be pushing pause on releasing new episodes. But we’ll be back, and we want to hear from you about what you want to see and hear when we return! So get in touch by emailing info@mission.org. And in the meantime, you can keep up with Stephanie by listening to the Mission Daily podcast! Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Sustainability and consciousness are often seen as buzzwords coming from ecommerce companies. But for those who build their businesses around doing right in the world, these terms are nothing short of foundational. In this episode, Jeff Scult, founder of sustainable retailer One Golden Thread, discusses how his company gives more back to nature then it takes to create products in the company’s wildly popular clothing line.Tune in to learn:0:00 Episode start6:51 The rise of consciousness among consumers10:14 The origin of One Golden Thread14:41 The inspiration for the company’s process and design37:39 What it means to be truly sustainableMentions:AdidasAvery DennisonNASATED TalksBurning ManDave ZebrowskiRosario DawsonKellogg’sUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Although it may seem like Chomps has been an overnight success, behind the scenes there has been a lot of hard work, risky bets, and beneficial partnerships that has helped elevate the brand. On this episode, Pete Maldonado, the Co-founder and CEO of Chomps and Stacy Hartnett, the Vice President, E-Commerce & Marketing at Chomps, discuss how the company was bootstrapped, and how it has scaled through both retail and online platforms.Tune in to learn:The beginnings of Chomps (2:00)The timeline of success (5:45)Lessons learned after getting into Trader Joe’s (13:30)How and why Stacey came on board (15:00)Creating an appetite for risky bets (21:20)Identifying the right platforms (23:00)Contrarian ideas or data to track (31:20)Mentions:Tim Ferris/Noah Kagan blogUncrate.comUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Before she became the VP of Ecommerce and Marketing at Pharmaca, Elizabeth Garry cut her teeth in the digital and marketing world at brands such as Wayfair, Walmart, and Camping World. In this episode, Liz shares with us the lessons she’s learned along the way, including how to vet a potential manager to see whether they have your best interests at heart, and what it looks like to create success as a team.Tune in to learn:Liz’s background and her pivot to ecommerce (2:20)Learning directly from the Wayfair founders  (5:30)How to vet a potential manager (12:25)Creating success with your team (22:15)What is Pharmica? (30:00)Creating a digital journey that helps customers (34:45)Predictions for 2023 (38:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

When a company is as large as AT&T and has a legacy that dates back nearly 150 years, you might think that it’s difficult for the brand to adapt and innovate. Maryanne Cheung, the VP of ecommerce at AT&T, is here to tell you you’re wrong. On this episode, she details all the ways that AT&T has been able to change with the times in order to serve today’s more digitally-focused customers. Tune in to learn:How AT&T evaluates change (3:00)Small bets that have made a big impact (5:00)The omnichannel mix at AT&T (9:50)Some predictions for the next five years (14:45)Outside of customer service, how does AT&T separate itself from competitors? (19:45)What is the future of call centers? (28:45)What keeps work exciting? (38:45)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The DTC world is forever shifting and evolving. Staying on top of changing trends and best practices takes work. We try to make that easier for you by sharing insights from experts throughout the industry. Today, we’re doubling our efforts by speaking with fellow podcast host Eric Dyck, who is the founder and CEO of DTC Newsletter and host of DTC Podcast. Eric shares his latest findings and gives some tips on how to win with newsletters and content marketing.Tune in to learn:How Eric got into the DTC space (2:00)Winning with your newsletters (6:20)How to stand out when everyone is moving in the same direction (9:50)The role AI will play for brands moving forward (15:20)The challenges companies face in 2023 (26:00)Mentions:DTC EventsMidday Squares episode of Up Next in CommerceUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Shinola is a lifestyle brand that partners with family businesses and iconic brands to showcase a wide range of American-designed products. Which means the company has to know how (and where) to continually reach all segments of an ever-growing audience. Joel Layton, the VP, Head of Ecommerce, Digital & Marketing for Shinola discusses what that looks like.Tune in to learn:Are we in a DTC vs retail world? (6:30)Enacting a test and learn strategy (9:35)Going all-in on TikTok (12:55)Thinking ahead for the coming year (19:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

In an innovative move, Scott Lynn, CEO and Founder of Masterworks, democratized art investing by registering art pieces with the SEC and selling shares to investors. The first company of its kind, Masterworks is now a major art dealer with more than 600,000 investors on its platform. Scott dives into the future of art investing, the historical data the company analyzes, and how to determine which art pieces will perform.   Tune in to learn:Historical data in the art industry (7:00)Art investing over the next couple of years (10:46)The role of alternative asset classes in coming decades (20:55)How do you determine which art will perform financially? (25:40)Evolutions and trends in art valuation (27:20)Mentions:Sotheby’sBasquiatPaul Allen’s $1.5 billion collection saleBanksyJoan MitchellSam GilliamUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

In an effort to fight off a debilitating autoimmune disorder that struck him years ago, Kevin McCray turned to a strict Paleo diet free of gluten, refined sugars, and soy. It was a decision that would spark a truly inspirational and wildly successful entrepreneurial mission. The President and Co-founder of the healthy prepackaged meal company Kevin’s Natural Foods joins us to talk about how his clean-eating lifestyle took him from the hospital bed to spearheading a brand that can now be found in some of the largest retail stores across the country.Tune in to learn:The origins of Kevin’s Natural Foods (2:06)How Kevin negotiates prices with suppliers (14:40)Advice on getting a product into major retail stores (24:00)The importance of fortifying a brand position (30:55)Mentions:Dr. Mark HymanDan Costa23andMe: DNA Genetic Testing For Health, Ancestry And MoreChief Health HackerCookout With KevUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What do Apple Pay, WhatsApp, and Crypto have in common? They are all preferred channels of payment and messaging that customers may prefer to use. Michael Affronti, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Payments and Messaging at Salesforce, shares his perspective on how companies should evolve their options for communication and payments to build better, more personalized relationships with their customers. Tune in to learn:About Michael’s patents (05:15)What international payments trends will be emerging in the US (14:30)Why Michael is keeping a close eye on cryptocurrency (24:00)How brands should reevaluate their messaging systems (29:00)Mentions:Stat for preferred payment method“Innovation Stack: Building Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time” by Jim McKelvey“The Innovation Stack: How Square Co-Founder Jim McKelvey Thinks About Disruption” - James’ Episode on Up Next In CommerceCharacter.AI - Character botWhatsApp - Free, world-wide messaging and calling appMichael Affronti’s LinkedInUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do successful CPG companies build a following? Nick Saltarelli, Co-founder of Mid-Day Squares, shares how he and his partners “celebritized” themselves through an Instagram reality show to break into the chocolate industry. He dives into social media strategy, building a fanbase that asks grocery stores to stock their products, and fighting back against attacks. Tune in to learn:Fighting cyberattacks and legal battles against Mid-Day Squares (01:45)Launching without support from grocery stores (14:55)Why you should remove yourself from the data tracking obsession (24:40)“Cracking” TikTok (31:15)Mentions:Pepsi, Where is My Jet?Liquid Death, CEO and Cofounder, Mike CessarioUp Next In Commerce Interview with Hamid Saify, SVP of Digital Retail at Liquid DeathMid-Day Squares Uncensored Podcast Loverboy and Summer HouseUp Next in Commerce Interview with Nick Califano, COO, LoverboyUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

On this special end-of-year crossover episode, the hosts from Up Next in Commerce, Marketing Trends, and IT Visionaries meet up again to discuss their biggest takeaways from their guests over the past year, and to make some predictions for what should be an exciting 2023 in marketing, tech, and ecommerce.Tune in to learn:Why your employees are your greatest customers (7:50)Why good business instincts can help overcome a lack of data (13:55)Why intuition matters, even in data-driven industries (22:00)Mentions:David Ting, ZenniDavid Heinemeier Hansson, 37signalsStephanie Dobbs Brown, CMO, Intercontinental ExchangeLil’ WayneKevin Warren, UPSEric Toda, MetaUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

As instant commerce becomes increasingly popular, how can consumers rely on products being in stock?  Daniel Folkman, SVP of Business at Gopuff, explains that with more than 500 micro fulfillment centers, Gopuff can guarantee delivery of its stocked products as the customer builds their order. Listen to the episode to learn more about how Gopuff is leading experiments on sample feedback data for advertisers and how the company is staying ahead of its competitors.Tune in to learn:About the benefits and challenges of providing products through company-owned fulfillment centers (06:40)Why Daniel thinks Gopuff will outlast its competitors (12:10)The Gopuff ad platform (17:33)What avenues Gopuff is exploring to capitalize on sample tracking (22:17)Mentions:“GoPuff forecasts mass extinction for ‘majority, if not all’ rivals this year” by Emily Hawkins for City A.M. on 08/29/2022Rafael Ilishayev, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of GopuffYakir Gola, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of GopuffPepsiCoCoca-ColaUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do you build a socially-conscious product business within a competitive market? Mike Beckham, CEO and Co-founder, Simple Modern, shares his experience as a founder, diving into finding and protecting white space in the market, building brand loyalty and creating a great culture.Tune in to learn:Identifying white space in the market (7:20)Building “moats” in competitive markets (13:30)The need to have a good product in order to give back (23:20)Mike’s advice for founders (33:15)Mentions:YetiThermosStanleyHydroflaskInternational Housewares Association’s Inspired Home ShowQuibidsAll Birds Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How can an ecommerce brand serve middle to low-income African consumers, even those that are offline or lack access to technology? Tracey Turner, Founder and Chair of Copia Global, is bringing e-commerce to the mass market in Africa and dives into the details of their approach. She shares the logistics of their unique model, how they have built consumer trust and insights into the market across Africa.Tune in to learn:Using a for-profit model for social impact (04:45)Bringing ecommerce to the African mass market (10:00)Copia Global’s impact (20:25)The mindset needed to enter new markets (22:43)The importance of earning customer trust in new markets (28:00)Mentions:Anita Roddick / The Body ShopBen and Jerry’s Jason Murray Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more athttp://www.mission.org.

What should companies be most concerned with in this era of commerce? Lena Korres, Co-Founder and CIO at KORRES, explains the importance of keeping production sustainable so consumers can feel good about the products they’re using. Tune in to learn more about how natural ingredients not only benefit the consumer, but also the companies that produce skincare. Tune in to learn:What KORRES values about herbal remedies (3:40)The benefits of Greek Yogurt (12:55)Why Santori grapes are amazing (18:50)How to gain awareness for your products (25:05)Mentions:Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

With so many new commerce options available, what avenues can companies explore to reach more consumers? Vassil Mladjov, Board Member at Tallio, shares his thoughts on the growth of live stream shopping and how it is becoming a more prevalent way to purchase products online. Also, tune in to hear how collecting user data can help provide an optimal consumer experience, breaking boundaries within e-commerce opportunities.Tune in to learn:Why live stream shopping isn’t as popular in the U.S. (06:00)How Tik Tok can help with targeting the right customers (11:35)Keeping live shopping relevant even after the live event (18:44)How companies can implement personalization through user data (26:20)About thinking outside of the box to reimagine the traditional revenue stream (28:45)Mentions:Bambuser - live video shoppingTikTok - short-form video serviceMetaverse - virtual reality iteration of the internetUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How did an alcoholic beverage company manage to reach nationwide distribution without a single dollar spent on marketing? Nick Califano, the COO of the hard tea and canned cocktail maker Loverboy, joins us to discuss the unique journey that propelled the company from reality TV scene-stealer to retail shelves across the country.Tune in to learn:The backstory of Summer House and Loverboy (09:15)How Loverboy stays ahead of trends in the industry (25:00)Nick’s thoughts on the potential of branded content (37:55)Mentions:Summer House | Bravo TV Official SiteUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Unconventional health treatments like cryotherapy and infrared sauna baths are not exactly known for their affordability. One rapidly growing company, however, is transforming the wellness landscape by democratizing access to such cutting-edge health services. With over 175 locations across the country, Restore Hyper Wellness is quickly bringing its holistic healthcare approach to the mainstream. Tune in to hear Restore CEO and Founder Jim Donnelly and CMO David Fossas discuss the joys and challenges of operating within a franchise model, and why they are committed to making health and wellness treatments safe, fun, and affordable.Tune in to learn:An overview of Restore and its services (3:40)Why Restore uses a franchise model (16:20)The marketing approach at Restore (23:55)How Restore avoids the pitfalls of the biohacking frontier (38:00)The future of using space for wellness and production (46:30)Mentions:Steven Welch, Founder and Executive Chairman, Restore Hyper WellnessSTEMREGEN® - Stem Cell Supplements - KalyagenUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do you make a popular Asian product thrive in the U.S. market? Irvin Gunawan, Founder and CEO of Irvins, shares his experience building a snack food brand out of their restaurant in Singapore and later bringing these products to the U.S, introducing Americans to a new snacking sensation. Tune in to hear about the company’s backstory and what Irvin learned from this unique expansion.Tune in to learn:Irvin’s journey from a Singaporean restaurant into a viral snack product (1:50)Building relationships with major U.S. retailers (11:00)What changes are needed to bring a product from Asia to the U.S. (16:30)Mentions:Cardi BUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Michael Ibrahim, Senior Vice President of Digital Product at Fox Corporation, has several patents under his belt and a skill for building successful teams; he is contributing to major success at Fox Corporation. He shares his insights into the world of digital, diving into the most important metrics for Fox and how they make themselves available to consumers wherever they want to access their media. Tune in to learn:What it takes to earn patents (1:45)How to make media available to consumers across platforms (9:10)The metrics that matter for Fox (16:20)Sparking consumer interest in watching content (19:30)How to manage teams and get people working well together (28:40)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, how are businesses handling the busiest commerce period of the year? On this special crossover episode, the hosts from Mission.org podcasts, Up Next in Commerce, Marketing Trends and IT Visionaries join forces for the first time ever to discuss all things retail. Tune in to hear Stephanie, Jeremy, and Albert share their thoughts and expertise about the latest shopping technology, holiday cyber threats, and whether shifting consumer attitudes will make Black Friday a thing of the past.Tune in to learn:Themes surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday (2:10)Cybersecurity’s role in Black Friday and Cyber Monday (11:55)Is there consumer optimism in today’s uncertain market? (16:45)End capping and its evolution into ad-buying (25:30)Mentions:“Bringing Build-A-Bear Alive in New Ways With Jenn Kretchmar, Chief Digital and Merchandising Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop” (Marketing Trends podcast; Episode 359)“How The Simple P&L Statement Can Be Key To Long-Term Success” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 33)“Not Dumbing It Down: DECIEM and the Art of Straightforward Marketing with Jordanne Dyck” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 197)“Flipping Ecommerce on its Head” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 90)Common Thread Collective“Where ‘Credit’ Is Due with Randy Kern, CTO, Marqeta” (IT Visionaries podcast; Episode 417)Stephan Pretorius - Chief Technology Officer - WPP“Smart TV and Smarter TV Marketing With Jordan Rost, Head of Ad Marketing, Roku, Inc.” (Marketing Trends podcast; Episode 341)American Giant: American Made Clothing & ActivewearDanny Fields - EVP Engineering and Chief Technology Officer -  Avalara“Why Liquid Death Didn’t Water Down Its Marketing Strategy” (Up Next In Commerce podcast; Episode 262)Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How should companies think about AI? When should it be used? Should it be regulated? Dr. Athina Kanioura, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of PepsiCo, shares her expert insights and explains how AI increases efficiency at PepsiCo. She also dives into their cross-functional “digital hubs” and the bias problem with hiring algorithms. Tune in to learn:Athina’s most contrarian thought about AI (2:08)How AI makes PepsiCo more efficient (15:15)Addressing the bias issues and creating ethical AI (19:45)The purpose of PepsiCo’s digital hubs (29:50)Measuring KPIs (32:30)How to upskill talent (34:30)Mentions:Wuthering Heights (novel by Emily Brontë)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What are the benefits of having a passion project for a career? Rob Bossen, CEO of Grey Duck, shares that his passion for stand-up paddleboarding allows him to innovate within the niche spaces of outdoor water activities to bring solutions to consumers. Tune in to hear more about Rob’s transition from finance to outdoor water activities and what his experiences have taught him throughout his journey.  Tune in to learn:About Grey Duck’s stand-up paddle board innovation (08:40)How Grey Duck sells direct to consumers (13:25)About the growing trend for inflatable products (16:00)Why the used product market is on the rise (28:00)Mentions:Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How does e-commerce completely alter the way alcohol businesses reach consumers? Derek Correia, President of ReserveBar, knows that B2C can widen the horizon for beverage sales across the country and provide curated, personalized experiences for customers. Tune in to hear how ReserveBar is changing the market through partnerships and a vision to optimize how people explore, learn about, and purchase premium wines, champagnes, and spirits.   Tune in to learn:The behind-the-scenes of building a B2B and B2C company (5:55)Why one-to-one relationships with the customer are valuable (13:00)How the ecommerce everywhere vision originated at ReserveBar (29:40)How to avoid cannibalizing your sales (23:20)Mentions:Anheuser-Busch Brewing CompanyUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do you find white space in your market? And when you do, how should you time your product release? Ken Wegner, President of Jel Sert, and his son Gavin, Senior Brand Manager of subsidiary SLIQ Spirited Ice, share their approach at Jel Sert. They discuss their experience at this nearly 100-year-old family business, and how the company successfully transitioned into the competitive alcoholic beverage industry.Tune in to learn:Lessons from Jel Sert’s history that resonate today (8:46)How to grow and innovate responsibly (13:50)How to find white space and time your entry into the market (22:57) Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How can companies capture customer attention and spark interest in their brand? Hamid Saify, SVP of Digital Retail at Liquid Death Mountain Water, discusses the brand’s “tongue-in-cheek” approach and its “connection-first” marketing strategy. Tune in to learn about the company’s success stories and how to drive loyalty through merchandise.Tune in to learn:Which metrics matter and why you should not be hyper-reactive (7:20)How to use merchandise to actually build brand loyalty  (12:55)Coming up with design ideas for merchandise (19:04)Mentions:Austin City Limits Music FestivalMike Cessario (CEO and Co-Founder of Liquid Death)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How can a company stand out in an overpopulated market? Jasper Falluca, Director of Business Development at Palermo’s Pizza, shares innovation through ecommerce to create a new platform for DTC frozen pizzas. Tune in to learn more about Palermo’s Pizza and its accomplishments in the pizza business by building meaningful connections with customers and using data to create successful products. Tune in to learn:The story behind founding the family business (02:05)More on the driving force behind growth (07:00)How to build lasting relationships with customers (16:10)The tech stack behind the expansion to DTC (23:30)Mentions:Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do startups aim to disrupt the current market? Gabe Coyne, CEO of Stix Golf, explains that businesses need to create affordable options in the middle ground between bargain and luxury. Tune in to learn more about Gabe’s process for finding the right channels to showcase quality products for affordable prices.   Tune in to learn:Behind the scenes of designing the Stix clubs (8:45) How Stix built awareness during a second launch effort (15:40)Thoughts on retail for DTC companies in today’s market (17:20)Mentions:Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How should ecommerce brands be thinking about advertising strategy? What will work now and into the future? Alexa Kilroy, Head of Brand at Triple Whale, shares her hot takes based on the data and her industry experience. Tune in to hear her thoughts on the ad platforms that you should pay attention to and the return to some old-school ad strategies. Tune in to learn:Triple Whale’s DTC reality TV show “DTC After Dark” (2:30)Dissecting inaccuracies in platform advertising data (18:30)Recent shifts in “behind the scenes” data (24:20)Interesting and lesser known data metrics (38:48)A “hot take” on the advertising industry (32:30)Mentions:DTC After Dark, Presented by Triple WhaleHuronUp Next in Commerce EpisodeJambysUp Next in Commerce EpisodeEastern Standard ProvisionsOlli PopFlying Embers Hard KombuchaHop LarkWincDara DennyKristin JonesSonya RobinsonRyan MaloneReed Smith Liam CassZachary MurrayObvi CollagenBarry HottUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What is the recipe for exceptional customer experiences? Michael Bair, SVP of Customer Experience at FIGS, thinks the ingredients to create the best experiences is by listening to the customer, speaking the customer’s language, and asking for opinions. Listen in to hear more about  Michael’s strategy for building the right team to ensure customer experience success. Tune in to learn:How do you know if you have a good customer experience? (2:15)Optimizing your team in an uncertain time (7:30)The north star metrics Michael pays attention to (12:30)Why using customer language is important (18:30)Why personalization is about being a product expert (24:25)What to pay attention to moving forward (38:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What strategies should retail steal from the tech startup world? David Ting, CTO of Zenni Optical, shares his experience moving from tech startups into DTC retail, outlining the big impact his team was able to make in their first two months and the details of how they did it. Tune in to hear his insights on building a best-in-class engineering team, a highly ranked mobile app, and more.  Tune in to learn:The day-to-day life of a CTO (6:40)How to increase the success of a mobile app (13:30)How to build a best-in-class engineering team (21:12)The best tech tools for DTC companies (34:30)Mentions:celential.aiUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

It’s fair to say that Crocs has had its share of highs and lows. People have loved them and hated them, but there is no disputing that the shoes have become ubiquitous whether you like them or not. But what has it been like to be inside the Crocs car on this roller coaster ride and how has the company found ways to win over and over? Feliz Papich, VP of Digital Product and Consumer Experience at Crocs, discusses that and more on this episode.Tune in to learn:When did digital become a priority for Crocs and how is it going? (7:20) The Crocs comeback story and how Crocs listens to customers (13:33)Thoughts on globalization (20:28)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Meta has gone all-in on the metaverse but how do users and shoppers feel about this virtual future? Martin Gilliard, the Head of Meta Store at Reality Labs at Meta, is helping to make sure that those who step into the metaverse are leaving with a positive experience, and he’s got advice for brands on how to start experimenting and building for more virtual experiences in the future.Tune in to learn:Martin’s contrarian belief about the Metaverse (2:00)What is Martin betting on for the future? (6:00)What is Meta learning from how customers interact with products (11:20)What is Meta experimenting with now? (17:10)When will we see virtual shopping as part of our daily lives? (23:30)Mentions:CityDAOUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do you learn from your successes and failures to inform future innovation? Mark Edmonson, Chief Marketing Officer at GoGo squeeZ, gets honest and specific about what is going well, what could have gone better, and what he and his team are learning at GoGo squeeZ. Tune in to hear how he is navigating his new role as CMO, his thoughts on building great culture, and more. Tune in to learn:What is working well at GoGo squeeZ (13:30)What marketing campaigns could have gone better at GoGo squeeZ (15:10)Current thinking about retail media (25:20)Building a great culture (29:00)Mentions:Kroger 8451RokuHEBProfiteroTerraCycleInstacartUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

There are lots of conflicting views on NFTs and Web3, as well as an onslaught of mixed messaging on the topic from the mainstream media. Avery Akkineni, President of Vayner3, shares her perspective on the NFT market today and how enterprises can navigate the complexities of this new frontier to build brand value.  Tune in to learn:Some perspective on the NFT market right now and where the space is going (6:25)Better understanding your customer with the right data (13:40)An example of a larger enterprise that is exploring NFTs (17:15)Building community in the Web3 world (21:10)Mentions:Gary Vaynerchuck (“GaryV”)Kevin RoseVeeFriendsBobby HundredsBFF (Cofounders Jamie Schmdit and Brit Morin)Ledger Market Pass“The Network State” (Book by Balaji Srinivasan)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How do you overcome resistance when launching a company? Caleb Ulffers, Co-Founder and CEO of Haven Athletic, set out to design, manufacture, and sell “organized gym bags” after experiencing frustrations with his own outdated duffel. Tune in to hear how his team persevered to successfully pre-launch their product. Tune in to learn:Caleb’s background (2:00)The story of Haven Athletic (11:30)How Caleb and his team overcame resistance while building the company (18:40)What the Haven launch looked like and where the company is today (24:30)What Caleb would do differently if he were launching the brand today (34:40)Mentions:Peak Design (Peter Dering, Founder and CEO)"Knocking Out Knock-Offs: A Look at Crowdfunding and Copycats" (Previous Up Next in Commerce episode featuring Peak Design)Climate Neutral (Peter Dering, Co-Founder)Outdoor Retailer EventUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Because technology, platforms, and even customer expectations are changing so quickly, brands are in need of service and IT consulting firms like SoftServe. SoftServe has more than 450 clients around the world and across industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, software and more. Adam Gabrault is the President of Strategic Verticals & Industry Solutions, North America and on this episode, he details some of the challenges SoftServe’s clients are facing, and what kinds of solutions are on the table. Enjoy!Tune in to learn:The challenges Adam has faced (2:10) SoftServe’s roots in Ukraine (7:00) Adam’s thoughts on A.I. (21:55) Can we start putting health data on the blockchain? (32:10)Mentions:Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Can a tech career lead to success in retail? Jenna Flateman Posner, a former professional rugby athlete, is a tech expert turned retailer who is now the Chief Digital Officer of SNIPES, a successful sneaker and streetwear company. Tune in to hear her unique perspective on how to win by utilizing technology in retail.Tune in to learn about:Jenna’s experience as a rugby player (2:15)What Jenna describes as SNIPES’ “hype selling” model (11:30)About Jenna’s journey from tech to retail (15:00)How tech investments add incremental value to SNIPES (27:48)Mentions:Brigitte Cooperman, COO of Snipes Jimmy Jazz“Five Dysfunctions of a Team” (Book by Patrick Lencioni)"My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future" (Book by Indra Nooyi)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

GOOD PLANeT Foods was established with a mission in mind, but how did that mission end up as products in the hands of consumers? On part two of this two-part episode, we welcome back David Israel, Founder and CEO at GOOD PLANeT Foods, who is joined by his Co-CEO, Bart Adlam, to fill us in on how they built the business and a partnership. Enjoy!Tune in to learn:How to walk the fine line when working with a co-CEO (10:50)What’s the balance between getting the product to market and educating the consumer (12:15)How GOOD PLANeT Foods is competing against a glut of lower quality products from competitors (15:50)How, according to Bart, GOOD PLANeT Foods is becoming “a market of one” (27:30)Mentions:Malcolm Gladwell (Author)"They Can Kill You… but They Can’t Eat You" (Book by Dawn Steel) Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

David Israel has had an incredible journey to where he is now, serving as the Founder and CEO at GOOD PLANeT Foods. In part one of this special two-part episode of Up Next in Commerce, hear David’s backstory, including a long, drawn-out legal battle and creating a business from behind bars and growing it into a leader in the snack category. And tune into the next episode to hear more about GOOD PLANeT Foods. Tune in to learn:David’s journey through legal battles (6:30)Running a business while in legal limbo (9:20)How David found the idea for POP! Gourmet Foods in prison (23:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

In the ever-evolving world of ecommerce, brands are constantly looking for data and resources to help them carve out a path forward. Salesforce wants to be that font of information for brands, and it’s delivering valuable insights via the Second Edition State of Commerce Report. On this episode, Caila Schwartz, the Director of Industry Insights at Salesforce, digs into some of the report’s findings and provides some tips and predictions for how brands should handle the holiday season.Tune in to learn:What has been most surprising when compiling the report (2:20)Brands and trends to watch in the automation space (12:06)How to think about the holiday season (16:33)Mentions:Second Edition State of Commerce ReportSalesforce Holiday ReportUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Finding passionate customers and engaging with them regularly is like the quest for the holy grail for most brands. Soylent has been successful in its efforts, but it hasn’t always been easy. On this episode, Demir Vangelov, the CEO of Soylent, recalls the complete rebranding process the company went through and how it’s evolved since. Enjoy!Tune in to learn:Acquisition tactics to consider (9:13)How to think about your brand to become more approachable (11:55)Some intriguing platforms and areas of engagement (14:50)The Soylent retail strategy (20:20)What does Soylent do to delight retailers it works with? (23:45)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Replatforming to increase ROI and the customer experience is often an essential task for an ecommerce business. Rob Johnson, Principal E-Commerce Technical Program Leader at Wyze, describes implementing this change at a business with a long history and a younger company. Also, tune in to learn about how Wyze is integrating software and hardware solutions with its products. Tune in to learn:How the media landscape has evolved (5:50)What the replatforming process was like for Rob (13:30)What mindset shift was necessary for Rob when moving to a young company (24:20) What projects Rob is working on (31:10)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

After building brands, teams, and customer bases at companies like Ticketmaster and Saatchi Art, Sean Moriarty was the perfect person to lead Leaf Group as it amassed its portfolio of leading digital brands. On this episode, Sean discusses some of the lessons he’s learned and divulges how he’s helping Leaf Group’s brands experiment in an evolving digital world. Tune in to learn:Building the Ticketmaster platform (7:00)Lessons learned from earlier times about team building (8:30)What kind of opportunities are available for brands today within holding groups? (25:00)What commonalities exist across brands? (28:30)How to encourage experimentation while also providing proven best practices (30:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

As the CEO of Wine Access, Joe Fisch is constantly trying to solve hard problems… like predicting the weather? On this episode, Joe explains how he and his team have worked to address all kinds of issues, from customer retention to access to exclusive supply, to, yes, forecasting the weather to optimize the supply chain. Enjoy!Tune in to learn:How to overcome apprehension when moving up the corporate ladder (11:30)Figuring out the components behind losing customers (15:15)Content strategy for educating consumers (22:50)Behind-the-scenes stories about finding great wine (25:25)Supply chain and the weather (32:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Finding the best visual companion to your content is often a tough task. Getty Images has been making it easier for brands and individuals for decades. On this episode, Grant Farhall, Chief Product Officer at Getty Images, dives into the predictive trends that can be found within its search tool, plus he answers questions about how the backend search engine actually works (without giving away too much of the secret sauce of course) and how Getty is prepping for a future that’s going all-in on video and the metaverse. Tune in to learn:Trends in the visual and image search realm (11:00)How to present the best visual options to customers (7:55)Best practices with visuals and data (17:40)Why video and the metaverse are channels to keep your eye on (29:36)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

SMS messaging is a valuable channel for brands that know how to use it. Attentive is helping them figure it out. Brian Long, the CEO and co-founder of Attentive, joins this episode to discuss some of the metrics that matter, best practices, and more that brands should know when going down the SMS road.Tune in to learn:The latest in the world of branded text messaging (6:25)How Attentive is bringing a personal touch to texting (12:40)How brands are innovating with their text tactics (15:10)Which metrics should brands focus on when it comes to SMS (16:10)Mentions:Andrew GroveOnly The Paranoid SurviveUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Is your business operating at its full potential? Pete Gibson, the former CIO of Friendly's and Johnny Rocket’s restaurants has built a reputation going from company to company improving overall functionality and increasing revenue. Learn how he uses technology and team-building strategies to maximize IT output and why his nearly 15-year military background has proven useful in his professional career.Tune in to learn:Pete’s military background (2:40)Some case studies from Pete’s private sector experience (11:50)Pete’s approach to a company audit (18:05)Peter’s take on today’s IT environment (34:00)Mentions:“The First 90 Days” by Michael D. Watkins“Does IT Matter?” by Nicholas CarrUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

With so much flux in the world, how can we guide workers and businesses through the chaos? Mary Lou Gardner, Associate Partner at Infosys Consulting, helps workers and companies see their way to desired outcomes. Tune in to hear more from Mary Lou on how businesses can think outside the box, shore up their supply chains, and succeed with nimble strategies.Tune in to learn:How to make meaningful career changes (6:55) The importance of visual display and assortment optimization strategies (26:50)How companies are working with competitors? (33:00)Trends in the retail industry (35:30)Mentions:Blue Yonder“Solving the World’s Supply Chain Woes with Blue Yonder” (Up Next in Commerce episode)Capsule“Reimagining Pharmacies and Healthcare with Eric Kinariwala, CEO of Capsule” (Up Next In Commerce episode)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Effective ecommerce strategies are crucial for just about every business these days. However, Felipe Zardo, SVP of Digital at Five Below, explains that they shouldn’t overshadow all the other methods brands use to connect to customers and satisfy their needs. On this episode, Felipe discusses how Five Below creates great experiences across all customer interactions with the brand and what new initiatives are coming soon.Tune in to learn:How Felipe became involved in the retail industry (3:30)Strategies for measuring the performance of large-scale marketing efforts (5:50)How to find the right blend of marketing and consumer outreach (10:35)How Five Below creates a magical in-store experience (13:00)Everything you need to know about inventory management and fast shipping (15:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

When it comes to start-up acquisitions, Touraj Parang is in a class of his own. He has both helped companies exit and has been on the acquirer side of deals throughout his many years in Silicon Valley. On this episode, he talks about the lessons he’s learned along the way and gives acquisition advice to start-up founders who are just entering this playing field.Tune in to learn:Touraj’s fascinating Silicon Valley background (2:10)What to do when an acquisition offer comes through (18:30)What do founders forget to prepare for? (27:10)A story from an acquisition that didn’t go well (30:10)What’s one topic that didn’t make it into Touraj’s book (38:35)Mentions:Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End GameUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Joining the podcast today is a very experienced leader in the food business, Bryan Freeman, whose previous posts include CEO at Better Bakery LLC and President of SnackWorks LLC. Now the Executive Chairman at the low-carb, high-protein frozen food maker Real Good Foods, Bryan talks about taking the company public and the recipe for lasting growth. Enjoy!Tune in to learn:The story of Real Good Foods (4:30)Bryan’s experience taking Real Good Foods public (16:00)Bryan’s views on building a good board (19:14)Advice for new founders (34:40)Mentions:Dr. Rhonda PatrickBert Dohman, founder of Dohmen Capital Research (offers analysis for investors and traders)“The All-In Podcast”Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Buck Mason brings an enduring design flair to its products, but that’s not where its everlasting concepts end. Jim Davis, the Chief Customer Officer at Buck Mason, discusses how traditional marketing ideas like catalogs and direct mail can still be difference makers for DTC. Tune in as he also dives into what the future will hold for emerging brands.Tune in to learn:Jim’s thoughts on direct mail (8:20)How to make brands cool again (15:20)An evaluation of the current DTC landscape (22:40)Some advice for young brands on their go-to-market strategy (25:40)Where to invest marketing dollars (42:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What if you learned what you thought was your career passion was not your heart’s desire? Brian Seewald, the SVP of eCommerce at Express, reset and found a true affinity for retail generally and, ultimately, ecommerce. Tune in to hear from Brian about how Express offers its customers “personalization, [an] omnichannel experience, styling and fit, and community.”Tune in to learn:Evaluating the Express retail and ecommerce strategies (13:20)Express’ digital plan for customers, including its mobile app (17:00)New platforms for shopping including livestreams, Instagram, and more (29:30)Mention:“Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability” by Steve CrugUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Ellis McCue has a long resume that has taken her through the world of ecommerce, supply chain, and venture capital. Now, she is the CEO of Territory Foods, where she is trying to make the world better one meal at a time. Hear all about it on this episode.Tune in to learn:How to understand consumer behavior from the front lines (16:00)How a “mortality moment” shifted Ellis’s perspective (29:00)How Territory foods found the right focus (38:00)How to keep track of a distributed network (44:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The Faherty brand started as an idea in an essay, but twin brothers Alex and Mike Faherty turned it into a reality with strategic experience, experimental ideas, and through the power of storytelling. Alex joins the podcast today to take us through the entire journey. Enjoy!Tune in to learn:The growth of the Faherty brand (7:10)How Faherty found and built partnerships with retailers (9:20)How Faherty utilizes storytelling (15:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Hans Schrei and Luis Gramajo were told that the world didn’t need another cookie company, but they persevered and have found success with their brand, Wunderkeks. On this episode, they share how they went from Hans’ mother’s kitchen in Guatemala to exploding onto the scene in Austin, Texas, and becoming media and celebrity darlings.Tune in to learn:How Wunderkeks brand achieved clarity in the US (7:18)How Wunderkeks became an ecommerce business (10:10)The Wunderkeks approach to acquiring new customers (13:36)How Hans and Luis learned the power of storytelling (17:30)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Fatma Collins and Julie Rogers met while they were pregnant with their first kids and when they found they were both struggling to find products and resources for their children, they decided to do something about it. They began Ten Little based on one central conviction: “Parenting is hard, but shopping for your child shouldn’t be.” How did they create a platform that simplified the buying experience for parents everywhere? Find out on this episode! Tune in to learn:How the Ten Little platform evolved (5:55)How Ten Little found its first customers (15:00)Some upcoming opportunities Ten Little is exploring (19:45)Trends to get excited about in the commerce space (30:20)Mentions:Soles4SoulsUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Sure, Mint Mobile benefits from having the star power of part-owner Ryan Reynolds in its back pocket, but Kenny Smithnanic, AVP, e-Commerce at Mint Mobile, explains how the brand’s success goes far beyond Ryan’s charm. Tune in to find out how Mint Mobile is achieving exponential growth, and what role consumer psychology plays in Kenny’s methods and strategies.Tune in to learn:Ryan Reynolds’ role at Mint Mobile (2:10)How Kenny became interested in the psychology behind marketing (14:45)Helpful resources on human psychology (22:00)What does it look like to be a good manager? (25:10)Why Kenny is paying attention to quizzes (27:25)Mentions:No Stupid QuestionsPeople I (Mostly) AdmireFreakonomicsMultipliersUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Gushers in the metaverse and Dunkaroo NFTs? When it comes to DTC experiences, General Mills is not playing it safe. On this episode, Carter Jensen, the Senior Manager of Global eCommerce at General Mills, discusses how his small but mighty team is creating DTC experiences that go beyond simple transactions on a website. Tune in to learn:The future of DTC for brands within General Mills (5:45)What General Mills is investing in now (21:05)How to create a good Tik Tok experience for customers (24:35)The General Mills brands exploring NFTs and the metaverse (28:28)Mentions:Scott GallowayUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Big tech platforms like Amazon have been dominating the industry for a while, but what will the future hold? How can smaller B2B platforms and brands win and compete when monopolies are controlling the game? Alex Moazed, Founder & CEO of Applico and the co-author of the book, Modern Monopolies, breaks it down on this episode.  Tune in to learn:How business models have evolved over the last 25 years (2:10)What is the future business model for platforms? (8:40)Platform opportunities for founders to take advantage of (17:00)How can B2B marketplaces disrupt distributors? (28:40)Mentions:Modern MonopoliesZero To OneAtlas Shrugged1984Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Is a good idea or useful product enough to launch a company? Not according to David Rabie, the Founder and CEO of Tovala. He learned that lesson the hard way. From its humble beginnings to a top-ranked home-cooked meal delivery service, Tovala now ships more than 100,000 meals every month and is finding success on multiple platforms. What has David learned along the way? Find out on this episode!Tune in to learn:What is Tovala? (6:55)How did Tovala crack the code for growth? (13:00)What is it like to be featured on Oprah’s favorite things list? (21:00)Where to find new customers (22:55)Mentions:What a CEO Does, by Fred WilsonShoe DogBad BloodThe Hard Thing About Hard ThingsUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Amazon has been a giant in the ecommerce retail media world for years. Ideoclick is guiding brands through that landscape and Anne Zybowski, Vice President of Strategy and Client Development at Ideoclick, is helping lead the way. She explains it all on this episode.Tune in to learn:A high-level look at the world of retail media (13:18)How to invest in foundational aspects that are important now versus building for and betting on the future (21:15)What impact will the metaverse have on brands? (24:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

There has been buzz around web 3 and NFTs for a while, but are they useful for your brand? Roger Beaman of Novel, is the man with the answers! Novel is making web 3 accessible for brands everywhere. So if you’ve been waiting for a web 3 and NFT explainer, the wait is over, everything you need to know is right here! Tune in to learn:The difference between Web 1, Web 2, and Web 3 (20:10)How can brands utilize Web 3? (25:00)Breaking down the ways brands can utilize Web 3 and NFTs (31:20)How much of what’s happening now will endure long term? (45:40)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Marc Mathieu, the Co-Founder of Web3 Studio at Salesforce, discusses how web3 will change how brands acquire and interact with consumers. Plus, he explains the hype around NFTs and digital goods – whether they are trends to watch or fads that will fade – and the mindset shifts that need to happen to get the most out of them.Tune in to learn:Key moments in internet history: from the invention of the cookie to the shift toward first-party data (6:00)How to find customers in a new digital world (8:45)Why your brand is your community and how to keep your community the right size (11:00)What commerce companies should be most excited about when it comes to web3 (23:15)Digital goods — Are they a fad, trend, or long-term opportunity? (27:25)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

There are many shipping solutions available to brands today, but are any of them truly easy to use, transparent, and scalable? Laura Behrens Wu couldn’t find one, so she and he business partner built it themselves. Now, their company, Shippo, is valued at more than $1 billion, has thousands of customers, and is making shipping easier for all kinds of brands. How? Find out on this episode.Tune in to learn:Why Laura rejected feedback she got from Y Combinator (6:35)Behind the scenes of how Shippo actually works (10:50)Is free two-day shipping necessary? (24:30)How do you innovate and bring the tech stack to the next level? (29:15)Mentions:Shoe DogUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Retail is not dead, in fact, all signs point to the fact that retail is on the rise. But the retail experience isn’t going to be what it has always been in the past. The world of retail is evolving, and brands of all kinds are trying to find the best ways to give their customers what they want and need across channels, including in stores. Anjee Solanki, the National Retail Director for the USA at Colliers, has an inside look at what this next evolution will look like, and she shared her insights on this episode. Tune in to learn:What is the state of retail today? (11:10)How should retail evolve to meet consumer expectations? (19:10)Breaking down innovative (28:20)How Asia’s efforts might be adopted elsewhere (35:20)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The phrase “supply chain issues” has become a bit of a punchline, but very few people seem to know the real story of what’s going on behind the scenes. Anthony LaGrasso is one of them. As a veteran in the world of supply chain and in his current role as VP of Supply Chain at Levain Bakery, Anthony has had an insider's view of what’s going on… and what innovations are needed to get ahead. Hear all about it on this episode.  Tune in to learn:Creating Levain’s supply chain from the ground up (10:30)How can you innovate in the supply chain? (20:55)A checklist for finding the right suppliers to work with (25:50)Why are we still having supply chain issues? (27:35)What kind of technology investments can be made to remedy supply chain problems? (32:20)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Omnichannel operations are becoming more important than ever, especially for large companies like Mondelēz International, which owns some big-name brands that sell across channels. Wherever and however you’re buying Oreos or Sour Patch Kids or any of the dozens of other Mondelēz International brands, Francesca Hahn wants to make sure that the experience is the best it can be. How does she do it and where does social commerce enter the mix? Find out on this episode.Tune in to learn:Why Mondelēz shifted toward DTC why it needs to be a truly extraordinary experience (7:50)Lessons learned creating a DTC Oreo experience (9:50)13:00: How to look at retail and create solid retail partnerships (14:30)Measuring ROI in the ecommerce industry (17:30)Mentions:Brave CommerceCPG GuysUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Brands want to be everywhere all at once, but very few do that well. Chemical Guys has cracked the code on what it truly means to be an omnichannel brand, but the company has also uncovered some of the secrets of Amazon, franchise models, and growing a content platform across multiple channels. John Mansfield, the Chief Revenue Officer at Chemical Guys, takes us through all of that on this episode. Tune in to learn:What does it mean to be truly omnichannel? (10:00)The Amazon difference and why you shouldn't try to compete with it (13:00)How to enforce your pricing policy and what tools are most effective (15:15)Some of the secrets to building an engaged community (25:40)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Lee Hnetinka believed in the idea of having products delivered to customers in minutes, so he built the company and the platform to make it happen. That company is FastAF and since launching, Lee has been able to get some major brands onto the marketplace that offers one of the biggest differentiators in the game: speed. How? Find out on this episode. Tune in to learn:Why curation and personalization mean the same thing and how to create a personalized platform (11:20)Unlocking the key to customer acquisition (17:30)How to bring people back to events (23:30)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Businesses are built by all kinds of people who bring all different strategies to the table. Laura Xiao’s journey started in the sports world and from there she grew into an entrepreneur who is now the Founder and CEO of Henné Organics. What did Laura take from her experience as an athlete to help her grow her brand? And how is she overcoming obstacles now? Find out on this episode. Tune in to learn:Should your life partner be your business partner? (18:00)Practicing mindful negative visualization (20:25)Overcoming obstacles when building a business (27:00)Being open but cautious with opportunities (28:30)Secrets to gaining traction in a crowded market (35:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Every second a new review comes into Trustpilot, the consumer review website that is helping brands and consumers harness the power of feedback. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Carolyn Jameson, the Chief Trust Officer at Trustpilot, discusses how the company is creating an open, holistic, transparent experience for everyone so that consumers can trust the brands they engage with, and brands can connect with their customers and improve their businesses using authentic feedback.Tune in to learn:The components needed to build trust and fight fake reviews (5:45)Why the best companies aren’t the ones with five stars (7:30)How to encourage customers to leave authentic reviews (9:00)Using reviews to help identify trends and patterns in consumer behavior (13:20)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The ecommerce world has gone through many evolutions, but there are certain industries that still remain woefully in the analog world. Healthcare is one of them, but Eric Kinariwala, CEO of Capsule, says that won’t be the case for long. Capsule has built an entirely new, digital-first way to make better decisions surrounding your health, and Eric says that was just the first step. Hear what’s next on this episode. Tune in to learn:What does it take to change healthcare? (4:00)Why has it taken so long to solve the problems in the pharmacy industry? (10:00)What does the future of pharmacies look like? (15:00)How to think about positioning a brand to be experiential (20:00)Where will automation play a role and how will humans blend with technology? (23:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Brand websites are often pretty similar — there are product pages, pictures, carousels, maybe even videos. That’s worked for a while, but Matt Gorniak, the CEO of Threekit, says it’s time to up the ante. Threekit is creating a whole new category for brands who want to get into visual commerce and bring 3D and AR into the fold. Matt talks about what that looks like on this episode. Tune in to learn:How do you get the most out of visual commerce? (9:00)Rethinking what the virtual commerce experience will look like (12:00)What’s going on with NFTs (20:40)How do you measure the ROI of your visual commerce investments? (25:40)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The world is changing at a pace that’s hard to keep up with. So, what a student learns to earn a degree is quickly becoming obsolete. That’s true unless you’re in Anika Sharma’s class. Anika is a professor of business and technology at NYU Stern School of Business, and she is also a General Manager and Global Client Partner for Mindtree. By having her feet in both worlds, Anika sees how Gen Z is changing in real-time and understands what brands are asking for on a day-to-day basis. She then shares that information in educational and business settings. She shared it with us, too, on this episode. Tune in to learn:How Anika brings the classroom to clients at Mindtree (7:30)Trends larger brands are looking for help with (10:50)Getting more to the heart of why companies fail and what we can learn from them (30:30)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Although you might think of TiVo as the DVR of days gone by, the brand is still having an impact. These days, TiVo is part of Xperi Corporation, and the data that the company gathers is making it possible for brands to understand their customers better as it relates to TV and streaming advertising. Fariba Zamaniyan, the Vice President, Advanced Media and Advertising at Xperi Corporation, discusses that and more on this episode.Tune in to learn:Understanding the landscape of TV advertising (7:25)Taking control and bringing tech in-house to harness the power of digital (10:00)Will Nielsen be prominent in the future? (16:50)What are brands doing today that is actually working when it comes to assessing consumer behavior? (22:20)How should brands think about segmenting customers to ensure the most success? (29:20)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How you go about doing something is the greatest indicator of success. For Diana Haussling of Colgate-Palmolive, instituting the right mindset for all of her employees, partners, and vendors is step one in the recipe for success. Whether it’s upskilling your employees, hiring new talent, or partnering with agencies or vendors, Diana believes how you think about the situation and your approach to it will make all the difference.Tune in to learn:Guiding principles on creating a good group/network (3:40)How to think about upskilling and hiring new talent (7:50)What it takes to train a team to think like a consumer (15:00)Finding partners to study consumer behavior (18:00)How do you pick a good agency, partner, or vendor to work with? (20:55)What’s happening in the world of retail media? (23:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

How did technology for a lawnmower operated by remote control end up leading to mobile robot stores? Dmitry Shevelenko, Co-Founder and President of Tortoise, explains how his company landed on creating an original product — a mobile vending machine — while concentrating on last-mile delivery. He also shares how his passion for anthropology and how people behave has been a key driver in understanding customers’ behaviors to increase revenue.Tune in to learn:How can great ideas be uncovered by analyzing consumer behavior? (17:00)What’s Tortoise like in action? (21:00)How do you build a moat around your company? (27:00)Will mobile stores shift how retailers think about selling products? (33:00)How can last-mile challenges be solved once and for all? (40:15)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

People love their pets. That’s a universal truth that Nick James uses as his north star while working as the Senior Director of Consumer Experience at Blue Buffalo. That’s where the universality ends, though. Pet parents, just like consumers in all industries, are individuals with specific needs, and brands have to create experiences and implement technology to make every customer journey as personal as possible. Here, Nick explains what that personalization looks like at Blue Buffalo.Tune in to learn:Why the future of commerce is universal commerce (2:00)Who and what is driving the pet industry more toward ecommerce? (14:00)20:00:Working behind the scenes for a new kind of buyer (20:00)30:00: Personalizing efforts around big events (24:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

When you think about quick-service restaurants like Chipotle, you might not always think they are on the cutting edge of innovation. But Nicole West, the VP of Digital Strategy & Product at Chipotle, says that’s not the case. In fact, Chipotle is making investments in robotics and AI in incredible ways to create the best possible experience in-store, online, and at all digital touchpoints. How? Find out on this episode. Tune in to learn:How to tackle personalization at scale (8:00)Collaborative robotics and driving efficiencies (10:20)Building a very conversational collection of bots to get customers what they need (15:50)How customers interact with brands and how to understand what they expect (25:20)Mentions:Stitch Fix episode of Up Next in CommerceRoblox episode of IT VisionariesUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Delivering what your customers want and need seems like an obvious thing for a company to do. But when there is so much new technology to experiment with and alternate roads to go down, it’s easy to get off track. Jon Luciano, Director of Ecommerce for Lumen, discusses how Lumen stays the course, and how and why telcos and other industries can invest in new opportunities in a way that allows them to succeed. Tune in to learn:Why to get excited about the technology behind NFTs (2:00)Will marketplaces be the future for telcos? (9:25)Why to bet on personalization (14:55)What metrics to look at to know if your personalization techniques are working well (17:10)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What’s the secret to building a $100-million-dollar brand? MaryRuth Ghiyam has done it, so she knows the answer pretty well. And it turns out, it’s pretty simple: make something people need and do it in a way that is sustainable. Easier said than done, right? Luckily, MaryRuth broke down what that entails on this episodeTune in to learn:The art of reverse engineering your product. (5:50)Debt and how to get out of it. (12:00)Sound business building principles and why revenue and profits equal free will. (16:00) Building on Amazon. (20:20)A deep dive into product development — and when to kill a product. (29:00)Mentions:MaryRuth OrganicsUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

In the same way that the pen is mightier than the sword, the omnichannel approach is superior to throwing all your eggs in either the digital or in-person baskets. At BIC, Jennifer Elmashni, Vice President, Global eCommerce and Digital Marketing, breaks down how the global brand is building community, engaging in B2B and D2C strategies, and experimenting anywhere and everywhere in order to stay on top, including exploring how other countries are using digital influencers and scaling last-mile delivery. Tune in to learn:How to get to a place of anticipation (8:00)What it takes to develop an engaged community (11:50)How to reengage customers in an omnichannel way. (15:55)Understanding global scale and where to look around the world for trends. (21:00)How to think about branded content and partnerships. (29:00)Digital shelf tracking and insights deriving mechanisms help you create the flawless digital experience. (33:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Brands know that word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to acquire customers, but how do you create the kind of chatter you actually want? What do you need to do to find and use influencers, content creators and affiliate marketing in order to give your customers what they want most? Tyler Grooms, Director of Engagement Marketing at Sweetwater, provides answers on this episode. Tune in to learn:How can you make an affiliate program into a powerhouse? (2:40)What should brands avoid when working with content creator partners? (8:30)How to find the right content creators to partner with (10:55)Finding and hopping on opportunities (23:00)The shifting strategy of Sweetwater (24:00)Taking on more upfront cost to serve customers better. (25:57)Mentions:Ridge Wallet Episode of Up Next in CommerceUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Can something as small as changing the color scheme on your website lead to exponential growth? Well, it’s not quite that simple, but according to Sheila Erickson, Vice President, Marketing and E-Commerce at Slumberland Furniture, making basic, obvious changes is the key to unlocking a much larger opportunity to grow in all areas.  Tune in to learn:What it takes to grow ecommerce sales and conversion rates. (2:00)How to implement a test-and-learn strategy. (4:00)How to connect to a younger generation or a new demographic. (10:15)What kinid of tech stack works best and how does it lead to more data and insights? (13:10)How should smaller companies be thinking about research and growth opportunities? (20:00)What’s overhyped or underhyped in the digital world? (34:30)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

If I told you that you could get the Rolex of cookies delivered to your door, would you be interested in that? Matthew Jung certainly was, and that’s why he went to work for Last Crumb, and since he joined the company, it’s become one of the hottest DTC brands with a waitlist about a mile long. What was the secret to creating a massively in-demand product (other than delicious cookies of course)? Find out right here.Tune in to learn:How to identify your core values and set priorities as a brand. (9:30)Why would you depprioritize popular channels? (11:00)Is email still important? (15:45)The most interesting things about SMS. (17:50)The magic behind Last Crumb’s organic growth. (20:25)Even if you think you have a great unboxing experience, you’re wrong. (25:00)How do you differentiate yourself from the rest of the brands in your category? (30:00)Mentions:Setting The TableDTC Newsletter2 PMTruff Episode of Up Next in CommerceOlipop Episode of Up Next in CommerceUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The buzz around Web. 3.0, NFTs, and the metaverse is undeniable, but how much should brands actually be paying attention to? And where will brands and consumers actually get the most out of these trends? We asked Taylor Holiday, the CEO of Common Thread Collective, those questions and more on this episode.Tune in to learn:Facing the future and what’s exciting about the years ahead. (4:35)What’s the deal with NFTs? (6:20)Brands need to deliver for both our physical and digital worlds. (11:00)What people miss about Facebook/Meta. 29:00)How do you think of Web 3.0? (34:20)The most contrarian opinion about the ecommerce world. (42:00)What disiruptions are coming to the supply chain next? (50:45)Mentions:The Light of Other DaysLex Fridman PodcastUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In this day and age, are ecommerce brands still making basic mistakes? Yes, and there are a lot of small ways to improve your business that are ignored in favor of the shiny new object. Drew Himel, the Founder and CEO of Consult PCR, is here to help you focus on what really matters, improve retention, reduce churn, and make your business more resilient.Tune in to learn:How Drew’s business grew to work with brands like IBM, Lyft, GoPro, and more. And why was that bad? (4:30)What brands can do right now to get better. (7:45)How to find easy ways to reduce friction on your website and what meaningful gains that will lead to. (14:00)Are subscription programs here to stay? (15:30)What two changes helped MUD/WTR reduce churn? (18:30)How to build resiliency in your business. (26:00)Why it’s exciting to be an early investor in new ideas and companies. (38:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

When Jim McKelvey and Jack Dorsey were building Square, they were met with legal issues, major challenges from Amazon, and more. But necessity is the mother of innovation, and anger is the fuel that kept Jim going. Hear the lessons Jim and Jack learned and where Jim thinks the world of content is headed on this episode. Tune in to learn:How did Square beat Amazon? (2:00)How did Jim and Jack Dorsey build Square? (6:00)How do you create the idiot-proof inbox? (11:00)Is a newsfeed just a digital feedlot? (15:015)Can you incentivize good content and, as a result, save journalism? (20:00)How should we think about de-centralized systems and why is it good to have rules and regulations? (25:12)What’s the first step to disruption? Anger (34:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

If it seems like DECIEM is a different type of beauty brand, that’s because it is. The company behind global powerhouses like “The Ordinary” is more focused on education than manipulation. On today’s episode, we talk with Jordanne Dyck, DECIEM’s Digital Director, about acquisitions, global expansion, and how the company has taken the skincare world by storm simply by telling it like it is.Tune in to learn:How is DECIEM different than the other skincare brands? (4:06)Creating a unique marketing approach to disrupt the industry (10:52)Why live shopping is top of mind. (​26:50)What product managers need to be thinking about when moving fast in digital transformations. (33:38)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

What is the metaverse? How should you be using the metaverse? What’s the future of the metaverse? If you’ve ever asked any of these questions, you’ll find your answers from Neha Singh, the Founder and CEO of Obsess, a company that is bringing the metaverse to life for brands and consumers everywhere. Tune in to learn:How should you think about the metaverse? (4:00)What does an example of a brand uing the metaverse look like? (9:00)What is the current state of the metaverse? (14:00)What are some of the misconceptions surrounding the metaverse? (18:00)How can brands start using the metaverse? (25:00)How can you blend online and offline experiences? (30:00)What should brands be investing in right now? (40:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

For the first decade of its digital journey, Crate & Barrel didn’t even sell furniture online. Obviously, times and customer expectations have changed, and Joan King, Sr. Vice President, eCommerce & International at Crate & Barrel, has been there for the entire ride. Hear how the company shifted its strategy in line with its customer’s digital evolution.Tune in to learn:What have been some of the most surprising shifts in customer behavior? (6:00)How do you create a seamless experience for big-ticket items? (8:50)What mistakes are people making when thinking about ecommerce vs. retail? (11:00)Why you should be looking to other industries for innovative ideas. (19:00)Which brands are set up to succeed with shoppable TV? (25:00)Why should we get excited about renewable commerce? (30:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

According to Barry Hoffman, the Chief Strategy Officer of ZeroLight, we are right at the edge of a time when holograms and VR technology could become ubiquitous in our commerce activities. What do we have to do to get over the edge? Find out on this episode. Tune in to learn:How can you actually use visualization technology to improve brand experiences? (10:00)When will we start seeing holograms? (14:00)Why do brands need to challenge old ways of thinking? (16:00)What elements of video games can translate to ecommerce? (20:00)How can you create VR experiences that are comfortable? And why is that the first step to selling more? (28:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

You might not think that a 100-plus-year-old company would be leading the way when it comes to future thinking about Web 3 and the metaverse, but David Oksman of Samsonite is here to prove you wrong. Hear how ecommerce brands should be taking these developments into account when thinking about long-term strategies. Tune in to learn:What are some of the Web 3 trends that you should keep an eye on? (2:00)What is revenge travel and how will Samsonite take advantage of the trend? (10:00)How did David create an authentic partnership and viral moment with JJ Watt? (12:00)How can you implement lessons learned from successful campaigns in future campaigns? (14:56)What is the fine line between being an “old brand” and taking advantage of a brand’s heritage? (18:00)How should you assess the current retail landscape? (20:00)What is the value of NFTs for ecommerce brands? (23:00)Why implementing sustainability practices is good for business long-term.(26:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Have you ever seen someone wearing a shirt that you just have to have? Or maybe come across a certain piece of furniture that would be absolutely perfect for your space?  Now imagine being able to snap a picture of that item and within moments, being directly connected to the product. Ido Segev and his team at Syte are making all this and more possible by leveraging AI to revolutionize product discovery.  Tune in to learn:What's happening in the Israeli startup scene.How visual A.I. is changing the shopping experience. How Syte works. What’s happening behind the scenes at Syte. How Syte caters to the customer. The future of product discovery. Best piece of advice from Ido Segev.Mentions:Ido’s previous company YotpoUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Kara Goldin fought against an archaic beverage industry to bring her revolutionary product to market, and along the way she had a transformative encounter with Jeff Bezos and negotiated getting her product into Whole Foods the same day she gave birth to her son. Want the full story? Tune in to this episode.Tune in to learn:Impossible is a mindset, but you can fight against it. (4:08)Kara learned early on that you can’t take no for an answer. (10:47)How to fight against old-school thinking and break in. (14:54)Motherhood doesn’t have too hold you back in business. (23:35)The joy of creating something that resonates with people. (33:01)Stories that got cut from Kara’s book. (36:55)Mentions:Kara’s podcast: The Kara Goldin ShowKara’s book: UndauntedGraham Duncan’s BlogUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In China, live video shopping is a natural way of life. Why is that not the case in the west? Will western brands ever hop on the live video shopping bandwagon? Sophie Abrahamsson and Bambuser think so, and when they do, the potential return on investment could be huge. How huge? Find out on this episode.Tune in to learn:How can brands add value with live video shopping? (7:07)What do live video shopping success stories look like? (7:30)How does live video shopping fit into the metaverse? (9:20)How live video shopping addresses ecommerce-specific problems.(12:36)What are the metrics that matter in live video shopping? (13:43)How to keep people engaged in live video shopping long-term. (23:46)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

When you Google Chase Fisher, the CEO & Founder of Blenders Eyewear, you’ll see headlines touting a guy who turned a $2,000 loan into a $90 million dollar ecommerce brand. But Chase’s story goes way beyond those headlines. In my opinion, his thinking around ad strategies, supply chain, partial acquisitions, and more is more interesting and valuable to anyone who is looking for more than just a feel-good story. Chase got into all of those topics on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, and he took us behind the scenes of his supposed Cinderella story to tell us that it was much harder than it looked. Plus, we even touched on whether we’ll be seeing some Blenders glasses in the metaverse any time soon. Enjoy the episode!Main Takeaways:You Only Fail When You StopThroughout the life of a business, there will be hard and humbling moments and the thought of quitting will run through your mind. But you only fail when you stop trying. If you keep moving forward and pushing toward your goal, you will find your way, even if it’s not what you expect it to be.Why Should DTC Brands Go Into Retail?According to Chase, “When you're are an online brand, you need a living and breathing footprint. And so, I believe retail is going to be the next huge wave and I'm really excited about that.”Should You Make a Big Bet on TV?In short, the answer is probably yes. With ad performance, social platforms like Facebook diminishing, and as digital channels get more crowded, it’s becoming harder to win consistently. On TV, you can have bigger returns, but you have to be willing to plan, produce, and invest for the long-term if you go the TV route.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

If there is one commonality between all of the guests I talk to, it’s that experimentation and constantly learning more is what makes a company grow and thrive. Andrew Goble, the co-founder and co-CEO of Jambys, preached that truth to me on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, and we were able to dissect some of his bigger experiments to draw out insights anyone could use. For example, how should you be thinking about inventory in turbulent times? What are some of the ways you could be utilizing TV ads? And why is it sometimes more important to lose a customer in the short term in order to build trust for the long term? Find out all of that and more on this episode.Main Takeaways:What do you do to get over early company missteps, including communication, production, and launch issues?When it comes to your team, you have to be willing to do things as well as you can until you simply can’t anymore. Bringing on experts and helping hands will get you farther than trying to stay lean. And with customers, honesty is always the best policy. It’s better to be honest about delays and offer a refund now and hope they come back, than lose their trust forever.What platforms and channels should you get excited about?While it seems like every brand is going all-in on social platforms, it might be worth more to go the traditional route and lean into a channel like TV or streaming services. There, you can find more engaged audiences who will sit through a message rather than simply scroll past it.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

When was the last time you checked into the metaverse? It might be more recently than you think, and you’ve probably been doing it for longer than you realize. Personal commerce is one of the ways that the metaverse is being utilized right now, and Plazah is the platform that has been making it possible. Customers who shop online and are given personal recommendations from experts at a brand are engaging in real time in the metaverse, but they are also having a better overall shopping experience.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I chatted with Roger Casals, the Co-Founder & CEO of Plazah, about how the company is not only bringing ecommerce to the next level, but helping brands improve LTV and build customer loyalty at the same time. Roger tells us about the future of personal commerce, why it’s different from social commerce, and what you should actually be thinking about when you are making personal commerce a part of your ecommerce strategy. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Expert Vs. Employee: With personal commerce, it might seem obvious that the people who know the most about your products are your own internal employees, and therefore they would make the best experts for giving recommendations. This is the wrong way to think about it. An expert in the eyes of a consumer is someone who is unbiased, has actually used the product, and can tell you the pros and cons of it diplomatically. Those are the people you need to find to create a personal commerce experience.Clicks Vs. Products: Personalization offers a way for brands to sell products rather than just clicks. Influencers more often than not are only driving traffic, not necessarily sales. By having a personalized commerce tool, customers can be fed actual products that work best for them, which they are more likely to buy.Social Vs. Personal Commerce: Personal commerce is one-to-one and creates a long-lasting relationship between a brand and its customers. Social commerce occurs one-to-many and is about bringing a community together and building buzz.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that ecommerce has had a bit of a boom in the last couple of years. But does that mean a bust just around the corner? Some people think so. And even if the industry doesn’t see a full implosion, there will certainly be rumbles and challenges every brand will have to deal with. Some of the inflated demand will fall away, and more and more competition will continue to creep in. Nate Kennedy has a plan to face the turbulent times ahead, and he broke them down for me on this episode of Up Next in Commerce. Nate is the VP of Global eCommerce and Customer Experience at Horizon Hobby, which is a corporation that manufactures and sells high-end, hobby-grade radio-controlled cars, planes, boats, and accessories. In the last few years, Horizon Hobby has re-platformed, invested in paid media, and saw the value of influencers. So what’s next? Tune in to find out!Main Takeaways:Start Small: Going all-in on an idea you believe in might be exciting, but it can also be a big mistake. You have to test your ideas before investing time and resources into a tool, channel, or product that you believe will be a big hit. The customer will be the truth-teller, and you have to get their feedback before you make any big moves.Turbulence Ahead: COVID created some artificial momentum for ecommerce and buoyed growth for a while. In the next two years, brands will have to create their own momentum and build demand for their products amid much more competition.Bring Customers To You: The way to stand out is to be different — everyone knows that. But in practice, that means experimenting with your programs, your events, and your customer loyalty offerings to see where you can actually build an experience that will propel you beyond just selling products and into a place where you can become a lifestyle brand customers keep coming back to.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The buying experience is becoming more and more of a puzzle that comes together differently for every consumer. How they discover something might be different from how they purchase something and how they purchase it might be different from how it gets fulfilled. You can find something in a store, buy it online, and have it delivered via an app. Every part of the process is being uncoupled, and brand leaders have to build for that reality. Every touchpoint, every experience, every interaction has to be optimized. For Michal Geller, the President of eCommerce & Digital at Newell Brands, this is even more difficult because Newell’s portfolio of brands is massive, and well known — we’re talking about Sharpie, Crock Pot, Food Saver, Elmer’s Glue, Graco, and the list goes on. With so many brands, and so many potential touchpoints and opportunities for cross-promotion, how are Michal and his team approaching this challenge? On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Michal and I talked about the ways that Newell is experimenting, using data, and taking advantage of new opportunities in order to bring the ecommerce experience — and every other aspect of the business — to the next level. Enjoy this episode and to learn more about Newell Brands, check out newellbrands.com, and Instagram/Twitter @newell_brands and Newell and Newell Brands on LinkedIn!Main Takeaways:Data Dump: Every company has massive amounts of data, but the key is using data better. You have to experiment — even if you think the experiment is obvious — and then take the data from those experiments to guide your strategy. Putting a focus on experiments as a way to find better returns will yield better results than throwing money at marketing with no data to back it up.Ecomm’s Magic Bullet: The best thing about ecommerce is that it is data-rich and that gives companies the ability to move faster than traditional brick and mortar retailers. With the real-time data, even if ecommerce represents a minority of sales, it should inform the majority of the business decisions.Independent Customers: Part of the rise of ecommerce has been the rise of a more independent consumer, who has more choice and authority over purchase decisions. Brands have to cater to this kind of consumer and create buying experiences and touchpoints that are consistently excellent. It is only through exceptional service and experiences that brands will win consumers in the future.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

If you ask Sean Frank, the future looks bleak. But if you go beyond that surface-level feeling of doom, you’ll actually find a guy who is thinking ahead and coming up with creative, innovative, and effective ways to build a durable business that can stand the test of time. Sean is the CEO of Ridge.com, a $100-million brand, which you might know for its popular Ridge Wallet, but it’s much more than that, and Sean has plans to keep the company growing. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Sean and I talked about how to stand out in the competitive world of ecommerce and what it means to have a good influencer and sponsor relationship. Plus, we go deep on what we think is coming down the pike in terms of inflation, supply chain, and more. Enjoy the conversation!Main Takeaways:The Only Way To Survive: In a hyper-competitive landscape, you have to control your own destiny, which means you have to try to do as much as you possibly can really well and put yourself in a position to get in front of the most eyes. Partnerships, owning your content and having exclusive access to your consumers are all ways to build a business that can stand the test of time.Let Them Run: The best way to get a high ROI from influencers is to take a hands-off approach. When brands try to control exactly what their influencers say or post, it comes off as inauthentic. Although it is hard, brands have to relinquish control to the influencers who know their audiences the best and allow the influencers to connect with those audiences in their own ways.Localized Manufacturing: In the next few years, technology is likely going to advance to a place where localized, automated manufacturing will be available to brands. Taking advantage of those technological advances will insulate brands from many of the supply chain issues that have crippled businesses.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The DTC revolution can’t be ignored. Everywhere you look there are companies old and new reimagining the commerce experience and bringing more choice directly to the consumer. This is happening in every industry, including one you might not always think about — the funeral industry. For decades, consumers had limited options when they were making arrangements for the death of a loved one. Funeral homes monopolized the experience and often overcharged those who had few other choices. Scott Ginsberg and Josh Siegel wanted to change that. With Titan Casket, they, with their other co-founder, Elizabeth Siegel, have built a DTC business that puts the power back into the hands of the consumer at one of the most trying times of their life. On this episode, we talked about how Scott and Josh used the DTC playbook to disrupt the funeral industry, and we explored some of the ways they are mastering distribution and partnerships as a way to elevate their brand. Enjoy this episode. Main Takeaways:Don’t Sell What You Don’t Have: Although customers are forgiving, that only extends so far. With the supply chain issues ravaging every industry, you have to be upfront about what you have, when it will be available, and when you can guarantee a product will get delivered. Especially with a product that is time-sensitive, you should never leave delivery up to chance or reliance on outside factors.The Key to Sales is Distribution: The more people who see and learn about your product, the more you will see sales rise and more traffic on your website. Don’t shy away from big channels like Amazon or large retailers, because being featured there will ultimately lead to a bump in awareness for your products.Differentiate Yourself With Service: Even if your products can be found elsewhere, the reason customers will buy from your site and keep coming back is because of the experience they have. Differentiate yourself by providing the best customer service and an easy buying experience in order to build a solid customer relationship.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

In life and in business, there will always be times when you have to pivot. That can be hard, and it’s not unusual to struggle while you're going through the thick of change. For Amelia Wilcox, a pivot in all of our lives led to a pivot in her business. Amelia had grown her company, Incorporate Massage, to more than 4,000 corporate clients across the country, but when the pandemic hit and offices shut down, the decline in the need for massage therapists meant that Amelia’s entire revenue stream was coming to a screeching halt. But rather than fold, Amelia decided to pivot, and find a new need in this changing world that she could fulfill. Amelia identified the mental struggles that employees everywhere were dealing with and the fact that corporations didn’t know how to help those employees, so she created a new platform that corporations could offer to employees that included all manner of mental health resources. She rebranded her business in a matter of weeks, and has now grown her new business, Nivati, in a similar manner as her previous company. Amelia and I talked all about how that pivot happened, and what it takes for a founder or CEO to scale a company. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:There are Tools Available: There are preconceived notions and stigma attached to mental health, but if you are struggling, it’s important to know that there are tools available to you and there is no shame in using them. Take advantage of things like therapy, wellness activities, and medication when needed to improve yourself, and, in turn, improve every other aspect of your life. You’re Only as Strong as Your Mentoring Network: People are generally happy to help when asked, so if you are venturing out into a new business venture or trying to acquire new skills, find an expert and ask questions. Soaking up knowledge, running ideas by people, and learning through observation will all get you ahead faster.You Can’t Scale Alone: The skills that you have that may have helped you build your company from 0 to 1 million are not going to be the same ones you need to scale from 1 million to 10 million and beyond. You need to have the self-awareness to realize that at a certain point, you need to bring in more people, learn new skills, and elevate everything that you are doing in order to reach a higher level.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

It may seem like every company in the world has a DTC offering, but even now, there are businesses that are just entering the DTC space. Perdue Farms launched its DTC presence in January of 2020, and it has been go, go, go ever since. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, David Zucker, the CMO and SVP Ecommerce at Perdue Farms, explained the steps he took to get this effort going and how the company is experimenting with the online customer experience. Plus, he explains how Perdue balances its DTC efforts with the relationship it has with retail partners, that may not always be happy with the idea of a company moving its product online. According to David, the key to making sure that you can succeed both online and in retail is to have transparency, communication, and a differentiation of offerings that will link both kinds of experiences, What does that look like exactly? Find out on this episode!Main Takeaways:Don’t Undercut Customers: When you work with retail partners, you want to keep a good working relationship with them even if you have your own ecommere goals. Don’t try to undercut or outprice the retailers you work with, find other ways to serve customers in ways that retailers can’t, like through bundles or bulk options, etc. And, try to find ways to drive demand to both your own site and your partners’ stores by building in technology or conversion tools that link everything together into a seamless experience.Conveying Your Message: Sometimes the things you're proud of most live within the walls of your organization. But it could be helpful to let those secrets out and make them a part of your brand.Go Old School: Acquiring customers is one of the biggest challenges any business faces. Instead of trying to compete with everyone else in the same new, up-and-coming channels, look to some of the traditional methods, like print and direct mail, where you can stand out and deliver something more unique that will resonate with customers.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Every company today is trying to become a media company, but few are actually succeeding. A Kids Company About is one of them. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to Jelani Memory, the Founder and CEO of A Kids Company About, and I picked his brain on how exactly he went from writing and selling children’s books about tough topics, to overseeing a growing media empire. We talked about the need for authentic storytelling — in books or in your product or brand story — and how by trying to please everyone, you actually please no one. We also got into how to choose investors and what the future of media, particularly for kids, might look like. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Look For Experience: People are effective when they authentically know or have experienced the problem you are trying to solve. Those people have credibility and also the ingrained desire to work on addressing that problem, thus making them better to work with all around. Everyone is an expert on something, so find where those around you can bring out their expertise however you need them most.You Choose Your Investors: When you are raising money, you are choosing who you bring into your ecosystem. You choose who to pitch to and you choose which investments make sense for your business. And even though it might be hard to turn down money, you should say no if and when an investor just isn’t right for you.Can’t Please Everyone: When you try to make a product or tell a story that connects with everyone, you actually create something that connects with no one. Lean into what is actually true or unique to you, and don’t worry if it doesn’t resonate with certain people. The people it does resonate with will appreciate what you have done and they will trust you more moving forward.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

This is a podcast about digital and ecommerce, so you already know we’re big fans of the internet. It’s a portal and a tool to give you direct access to consumers, information, and communication unlike anything that’s ever existed before. And if you’re living here in 2022 and expecting to thrive as a business owner, you better be tapping into every possible resource the internet has to offer. Alli Reed has known that for more than a decade, and her company, Stratia Skincare, got its start in large part thanks to the wealth of beauty and skincare knowledge Alli tapped into to turn an interest into a side hustle and then grow it into a multi-million dollar brand. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to Alli about how she turned her hours on Reddit into a brand that keeps growing, and we talked about all the ways to attract customers, differentiate yourself, and what it takes to educate the consumer beyond just knowing what your brand is, but also what it stands for and how it operates. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:The Reddit Goldmine: If you are looking for an engaged audience, Reddit is one of the best places on the internet to find some. But beware, not only are Redditors engaged, they are hyper-aware of any kind of inauthentic promotion or pushing of brands. When you show up on Reddit, you have to be authentic, and in return, you will see active, informed, and oftentimes helpful folks who can take your market research to another level.Don’t Take Our Word For It: In categories that require a bit more effort to convert customers, it’s helpful to rely on UGC and customer reviews. Rather than asking potential customers to trust you the brand, ask them to trust their peers who are singing your praises. That’s a much easier and quicker way to get someone to pull the trigger than trying to convince them just based on your marketing materials.You’re Not What You’re Not: There is always a rush to be the first to be certain ingredient-free. Whether it’s paraben-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, or anything else, don’t let the marketing angle of being XYZ-thing-free be your crutch. Find a way to differentiate yourself that actually has a basis in need, science, or data rather than being the first to be “anything-free.”For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Humans have needs, and cravings, and desires. Sometimes, they all align — like when my need for food matches my desire and craving for a spicy burrito. In business, you have to be in tune to your customers' needs, cravings, and desires, and meet them as much as possible. These days, across the board but especially in the QSR space, the consumers are craving better loyalty programs and more personalized experiences in every interaction with a brand. Zip Allen recognizes that, and as the Chief Digital Officer for Taco Bell, she’s satisfying those cravings. Yes, there are spicy burritos involved, but there are also unique spins on customer loyalty programs, a new subscription service for tacos, and an app experience that makes getting those spicy burritos — or whatever you’re in the mood for — a friction-free experience. We got into all of that on this episode of Up Next in Commerce and it was a delicious discussion. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:Customizing the Experience: It alIt all comes down to digital when it comes to customizing the customer experience. On digital platforms, you can more easily engage with and learn about your customers, and deliver to them a seamless experience so you can get them what they need when and where they want it. Lean into all the digital tools in your toolbox and don’t be afraid to experiment with some new ideas to engage with customers through apps, subscriptions, or loyalty program challenges. What do the Customers Really Want: To find out what customers want, go where they actually are, and then listen. Hang out on Twitter, find the Reddit threads where the fans of your brand congregate, and ingratiate yourself in that community. Not only will you get a better understanding of who your customers are, but you will be able to spot areas of friction as they come up and source new ideas for your brand from the consumers themselves.Scoring More Than Points: With loyalty programs, you have to think beyond just giving points to redeem for free products Build out exclusive offerings, unique experiences, and ways to add value and delight to your customers’ day that proves that you actually know and value them.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

When you first start a company or launch a product, you always have big dreams. You picture the massive deals, the millions in revenue, the corner offices and hiring a huge team. But before any of that happens, you have to tamp down those dreams and live in the real world, doing the hard, often year-long work on the ground proving your concept, talking to anyone who is willing to give you feedback, and knocking on doors to try to make a single sale. Kelley Higney trodded that path — in fact, she got her start selling her product at her daughter’s bake sales. Her fellow moms were her beta testers and, but they were also the wellspring of feedback and proof of concept she needed to bring her product to the next level… and to those great heights most people dream of.Kelley is the founder and CEO of Bug Bite Thing, a safe, chemical-free solution for stopping a reaction to bug bites in their tracks. Today, Bug Bite Thing is available in more than 25,000 stores and has the backing of Shark Tank shark, Lori Grenier (who even gave Kelley her famous “Golden Ticket” when Kelley appeared on the show). On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Kelley broke down all of the hurdles she had to overcome to reach that point. She discusses the strategies she used to protect her brand before even going into distribution, and she talks about the importance of community and feedback. Plus, stick around to hear about how she and Lori work together. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Any Feedback is Good Feedback: Even when you are just starting out, you should be pitching your product and accepting feedback from anyone and everyone. The early users and beta testers will guide you through your initial iterations and highlight some problem areas you might be blind to that you can address before going more mainstream.Distribution is a Dangerous Game: It’s not a matter of if, but when copycats will come after you. When you start to distribute widely, copycats will come out of the woodwork and you have to be prepared. Do the work beforehand to learn how to protect your brand and fight against knockoffs. Even if you think you don’t qualify for a patent or other legal protection, reach out and try because it’s better to have any kind of legal backing than none at all.Find a Mentor: You don’t need to go on Shark Tank to find a business mentor. There are people in your network or on the periphery who you should tap into and who can guide you through the highs and lows of business. Doing it on your own is a pipedream. Every successful person has had a team behind him or her, and the truth is, having help will get you to your goals faster.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

If you’re tired of all the supply chain issues here’s an idea, create your own supply chain. Okay, that’s easier said than done, and it’s not actually feasible for a lot of companies. But, there are parts of your brand, your logistics, and your strategy that you can own 100%, and when you do, good things happen. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I chatted with Erica Buxton, the President of Hello Bello, and Jessica Tennant, the senior vice president of marketing at Hello Bello, a brand that is making premium products available to everyone — especially parents and families. Hello Bello was cofounded by actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, a couple who came from humble backgrounds and knew that access to good, safe, environmentally conscious products shouldn’t be granted only to those with means. As a result, everything at Hello Bello is made to connect with and be available to parents and families of all kinds. And as Erica and Jessica explained, this ethos shows up everywhere. They talked about how owning your story and your brand voice is key, especially when it comes to marketing. And they also touched on why having a strong omnichannel strategy from day one is critical. Plus, they do get into what it means to actually own the supply chain, and all the ways that can open up new opportunities for your business. Enjoy this episode. Main Takeaways:One Voice: When thinking about developing a brand voice, you have to make sure this is established early and that it’s concrete. In order to have a brand people know and love, everything you put out should look and feel consistent, that way your brand is easily identifiable and consumers can become loyal to it.Working Together: Having a strong omnichannel strategy is important. And it’s also key to remember that your DTC business doesn’t have to compete with your retail partners. They can work together in a way that allows the customer to have access to your products in as many places as possible. So when thinking omnichannel, think about ways to create good bonds with your retail partners or the brick and mortar side of your business so that you create an ecosystem where one part of the business feeds the other.Owning The Supply Chain: For many brands, it seems impossible or simply out of reach to build your own factory. But as much as you can, you should try to own the elements of your supply chain. Not only will this insulate you from many of the delays and price hikes you see in traditional supply chains, but it will also allow you to take control of the quality of your products from start to finish, so you know you are always delivering the best products and you can iterate quickly based on what your customers need.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The customer should always be the guiding light for a brand. Who is your customer? What do they need? What do they want? Where do they live? How do they behave? These are all absolutely critical pieces of information upon which your entire business should be built. That’s Sarah Kleinman’s philosophy at least. Sarah is the Vice President of Digital Experience at The North Face, where she is constantly working to gather information about, understand, and then create experiences for North Face customers. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Sarah guided me through how she thinks about creating an effective digital experience, and she explains the foundational elements that every brand should be using to ensure that they are set up for the present and can still build in the future. She talked about integration, enablement, loyalty programs, testing, why companies should be paring down their offerings, and so much more. This was a jam-packed episode, so I hope you love it! Main Takeaways:Integration, Integration, Integration: The success of your ecosystem is dependent on the connectivity of your tools. It’s not enough to build and launch a tool, app, or system, it has to be intertwined with your entire digital ecosystem in order to gather real-time data and create an easy flow for customers.The Honest Truth: It is critical to create an honest segmentation of your customer base, because that is the base upon which everything else can be built. When you know what your customers actually care about, you can create the right products for them, the right marketing and digital content for them, and build out experiences that truly engage them.Back To Basics: People are tired of gimmicks and they want less, more versatile stuff. As such, brands should have a goal to shrink their product offerings and focus more on the value they are bringing to consumers with the most quality, sustainable, versatile products.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The newest diets and food fads are hard to keep up with, and some come and go without you even noticing. But there are some things that aren’t just passing trends. Cauliflower-based foods is one such thing, and no one in the category has done more for the movement than CAULIPOWER. Why? Because not only is CAULIPOWER gluten-free, it’s also absolutely delicious, which is what Gail Becker, the founder and CEO of CAULIPOWER, believes is the secret ingredient to success. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I sat down with Gail for a fun chat about how she went from cooking a disastrous cauliflower pizza in her kitchen to running one of the fastest-growing frozen food brands around. She talked about how she got her foot in the door at Whole Foods, what her omnichannel strategy looks like, and why you should never let the copycats in your category get to you. Plus, stick around to hear the story of how a tiny pink house changed the course of Gail’s life forever. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:Showing Up is Half The Battle: There will be times in life and business when simply being in the right place at the right time will change everything. But if you don’t show up, you’ll never actually find those serendipitous moments. Think of every event and every opportunity as a step forward and a chance to take your company to the next level.Don’t Bat An Eye: If you have made an impact in your category, there will always be copycats and competitors. You can’t focus on them because it will distract you from what’s important. All you should do is work on making the best product so that even with all the competition in the world, customers will always return to you because your product is far and away superior.Prioritizing What’s Needed: When you’re first getting your business off the ground, oftentimes you have to build the plane as you’re flying. You don’t always have the money or the resources to set us your backend systems or marketing teams the way you want to, so you just do what works. But as you grow, you have to go back to those foundational elements of a business and prioritize your efforts to sure everything up.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

On Up Next in Commerce we’re always looking for what’s, well, up next. How should brands be thinking about their omnichannel strategies? What are some of the new platforms or channels top brands are testing out? How is the ecommerce and retail landscape evolving? With 2021 coming to a close, it’s time to look a little closer at all of those question and try to answer them for brands looking ahead to 2022.On this episode, I was excited to welcome back Caila Schwartz, the senior manager of consumer insights and strategy at Salesforce, and we dug into some of the stats, data, and insights her team has gathered in order to give some tips and advice to brands that want to get ahead and stay ahead in 2022. We talked about supply chains, loyalty programs, and had a debriefing on the iOS update that’s causing brands across the board to shift their marketing strategies in more ways than one. There are tons of great nuggets in this one so enjoy, and cheers to a great 2022!Main Takeaways:The Battle For First-Party Data: Loyalty programs and social will be key to get first-party data because they are the best ways to engage one-to-one with the consumers. It’s about a give and take between the consumer and the retailer, so the innovators in the space that can create unique ways to engage will ultimately win out.Growth Spurts: In 2021, growth was much more modest than in the past and there were fewer promotional campaigns and discounts than in years past. The supply chain issues and the economic issues around the world have played a role in this change, and the trends may not necessarily reverse in 2022. As a result, consumers are impacted and brands have to find ways to pivot to make sure that consumers are getting the best possible experience.iOS Update TLDR: Apple’s update in late 2021 has flipped email marketing on its head and brands have to adjust. If your marketing strategy is built around or includes open rates, then you should be rethinking and refocusing on click-thru rates instead. To get more results in that area, you have to level up your actual emails and create better, more engaging content.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

As ecommerce has become more prevalent, customers are catching on to some of the more suspect aspects of product marketing. They’re starting to notice that when you look for something like furniture online, you’re seeing a lot of the same exact products just branded slightly differently. Companies are using the same materials, the same suppliers, and selling the same or only slightly differentiated products, so the question for brands is, what do you do to stand out? For, Jiake Liu, the co-founder and CEO of Outer, the answer was simple: actually do something different. Outer is the first sustainable consumer brand for outdoor living with a core focus on material science, which, according to Jiake, is only one of the ways that Outer is separating itself from the competition. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Jiake and I talked about all the ways brands should be thinking outside the box, why problem-solving should be the number-one driver of product development, and how Outer is hoping to be part of the evolution of retail. Enjoy this episode.Main Takeaways:Make Your Mark: There are industries that you think are saturated, but when you look closer, it’s plain to see that there are no brands truly owning the space. Marketplaces and retailers may be offering products, but no single brand of products truly stands out. This kind of situation is more common than you think, and when you spot the opportunity, you have a chance to differentiate yourself and create a foothold that could propel you forward.Function Over Form: It’s always great to have a beautiful product, but too many companies focus on creating something with a beautiful design rather than a problem-solving function. Even in areas where you might not think there are too many problems to solve — like with furniture — there are still painpoints the need only a simple fix that could make your customers’ lives easier. And in doing so, you win their loyalty. It’s an Evolution: A lot of people are talking about the death of retail, but in reality what is happening is actually the evolution of retail. Brands are reimagining the retail experience and creating new, unique ways to engage with customers in a retail setting. As such, retail i not going away, but only the brands that are thinking big and evolving in the space will have success in the future.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: in business, you always need to keep the flywheel spinning. Okay, wait, don’t actually stop the podcast! I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true — to have a successful business, you need to be constantly churning out products, bringing in customers, making sales, lather, rinse, repeat. That’s the part we all know. What so many founders and business owners can’t quite figure out is how to actually get that wheel spinning at all, let alone continuously. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked with Steven Borrelli, the CEO & Founder of CUTS, a lifestyle ecommerce fashion brand that celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, and everyday folks love. Steven has some firsthand experience in the struggles of getting his company off the ground and into the hands of consumers — and his story includes an early $20,000 loss and a nine-hour journey through China. But he also has some of the answers that brands are looking for when it comes to building an efficient and sustainable growing business. What is his secret sauce? And how do testing, YouTube, and NFTs play a role? We got into all of that and more on this episode. Enjoy! Main Takeaways:Getting the Flywheel Spinning: Every company wants to have a flywheel spinning that brings in customers consistently and keeps the business running. But actually achieving that end is difficult. It takes getting the right people in the right roles, creating organizational efficiency, and spending money wisely. And, at the end of the day, knowing your numbers and trusting that math matters is always the most important thing.Top-Down, With a Twist: Leadership has to stem from the top, and those in charge have to set a course and be clear on their vision for the company. But if you want your employees to succeed, they have to be able to set some of their own goals and determine for themselves how they think they can best help the company meet the mission set by the leader.Fertile Soil: Having a good method to test ideas and gather feedback will yield a much more efficient product and marketing strategy. Don’t be afraid to test out new ideas in unique ways that invite customers and potential customers to engage with you in new ways. With enough good data, you can make bigger yet safer bets and grow your company much faster.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

There are certain things many of us take for granted, including making purchases on our credit cards. It might surprise you to learn that 40% of the population is actually considered non-prime. This means they have either been turned down for a credit card, have bad credit or have no credit at all. These people are often denied the ability to make purchases, particularly on large goods, like appliances or furniture. But what if they could be given the opportunity to make those purchases? What if they were given the chance to make payments based on their own ability on their own schedule? That would not only open up a new customer pool for brands, but it would provide a way for a large group of people to build credit in a meaningful way. Katapult is making all of that possible and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I spoke to Katapult’s CEO, Orlando Zayas= about how it all works. We talked about the difference between buy-now-pay-later and lease-to-own. We got into how new financing options lead to more incremental sales for brands. And we also dove into how to build a highly-functioning team and the challenges of going public. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Finding Missing Persons: When someone can’t get credit, or if they’ve been denied a credit card, they become non-prime consumers. This makes it much more difficult to purchase goods, particularly online. These customers eventually disappear, creating a void but also an opportunity to find them and bring them back into the fold. By giving these potential consumers additional avenues to make purchases, brands are adding more to their bottom line.Consumer Control: By putting the control in the hands of the consumer, you allow them to get to ownership sooner rather than later. And when consumers are able to get to ownership with something they thought was out of reach, they are more likely to return and buy again.Hire The Right People: You need a team that can act fast and independently, especially if you are a high-growth company. It’s imperative that your team can pivot fast and not get rattled when the company is going through a shift — like going public. If there are people on your team who aren’t working up to snuff, it’s better to cut them loose fast, rather than hang on to them hoping they’ll turn things around.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

To state the obvious, starting and growing a DTC brand is hard… even if you’ve been in the industry for years. Jese Pujji is the founder and CEO of Gateway X, a bootstrap venture studio that helps build businesses in the DTC space. Jesse has been working with and growing brands for years from the outside looking in. But even for him, when he tried to build a brand from the inside out, there were some real challenges and lessons learned. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Jesse told me all about that first DTC venture, Poophoria, and the mistakes he made getting it off the ground. But he also talked about all the successes he’s had and the advice he’s been giving to the brands that come to him looking to take their companies to the next level. He talked about which channels to focus on, and why founders should really only hone in on one when they’re starting out. And he also gave us a peek into the future of mobile and why you should be looking at TikTok’s strategy as a benchmark for your own. Enjoy this episode. Main Takeaways:You Can’t Please Everyone: One of the mistakes brands make is not having a clear enough picture of who their target consumer is. It does not pay to be broad. Just because everybody drinks water doesn’t mean starting a water company and selling to the whole world will work. You need to hone in on a persona or two and speak to those people very specifically, otherwise your message will get lost in the shuffle. Research, talk to potential customers and build products and marketing that address them specifically.Stop Channel Surfing: When putting content out early on, founders should pick one channel and find people who know how to run the campaigns. But, as the founder, you need to be involved in what you’re saying and who you’re talking to. By doing that you can make the economics work on a specific channel and then move on. Trying to focus on multiple channels concurrently is a recipe for disaster because they are each incredibly complex and nuanced. Plus, when you work on one at a time, you are able to learn and master new skills and then transfer them.Tik Tok Talk: If you think about how revolutionary Facebook was 10 years ago, many believe that TikTok is in the same position to change the way we experience web and mobile content. The immersive experience, lack of a traditional feed, and the addictive nature of the platform is becoming a roadmap for brands that want to engage customers long-term, especially on mobile.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

To state the obvious, in order to be a successful ecommerce brand, you have to be able to win across digital channels. But just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean it’s easy. DTC and ecomm companies big and small are coonstantly challenged to find new approaches in ever-changing online channels to engage customers and ultimately get them to hit that buy button. So how do you do it? Link Walls is the VP of digital marketing strategy for ChannelAdvisor, and it’s his job to answer that question. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Link and I discussed what kinds of strategies are working — and more importantly which ones aren’t — and he let us in on how he thinks about advising digitally-native brands that are considering a move to brick and mortar. Plus, he gives advice on how to navigate through the holiday season, why shoppable TV is going to be the dominant channel of the future for brands, and which niche channels you should keep your eye on. Enjoy this episode.Main Takeaways:Understand and Speak To Your Audience: Building robust first-party data around your customers is the first step to ostaying ahead of the curve in the shifting world of ecommerce. Doing so will allow a brand too dive deeper into personalization, relationship-building, and bringing added value to the customer.Should You Open a Store?: Recently, many digitally-native, DTC companies have been investing in retail and opening brick and mortar stores. But how do you know if this is the right strategy for your own business? The critical question you have to ask is whether or not having a store will create a unique experience that adds value and sets you apart from the competition in a real way. If not, then it’s likely better to save the cost and stick with selling online and investing in more digital channels.Where are the Eyeballs?: When thinking about where to put your advertising dollars, you have to understand where customers are consuming content. These days, that means streaming and digital social channels. But still, brands aren’t investing fully in shoppable TV. They should be, though, and it can be done even on a small budget because with digital channels, there are better analytics that will help you hypertarget your audience at an economical price.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The way you position your company in the eyes of your customers is the most make-or-break decision you can make. Who are you selling to? What problem are you solving for them? Why should a customer buy from you? All these questions need answers, and if they aren’t the right answers, it’s going to be a pretty rocky road. So when you hear about a humidifier that’s being positioned as a beauty product, what do you think? Good idea or bad? Well, for the guys at Canopy, it turned out to be a great idea and we got into it on this special in-person roundtable episode of Up Next in Commerce. Joining me in-studio here in Austin, Texas was Eric Neher, CMO at Canopy, Justin Seidenfeld, CEO at Doris Dev and Co-Founder of Canopy, and Lucas Lappe, Head of Product and Co-Founder at Doris Dev. We talked all things Canopy, but we also dove into Doris Dev, a product development agency that has helped scale companies like Blueland, Magic Spoon, BioLite, Supply, Lalo, and many more. During this epic chat, we touched on a little bit of everything -- from branding and logistical issues to product design and marketing, and beyond. I hope you have as much fun listening as I had hanging out with this lively trio.  Main Takeaways:An Obvious Way In: When you are thinking about using a subscription model, you should have an obvious reason to get in touch with your customer or a product that they need to replace or replenish that is the basis of your subscription. When you force goods on customers that they don’t need or even necessarily want via a subscription, you spoil the relationship you have built with them. Trendspotting: One of the most recent trends, particularly in the world of beauty, is blending innovative, creative experiences with products that are created with sustainable materials. Today’s customers have higher expectations than ever before and they are looking to support brands that rise to the occasion in every way.The Need For Newness: Bringing new products, experiences, and opportunities to customers is one of the best ways to keep them engaged. But in creating new things — even if it’s just an updated version of something that exists — you are constantly struggling to make sure that what you build works, does what you want, does what the customer needs, and never takes away from the brand or the experience. But those are challenges you need to face in order to not pigeonhole your business by relying on one or two products forever.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

When you think about small businesses and local merchants, you know that they are the engine that fuels economies all over the world. This is true everywhere you look, including in Africa, where Anu Adasolum works as the founder and CEO at Sabi, a company that is helping informal merchants and businesses reach new heights. For too long, the tens of thousands of small, local merchants in Africa have operated without much help, credit, or access to technology. But while they have stayed the course, the world has moved forward toward a more digitally-focused future. To succeed long-term — in Africa and everywhere else — all businesses need access to opportunities to build credit, digitize their operations, and connect with suppliers and buyers everywhere. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Anu explains how Sabi provides those opportunities. She also discusses how B2B companies should be thinking about helping their clients succeed by focusing only on a narrow set of goals. Plus, she dives into what it takes to navigate through scaling a company. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:The Pain Point is Access: For too long no one was doing the work of helping small businesses in Africa gain access. Small, local merchants were out on their own, and no banks or other creditors were even trying to lend to them, which has stunted their growth. By granting access to these merchants, they have an opportunity they never had access to before.It’s Not Just About Digitization: Sabi is really about understanding the network of traders, building profiles, and then helping small businesses establish themselves and build trust in a way that allows them to succeed. Small businesses and informal traders have often been seen as a risk for investors, and in order for them to grow, a middle party is needed to de-risk the opportunity to build up these businesses.Focus On What Matters: When you think about how you can improve sales and reduce costs for your customers, then you start to eliminate the tendency to force users into apps or channels or to use tools that don’t serve them. When you avoid that pitfall, you create a much better experience for your customers and you force yourself to focus only on what will help your company grow.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Picture this: You’re driving down the road and you see a familiar sign that gets your stomach grumbling, so you quickly pull into the drive-through, place an order and, within minutes, you’re enjoying a tasty bite of what you were craving. That’s not a hard scenario to imagine. Odds are, we’ve all gone through that exact sequence of events in our lives. And that’s great for those businesses, and even for other stores where the foot traffic drives people in to shop. But that kind of customer isn’t the only one you should be relying on. Smart operators know that there are huge portions of the population who don’t often find themselves in those serendipitous moments when they can make that impulsive decision to buy something on the spot. Angelo Frigo is one of those smart operators, and as the head of customer experience at Burger King, he is trying to move beyond the drive-through and reach customers in new, exciting ways — particularly online and through Burger King’s digital app. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Angelo and I go into some of the ways businesses can think about targeting and engaging with customers outside of in-person and spur-of-the-moment experiences.  Plus, we also dug into Angelo’s background, which is fascinating, and includes stops at McDonald’s, Feeding America, and even the White House. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:A Bigger Burden: In the government sector, customer experience is often boiled down to measuring the “burden” of something. And, thanks to an old school definition, “burden” is sometimes thought of literally as paperwork. So, reducing “burden” means reducing paperwork. As a result, the customer experience when dealing with government agencies hasn’t been optimized in all the ways we’re used to. Part of improving the customer experience at the government level begins with simply redefining what is included in the experience, and then removing friction at all points.Moving Beyond The Drive-Thru: Expanding reach beyond the drive-thru is one of the main areas of focus for chains like Burger King, which are attempting to market to people who traditionally only buy from quick-service restaurants when they see them close by and it becomes top of mind. To combat that, chains need to develop digital apps and ordering services with profiles, personalization, and creative marketing, design, and participation opportunities.Testing, Testing: It’s important to think outside the box in all areas of the business. In the app space, you should look outside your industry for ideas and inspiration rather than copying what’s most trendy or what’s working with your immediate competition. Then create prototypes and test ideas whether that’s with customers or with team members at all levels across your company.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Does the world really need another subscription box? Do parents really need to buy more things for their kids? Well, when we’re talking about Lovevery, the answer is yes and yes. In the crowded spaces of DTC subscription services and childrens products, Lovevery is making its presence known. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talk to Rod Morris, the co-founder and president of Lovevery, who told me all about the development of the company’s amazing products, and, more importantly, how he and his team went about making them stand out among the rest. It takes a lot of hard work — but it all starts with a complete obsession with creating a brand that you believe in and products that fill a gap in the market. Rod took me behind the scenes of getting press and testimonials for Lovevery, he told me how they create social content that sees engagement that blows the competition out of the water, and we also dug into his tips for fundraising and what the upside is to going public. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Winning with Connected TV: If you can break format and do something divergent, you will be able to find success in the world of connected TV. People are engaged by unique content, so you should constantly be looking for ways to take wha’s working and flip it on its head.Understanding the International Market: When you take your company abroad, there is a steep learning curve to understand how to win customers and take a part of the marketshare. Even if your product works the same wherever you sell it, the process of marketing it and adhering to regulations varies. These are important things to consider and prepare yourself for if/when you are seeking to expand overseas.It Takes Heart, Soul and Obsession: The way to keep LTV high and keep growing you need a mix of ingredients. First, you have to truly be obsessed with your product, love it, and constantly strive to improve it. Second, invest in content and reaching the audience you care about with useful and engaging content. Finally, you have to stay connected and work with customers so that they feel invested in the product and the company rather than being on-off shoppers.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

The old saying goes that men are from Mars, women are from Venus. And while that’s not literally true, when it comes to marketing, men and women do seem like two different species. What resonates with a man is wildly different than what resonates with a woman. For instance, I love a good ingredients list and couldn’t care less about how much lather I get from my body wash. A lot of men apparently feel the exact opposite. These are the kinds of things that all businesses need to think of when it comes to targeting and sending the right message. And it’s a topic I went deep on in the episode of Up Next in Commerce with Matt Mullenax, the Co-Founder and CEO of Huron. Matt talked me through all the ways he had to test, poll, and iterate on his advertising to get his men’s body care brand off the ground. But when he found the right formula, all of a sudden it was like striking gold. We’re talking crazy click-through rates, plummeting CPAs, and a direct line into the messaging that men are aligned with. Do you want to know what it is? And are you interested in what other heavy lifts Matt is working on now for long-term payoffs? Find out on this episode!Main Takeaways:The Humanization of Brand: People used to be excited by the novelty of buying online. As the DTC world evolved, consumers have gotten smarter and these days, your brand has to resonate in ways beyond just having a good product available. Some of the aspects of humanizing the brand, such as building personal connections, will require a heavy lift upfront, but the long-term value.An Atypical CX Strategy: Historically, CX has been seen as reactive, but there are ways to be proactive and ensure an exceptional customer experience no matter the situation. You should not wait for a problem to arise to help a customer out. If you know there might be a delay in shipping or some other situation arises, by reaching out before the product is delayed, you build trust with your customer.Find Your Internal Cheat Codes: Whether you have a founder with deep connections in manufacturing or you’re friends with an Instagram influencer, there are certain elements you bring to that table that you should tap into to give you a leg up in one way or another.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

There are about a million different inspirational quotes about being your authentic self and how to bring authenticity to everything you do — including your business. Matthew Herman and his company, Boy Smells, brings those cliches to life in real and very cliche ways. Boy Smells produces candles, fragrances, and more that defy the traditional gendered lines that have been drawn for decades in favor of creating a genderful experience that allows all customers to bring a mix of masculinity and femininity to their lives as they see fit. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Matthew and I talked about what that looks like in practice, and we dove into how and why Boy Smells has pivoted from focusing on wholesale, to DTC and now to retail and partnerships. Main Takeaways:Finding Functional Experts: Adding headcount is one of the most stressful parts of scaling. To make things easier, the focus should be on finding and bringing in functional experts. You will save time and money bringing in a better candidate who might cost more but can get to work quickly rather than bringing in a novice and trying to train them to work in your system.A Pyramid of Products: Creating products that can stand the test of time is important. But having one evergreen product won’t sustain a business. You have to strive to have a three-tiered pyramid mix of products, which starts with a base of core products, followed by seasonal products, and topped with special, one-of-a-kind, buzzy products that can drive sales and engagement.Don’t Jump In: You hear all the time that when you have an idea, you should jump in and do it. In reality, you’re often much better served by gaining experience at already-established companies so that you can learn from their successes and failures and bring that knowledge to your own venture.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Every company will tell you it sells something that will make your life better, easier, or more efficient. But at the end of the day, how happy are consumers with all of the things they buy? Or, better yet, how happy are consumers in general? Hapbee is a company that is focused on both of those questions, and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to the founder of Hapbee Technologies, Scott Donnell about how they find the best answers. Scott told me all about how he learned of the technology that powers Hapbee’s device, which sends out frequencies that give you the effect of certain drugs or chemicals without needing to ingest them. So if you’re looking for a kick of caffeine, or some melatonin to get to sleep, Hapbee creates what’s called blends to give you that effect just through low frequencies. It’s intense technology, and it takes a lot of consumer education and testimonials to get the word out. Scott told me how he went about doing that and building Hapbee into a company with a line of consumers just waiting to give it a try — and Scott explained how he’s meeting that demand in a time of supply chain issue galore. This was a really fun episode, I hope you enjoy! Main Takeaways:Tapping Into Einstein’s Ideas: Einstein had an idea that everything is connected, and he was right. Your cells interact in an interconnected way and in an effort to prove him right, Hapbee created a technology that could be produced and sold. By constantly asking “what if,” you give yourself an opportunity to do the same thing — find new ideas, potential business ventures or products, and build something the world didn’t know it was missing.Who Not How: Part of being a leader is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. And it’s about being willing to bring in people who can level you up in both areas. You should constantly be looking for people who are smarter than you so that you can bring them into the company, learn from them, and help do a better job than you ever could. Task lists for leaders shouldn’t be actual things to do, but instead should be about finding people they need to bring in to accomplish tasks.Your Network is Your Net Worth: Building relationships and having strong connections is the most important thing you can do as an entrepreneur. Not only can these people be a source of support and advice, they can also be recruited to help you lead, to solve a problem, or to bring in other people who can broaden your network even more.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

So much from the past is long gone — corded phones, the food pyramid, writing checks at the grocery store. But on the flip side, there are things from years gone by that have come back — mom jeans anyone? And then, there are the things that last the test of time. Traditions, styles, and yes, even businesses. Pioneer Linens is one of those companies that has stood strong for more than 100 years and sure, it has gone through its fair share of changes and pivots over the years, but as President, Penny Murphy, told me on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, the commitment to serving its customers has remained through it all. And today, Pioneer Linens is succeeding by giving customers the best experience not just in-store, but online as well. In fact, Pioneer moved into the ecommerce world way back in the 1990s, and Penny led the charge. We got into that story and dug into the company’s long history, the lessons Penny and her daughters have carried into running the business today, and where this century-old company is headed next. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:A Lasting Legacy: Although a company may pivot or change throughout its history, what customers remember most is the experience they had and the people within the company they interacted with. No matter where your business is headed, the most important thing to remember is to create the best customer experience possible and connect with customers as much as you can.Lessons From The Past: Even if you don’t have a 100-year company history to rely on, you can always look to the past for trends and ideas that are likely to come back around. There is a saying that history repeats itself — and it’s true. So be a student of history and prepare yourself with knowledge of what has happened before so you can be ready for the future.Instant Gratification: Although it is sometimes risky to carry a lot of inventory, it’s equally risky to not have enough of what customers want readily available. When customers shop, they are often looking to solve a problem right now, and if you can’t meet their needs, you will lose out on a sale today, and also the possibility of future sales from that same customer.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Do you know where the shirt you’re wearing came from? Not the brand, the actual fabric. Do you know who constructed the shirt? If you’re a brand owner, do you truly know the conditions of the workers who you are sourcing goods from? Are they being paid fair wages? Do they have a safe environment to work in? For far too long, these questions were left not just unanswered, they weren’t even being asked. But in today’s world, the consumer is more aware of and cares about all aspects of their products, and they are voting with their dollars to support the brands that are doing things the right way. The problem is, though, that it’s often hard to know for sure which brands are true to their word when they say things like they are “ethically-sourced,” “fair trade,” “vegan,” or any of the other buzzwords that they have identified. That’s where Maisa Mumtaz-Cassidy comes into the picture. Maisa is the Founder and CEO of Consciously, a curated marketplace made for sustainable fashion. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to Maisa about how she built her marketplace, what she looks for when she invites a brand onto the platform, and she gave some tips to sustainably-minded consumers on what questions they should be asking of the brands they want to support. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:The Big Disconnect: The Western buyer is, unfortunately, not often clued into the working conditions of garment workers around the world. Many third-world countries are the source of the garments we wear every day, and the conditions there are too often unsustainable and unsafe. When consumers dig into where their brands source their goods, there is more of an opportunity to improve the conditions and therefore the lives of the people who do the work.Don’t Trust, Verify: As a brand or as a consumer, you should not simply take someone at their word. If the suppliers you work with say that they pay fair wages, make them prove it. Ask for pay stubs and go visit the factories or talk to the workers one-on-one to ensure they are being treated fairly. As a consumer, if a brand says they are ethically sourced, research what that means and ask them for proof. Request information about the products they offer and do your homework before you hand over money to a brand that is not operating in good conscience. And, by asking questions, you may bring to light issues that the brand didn’t even consider and thus contribute to finding solutions.Built to Serve: If you state that you are built to serve the customer, you have to actually follow through. Stay engaged as much as possible. Have human-to-human interactions. Run polls and ask questions across platforms, and respond when customers reach out. These are simple but often-forgotten steps many brands should be paying more attention to in order to ensure customer satisfaction remains high.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Starting a business is hard enough. Try launching and building an entirely new global sport. That’s one heck of a challenge. But when you have a good idea, a product, and an organic way to connect with people, it’s actually possible. Chris Ruder is the CEO of Spikeball, and he initially thought his little business would be a fun side hobby. The company idea even started off with the age old question, “Wouldn’t it be cool if..?” But within five years, that little business with zero employees was earning $1.5 million in revenue and attracting attention around the world. That didn’t happen by magic, though, and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Chris and I dug into scaling a company by asking the questions you think are dumb — including to your own customers. For Chris, simply asking, “How did you find out about us?” was the turning point to finding an audience and then nurturing it so that it grows in the most organic way possible. He also gave the inside scoop on his Shark Tank experience, and why he encourages other entrepreneurs to take advantage of that opportunity if they are ever presented with it. Plus, Chris explains how he’s been navigating the supply chain issues, including by finding new ways to expand the company beyond just physical products. Enjoy this episode.Main Takeaways:Ask The Dumb Questions: Many new founders come into an industry with questions that may seem dumb or obvious, but they need to be asked. Find people around you who can help guide you or inform you so that you can continue making the right moves without having to backtrack. This includes asking questions of your customers. Ask them what they think, how they found you, and what made them click “buy.”Set Customers Up To Be the Hero: When you engage with customers, you can offer them the opportunity to be your ambassador, but in the most authentic way. Work with them to develop their own community and following, set them up to be the hero, and in turn, you will see more organic growth and brand love than simply paying people to promote your brand for you.The Shift to Stuff: The last two years have seen a major change in how people shop and what they shop for. Consumers have moved away from experiences and moved toward buying more stuff to fill their time and satisfy their itch. CPG companies have been forced to supply more than ever, and the logistics and supply chains have suffered as a result. Work with your vendors and shipping partners to find more creative solutions, and try to find additional ways to bring manufacturing closer to home — even if that means adding different kinds of goods and services to your product portfolio so that you are not beholden to the supply chain.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

It’s not every day that a car salesperson becomes a founder and CEO of a SaaS company that is revolutionizing the way companies do localized advertising. But that’s the path that Diana Lee followed, and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, we went through the whole story… and dug into how her company, Constellation Agency, built a technology that helped marketers stop crying (literally) because it was so hard to create hyper-local advertising. We also dove into how to think about capturing data in a world without cookies, and we discussed why, if you’re going to be in the market for a car in the next year, you definitely need to be ordering one right now. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Scaling Creative and Locality of Ads: In the past, there was no easy way to do advertising at scale in a hyper-local way, which is one of the most effective ways to advertise. Making local ads was a problem that would take a month for advertisers to solve, and now it’s a one-click solution. By investing in this solution, not only was Constellation Agency solving a problem for itself, but stumbling on a solution that everyone in the industry needed and wanted.Life Without Cookies: The downfall of cookies is a worry for many marketers, but there is still a way to capture first-party data that will allow you to succeed. By rethinking the ad unit itself, and building all of the choice and preferences into the ad unit, you can ingest the consumer data you need in a way that you control.Don’t Water it Down: It’s a nice idea to be a one-stop-shop for your customers, but when you do everything, you’re never able to become an expert at anything. Find what you’re great at and focus on that because if you can be the best at one thing, you won’t need to do anything else because customers will flock to you for your expertise.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

To say that Eli Weiss has taken an untraditional path to where he is today would be an understatement. Currently, Eli is the Director of Customer Experience at OLIPOP, but his roots are in a traditional orthodox Jewish household, his education does not include a college degree, and his first job in the industry came as a result of him doing a powerpoint presentation to the folks at an emerging luggage brand about why they were failing. Yeah, not what you’d expect. But Eli’s whole career is about going above and beyond expectations — consumer expectations. From that luggage brand to NUGGS Vegan Chicken Nuggets, and now with OLIPOP, Eli has become a master of building out the ultimate customer experience, and he took us behind the scenes on this episode of Up Next in Commerce. Plus, he told us about the job board he set up to help people like him — with skills but untraditional backgrounds — so that more awesome folks can work their magic in the CPG space. This was seriously one of my favorite interviews, so I hope you enjoy it!Main Takeaways:The Road Less Traveled: Oftentimes, those with untraditional backgrounds or different levels of educational and career experiences get overlooked for jobs they are more than qualified for. Companies need to be willing to look outside the box and invest in people who can prove they have the skills needed to do a job, even if their past experiences don’t line up with who you normally would hire.Promises Kept: It seems simple, but one of the biggest things companies overlook when it comes to customer experience is whether or not they are delivering on the promises they make. Take a look at your ad copy, your website, your social channels and product pages and determine if what you are selling to customers is what they actually get.More Than a Customer, A Friend: When brands interact with customers, most of the time the entire interaction is focused on a sale. But the best kind of customer experience comes when a brand treats a customer like a human being, and when addressing them, the brand thinks, ‘what would my friend want or need in this situation?’ Even if someone is canceling a subscription, find out the backstory on why they are cancelling their subscription, maybe there is a deeper reasonthan what you expect and there is something you can do to reach out not to sell, but to show you care.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below.  Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

When you look down at your phone, do you see a little 5G symbol? Do you know what that means or what kind of service 5G is providing? To take it a step further, if you’re a business owner, are you connected to 5G? Is it helping your company move faster and operate more efficiently? Whatever the answers to those questions are, the problem remains that many of us, consumers and business owners alike, are still mostly in the dark about what 5G truly is, how it’s different, and why we’re actually only just scratching the surface of what 5G is capable of.On this roundtable episode of Up Next in Commerce, I dove deep into the mysteries of 5G with Geoff Coleman, Chief Product Officer at Gotransverse, Natasha Sachdeva VP Solutions Engineering at Mirakl, and Olivier Smith, Technology Lead from the Office of the CTO at Matrixx. We discussed what 5G is and is not, how it’s currently being utilized, and what kind of possibilities will be opened up when 5G is made available in a more widespread manner. But to get there, it’s going to take a lot of partnership with telecom companies, enterprise software businesses, and cloud, platform and marketplace providers, which is what brought my three guests together. It was a really interesting discussion, and I hope you enjoy it!Main Takeaways:Making It Sticky: What makes something like a marketplace sticky for consumers is how seamless the experience is for everyone. Whether you are offering local goods or using a marketplace to bring more wide-ranging products from all over the world to customers’ in your backyard, whatever you’re selling matters less than how easy the shopping, transaction and delivery experience turns out.How Marketplaces Create Growth and Opportunity for Sellers: There are limits to how ecommerce can grow and scale, and marketplaces offer a way to expand those opportunities. Marketplaces offer sellers speed and agility, along with resources that they cannot get elsewhere.Partner Up: As large and far-reaching as telecommunications companies are, even they cannot provide 5G to every industry. In order to advance the technology across all fields, partnerships with other large enterprise companies are necessary. This sets up a B2B2C model that requires finesse and understanding of different roles, particularly as it relates to delivering technology and services to the end consumer.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Fraud has been a problem for centuries. And there have been bad actors and people with ill intent since the beginning of time. What’s different today is the tools and methods that fraudsters are using, particularly when it comes to perpetrating fraud online. Both consumers and brands are in a constant battle against hackers and fraudsters who are gaming and attacking their defenses and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars. So to protect themselves and their cus, brands are putting strategies in place to limit their exposure to risk and stop fraud before it starts. But not only will that defense not last long because fraudsters are always coming up with new ways to run their schemes, more often than not the defenses a company sets up create a bad user experience for the very customers they try to protect. David Fletcher is the Senior Vice President at ClearSale International, and he and his team are helping to create better solutions, fight fraud, and help ecommerce companies process more orders while giving users excellent experiences. He told me all about it on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, and there are some great ideas for any brand to think about implementing. But even more than that, David and I went deep on some of the other hot topics in the fraud and privacy world, including the debate around two-factor authentication and what’s happening on the dark web. It was so interesting. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:Cutting Off Your Nose To Spite Your Face: One of the ways many companies fight fraud is through filters. If they see suspicious activity from a geographical location or type of customer profile, they set their system to automatically decline those sales in order to prevent fraud. However, in doing that, the company has set up a system that will generate false declines — declining legitimate sales based only on generic information that has been flagged. In order to truly fight fraud and not negatively impact other customers, companies need to be more specific and targeted with their efforts.The Unsolvable Problem of Fraud: No matter what you do to address fraud as it happens right now, there will always be new ways that fraud occurs as time goes by. It takes constant vigilance and attention to the environment you’re working in to stay ahead and protect your business and your customers. And while technology can help, having actual humans look into potentially risky transactions is the best way to identify what’s fraud and what’s not.Dig Into Data: By examining historical data, companies like ClearSale can get a full picture of how a company has operated and where its weak spots are when it comes to things like false declines and chargebacks, or other indicators of fraud. And from that data, you can almost immediately implement machine learning to improve your processes and get more orders approved.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Kornit Digital has always marketed itself as a developer of technology, which, in today’s world is pretty much what everyone says. In 2021, it seems like every company is either a tech company or a media company. So what is it that makes Kornit different from all the rest? Well, it starts with the fact that Kornit is creating technology that is more than just an app or a gadget: it’s developing tech to enable sustainable fashion production, which could have quite an effect on a $3 trillion industry. To achieve this end, though, means that brands have to start thinking and acting differently. Instead of supply and demand, it’s going to be all about demand then supply. Currently, 30% of fashion inventory is going unused and unsold. That negatively affects not just a company’s bottom line, the resources wasted in producing and then eliminating those items has a massive negative impact on the environment. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Omer Kulka, the CMO of Kornit, explained to me all the ways the company is working to bring new technology, a new business model, and a whole new way of thinking to the industry to start turning those negatives into something better.  And the change is coming sooner than you think, so if you want to be prepared, you’ll definitely want to pay close attention to this convo. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:Monetizing Trends: Everywhere you look, something or someone is going viral. For too long, it’s been next to impossible to monetize those trends, but that’s changing. By shifting to a demand and supply model, brands can create a system that allows them to meet the moment and deliver goods to customer that they want in the moment and then still be ready to deliver again when the next trend comes along.Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast: These days, if you’re not innovating and disrupting yourself, you’ll be out of business in the blink of an eye. The best companies in the world are always shifting gears and changing their skin to meet new demands. This takes a lot of strategy and preparation, but more importantly, it take great people and a culture where your employees are not afraid of change, they lean into it.The mash-up between physical and virtual worlds: Virtual fashion is fashion that doesn’t exist in real life — think video and computer games or even in the future on Instagram— and it is an exciting new opportunity for on-demand, sustainable fashion.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

On this show and so many others, you hear a lot about the success stories and the big companies doing new and exciting things. But the fact of the matter is that those tales of major profits and winning market share and scaling, they were almost always preceded by some really tough times and moments that have crippled many entrepreneurs who have tried to trod the same path. Conor Lewis is right in the middle of those extremely tough times. Conor is the founder of Fort, a company that sells magnetic pillow forts for kids. It’s a brilliant idea, and that’s not just my opinion. Tens of thousands of backers on Kickstarter agreed, and they pledged more than $2 million to see Fort make its way into their living rooms. And yet, despite the buzz and the big raise, Conor is at a crossroads. He is on the cusp of success, but dealing with massive supply chain and logistics challenges that are also impacting companies around the world. Right now is where a company like Conor’s can launch into the stratosphere… or not. So on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I was excited to talk to Conor and hear from him exactly what he’s going through, how he’s dealing with the challenges of a young CPG company, and where he thinks Fort can get to once he pulls the company through these rough early stages. This was a raw, honest, and interesting conversation that I think so many entrepreneurs and business folks will relate to. I hope you enjoy it!Main Takeaways:Hindsight is 20/20: There are certain areas of your business that you will have a handle on right from the get-go. Other things you will have to learn along the way. One of the things many first-time founders lack is access to a network who can help them, so they fly blind and they learn hard lessons building a network along the way, understanding how and where things could have gone better, and implement those lessons as the company grows.Competitor Adjacent: One hack new product companies can try is to find channels where your competitors are being talked about and try to position your own product there so that your potential customers can see you. But beware: there is actually some danger in which channels you chose - tune in to find out which.Move Past the Negativity: Whether you’re winning or struggling, there will be detractors, hard times, and negativity in more ways than you imagine. You have to do what you can to move past these negative people and situations. If it’s a customer, serve them in the best way possible (through refunds or replacements of goods) and compartmentalize the problem in a healthy way so that you can manage it, but not let it drag everything you do down.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Throughout the years, Walmart has brought the idea of the superstore to life. Its name is ubiquitous, most Americans live within eight miles of a Walmart, and within the store, you can find everything from groceries to automotive services to custom paint production. Seriously, there is very little that you won’t find within a Walmart. And, on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Cynthia Kleinbaum Milner told me about how that competitive edge is something that Walmart wanted to lean into as it evolved into the digital era. Cynthia is the VP of marketing for Walmart Plus, Online Grocery and Mobile App, and part of what she does is help Walmart use the power of its retail presence to engage with customers in an omnichannel way, this includes on mobile, which we touched on a lot in the interview. We also dove into Walmart Plus, and how Cynthia positioned Walmart Plus different from the competition, by getting the deepest understanding of what customers want and why. Plus we got into Cynthia’s own journey and how she has developed her skills as a marketer to land at one of the biggest global companies ever. This was such a fun episode, I hope you enjoy it!Main Takeaways:Going Backward To Move Forward: The world changes so rapidly that oftentimes the skills you are using now as the main part of your job will be peripheral or inapplicable in just a few years. Rather than continuing on one path doing only what you know, it might be a better long-term strategy to step back and learn in other emerging areas to make yourself more well-rounded. Even if you have to make a lateral or backward move right now, in the long run you will be a much better and a more skilled worker.The Full Experience, Online and Off: Walmart is more than just a grocery store for those who go to physical locations. Naturally, the online experience had to be more than just one kind of shopping experience as well. Creating an app that makes the entire experience of shopping better, has to be the goal. Whether that means bringing in scan and go features to use in-store, or an endless aisle to shop from online, or building in additional services like financial help and delivery, there has to be more to your app so that you are providing customers with the ideal experience.Making Membership Worth It: Too often, brands have membership programs that have one or two benefits that customers use every once in a while at best. But if you’re going to have a membership model, you want to make it worthwhile for customers and the business. There should be services that you can’t access otherwise, you should be adding value to your customers’ lives, and you should always be striving to add features and services that save time and money for your customers, which will make them want to use your app and come to your store even more.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

How new parents shop for their babies is unlike how anyone shops for anything else. I know, I’ve been there. You’re anxious, you’re thinking about all the things your baby will need, but you’re also thinking in stages of what you’ll need three months from now when your baby is in a completely different stage of development. It’s overwhelming and the brands in the baby market are mostly just selling products, and not selling how to have a better experience as a parent. Lalo is one of the unique brands that is putting the parent’s experience first, and that strategy has helped the company quickly grow into a favorite brand among moms and dads everywhere.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I chatted with Michael Wieder, the co-founder of Lalo, about what it was like to create a new kind of shopping experience for parents, and how a little bit of light stalking went a long way to help Lalo figure out exactly what parents want and need. We talked about what it takes to bring a product to market with organic and authentic connections with influencers and consumers alike, and we got deep in the weeds of what strategies Lalo used to communicate with current and potential customers in order to improve not just the products, but the entire experience of buying products for your kids. Plus, we talked a bit about how Lalo has approached fundraising, which is a little bit controversial these days. Enjoy the episode!Main Takeaways:Influencers Are People, Not A Marketing Channel: You have to tap into an influencer’s psychology and why they would actually love a brand, rather than paying them to market your product just because they are popular. Reach out to people who you know you can connect with, and ship them product to help them fall in love with the product first, then partner with you later. Not only does that form more authentic relationships, it saves you from wasting product and time on potential influencer relationships that won’t work.Keep it 100: How you communicate with customers should be all about keeping it real. Think about how you would want to be communicated with, and treat your customers in that same way. And in order to deliver the right messages that also lead to actual sales, you have to focus on a few key pillars: technical, functional and emotional benefit.Get on My Level: Hiring the right people is the biggest challenge to growth. Not everyone will care as much as a founder, but you need to find people who do truly care and buy into the mission of the company and will fight to help it become better. You can also tap into the people who love your brand most to bring them on as advisors. For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/3zTMJOt---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

What do eyeglasses, blockchain, and social media all have in common? If you answered nothing, then obviously you haven’t heard of Lucyd. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I sat down with Harrison Gross, the Co-founder and CEO of Lucyd, a smart eyewear company that is bringing hardware and software together in pretty incredible ways. Harrison told me all about how the company was built on IP from research universities — an underutilized trove of crazy cool ideas — and how Lucyd’s crowdfunding backers became the perfect beta testers for the Lucyd Lyte glasses, which are glasses fitted with bluetooth technology that allow users to talk on the phone, listen to music, engage with Siri, and more, all without ever taking your phone out of your pocket. Smart glasses are not a new concept, so you may be wondering what makes Lucyd different. Harrison is developing an app to pair with the glasses that uses blockchain to create a social community where people can utilize tokens, buy and sell NFTS, and engage with people and brands -- all from their eyewear. It’s a whole new kind of commerce, and I’m excited to bring you today’s conversation with Harrison Gross!Main Takeaways:The Will of the People: Crowdfunding is not just a way to raise capital, it’s a proven method to build a community of people who are willing to help your company succeed. Backers from a crowdfunding campaign can become a pool of beta testers and product development focus groups that can help a company get to a MVP much sooner than otherwise possible.Meet the Market: Although the market might not be in place to adopt your original idea, you can always pivot to deliver something that people need right now. But don’t let the original idea die — find a new way to introduce that idea that is suitable to how people live and operate right now, the same way Lucyd is doing with blockchain technology, which you can tune in to hear more about!Make it Easy: If you have a product that will solve a problem or make someone’s life easier, you might think it will sell itself, but it won’t. You have to fully explain how the product works and where they will see improvement in their life through using the product. You also have to train those who sell the product to build education into their sales speak, and every piece of content you create should illustrate how you are making life better, because when the consumer sees that, you make their purchase decision easy.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

There is no shortage of ecommerce companies popping up everywhere you look, especially in the U.S, where the culture of having a side hustle is making more and more people into entrepreneurs. Most of those companies sell products, and a lot of them also create or sell merch. That’s where Printful comes into the picture. Printful offers on-demand printing and dropshipping so that companies of all shapes and sizes can design and deliver customized products all over the world. But, according to Raitis Purins, the Head of Marketing of Printful, that’s not the main aspect of the company that has allowed it to grow to a $1 billion valuation.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Raitis explains that when it comes to serving burgeoning ecommerce brands, you have to do more than deliver products to them, you have to help educate them. Printful is only successful if the companies it serves survive and thrive, and so when 9 out of 10 new ecommerce businesses fail, that could spell trouble. Raitis explained that a lot of what Printful does is create content that not only helps the company rank on Google and bring in new customers, but also helps those customers figure out their footing in this crazy world of business. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Side Hustles As Printful’s Main Hustle: Thanks to the culture of side hustles in the United States, there are more creators and entrepreneurs than ever before who all need merchandise. This audience is a fruitful place for companies like Printful and other personalization brands to lean into and deliver new products for.Encouraging Success: It is extremely difficult to create an ecommerce shop that stands the test of time. Success is hard to come by, and so if you serve those young brands, it benefits you to try to help them succeed. When they thrive, so do you, so if you have tips, best practices, or other lessons that you can share with those who come work with you, sharing what you know will create a mutually beneficial, and therefore loyal, relationship.Content, Content, Content: No one knows exactly what it takes to rank on Google, but there is consensus that content is king, and developing content around key themes, key words, and key phrases is one method that has worked before. In order to stay relevant and ranking, constantly be pushing out content around the keywords you identify as important, and build out that content in as many ways and languages as possible.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

I want to make money. Yep, I said it, and you should too, especially if you’re an entrepreneur or business owner. It seems obvious, but, as my guest today will explain, that idea and saying those words out loud is what holds so many people back.Leslie Kuster is the founder and CEO of Back from Bali, an ecommerce fashion brand that she scaled from 50k to multiple millions in just a few years. She achieved most of that growth on Amazon, a platform that is always challenging but can work wonders for your business if you know the ins and outs. She does and she shared them with us, including how Amazon has been changing its terms of service around images, what kind of SEO strategies will work well, and what it takes to connect with customers even when facing certain restrictions. Plus, Leslie has a ton of advice for all kinds of entrepreneurs, and women in particular, about what it takes to turn something that was more of a hobby into a business worth millions. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:But Why?: Success in business comes down to having a vision and a “why” behind what you are doing as an entrepreneur. There are so many ups and downs, that if you don’t have a vision that will fuel you and motivate you through all of the hardships, then you will not make it through them.Expanding In A Limited Way: When you think about expanding your business, you typically think about how to create a more broad product portfolio. Rather than bringing multiple new products to market, look at the product or products you have that are working already and expand those in creative ways.The Toughest Question of All: Trying to figure out where to invest your dollars is the biggest challenge for an entrepreneur. And when you are selling successfully on Amazon or on your website, you have to ask yourself is it worth it to try to drive traffic elsewhere? It’s expensive to be competitive in different markets, particularly fashion, where there is already overcrowding. So rather than throw money at a channel or website that is competing against a sea of other challengers, shift your focus to an area where you can create a niche or where you are already having success.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

If you’ve heard of Casper, the mattress-in-a-box brand, you unknowingly have heard of Terri Rockovich. Terri was one of the early employees at Casper and helped the company launch into the stratosphere. Today, she’s trying to do the same thing with her new company, Jinx, a DTC dog food brand committed to helping our furry friends live their best lives. So maybe it should actually be DTD? Direct to dog?Anyway, as Terri told me, it’s hard to make magic happen twice, especially when you’re launching a brand in the middle of one of the biggest market shakeups in history. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Terri told me all about how Jinx had to pivot when its retail strategy fell to pieces when stores shut their doors in 2020, and she described how directing all of the company’s focus to digital fulfillment and creative partnerships with brands like Petco, Rover and Target landed Jinx in front of a national audience faster than they imagined. Plus, Terri and I got into how disruptive brands can build a moat against their major CPG competitors. And be sure to take note of when and where you might be seeing (and maybe smelling) some doggie billboards coming soon! Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:A Moat With Many Alligators: Young disruptive brands often come to market to take on larger, established CPG companies. As a brand trying to grab market share, you might think you’d want to push out others just like you. Instead, it might be more effective for similar disruptive brands to all go after the one or two market players in order to open up even more opportunities. The disruptive brands, by definition, will be doing something different than the CPG companies, and that insulates them from being overtaken so easily, especially if they band together.Ditching Customization: Creating a custom experience seems to be all the rage, but by creating a product that meets the needs of many, scaling becomes much easier. With a widely accessible product, you can much more easily sell, produce and ship product with speed.Pick Your Path: If you want to compete online or in retail, you need to be sure that you show up in a way that allows you to stand out. Whether that’s through price, uniqueness of product, the consumers you’re targeting or in your marketing and packaging, there has to be something that makes people stop, look and give your brand a chance.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

When you’re building a business, the stakes are always high. Now think about building a company based on a product that absolutely has to work 100% of the time and the other competitors in your category have been around for a century and own about 70% of the market. That might seem like a lot of pressure, and you maybe would assume that having to succeed under those circumstances would mean working in a pretty intense environment. But that’s not necessarily the case for P.S. Condoms. The young DTC brand launched its first product in early 2020 and has been steadily building a base of loyal customers ever since. And the co-founders. Rob Seo and Raja Agnani, have made sure to bring some fun and humor to the company along the way.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to Rob and Raja about what it’s been like to build P.S. Condoms and why creating a welcoming, open, and fun brand has been critical to the company’s success. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Bringing Sexy Back: For too long, the idea of what is “sexy” has been co-opted by a few major brands. By creating a company that messages to everyone and encourages them to embrace their individuality, P.S. Condoms has opened up the opportunity to reach more potential customers.Let’s Meet IRL: Most things are better in person or when tried first-hand. When bringing customers into the funnel — especially as a new brand — online channels will only get you so far. Meeting with potential customers at in-person events and giving them samples to use in their everyday lives is the most effective way to get people further into the sales funnel.Keep It Clean But Still Creative: To advertise on the traditional channels, you have to follow certain rules. But those restrictions shouldn’t limit your creativity, they should enhance it. Use the rules placed on you as a creative challenge to find new and more interesting ways to connect with people.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

Catalogs and carpeting are two things that most people think went out of style in the 1990s. But those people are wrong, and FLOR is here to prove it. James Pope is the General Manager at FLOR, and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, he took me through all the ways that the company is making carpet cool again through their unique, easy-to-install, and beautiful carpet tiles. But, the first question? How to find new customers when your parent company has focused on B2B customers in the past such as office spaces or hotels. Well, as they say, what’s old is new again, and FLOR’s top-performing marketing programs and main entry point for customers is… a catalog. That catalog represents 70% of their consumer demand. Wild. James really dug into the details around how they think about designing their catalogs from front to back, to tracking offline to online attributions, why holdout testing is key, and why the 80/20 rule holds true for almost everything. Plus, stay tuned to hear about FLOR’s second-most successful marketing campaign which might just surprise you... Enjoy!Main Takeaways:Don’t Overcomplicate: Even if you have a unique product or methodology, more often than not, consumers tend to make decisions based on what they know and already like. Try not to get too cute or complicated with how you present your product and instead, just make it easy for consumers to see the value in your product regardless of the way they buy or use it.An Old-School Starting Line: Despite the fact that many companies are digital-first, oftentimes a customer’s starting point with a brand comes from a paper catalog they get in the mail. Brands are missing an opportunity when they ignore the more traditional means of marketing, especially now with over-saturated email inboxes and more consumers working directly from home. Digital marketing is easy to ignore, but everyone checks their mail every day, so you have a much better chance of having an impact there.What’s In A Name?: Turns out a lot. In the search field, customers at FLOR tend to search for the branded product name rather than using generic terms. This means that not only should the website be optimized to accommodate those searches, but that it’s important to pay attention to the names you give products.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

Efficiency, transparency, trust. These are all things that both businesses and consumers crave, but don’t always achieve. Especially not all with one solution. But thanks to digital identities, and the technology that’s coming out of Avery Dennison, that’s about to change. Avery Dennison, a Fortune 500 global materials science company, is taking digital identities past the point of simple QR codes and RFID tags, and into a place where brands and consumers will be able to do more with individual products than ever before. We’re talking about a world where you can track the tiniest details of a product in shipment, like its exact origins to its temperature. And brands will have the ability to create more sustainable, reusable products that can learn from consumers each time they use and scan the digital identifiers, making it possible to adapt to changing consumer behavior in real time. To learn more about this new circular economy, I invited Max Winograd to the show, who serves as the VP of Connected Products at Avery Dennison and one of the founders of atma.io. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Max and I talked about all the ways that digital identities are already being used today, and what the future holds in terms of the connected experience that digital identities provide for brands and consumers. There are so many possibilities and upsides to the technology that Max and his team are creating at Avery Dennison, so keep your ears perked up for this awesome conversation! Main Takeaways:Individual Focus: Investments in innovative technology is helping make possible a future that will see consumers more in control of and informed about individual product journeys. Rather than simply tracking an item from the manufacturer to its final destination, consumers can get all the microdetails of a product. So whether you are expecting a shipment of produce or medical supplies and vaccines, Bluetooth, RFID, and other digital identity technology will make it possible to keep an eye on all of the minuscule details, like the temperature of the truck the product is being shipped in.So Long, Single-Use: How we package products is likely to undergo a fundamental change over the next few years. Rather than single-use anything, consumers will be encouraged and ultimately rewarded by having reusable individual containers that have unique digital IDs. So, rather than going to the store to buy a gallon of milk, so can have your own container, scan its QR code or other identifier at your local market, and the backend system will know who you are, what kind of milk you like (skim, oat, almond, etc.) and the exact amount, and will dispense that into your container.A Circle Is Round, It Has No End: Consumers are much more interested in taking part in a circular economy. There is more activity in re-commerce than ever before as customers turn to the resale marketplace. The need for product-level identification becomes crucial here because you can not only trace a product's origins, you can also pass along all of its information in the resale market, including selling it to be recycled and then have the recycled materials continue to be traced all along their journey.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

Imagine this… it’s 1999, and you and your sibling decide to start an ecommerce company with just a phone line, a 14k modem, a ping pong table, and a credit card. You build a website, find a product that has unnecessary margins, and decide to just.. do it better yourself. Feeling bullish on this ending? Well we are. Because that’s exactly what Roger Hardy did when building his first company called Coastal Contacts, which grew to be the world’s largest omni channel eyewear retailer. The success couldn’t be ignored, and soon after, Coastal was acquired. But one part of that sibling duo, Roger Hardy, couldn’t stay away from the eyewear game forever. He re-entered the space in 2019 with his new company, Kits.com, and by the end of 2021 the business will have already eclipsed $100 million in revenue.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Roger and I got to chat about some of his secrets to success in the D2C world of eyewear. We dove into the importance of vertical integration, what the link is between a company’s NPS and its valuation, and how to think about hiring if you want to go from 1 to 25 to 100 to 300 and beyond. Enjoy this episode!   Main Takeaways:Who’s In Control?: Vertical integration has been a hallmark of many successful DTC eCommerce companies. When you control all the levers of production, you not only can cut costs and offer customers prices they will love, you also no longer have to worry about delays or logistics problems that otherwise would be out of your control and set you back for untold periods of time.Blend It Together: While you might have an idea of what you want to sell, if you focus only on offering your own premium products, you leave out an entire customer base that might be looking for something a bit different. By offering all kinds of products, you open the door to other customers who might not have found you otherwise. Then, once they are in the funnel, you can blow them away with a quality experience so they keep coming back for more, which is when you can present them with your product options.Beyond Basic: As you begin to scale, there comes a point when you have to think bigger than just hiring to fill roles. Even if the person is smart and a cultural fit, the aim needs to shift to attracting and hiring people who are the best in the world in every department.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.  

Crowdfunding has been around for centuries — all the way back to the 1700s when Alexander Pope was looking for resources to publish his book. So what did he do? He turned to the people! In return for their funding, his supporters were promised a shout out in the manuscript and would receive a printed copy.  Thanks to the internet, crowdfunding has been taken to another level. With easy access to billions of people — and their wallets — young companies, inventors, and entrepreneurs have used sites like GoFundMe, Kickstarter, and others to get some wind in their sails. Dan Shapiro was one of them. Dan is now the Founder and CEO of Glowforge, but before that, he had a massively successful crowdfunding campaign for a board game he had invented for his kids. Through that experience, Dan realized that there were certain elements of crowdfunding that he described as “magic” and that he thought could translate to the world of ecommerce. For his next venture, he wanted to take the high-intent visitors to a crowdfunding site on his website and get them to start converting reliably on the brand’s landing page. He wanted to build a community, and to build excitement that would turn into a flywheel of referrals and inbound leads. Oh, and he wanted to build an inclusive, mission-driven internal culture at the same time.Well guess what. He did just that with his next crowdfunding campaign. With $100K campaign goal that ended up being blown out of the water, hitting $27M in pre-orders, he launched his next endeavor. And we dove through all the details on this episode of Up Next in Commerce! Main Takeaways:Beyond Crowdfunding: The conversion rate of a visitor to Kickstarter is exponentially higher than that of a traditional ecommerce site visitor. So how can you take the elements of a crowdfunding site and bring it over to a traditional online marketplace? There are certain strategies and tactics that transcend crowdfunding and harnessing that energy, excitement, and engagement can be a differentiator for a brand.Bring A Friend: Referral programs are nothing new, but when done right, they can be a game changer for a new brand. Look at your customer base and the products they are buying from your company. If you are selling to naturally extroverted people — any kind of creator — and your product is helping them create something that they’ll want to share, tap into that natural tendency and give them incentives to share what they’re doing and how your company helped. This could lead to a flywheel of inbound customers without having to spend big on marketing.Come Back When You Want: Repeat customers are the lifeblood of many companies. And while getting customers to return is important, how and why they do so is even more critical. You want people to come back to your company because they were delighted by the product or the experience, not because they need to replace a part that wore out or broke. Those experiences leave a bad taste in the consumers’ mouth, and you should be striving for the opposite, especially if you are trying to build a community of advocates.  For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

What if I told you that a technology that has been around since the 1910s is the secret sauce to a company that was founded in 2020 and has completely exploded in the year since? And when I say exploded, I mean scaling from $0 to over $25 million in…. Less than a year. Well, that’s the story of R-Zero Systems, and it’s a great example of how, in today’s world, spotting an opportunity, moving fast, and being able to solve problems in real-time is what separates the winners from the losers in the business world. Whether you’re in CPG, retail, healthcare, or some combination of multiple verticals, the biggest problem a company has is the ability to sustainably scale. But R-Zero Systems is showing just how to do it well, and that’s not the only solution the company is bringing to the table. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I sat down with Grant Morgan, the co-founder and CEO of R-Zero Systems, and he told me all about the wild ride the company has been on since its founding in spring of 2020. See, R-Zero is a biosafety technology company that, thanks to its innovative products, helps customers create safer spaces for its patients, employees, students, and anyone else entering an indoor space. It was created for the same reason as any other company — to solve a problem. The difference, though, was that Grant and his team were able to first, ramp up production at a time when few others could, and second, bring something critical to the very specific needs of the market that was already proven to be effective but wasn’t very accessible. Turns out, that’s the key to growing quickly is effectiveness and accessibility all at once, oh, and maybe a few other things too. Want to know what they are? Find out on this episode! Plus, listen closely to hear my epic UV product ideas that I know Grant is eager to add to his product roadmap, and some of the funniest product requests he has received to date. Main Takeaways:Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: One of the factors that affects productivity is sick days. By finding a way to reduce sick days, a company can operate more economically and efficiently. But more than just impacting the bottom line, by investing in creating a healthy environment, you are providing workers a better overall experience.Proof Positive: Even when you are working with a proven technique, application, or resource, when you introduce it in a new way, you have to go through the due diligence to re-prove its efficacy. Especially when what you are trying to prove is invisible to the human eye.The Right DNA: In order to scale, hiring is key. But this task shouldn’t be treated lightly. One wrong hire can impact the culture in more ways than one could imagaine. So how do you create and keep a culture worth building around, and find the right people for the company? Tune in to hear how Grant things about hiring within a fast growing company.!For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Okay, so sitting around trying to predict the future can be a pretty fun challenge. But for Phillip Jackson, the Chief Commerce Officer at Rightpoint and the Co-founder of Future Commerce, there’s no better way to spend a day — or an hour on a podcast. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Phillip and I went deep down the rabbit hole of all the crazy trends we’re currently seeing in the ecommerce world, and where we expect the industry to head next. From spotting innovation in the gaming community, building the ecommerce metaverse, or working with disruptor brands on high-risk, high-reward ideas to grow a digital community, we touched on it all. Plus, if you think big retail is dead, tune in to hear Phillip’s interesting take on how that is anything but true, and how the D2C brands currently praised on Twitter are nothing in comparison to the private revolution happening in places like Target and Walmart. Just check out the GMV if you don’t believe him! This was such a fun interview, and I loved getting the chance to pick the brain of another smart, forward-thinking podcast host and ecommerce enthusiast! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!Main Takeaways:Retail Takeover: The private label revolution is all around us, you just have to know where to look! Hint: Check the quarterly earnings..Coming Together: Brands love to say they built a community. And while that might be true, the problem is that all brand communities are currently siloed. The future of commerce will be more unified as brands continue to experiment with ways to create an ecommerce metaverse by blending different digital properties, platforms collectibles, and other elements together and making them available more broadly outside of specific channels.Game On: To get a look at where the future of commerce and technology is headed, the best place to look is often in the gaming community, where innovation happens constantly and those innovations often find their way into the real world.Failure is Always An Option: Ecommerce shouldn’t be boring, it should be filled with experimentation, risk-taking, and big swings. Historically, bigger brands have played it safe and stayed on the prescribed path, which has meant they have been left behind by the disruptor brands that are more willing to try, fail, learn, and try again.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

Every business needs a website, and every website needs a landing page. These are universal truths. Where things become fuzzy is when you try to understand what makes a landing page good versus just good enough. The difference between having a landing page that is optimized versus one that just works could be huge: we’re talking more conversions, higher LTV, and, ultimately, more money headed toward your bottom line. So then why are brands still neglecting their landing pages? And what can they do to make them better?I asked those exact questions to Raphel Paulin-Daigle, the founder and CEO of SplitBase, which is helping companies like L’Oreal, Diff Eyewear and more scale their websites in meaningful ways that impact their bottom line. Raphael walked me through some of the biggest mistakes companies are making when it comes to their websites, including the severe lack of patience most brands have for testing and failure. But, as Raphael explains, it’s in the experiments and failures that you learn the most. Tune in for all the insights and get ready to start running A/B tests once this episode is over! Main Takeaways:Math in the Real World: Turns out that statistics class you took in school is important in real life. When it comes to testing, you need to understand and adhere to solid statistical models. This means having patience, getting large sample sizes, and running tests for longer than it takes to build up a reliable data set, rather than just get some quick results that could lead to biases in your numbers.Sweet Simplicity: Asking the basic questions, like “what do you love about this product?” is one of the best, but often-overlooked, ways to get customer feedback that will actually make a difference in marketing copy and product design. Customer feedback is critical, but gathering it has become overly complicated. Break it down to its simplest form and go from there.Don’t Trust Your Gut: The biggest mistake most brands make is believing that they know their customers based solely on anecdotal evidence and internal brainstorming. Your gut instinct about customer personas are usually built on cliches and supposed known factors, which ultimately makes those personas useless. You have to have a more analytical approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative data in order to come up with customer profiles that can be useful to the business objectives.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

There is more to a company than just a really cool product or two. The best businesses are built on revolutionary products mixed with value-adding opportunities, marketing, partnerships, and leadership. Dome Audio has all of that in spades. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I sat down with my friend Timothy Wright, a Super Bowl champion and the chief strategy officer of Dome Audio, a disruptive headphone technology that has the world’s first surround sound, bone conduction headphones. Tim breaks down what it took to build the patented bone conduction technology (sneak peak, just imagine a sketch, a cad file, and a 3d printer...). Plus, we dive into how they are thinking about licensing and IP partnerships and hint at a possibility for how they plan to utilize NFTs in the future. We also had a fun discussion that took us behind the scenes of his pro football journey with five NFL franchises that resulted in a Super Bowl XLIX ring, and lessons he has taken from the world of football and brought into his business ventures. Also, as a quick side note, I am an investor in Dome Audio, but this podcast is for purely informational purposes and not to be used to drive investment decisions. So with that, enjoy this episode with Tim Wright! Main Takeaways:Dream It, Build It: There are products on the market for just about everything. But who’s to say those products can’t be improved? Game-changing companies are built on ideas from people with the drive to put them into action. Use the resources at your disposal — your experience, your connections, the technology available — and iterate until you find the way to make a product that brings something unique to the marketplace.More Ways Than One: To have long-lasting success, companies need to find multiple avenues they can use to bring value. The product is one thing, but how else can you bring a different customer base or demographic to the table? The more ways you can monetize, the better.One Degree of Separation: To drive engagement and build buzz, you have to get in front of an audience. To do that, you have to build a team and partnerships that mirror, or are affiliated with, that target audience. The closer you can get to the people you want to reach — through brand partnerships, influencers, etc. — the better off you will be for a strong launch.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here. 

Knowing your customer is the obvious first step to creating and selling products. But there are still companies that lose sight of who they should be targeting, where, and with what kind of content.SCOUT is not one of those brands. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Deb Waterman Johns, the Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at SCOUT, took us behind the scenes of what it’s like to build a brand that is all about authenticity in its products, its partnerships, and its marketing efforts. Deb explains what it takes to not get pigeonholed in a certain category or vertical, and also talks us through why retail partnerships are going to be important to ecommerce brands in the years to come. Plus, she highlights how what's old is new again, not only in the world of fashion, but business too, and how their team is leaning back into some “old school” tactics to really connect with their customers in the most authentic way.  And because she has been a color consultant to some of the largest brands, I had her reveal what color palettes are going to be trending in the upcoming year.Main Takeaways:Don’t Get Pigeonholed: Sometimes a product can be labeled as one thing and then excluded from all other categories. For example, a bag that’s seen as a gift is not often also identified as a piece of fashion. It takes strategizing to market and display your products in a way that avoids that outcome and allows you to reach all kinds of buyers.Remember Your Day-1s: Although the move to ecommerce is in full force, it’s important to remember that there were brick-and-mortar stores that supported and carried your brands from the beginning. Retail locations and ecommerce brands have benefitted from strong partnerships since Day 1,and those are relationships that should be nurtured and leveraged to maintain contact with all kinds of customers. The benefit from ecommerce and retail partnerships exists within the opportunity to promote new and different products and build excitement with customers in person and give them more value every time they shop.Getting Down To What’s Real: Authenticity has never been more imperative than when it comes to marketing and product development. The brands that ditch the high-gloss photoshoots and invest in more real-life, everyday content are experiencing higher levels of engagement. The same can be said for the brands that take the time to get to know their customers on a real, deep level. Understanding who you are talking to, what they like, and what resonates most with them is critical to creating content that lands and converts.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of this interview, click here.

Some products are new and cutting edge. They’re exciting and they make people rethink how they live or work. And then other products are … umbrellas. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with umbrellas, I just don’t find myself thinking about or buying them very often. And that’s one of the problems that Tyler Kupper says they are overcoming at Weatherman Umbrella. Tyler is the Chief Revenue and Partner at Weatherman, and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, he told me all about what it’s been like trying to disrupt an industry that hasn’t really  seen any innovation in 50 years. The conversation was really interesting, especially because Weatherman isn’t just thinking about making a product that protects people from the elements, Weatherman has big plans that involve data, apps, partnerships, custom features, and more. Weatherman is thinking long-term, and it’s already working out great because the company has inked major partnerships in the golf world with Arnold Palmer and the Ryder Cup, and has gotten its foot in the door at big box stores such as DICKS and Golf Galaxy. And Tyler says there’s just the beginning! So grab your rain boots and prepare for an epic episode.Main Takeaways:There’s An App For That: Products are designed to solve problems, but sometimes products come with extras that are unique or add value. Users need to be educated on those aspects of the product, and things like apps and experiences can help brands do that.Howdy, Partner: Niching down within certain pockets of an industry or customer base is one of the best ways to start to grow a company. By finding strategic partners that can give your brand legitimacy and put you in front of your target audience, you will be able to achieve much more growth than if you simply relied on a single digital ad channel.Can I Get A Sample?: There is very little a company can do that is more powerful than giving potential customers the opportunity to simply use your product. If it is high quality and meets a need, getting the chance to experience it for free and making that experience memorable — from the unboxing to the collateral included — is going to make that person receiving the sample much more likely to be a loyal customer. And this is true whether you are selling to an individual or chasing a PO from a big box store.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of the interview, click here. 

In 2021, you’d think that just about everything has been digitized at this point, right? Wrong. In the world of banking, there are still local banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions that have been slow to hop on the digital bandwagon. NCR is here to help not just them, but their customers as well by providing all the technology necessary to make banking, digital payment, and other transactions possible on mobile, online, or anywhere you want. But that’s not all. As with everything from ecommerce to marketing, banking is about to get more personalized thanks to data and automation. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Doug Brown, the President of NCR Digital Banking, explains it all and paints a picture of what banking will look like for the average consumer as well as businesses big and small. He also talks about how solutions can and should be implemented regardless of the business you’re in and who you should be asking to get a handle on what consumers actually need. And he dives into where and how crypto will evolve next. Enjoy this episode. Main Takeaways:Big or Small, Tech for All: Regardless of the size of a bank or financial institution, there is now technological capability to make them all function in the same way in the eyes of the customer. Every transaction can and should be available digitally, and the proliferation of tech like the cloud and edge computing has made that possible. This, by extension, allows for more flexibility and choice for people and businesses to choose the banks and financial institutions that work best for them.Make It Quick, Keep It Personal: Today, consumers want two things: simplicity and personalization. They want to transact, move money, or make payments in a matter of seconds or minutes, not days or weeks. And they also want to know that when they are loyal to one bank or service, that they will be rewarded with unique, personalized deals. Those are the expectations that banks — and all consumer-facing businesses — are currently facing.Not Even Close: Whether you run a bank or a retail store or an ecommerce shop, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is assuming you know what a customer wants or trying to bring in solutions based on nothing but trends and what’s flashy or new. More often than not, what you think is an issue is miles off from what the consumer is actually challenged with, and if you just ask them or test out a few things, you’d be able to find that out.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---For a full transcript of the interview, click here. 

Everything you put out as a brand should be interesting, it should be relevant to your consumer, and you and your employees should be proud of the final product. So why then are so many brands finding that the people who work so hard on and actually create the marketing materials aren’t sharing the end result? Max Summit is a marketing consultant who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world — Adidas, Lululemon, Athleta, the list goes on — and regardless of the brand, whether they sell online or in brick and mortar, Max knows that true connection with customers start with the connection to the internal employees. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Max discusses all the ways that brands should be doing internal pulse checks and reinventing their mission in order to make their marketing materials hit home with consumers. Plus, she explains how brands should be thinking about ways to become resources for customers beyond just being a provider of goods and services, and she gives examples from her days at Lululemon that any company can learn from and where VR and AR can come into play. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Who’s Sharing What?: To gauge the health and success of your company’s creative, doing an internal pulse check is necessary. Are employees sharing the work they have produced? Are they proud and willingly talking and posting about the latest project they are working on? Do a post-mortem to gauge how a project went, what aspects were wins and where things could have gone better and allow everyone to share freely and openly how they really feel.Who Knows What?: The boots on the ground at retail stores are often the people with the most knowledge of the consumers and what they want. Brands need to create a more connected communication structure that allows everyone in retail to interact with HQ and the ecommerce team to paint the most holistic view of the customer and then create products and marketing content for them.Who’s Engaging with What?: One of the biggest struggles brands face is getting consumers to engage both initially, and long-term. So brands have to hook a consumer quickly, and keep bringing them back with an interesting, exciting, and valuable experience. Virtual and augmented reality experiences are a recent way that brands have been solving this problem, and the creativity and utility that VR and AR offers sets the table for it to be a major way that brands and consumers interact for years to come.  For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

One of the stats NBCUniversal likes to promote is that in any four weeks, NBCU content reaches 95% of homes in the U.S. It’s also the reason that in recent years, NBCU has started to focus more on creating shoppable content across all platforms to really take advantage of the audience it has at its disposal.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I talked to Evan Moore, the Vice President of Commerce Partnerships at NBCUniversal, who explained all the ways that NBCU is connecting viewers with shopping experiences. And he told us how brands work with the company to target and attribute conversions on content of any kind. Whether consumers are reading a blog or streaming their favorite Bravo reality show, Evan says they are able to capture that already-engaged audience and bring a seamless interactive shopping experience straight to them. He also touches on what he sees as the future of shopping on connected devices, and how it isn’t just shopping, but is the future of entertainment. Plus, are you a brand thinking “how can I get on tv? I want to be part of this shoppable experience! Well tune in to hear how you can play in this world, no matter your company size. Main Takeaways:The Year of the QR Code: Real-world experience with QR codes have exploded mostly thanks to the pandemic and the need for touchless experiences. As more people have experienced QR codes in different places, it has made them primed to be ready to do the same thing with their media, such as with shoppable TV.Bring The Party Too Them: When you have an audience already at your fingertips, it doesn’t make sense to try to direct them somewhere else to make a purchase. Bring the shopping experience straight to them where they are already engaging with your content, whether that’s on a social post, a blog, a TV stream, or on their mobile phone while they’re streaming.Are You Not Entertained?: Consumers don’t mind being sold to as long as they are entertained along the way. When brands and media companies come together to create shoppable content, the goal should be to create stories that are authentic and entertaining, not to just put products in front of consumers and tell them to buy now.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce 

With any new product, building brand awareness is key. But when your new product is something the world has never seen before, well, you need to do more than just make people aware, you have to educate them, too. As a DTC company, you might have a direct line to your consumers, but you still need to be able to show and teach them as much as possible, and then be there around the clock to answer their questions and hold their hand through the process. It sounds like a lot of work, but when the product is changing the game completely, you have to be ready to get your hands dirty. And that’s just what Matt Wall and I chat about today, who is the co-founder of Principle Faucets. Principle Faucets is a DTC brand that has created the first fully-integrated foot pedal system which not only saves water, but is more hygienic and improves faucet functionality. Matt dove into how he and his co-founders brought their foot-pedal faucet to the market, the amount of time it took to test and tweak to make it fit consumers needs, and then he goes into the process of what’s it’s been like to actually get it in front of people — a task made much harder when the pandemic caused them to shut down their mobile display unit. Here’s a sneak peak on what Wall had to say: it takes finding the right niche within the industry and then hyper-targeting your search and marketing terms toward that audience to be successful. Plus, Matt tells us how to market the environmental benefits of something like the Principle Faucet across all different geographies,who are experiencing various degrees of climate change. Enjoy this episode and use the code UPNEXT20 for 20% off on your order at Principle Faucets!Main Takeaways:What’s Your Niche?: It’s easy to get lost in the deep sea of products that come up when they search a random keyword. You might see people finding your product or website, but the conversions won’t be what you want. By dialing in on keywords and long-tail search phrases, you can more easily target the people who are actually looking to buy your product and then get them to convert.Never Before Seen: When you think you have built a better mousetrap, you still need to do market research to see if consumers want what you have to offer. Bringing a brand new company into the world with a brand new product no one has ever seen before is a risk, and you have to do your research before you take the bet to go into a market with a product no one actually wants or needs.Ease Them In: If your product requires consumer education or a change in behavior, it’s wise to build in some tie back to what they are already familiar with. Asking a customer to do something completely new is scary, and will turn people off. It’s better to give them a way to do a gradual implementation into their daily lives.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

If you break down the supply chain in its simplest form, basically what you have is brands procuring products and then delivering them to customers where and when they need them. Sounds easy, right? But if you’ve listened to this show long enough, you know that’s not the case. We’ve heard countless guests tell us just how much the supply chain impacts their business, and they’ve described a number of challenges they have encountered thanks to supply chain disruptions. One thing they all had in common — they had no answers to the problems they were facing.That changes now. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I was so excited to finally get some insight on the supply chain from a couple of guys from Blue Yonder, Omar Akilah, GVP of Product in the commerce suite, and Eugene Amigud, GVP of Product Management and Architecture. Blue Yonder is an end-to-end supply chain platform that enables companies to tackle all the problems in the supply chain, and little side note, it’s currently on track to be acquired by Panasonic for a measly $7.1B. From planning to execution, to transportation management, to commerce, to promising a customer when they're going to get it and making sure that you fulfill those promises, these are just some of the things Eugene and Omar have insider knowledge of. They dug into all of those topics and more and they shared how they help brands solve issues at all stages of the supply and fulfillment process. Regardless of the issues at hand, Eugene and Omar have heard, seen, and solved for it all. They also see the trends evolving in real time, including how important same-day or next-day delivery will be in various verticals, how and where A.I. and ML are being implemented, and what kind of difference edge technology and data will have on the entire buying and shipping experience. Eugene and Omar explain it all in this awesome roundtable episode, enjoy!Main Takeaways:Stitched Together: The supply chain is made up of specific pillars that can be optimized in specific ways. The way to level up and personalize the supply chain experience for brands is to stitch together the pillars and tools to make each pillar more valuable. For example, using machine learning to help do more accurate real-time inventory and then incentivizing purchase through automated couponing will lead to more sales, and also more data to further input into an ML algorithm to keep making the system better.Knowing the Needs: Supply chain optimization is all about understanding the unique needs of a company or an industry. For medicine and pharmaceuticals, speed of delivery is critical — people need their medicine now. For grocery, being able to schedule your food to arrive on the days you need it for the meals you’re cooking is most important. Once you identify what the major need is, solving for that becomes a bit easier.Gaining an Edge: The use of edge technology and data, combined with other execution tools like sensors, A.I. and ML, can change the shopping experience for customers and the supply chain experience for businesses. By bringing everything to the edge and utilizing new technology, real-time freshness and weather and harvest data can be used by businesses to update their inventory or upcoming orders and to inform customers of critical product information.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---

What’s hot today might be out of the zeitgeist tomorrow. Are people still doing goat yoga? Are skinny jeans really the new mom jeans? There are so many trends to keep track of and so many “next big things,” it’s impossible to know what’s real and what’s just a passing fad. For a business, it’s important to understand the distinction, and it’s even more important to have products that will thrive regardless of the different cycles your industry will run through. Lopa van der Mersch says she has that kind of product with her company, Rasa, which makes a coffee alternative with adaptogen blends. Lopa has a fascinating story, including inadvertently entering into a cult, navigating tricky co-founder relationships, and building up a business to more than $2M in revenue all from her garage.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Lopa explains why she believes that her product will be a game-changer regardless of societal trends, and she breaks down how to spot something phony or bad for you, whether it’s in a product or even in a partner or personal relationship. Enjoy this episode! Main Takeaways:Finding the Right Match: When partnering with a co-founder, especially one who is a close friend, some things you should consider are their skills and their ability to resolve conflicts. Ask yourself would you hire this person to do this job if they were not your friend? And think back to how you have handled conflicts with each other in the past. If you are comfortable with the answers to those questions, you can feel more confident in that person as a partner.Culture Shock: Growth in any industry is related to what is happening in common culture. When something is trending, a corresponding industry will rise. Today’s society is focused on health and wellness more than in the past, so companies that deal with products in that space are on the rise. But to stay solvent even when the trends change, companies need to ensure that they have products that are worth something and add to a person’s life regardless of whether it’s trendy or not.Let It Come, But Also Go After It: Striking the right balance between organic growth and focusing energy and money into specific channels is difficult. The key is to make sure that you are diversifying your efforts wherever you choose to try to gain attention. Play with the levers of what’s working in one area, but continue to invest elsewhere so that when one thing begins to fail, you have other options. For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Most people probably know Cuisinart because of the company’s kitchen appliances like the food processor, air fryer, or coffee maker. Cuisinart’s products are everywhere — in kitchens around the world, in retail stores, and yes, online. In the last year or so, Cuisinart has put a much greater emphasis on the DTC part of the business -- walking the tightrope of being there for retail partners, while still making sure that there is enough inventory to meet the demand coming from online. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Mary Rodgers, the Director of Marketing Communications for Cuisinart, explains the steps the company took to make the pivot to DTC without leaving retail partners in the lurch. Mary also talked about how the marketing and online pushes for products went from being planned out months in advance to changing from one day to the next. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:From Months To Weeks To Days: Sometimes, the world moves so fast that planning in months-long cycles places you at a disadvantage. When demand, retailer needs, and inventory is shifting at a rapid pace, you need to come up with a plan that allows you to stay ahead of the curve, even if that means changing strategies from one day to the next.Eyes On Your Own Paper: Some brands will look to their competitors to see what influencers they are working with or how they are running their campaigns, and then they will try to copy that approach. While this is tactical, it is not strategic because you are placing blind trust in another brand’s team and vision without even knowing if what they did paid off. You have to do your own homework and think about your customers’ needs and build a strategy around that rather than just trying to keep up with the Joneses.More Than Just A Product: Brands have to think beyond the products they sell and understand how the customers will be using those products. Often, especially in housewares, consumers will be using one product in concert with another or as part of a recipe. By understanding the life of the consumer beyond purchase and coming up with content to connect with consumers after the fact, brands can create a more fruitful and loyal relationship with their customers.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

If it’s free, it’s for me — that’s one of my mottos. And that’s why I love free samples. But free samples are universally adored, and in recent years the customers getting the goods aren’t the only ones who are benefiting. Ecommerce companies and retailers alike are using samples as a way to raise awareness, convert more sales, and drive traffic to a product or webpage, and it’s working. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, guest host Albert Chow talked to Doug Guyer, the Co-founder and Director of Strategic Development at Brandshare, the company that brings many of those free samples to your door. Doug explains that sampling is a tool that any brand can take advantage of, and if they do, they could see 97% of people who get the sample try it out, and 32% of those folks actually convert into buyers. It’s a massive opportunity, but Doug also says that most brands out there don’t know that this is possible. How has Doug and the team gotten the word out — including the story of how they landed their very first campaign with Tylenol — and what should brands be thinking about when they engage in the sampling strategy? Find out on this episode!Main Takeaways:It’s Worth A Try: Very few marketing tactics are as effective as free samples. Reports from Brandshare indicate that well-run sampling campaigns see 97% try rates and as high as 32% conversion rates. Consumers are more willing to try something that is of no cost to them, and brands will be rewarded with both awareness and increased sales by making a relatively small investment in samples.Building Trust: When a brand gives a free sample, or includes a related free sample from another brand in a customer’s order, the original brand is seen as going above and beyond. Customers view the sample as a sort of curated experience that was sent just for them, and it creates more brand loyalty.Not a Cureall: While sampling is effective, it can’t solve all of a brand’s problems. A struggling company or a business that simply doesn’t have a good product will be negatively impacted by free sampling.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Creating an influencer or affiliate program is a huge headache for most brands. Vetting the people you let in, assigning them links and promotions, keeping an eye on their posts. And then what about tracking performance and understanding conversions? Sounds like a nightmare But it doesn’t have to be. Shibo Xu is the Co-Founder and COO of Refersion, which was built on the idea that you could completely flip that process on its head. Instead of the burden falling on the brands, influencers have to prove their worth. And rather than getting lost in vanity metrics or other out-of-date KPIs, place value only in a select few areas. These ideas helped launch Refersion to success and helped the brands that work with Refersion, like Puravida, Impossible, and 19,000 others remove some of the challenges of influencer marketing that have plagued them for years.Shibo talks about all of that on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, which was guest-hosted by Albert Chou!Main Takeaways:What’s My Motivation: Despite what you might think, cash is not always the biggest motivator for influencers. Some are driven by a desire to be closer to a brand, to explore new products or to get products for free.And Your Total Is…: Total order value, total revenue and total conversions driven are the main metrics that will help you determine how influencers stack up against each other. When you accurately measure those three KPIs, you get a fuller picture of how an influencer is working, and whether or not they are worth continued investment.It’s On You: Rather than vetting influencers before letting them into your affiliate network, Refersion’s strategy is to let anyone in who fills out the form, and then make them prove their worth through their performance. By putting the burden on the self-appointed influencer, brands can focus only on reviewing results and turning affiliate codes on and off based on that.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

If you look on Twitter or do a quick Google search, you’ll find a ton of chatter about the foolproof DTC playbook. Everyone has ideas about the surefire ways that young DTC brands should be setting themselves up for success. Alex Kubo is here to tell you that those playbooks aren’t as written in stone as you might think. Alex is the VP of ecommerce and digital marketing at Burrow, a DTC furniture brand, and on this episode of Up Next in Commerce, he explained how and why the Burrow team threw out the playbook when certain aspects of it fell flat. For example, Alex talks about the lessons they learned about the signals that pricing sends, and why it’s critical to put the right price on your product to attract the right customer even if that means pricing higher than the playbook says. Alex also dives into what it means to actually be customer centric and how Burrow stays in constant communication with customers. Plus, we discuss why marketing toward buying events or using a spray and pray strategy across a dozen channels is about as useful as setting your money on fire. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Sending The Right Signals: How you price your product or service is one of the most significant ways you signal to customers who you are as a brand and what value you bring. If you price too low, you risk being lumped in with brands that don’t necessarily fit with the type of products or value you bring to the table.More Than Words: Saying you are customer-centric and actually being customer-centric are two very different things. To be truly customer-centric requires regularly talking to and learning from your customers and then building experiences and products based on those conversations. You can’t just assume you know what customers want, you have to do the work to find out.A Horse of a Different Color: There are best practices and guidelines that many companies follow to get themselves off the ground. Sometimes those playbooks work, but in other cases, you have to toss out what everyone says is the right strategy and go in a new direction. Whether that’s in your social strategy, your pricing, or how you’re getting feedback from customers, don’t be afraid to buck tradition and do something different.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---

In-store sales. Ordering for delivery. Buy online, pick-up in store. With so many buying options accessible to consumers, companies are now facing many different kinds of orders to manage and get right. In the restaurant industry specifically, there has been a huge upswing in the number of people ordering online, especially through apps such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Doordash. And that’s nothing compared to the number of point of sale systems that are being used. Moving orders from an app or online system into a physical point of sale is a process that’s prone to human error, but for so long that’s been the only way to do it. Zhong Xu and Deliverect want to change that. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Zhong explains how an integrated, cloud-based platform is taking the pain out of managing multiple ordering and POS systems. Plus he discusses how the real world and virtual world will start to blend together more and more as brands invest in digital-focused capabilities. Enjoy this episode.    Main Takeaways:404 Error No More: There are thousands of point of sale systems and all of them require humans to re-enter online orders perfectly into them before they can be made and delivered. This leads to errors and dissatisfied customers. Integrating the POS and ecommerce systems is one of the most effective ways to reduce those errors.The Real And Virtual World: As restaurants reopen dine-in services post pandemic, they are still keeping an eye on the ecommerce space. The rise of the digital consumer has made it so that restaurants are now looking to create virtual brands with specific functions and offerings for their virtual audience. And sometimes that means creating or investing in a physical space that is only used to fulfill online orders.Addition Without Subtraction: Even though there has been an uptick in delivery and curbside pick-up orders, restaurants are still seeing strong in-store dining numbers. This means that restaurants can invest in delivery and ecommerce tools to improve the customer experience without worrying that doing so will cannibalize in-house dining.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Business owners, operators, marketers, really anyone who works at any company is always aiming to do one thing: sell products. So when Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni, the co-founders of Truff, say their strategy isn’t solely focused around this, it makes you sit up and listen. At least, that’s what I did when I heard what they had to say. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, the two Nicks explained how they built their truffle-infused sauce brand by reverse engineering products specifically to live and resonate on social media, and then why they decided to lean into creating epic content without attaching CTAs. It’s an interesting idea, and one that has worked pretty well for them, actually. After all, Truff is the No. 1 hot sauce brand on Amazon and was included on Oprah’s favorite things list two years in a row. So how is Truff creating content that brings people in without being transactional, and what platforms are the Nicks most excited about in the future? Tune in to find out!Main Takeaways:The CTAs are MIA: Social media should be viewed as a friend-to-friend communication platform and a place to build relationships, not just a space to add a discount code to a post or a picture and try to get people to click. By taking the transactional messaging away from social content, you become a brand that seems more like a friend putting out content you actually want to see, rather than an ad people scroll past.It’s Never Too Late: On a platform like Tik Tok, it is never a bad time to join. Because the platform rewards the content as opposed to the number of followers an account has, all you have to do is create one piece of content that hits just right to find success and go from nothing to selling out your products in seconds. But you have to be willing to experiment and try everything to find the right kind of content that will resonate.Don’t Rush Into Retail: In many cases, the best route for new brands is to start small and establish yourself and your consumer base before trying to move into the retail market. In retail, there are numerous costs, fees, and sales expectations that all create a burden on the brand, not the retailer, so before committing to a retail path, ensure that you have a strong digital foundation you can build off of and then create an omnichannel experience from there that includes but is not dependent on retail.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

From starting a hedge fund to owning the DTC beauty market in China is a career path you don’t hear too often. But that’s the winding road that Julian Reis has traveled and along the way he’s picked up some critical intel about the ecommerce world and Chinese trends that he shared with me on this episode of Up Next in Commerce.There are a bevy of factors to take into account when entering the Chinese market. From the vast differences in the way consumers shop in China to the sheer volume of consumers that can make a huge boom in sales in a matter of moments, there is a lot to contend with. And how does a brand even get in front of a consumer without traditional ads or email marketing? And what about social media? Or regulations? Julian explains how to take all that information into account and build an ecommerce strategy that lets you win abroad. Plus, he dives into how his company, SuperOrdinary is working with top skincare brands to enter the Chinese market, and some of the experiences that can be expected when embarking on this new path. What a fascinating discussion that was so different than any interviews I have had so far, enjoy!Main Takeaways:It’s All Chinese To Me: Brands might want to expand to the Chinese market and believe that there is a huge opportunity there, but rushing into the market without doing the proper research could be a huge mistake. Despite the fact that a lot of information is censored in Chinese, consumers there still find ways to access the content that is important to them. Brands need to get more social awareness, learn about what Chinese consumers are interested in and let their actions reveal whether or not you have a product-market fit before trying to make a splash in that market.Platforms vs. Pages: There has been a bifurcation of ecommerce between platforms and webpages. The debate about where to invest more is coming down to how you see your customers acting. SuperOrdinary’s theory of the case is that platforms are the way of the future because at the end of the day, customers spend more time on Amazon and Tmall than on a company’s website. Therefore, more focus should be on creating content that drives engagement on those platforms.Boom and Bust: In China, the volume of consumers is so much higher and there is so much more emphasis on influencers and celebrities, that if something goes viral, a brand could do millions of sales in a matter of seconds. Being prepared for that kind of boom is very different from working in the U.S., where you prepare for steady growth over a longer period of time.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

The future of commerce is being built all around us, and while so much of the industry changes on a daily basis, there are still some fundamental truths that anchor brands and allow them to find success in the digital and retail worlds. On this roundtable episode of Up Next in Commerce, I got to dig into exactly what those foundational elements are with Mike Black, the CMO of Profitero, and Diana Haussling, the VP and General Manager of Digital Commerce at Colgate-Palmolive.This was such a great discussion that touched on so many different topics that brands big and small should be paying attention to. For example, what are the three key levers that influence ecommerce sales? How should you be developing KPIs that will actually mean something and lead to more profitability and growth? Why is omnichannel the way of the future and what channels should companies be investing in? Mike and Diana have the answers, which they have gathered through long and impressive histories in the ecommerce world — Mike worked at Staples and Nielsen, and Diana has held roles at places like Campbell’s, General Mills, and Hersheys. These two really know their stuff and they were so much fun to talk to. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!  Main Takeaways:Pulling the Right Levers: There are three basic levers that influence ecommerce sales: availability, findability, and conversion tactics. If you can’t ensure that you reliably have products to offer people, that those people have an easy way to find the products, and that they are given reasons to actually make a purchase, you won’t be able to grow or increase profits.You Reap What You Sow: Being a first-mover on any platform is one of the investments that has the highest potential payoffs. Companies that took Amazon and Instacart seriously from the get-go have created a huge advantage for themselves in the ecommerce space. By having a head start in one place, you also free yourself up to explore elsewhere while your competition tries to keep up in the first spot you’ve already dominated.You Want Them to Want You: As a brand, you have to firmly establish a value proposition to present to customers, especially when you are trying to extract information or gather data about them. Give customers concrete reasons to want to engage with your brand and earn their trust so that they are more likely to keep coming back. Then use the data they give you to provide even better experiences and products over and over.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

The best way to learn something is by doing, which is a lesson that Thomas Lotrecchiano’s father taught him early on. Thomas and his father started Omigo together in 2018 as an alternate route to Thomas going to school for an MBA, and in the years since, that lesson keeps cropping up. Omigo is a DTC bidet company, and like many industry disruptors, its biggest challenge is educating the consumer base and converting skeptics into loyal customers. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Thomas explains how they have done exactly that by blending humor and educational content, building an infrastructure that allows them to ride the changing tides of demand, and by betting big on TV moving forward. Plus, Thomas shares some of the lessons he has learned from his father, who is an ecommerce gamechanger in his own right, having grown a small online business from a modest five employees to 250 in the early days of the industry.. Enjoy this episode! Main Takeaways:How Long Will It Take?: Getting consumers to adopt a new product, especially an intimate one, requires a great deal of education, patience, and listening. Just because your product works flawlessly and it has certain innate benefits doesn’t mean that it will immediately be a hit. You have to invest in educating the consumer base and then listening to and incorporating their feedback into your products and messaging.Don’t Overlook the Obvious: It’s easy to fall in love with your product and spend time and money selling its unique features, but what actually makes people convert is if you can show them how to use it, how to install it, and lastly the value that can be derived from it. Those are the conversion areas that you should be laser-focused on, and highlighting any of the superfluous features can come later.Basic Building Blocks: There are three fundamental elements that DTC businesses need to start with before getting their company off the ground. They are: customer service, fulfillment, and a functioning, lead-generating website that has the ability to scale. Without these building blocks, your company is not ready to scale.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

The stores of the future are being built today, and according to David Wilkinson, President & General Manager of NCR Retail, they will not be the types of stores that currently come to mind. We are living in a time that blurs the lines between digital and physical, and retailers are working with NCR to make every experience as seamless as possible. David explains how on this episode of Up Next in Commerce. He tells us how personalized shopping will be brought to the forefront through first-party branded apps that customize the shopping experience for you. And he details how retailers in all industries can start breaking free of the traditional shackles of standard point of sale technology and store designs. Plus, David and I nerd out about how cryptocurrency will be entering the mainstream sooner rather than later, and how retailers can prepare for what that will mean for their payments systems. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Tech First, Differentiation Later: Retailers in every industry are trying to find ways to differentiate themselves and create memorable experiences for customers. But in order to ensure quality customer experiences, the basics of how your store functions need to be flawless. Focus first on optimizing all point-of-sale technology and other digital or tech offerings so that however the customer wants to transact, they can without friction. Then, when that is running smoothly, you can begin to focus on the peripheral experiences that separate your store or brand from the rest.Freeform Future: Anyone looking to create a store or business today has more freedom than ever before. They are no longer locked into the old ways of doing things. Traditional points of sale can be rethought. The design of a grocery store can be revamped to cater to more personalized experiences. Fast food restaurants can completely forgo inside dining. So many new options are on the table because in 2020, consumers proved to be willing to adapt to all kinds of new experiences.Going Beyond The Loyalty Program: The days of trading your phone number for a discount code are long gone. These days, if a consumer is giving over personal information, they want something substantial in return. Brands have a chance to create loyalty experiences that are personalized and incentivize activities outside of the store, such as on social media, to give their consumers a unique reason to sign up.Crypto Checkout: Cryptocurrency is more than just a buzzword — it’s likely to begin infiltrating daily life, particularly how people buy and sell goods. Majority of cryptocurrency holders would be willing to pay for their goods with their crypto, and retailers have to start figuring out now how to create systems that would make those transactions possible and secure.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

There are very few industries that are growing as fast as the cannabis industry, which saw about $20 billion in sales in 2020, and that number is expected to double in the next five years. With that much potential profit and opportunity available, getting into the cannabis game is something that a lot of folks are starting to jump into. But as with any other industry, there is more to it than just the product itself. Manufacturing, distribution, expansion and regulation all play a role.Liz Wald has experience in all of these areas, and she is putting them to use as the Chief Strategy and Digital Officer for Good Earth Organics. Liz has a long and impressive history in the digital world, having gotten her start at places like AOL, Etsy, and Indiegogo. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, she guides us through all of it, including the trials and tribulations of turning an ecommerce marketplace such as Etsy into an international player and what other companies can learn from that journey. Plus, she talks about building partnerships, expanding into new markets, and how all of that will happen in the cannabis space. Enjoy this episode. And as a special treat, from 6/23/21 - 7/7/21, enjoy 20% at checkout on Good Organics orders by entering the code UPNEXT20.Main Takeaways:International Interests: Companies, especially ecommerce companies, can sometimes think they are ready for international expansion before they actually are. In order to not get in over their heads, companies or marketplaces that want to expand internationally should start with countries similar to the one they already operate in — they speak the same language, use similar payment methods, and have common standards and practices. Once expansion there is successful, they can continue to seek other opportunities abroad.Partner Up: Sometimes the best way to reach potential customers in a new market is to partner with companies that already have those customers’ business. In the case of Good Organics, reaching new customers in Oklahoma or New York means forging partnerships with distributors of other goods and services that target customers need, and bringing the conversation into that space rather than trying to reach them elsewhere.Work Smarter, Not Harder: There is nothing wrong with riding the coattails of a big industry boom. If you can position yourself as ancillary or as an offshoot to the main product or goods that people are rushing to purchase, then you have just as good of an opportunity to be successful, and you don’t have to compete with the big guys who are dominating the game in the main space.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

When Steph So joined the team at Shake Shack in 2019, she was excited for the opportunity to grow the digital side of the famous burger company. She had set high ambitions, hoping to grow their digital channels between 25 and 50%. So when COVID hit, and all of a sudden digital grew by 400%, you’d think that Steph would feel like she bit off more of that burger than she could chew.Not so fast, because as Steph says, digital can scale, and much like you can uplevel your combo from a medium to a large, Shake Shack was able to handle the higher traffic while at the same time coming up with new, innovative ways to make the customer experience on digital even better. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Steph explained how she and the team handled an influx of 1.8 million new customers within a year and how they created the most seamless digital experience possible. Steph says that the secret Shack sauce on top of the digital experience all comes down to choice. The success of the company depends on giving the customers everything they need to feel like they are getting the full Shake Shake experience however they want it, whether that’s in-store or online and nailing that omnichannel strategy is Steph’s holy grail. Hear how she’s nailing it right here! Enjoy.   Main Takeaways:Digital Scaling Is Not Your Problem: When a company starts to see an increase in digital traffic and sales, the immediate thought is how will the backend systems hold up? What you should also be paying attention to is how will your logistics and operations adapt? Supporting a retail location is different than supporting a delivery-based business, and all facets of the company need to be ready to meet the new demands, not just the digital team.When Two Worlds Collide: Brands are trying to figure out the best ways to bring in-store and personal experiences together with the digital journey. When your brand identity is around being a gathering place for people to come to, it is a challenge to shift that messaging and that experience to a digital platform. By creating digital options and building physical spaces that work in conjunction with the online platform, the two worlds can become complementary.Long-Term Option or Short-Term Trend: Things like pop-up shops and ghost kitchens might seem like all the rage and offer a quick, simple way to scale, but the question remains whether they will stick around long-term. Quality is often the reason first-time customers become repeat customers, so if brands aren’t investing in creating the highest-quality experience and product, they likely won’t be able to stay successful long-term.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

The relationship between a brand and an influencer is a two-way street. And even though that sounds obvious, even the most successful brands and influencers are struggling to see ROI from their content.Tessa Barton, AKA Tezza, has experiences on both sides of that spectrum. She is an influencer-turned-entrepreneur, whose company — also called Tezza — has seen its ups and downs in the five years she’s been working on it. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Tezza explains how she went from cold reach outs to Urban Outfitters to leveraging a following of more than a million people to building a company all on her own. She discusses how both brands and influencers should be thinking about putting their best foot — and content — forward and what kind of creative and distribution process has had the most success. Plus, she talks about the lessons she learned when she launched her very first product expecting immediate success and then being able to count her orders on one hand. She turned things around, though, and you’ll learn how she did that and more on this episode!Main Takeaways:Show Em What They’re Working With: In a world where everyone wants to be an influencer, brands need to know that whoever they invest in will be worth it. With brands being more scrupulous, the smart content creators and influencers are being more proactive and showing exactly what kind of content a company will get when it partners with them.Only One DM Away: Thanks to the myriad of platforms and channels companies operate in, there has never been a better time to get in touch with them on a one-to-one level. This connectedness is a mutually beneficial scenario because customers, potential partners and brands are all only one message away from forming a lasting relationship.Talk Their Ears Off: Even the biggest influencers in the world can’t just come out with a product and expect to sell out in the blink of an eye. Selling is a constant action, and whether you are a brand or an influencer, you need to constantly be putting your products in front of people, talking to potential buyers, gathering feedback and data, and pivoting as necessary. Then you have to do that all again.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Traditional retailers are facing different levels of competition from all these new ecommerce brands that have popped up recently, and are now being held to new customer expectations that many predicted wouldn’t occur for years. Because of the acceleration of digital platforms and online shopping over the last 18 months, brick and mortar stores are in a scramble to catch up or risk being  kicked to the curb. Helping retailers take charge of their digital transformation journey and get in on all of the online action is Sensormatic, which serves retailers with IoT technology to help them with things such as inventory intelligence and accuracy, gathering shopper insights, converting foot traffic, and more. Subramanian Kunchithapatham (KS) is the Vice President of Engineering at Sensormatic and he’s been up close and personal with the brands as they implement the new technology that will allow them to compete in a digital world. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, KS tells us what he’s been seeing in the world of retail and how he anticipates the industry changing in the coming months and years. For example, he gives us the scoop on how Sensormatic partnered with Intel to turn already-installed store cameras into an A.I.-powered Smart Hub — basically an intelligent store that can provide insights into occupancy, foot traffic, track inventory, and even provide a personalized experience for customers if they have opted in. Hear all about that solution and others on this episode!Main Takeaways:So Trendy: Retailers have a number of new trends to keep up with if they want to compete with ecommerce. Thanks to the rise of online shopping, consumers are experimenting with and discovering new brands more than ever before, which means the customer loyalty traditional retailers have enjoyed is crumbling. Additionally, when consumers do show in-store, they want to do more than just shop, they want an experience. Retailers have to adapt to meet these new expectations by offering new omnichannel and cross-platform shopping experiences to meet customers where they are.Train, Train, Train: To digitally transform any organization means that there has to be an investment of not just money, but time. Employees need to be trained on new technology and strategies for using the data you gather, and the A.I. or machine learning systems you put in place also need time to be trained on the types of data and information they should be gathering and presenting to create the most value.A Future Full of Livestreams: Recently, retailers have been experimenting with the concept of livestream shopping — a brand will livestream an event and promote items, and those watching the livestream can buy the items right from that screen. This type of interactive and streaming shopping experience is going to become more popular as technology continues to advance and as the younger generation pushes that expectation forward.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

That first online sale plus the first time a retailer agrees to carry your product are always exciting. But when you can’t meet the demand of your online customer base or your design process is slowed and shipments are delayed, that’s when the headaches come twofold. But when your mission, and your product, is something you truly believe in and think can leave a lasting impact, you take all the good with the bad and keep on pushing forward. For Stojo, a company that produces collapsible, leak-proof cups and containers, there have been wins and losses of every kind, and CEO Jurrien Swarts has been riding the waves as his company tries to get a piece of a $22 billion industry. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Jurrien takes us through what it has been like to design, launch, and distribute Stojo’s game-changing product. Plus, he guides us through how difficult it is to scale and market a business, and what it takes to make hard choices like laying off and rebuilding a staff. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Digging the Design: When it comes to delivering a product out to the market, it has to work in a number of different ways. The internal team needs to be invested in the design and believe in that product, but you also have to be willing and able to take outside feedback from customers in order to iterate and expand. Find stakeholders who can contribute in meaningful ways and trust them to keep making the product better.Punch Above Your Weight: Sometimes you have to get scrappy and find ways to compete without the help of big budgets or a ton of staff. In these instances, there are avenues to explore that offer high returns for very little investment as long as you can find the right partners. Influencer marketing is one of those areas and, when small companies make the right connections, they can compete at or above the level of any big brand.Sharing is Caring: In the past, it was uncommon and even frowned upon to share information, best practices, financials, or anything else that could be seen as a competitive advantage. The younger generations, though, value transparency and many DTOC and DTC brands that are run by millennials and Gen Z are embracing the idea of information sharing in order to help themselves become more data-driven.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

It’s not easy to keep a digital audience engaged. And it’s especially hard when the product you’re trying to engage them with is … produce. And yet, Avocados From Mexico has set a gold standard for what it means to build a funnel and engage an online audience and it has somehow found the secret recipe for success (and also guacamole).On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I was excited to talk to Ivonne Kinser, the Head of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce for Avocados From Mexico, and learn her many tales about how the company has used out-of-the-box ideas to take something that rarely gets marketing love — produce — and turn it into must-engage-with content. She took us behind the scenes of creating one of the top digital campaigns for multiple Super Bowls, and she dove into what the future of digital marketing looks like, including why Avocados From Mexico has been ahead of the trends when it comes to things like NFTs and blockchain. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Impressions Matter: Impressions are a metric that often is hard to really judge the importance of. But when you can correlate impressions to search activity, it becomes clear that building an awareness of the brand through impressions and exposure can drive conversations on social media. This in turn leads to more Google searches and native activity on a brand’s page.Eternal Iteration: You have to iterate constantly in order to adapt to changing consumer behavior. Constantly changing your platform is not a signal that your platform is failing or wrong, in fact it’s a sign that you are staying on the cutting edge and trying to meet consumer expectations at every turn.The Powers That Be: When setting a path for the future, it’s important to differentiate between trends and fads that will come and go and the forces that will actually drive companies and consumers toward a new way of operating long-term. For example, rather than get caught up in the hot new social network or gaming platform, think about investing in the technology that powers that network (A.I., ML, 5G, AR/VR, etc).For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

The online buying experience is always evolving, so it’s table stakes for companies to be on their toes and ready to adjust when the market tells them to. Especially when the company we are chatting about today was founded in 1948! But being prepared to adjust and actually making it happen are two different things. At DICK’S Sporting Goods, its customers, who are referred to as “athletes” are truly running the show, and Scott Casciato, who serves as the VP of Omni Channel Fulfillment & Athlete Service at DICK'S, is the man who takes their needs and delivers a seamless experience to them via DICK’S ecommerce platform and throughout their 700 retail locations. And with their ecommerce sales increasing by 100% in 2020, Scott and his team have had to rethink many things like: how to scale up operations during peak seasons, why testing every iteration on the website is key, how to perfect the buy online pick up in-store experience, and determine how to take their athlete's feedback and transform it into a funnel for change. This episode brought back a lot of nostalgia for me, thinking about the days of wandering the aisles of Dick’s in my high school days looking for a new lacrosse stick or soccer shoes. So it was fun to hear about how much has changed, and  what investments the company has been making lately in creating the best customer experience possible for its athletes. Also, tune in to the end to hear Scott discuss the importance of great vendor relationships, how to future proof logistics, and the new in-store experiences that Dick’s is betting big on. Enjoy! Main Takeaways:The House Don’t Fall When the Bones are Good: Having a strong foundation is the most impactful thing a company can do to prepare for surges in traffic that might come during peak seasons or after highly-successful campaigns. You have to do the work, go through the load tests and constantly be improving the technology stack because there are no shortcuts when you are creating a scalable platform that can withstand anything you throw at it. With last year being a perfect case study to reflect on, dive into the data and pivot if needed so you’re ready for the surge!Bet On It … Then Test It: Building out an online experience that works requires constant testing. You can plan for outcomes and bet on how you think people will react, but until you test it, you can’t ever be certain. As Scott mentioned, following the path the data reveals can be surprising and sometimes opposite of what your intuition is telling you.Experiences For The Future: The shopping experience is going to continue to change, and the strongest companies are planning for the future by paying attention to trends and then creating experiences — both in-person and online — that will drive engagement with consumers and build trust and confidence in the company’s authority in the space. By investing early into an experience or a specific market, you set yourself up as the expert in that specialized vertical and become the retailer of choice for consumers.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

It seems like selling a product that is designed to make you feel good should be a cake walk. But as we all know, business is never easy, especially when you’re breaking into the supplement and nutritional bar space, which is overcrowded with industry giants such as Clif bars and KIND. So what’s an upstart company with a solid product and good intentions to do?On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, we found out when we talked to Chris Bernard, the co-founder, CEO and Chief Mood Officer for Mindright, the good mood superfood. As it turns out, there are a few ways that a small new company can make a splash, especially in the digital space. Chris explains how organic reach outs and authentic connections formed through his partnership with Rob Dyrdek has helped Mindright create an influencer and ambassador community that wins against influencer fatigue. Plus Chris, he digs into why a content strategy that blends humor and education is what gets the attention of the digital audience. Enjoy this episode.Main Takeaways:Be Serious… But Have A Laugh: Fun and funny content is a great way to build a relationship with consumers and to sell the lifestyle that you want your brand to be about. But you also have to balance real education and sales tactics into your content along with the comedic elements so that customers can get the full picture of what a brand is, why they should buy it, and to convince them to complete the purchase.Can I Get A Sample?: Free samples used to be a staple at grocery stores and markets everywhere, and those samples were a key way that new companies created buy-in with potential customers. Now that the industry has shifted away from that model, finding a new way to hyper-target customers with influencers, deals, and content is the best way to bring customers into the fold.Influencer Fatigue: Consumers are wise to the influencer strategy these days, and their fatigue is real when it comes to consuming influencer content. In order for brands to fight that fatigue and win engagement, building buzz around future products rather than current offerings is one of the best ways to do it.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Repeat customers are the heart and soul of just about every business. But when your product is something that you purchase maybe two or three times throughout your life, how do you create a repeat experience that will sustain your company long-term? That was one of the questions that Chip Malt had to answer when he co-founded Made In Cookware, a digitally-native kitchenware company that launched in September 2017 and is disrupting this $17B cookware industry.And the solution he came up with was a good one: produce the highest quality products possible, have a deep understanding of the industry you’re entering into, deliver an all-around experience that goes beyond those products, then keep scaling to bring more must-haves to market.This episode was such a fun one because we dove into the history of the cookware industry, long term partnerships they’ve set up in France (their knives are made from the great-great-great-granddaughter of a French knife maker who invented the modern chef knife in the middle of Central France), secret recipes for their cookware ingredients, the best cooking tip he ever learned, and more. Enjoy this episode.Main Takeaways:Make It Memorable: Customers today are looking for experiences. In order to secure a sale or differentiate your brand, bringing a next-level experience to the table is a proven tactic. Partner with the people you are connected to in your industry — influencers, celebrities, etc. — who are fans of your brand and create something special for potential customers.A Living Legacy: Connections are made constantly in personal and professional life. Smart business owners use those connections to their advantage. When you can tap into a reservoir of friends, friends of friends, family connections or business relationships of the past who can speak on your behalf or join you in a new venture, you immediately start to create a sense of legitimacy that can spread more easily to those you have yet to connect with.First Time, Best Time: There are many examples of brands that have launched products quickly because they thought it was better to get a product to market than wait for perfection. But the opposite approach is also worth consideration. Rushing a product to market that isn’t up to your brand standards might be what dooms you with new customers who find you for the first time through this subpar product and then judge the entire brand based solely on that experience.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Taking a company from $1 million to $100 million is no easy feat — especially when you have competition and copy cats coming at you from all angles. But Peak Design has fought off all those knock-offs — including a pretty blatant rip-off from AmazonBasics — and it has done it with humor and panache, which has only endeared the company more to its loyal customer base. Those customers are what took Peak Design from a simple camera utility bag company and turned it into a popular everyday bag and accessories outfitter for photography enthusiasts. Peak Design leaned into the idea of having a close relationship with its customers from the very beginning, by letting their customers have a say in their product line by way of crowdfunding and Kickstarter campaigns. And that, according to Elish Patel, the VP of Growth and Digital at Peak Design, has made all the difference. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Elish explains how building that loyal customer base has helped the company stave off the blatant and more subtle competitors. And Elish talks about how Peak Design is using unique marketing and content strategies to take people from browsing to buying. Enjoy this episode! Main Takeaways:It Speaks For Itself: Although Peak Design went toe-to-toe with Amazon after it knocked off a Peak Design product, more often than not, Peak Design lets its products speak for themselves against the competition. If your products are truly superior in quality and the value they offer, consumers will recognize that and make the investment. And when they buy the better product and see its superiority, they become more loyal to that brand long-term.Products Over People?: Hiring good talent is important, but you don’t want to prioritize growing your headcount over maintaining a laser focus on creating a good product. When you scale up your headcount, it’s easy to be distracted by the new focus on managing a large team and therefore your product design and development process can suffer. By relying on third parties and vendors or partners to do work you could otherwise hire internally, you are left with a core team who can focus on the part of your business that is truly important.More Than An Impression: With your marketing and content, the goal should be to achieve more than an impression or a like. Especially with a smaller or niche brand, being a part of the conversation your consumers are having on places like Reddit and TikTok is worth more than getting an influencer to post a picture with one of your products.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Within the last five years, outdoor gear company Sherper’s has gone from less than one percent of its business revenue coming from ecommerce to now having a 50/50 split between in-store and online. And for this fourth-generation family business, that move to online has been both challenging and rewarding.As an old-school mom and pop business, Sherper’s has always prided itself on building personal relationships with customers and providing a level of customer service you won’t find with the big guys or digitally-native companies. So finding a way to create a digital experience that allowed Sherper’s to scale its operation yet maintain a personal touch was a top priority for the company. Leading the way in that journey is Nathan Scherper, the President of Sherper’s, who has come a long way from those days of scrubbing toilets for the family business when he was just 12 years old.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Nathan takes us behind the scenes of how Sherper’s built out its ecommerce platform, what its competitive edge is over the Amazons and Walmarts of the world, and how the Sherper’s online platform performed when the pandemic forced more people than ever before online and in search of outdoor goods to cure their cabin fever. Plus, Nathan provides some insights into what it takes to keep a family business running for multiple generations, and why hiring talent is less about skills and more about personality. Enjoy this episode!    Main Takeaways:Hire The Person, Not The Resume: Personality matters and should be a driving force in your hiring process. Most people can be trained to do a job, so the key thing you have to do is identify the person you want to hire and understand their current skill set. Then, gauge what they are willing and able to do for the company and train them to do what makes sense.Compete Where You Can Win: It’s tempting to go all-in on paid advertising to try to compete with the big guys. But if you’re a smaller company or start-up, there’s no way that your budgets will be able to match those of the giants. Your investment is better spent elsewhere, like finding a niche influencer who can form an actual connection with your customers. So find where you get the most bang for your buck.Pent Up Demand: Many people believe that as the world opens back up, the desire to get out and shop is going to lead to a boom for retail, particularly small businesses. Customers have learned that they can buy necessities from the big guys online, so the weekend outings are more likely to be to local shops and restaurants and will lean more toward impulse buying.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Most people would think that a company in the Fortune 500 wouldn’t have much work to do to stay on top and compete against scrappy start-ups. But in the world of ecommerce, companies large, small, and in between are all on somewhat level playing fields, and oftentimes, the bigger, legacy companies are running behind the younger brands. For Stanley Black & Decker, this was the case when it came to the company’s ecommerce business, which is why SBD announced a goal to double its online sales in order to re-establish itself as a leader in all areas. Katherine Bahamonde Monasebian  is the President and GM North America Commerce for Stanley Black & Decker, and she has been leading that charge since joining the company in early 2020. Katherine entered the world of  retail, having cut her teeth at places such as Lululemon, Barney’s, and Juicy Couture, but she’s always loved a challenge, and going from the hardest-hit industry in the pandemic (apparel) to the top-performing vertical (DIY and home improvement goods), was one of the biggest career shifts she had ever made. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Katherine explains why she made the decision to role up her sleeves and join Stanley Black & Decker, and how she has grabbed the company’s lofty ecommerce goals by the horns and got to work. Katherine discusses what it takes for a large company to experiment with new platforms, and how she measures ROI and attribution to assess risk, and she looks into the crystal ball to predict how ecommerce will continue to change, especially in terms of B2B innovations. Plus, we have a really meaningful conversation about how women are being brought into the fold at Stanley Black & Decker and elsewhere, and she explains why it’s so important for a company to practice what it preaches when it comes to its values. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Higher Stakes: Larger companies have a lot to lose if they make a misstep, and as such, they have to be a bit more cautious with the risks they take. But they still have to break out of their shells and explore all of the options, trends, and channels that are dominating the ecommerce space. To toe that line, looking at the data and the ROI of any experiment is the best way forward.Knocking on the Door: Since early 2020, the ecommerce industry has seen massive growth and acceleration, but the jury is still out on how much of the shift online will stick. Most experts believe that at the very least, digital platforms will be the “front door” for customers to discover and learn about brands and products.Trickle Down: Everything has to start at the top — from company values to operations to business goals and expectations, the leaders of the organization have to set the tone. If they do, and they practice what they preach when it comes to things like gender parity, diversity and inclusion, KPIs, work expectations, etc., talented people will be more inclined to join your organization, and they are more likely to stay for a long time as well.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

In the wild world of ecommerce, the status quo is always changing. New companies enter the market to disrupt the norms. Legacy brands pivot to get a piece of the pie. Successful niche businesses get acquired left and right. With so much happening all at once, it takes a lot of work for brands to not only keep up but to get out ahead and win.Andrea Leigh and Melissa Burdick have made it their mission to stay on top of everything that’s happening and use their knowledge to help companies large and small make an impact in the market. Andrea, who you may remember from a previous episode where she discussed how to win on Amazon and the death of the category, is the VP of Strategy and Insights for Ideoclick, and Melissa is the Co-founder and CEO of Pacvue, a company that helps advertisers scale on big ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart. A few customers of theirs include Unilever, Duracell, and Johnson & Johnson.These ladies each spent 10 years at Amazon “back when ecommerce wasn’t cool,” as Melissa says. Today, at their current companies, they work with disruptors and major brands alike as they come to realize that ecommerce is not just a fad, but the way of the future. And that’s why I was so thrilled to invite them on this roundtable episode to talk about all the trends they’ve been seeing recently, and to get their take on where things are headed. How are major brands moving to digital? Why are companies investing more in shorter product life cycles? What is the future of dropshipping and ad platforms? I wanted to know, and they delivered the goods. So sit back and enjoy! Main Takeaways:David vs. Goliath: In the world of ecommerce, it often boils down to small, niche brands competing against the bigger companies with a long history and much bigger budgets. In order to compete, small brands are forced to think differently, be more hyper-focused on product and customer feedback, and be intensely in tune with the ROI of any ad spend.Shorten That Lifecycle: Brands today are finding out the importance of being nimble and developing shorter product life cycles. When the unexpected happens, markets shift, or industry standards change, having a product already in process of a nine-month cycle puts you at a disadvantage to other brands that can pivot and change course quicker. Having a pulse on what consumers want, gathering data, and digging into feedback can help with the acceleration process.Show Me The Money!: In the past, measuring the ROI of advertising was a bit more challenging. Now, with the amount of data that you get from digital campaigns, measuring the return on investment of an ad campaign is much easier to track because you can correlate clicks and track customer journeys from ads. And with the number of new platforms that are constantly popping up, there is a bit of a new retail explosion that brands can take advantage of and track in unique ways. And today, regardless of the platform — new or old — brands will not advertise at all unless they can get a full view of the data and metrics from the ad platforms they work with.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Mini malls, shopping centers, and large department stores all still exist and remain popular despite their digital counterparts But online marketplaces are where more and more brands are gathering to not just sell goods, but to get a better 360 view of their customers, and gain access to sell products from other big name brands that fit their marketplace niche. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I explored that idea a bit more with Jason Wyatt, the Executive Chairman at Marketplacer, a business dedicated to creating marketplaces. We dove into the various ways that Jason has seen marketplaces evolve, especially in recent years. Plus, Jason talked about some of the incredible innovation that he’s seen take place  thanks to marketplaces — including the birth of Providoor, an Australian marketplace for restaurants that was built as a reaction to COVID-19 and reached a $100 million run rate within 12 weeks. We talked about how the marketplace connections made that possible, and also how the B2B landscape can be revolutionized thanks to marketplaces. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Getting The Bigger Picture: By creating a marketplace, businesses can get a much deeper picture into the attributes of their customers, while also gaining access to inventory and products to sell from big name brands. The key to success? Curation.We Have A Connection: One of the greatest advantages of a marketplace are the connections that can be formed within them. Especially from a B2B perspective, because for so long those buyers have been left out of the ecommerce equation. They desire the same level of connection and ease that those in B2C have come to expect though, and marketplaces have provided a way to create community and engagement that has made B2B selling and buying much easier.Long Live Loyalty: Big brands have long tapped into loyalty programs as a way to earn customer trust and keep them coming back. By expanding point systems to usage within a marketplace, brands are now becoming even more trustworthy and respected in the eyes of consumers, who can all of a sudden get more bang for their buck. Additionally, the rise of wide-ranging marketplace loyalty strategies will likely become a new way for retailers to attract customers to newer marketplaces.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Lindsay McCormick knows a thing or two about pivoting. After all, she went from planning to live in a van and travel around the country selling her sustainable toothpaste bits to launching a transformative and still-growing company that has taken the internet by storm and has left the big brands shaking in their boots. Bite Toothpaste Bits was the company Lindsay never meant to start, but a viral video helped launch her full-time into the world of ecommerce after she went from 6,000-lifetime sales to 200,000 in a single week. Needless to say she could no longer manufacture everything from her living room, and instead was thrown into the deep end trying to find production and shipping partners that could not only make her very specific products, but do so in a sustainable way that stayed true to Bite’s ultimate mission. There were challenges around every corner, but Lindsay navigated through them all, and on today’s episode, she shares that rollercoaster ride of a story . Plus, she explained why she thinks it’s so important to keep content creation in-house, the reason she’s always testing new channels and leaning into video content — I mean, it is what launched her company — and she reveals why she’s not scared at all about the big-name manufacturers making copy-cat products, in fact, she’s excited about it. Hear all that and more on this episode!Main Takeaways:Don’t Fight The Fog: Breaking into new channels means divorcing yourself from KPIs and metrics and walking into foggy and unknown territory. Embrace that journey because not only will you eventually be able to measure success, the opportunity cost of not taking the risk is too costly not to try.Pay It Forward: Going viral comes with its pros and cons. While the huge boost in sales is a dream come true, fulfilling orders becomes a major problem that has to be solved quickly or you risk losing all of your new customers. As a sustainable business and a small business at that, Bite fought many battles to find manufacturers and fulfillment centers to partner with that met all their needs and price points. As Bite has gotten bigger and found the right partners, the company has also outfitted those partners with some of the tools that they can use to help support and grow other small businesses.Teach Me Your Ways: Educating consumers is one of the most important things an ecommerce site needs to do, especially when the product offered is something that requires a change in habit and/or expectations. Customers who take the time to learn will be more likely to repeat orders, and they will also be more likely to be understanding of things like extended shipping times.Make Em Sweat: It can be intimidating to go up against giants in an industry, but showing even a little bit of success in grabbing market share is something that will leave those big guys feeling pressure to make a change. Not only should that be encouraging to you as a disruptor, but in the world of sustainability, when the big guys start making changes, the small impact of a disruptor grows exponentially.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

One of the hardest things to do in ecommerce is creating an online experience that truly showcases every aspect of a product. This is especially true in the world of luxury goods, where allowing customers to touch, feel and admire the craftsmanship of a product. And at the same time they are expecting an indulgent in-store experience which is tantamount to the story of the brand. Just the in-store experience can serve as the main selling point and create word of mouth like no other.  Throughout his career at places like Brunello Cucinelli and Boggi Milano, Fedele Sforza has had to meet that challenge head-on and figure out a way to create a luxury ecommerce experience that matches and works in tandem with the luxury in-store experience. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Fedele tells us exactly how he’s been able to do just that, and he explains why ecommerce leaders have to be evangelists within a traditionally retail-based environment. Plus, he details how to use data and technology as a window into the needs of your different customers, which you can then leverage to create personalized shopping experiences across channels. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Showcasing Luxury: The in-store experience is a much easier place to showcase luxury items and create a one-of-a-kind, high-end shopping experience. Online, there are fewer ways to showcase craftsmanship or cater to a consumer. But it’s not impossible, and it should be a priority to create a personalized and extravagant experience online that can match or work in tandem with what happens in-store.Friends, Not Enemies: When a company begins to prioritize and invest in ecommerce, often the retail side of the business sees that as a threat. An ecommerce leader’s job is to be an evangelist and show the ways that both retail and ecommerce can work together, share data, and create experiences that cater to customers in a more personalized way. If that collaboration happens, not only will customers have a better experience, but the business will see a boost on the bottom line because sales are being optimized across all channels.Curating Connections: Rather than making a list of channels in which you have to market, start to think about finding ways to form connections and create experiences with customers in the places where they want them. Not everyone is in the headspace to buy something when they are scrolling through Instagram, but they might be interested in purchasing something when they are at an event with friends. You have to find ways to connect with people in all places and in unique ways so that you are top of mind whenever they are actually ready to purchase.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

No digital transformation is the same, but when a massive B2B organization embarks on that journey, you better believe that there will be a lot of lessons learned that can be applied to any other company. That’s why we wanted to talk to former Chief Digital Officer at Univar Solutions, Ian Gresham, who led the digital transformation and ecommerce implementation at this $9 billion multinational industrial distribution business. Look around at the things around you, make up, dish soap, skincare, solvents for your car. Univar probably has a part to play in that. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Ian tells us about the experience of bringing a massive organization into the world of digital commerce, and he reveals some of the biggest learnings from the experience that he is using now as an executive advisor to multiple businesses. For example, how should ecommerce leaders frame the building of a platform to get buy-in from the top down, and what kind of strategies should you implement to drive adoption of your platform? Interestingly, it’s a combination of moving fast but also taking it slow — tune in to learn what that means in practice. Plus, Ian shares more tips and discusses some of the insider details on the projects he’s currently working on. Enjoy! Main Takeaways:If You Build It, They.. May Not Come: When going through a digital transformation, many companies fall into the trap of believing that if they simply build and launch an ecommerce website, their customers will flock to it. In reality — and especially in the B2B space – there is an education and adoption phase that needs to happen to actually make an ecommerce site successful.M-V-P!: It’s wise to take an MVP approach to building an ecommerce platform because it forces you to focus on one specific feature that you can provide that solves a problem for a customer reliably well over and over. By offering that one solution, you can drive faster adoption of the platform because you are not overwhelming customers with a multitude of features, some of which they don’t want or need. New features can come down the road, but adoption needs to come first. And the entire organization needs to be on the same page that building a platform is an ongoing process with no set start and end date because there will always be new things to add or improve.It’s About The Journey: In businesses that rely on face-to-face interactions, the omnichannel experience is becoming more important than ever. To digitize some of the interactions and drive the adoption of more online tools, you have to start from the bottom up and understand every kind of customer and customer journey that exists within your business. From there, you can start reallocating headcount to digitize certain processes and send other resources to handle high-value customer interactions so that you know you are investing in the parts of the customer journey that are most in need.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Let’s be real, talking about sex makes people uncomfortable. But it shouldn’t! And that’s one of the driving principles behind Maude, a modern sexual wellness brand that is disrupting a taboo industry and making sexual health more a part of the overall health and wellness conversation. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, I chatted with the founder of Maude, Éva Goicochea about how she built her company with a combination of excellent content, a growing and vibrant community, and a go-to-market strategy with patience and empathy top-of-mind. Éva also gave us some insight into the lessons she’s learned from bringing Maude into the retail market, and how she goes about assessing customer acquisition and community engagement. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Getting To Market: Ideate quickly, go to market strategically. Get to know who your customers are, what they want, and what problems they need solved before pushing a product to market. Not only do you need to take into account what your customers want, you also need to consider the associated logistics and cost that product will have to your business. You have to decide if your company is the one that should be creating it and whether the market size is big enough to jump through whatever hoops there are to actually bring that product to life.Content is King: Obviously, businesses want to sell goods on their websites. But it may actually be a better strategy to build a site that is less transactional and more content-driven and educational. In doing so, you can attract a casual audience, who are more likely to turn into buyers when they are already on your site.Bidding Wars: When wholesaling or working with retailers, a unique problem arises if those retailers try to outbid your brand for keywords and search terms in order to win more customers. Whether or not to fight to win those bidding wars comes down to assessing the value of the customer acquisition method. Is the customer more valuable as a native buyer or do you get the same or more value by having your wholesale partner see success selling your product?For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

The Beatles told us that All You Need Is Love. Howard Tiersky says the same thing — but he’s talking about brands, not the whole of human existence. Howard is the CEO of FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, which has helped brands such as Mattel, Barnes & Noble Education, Mall of America, NBC, Avis-Budget, and more transform to compete and win in a new digital world — and they succeed by getting customers to love the brands and everything they offer. Whether you’re a shiny new ecommerce start-up or a legacy brand with decades of history behind you, getting a consumer to actually love you is a multi-step process that is getting harder and harder as the digital landscape evolves. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, we dig into what the pyramid of brand love looks like and how companies should be working to climb their way to the top. Plus, he reveals the biggest mistake he sees companies making that causes potential customers to shop elsewhere, and he gives some strategies to rectify that situation and improve your bottom line. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:The Switching Cost is Zero: On the internet, it’s easy for a customer to move from one brand to another and it costs them nothing to do so. That means a brand’s first duty is to explain very quickly and clearly that it can and will solve a consumer’s problem. This is the area where most brands fail because they don’t have clear, simple messaging or content that tells their story and delivers their value prop instantly.Keep It Simple: Doing customer research is the best and easiest way to find the kinks in your website and processes. Setting up a simple focus group to watch how customers are using your site to see where their pain points are or where they are getting stuck can reveal the most basic and easy-to-solve problems that could increase your bottom line.Pyramid of Love: Creating a brand that people truly love is a challenge that has to be tackled in stages. There are specific levels of customer affection that you need to build up and that eventually culminates in love. But reaching those levels takes work and requires a brand to take specific actions. What are the levels and how do you reach them? Tune in to find out.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce--- 

Brands are facing fierce competition in this ever-evolving ecommerce landscape. More often than not, shoppers do a general product search on Google or Amazon, where hundreds, if not thousands, of brands fight for the sale. It’s a hard arena to win in, and every company is trying to find shortcuts and strategies to give them an edge.You’ve probably seen some of those strategies — for example, the products with a bunch of random SEO words jammed into the title so that the item appears higher in search. There are plenty more wacky Amazon tricks of the trade that brands have tried. Goal Zero is one of those brands trying to figure out the secret sauce but approaching it in a much different manner. Patrick Keller, Head of Marketing and Ecommerce at Goal Zero, may have finally solved the mystery — but the answer is not what you might be expecting.On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Patrick tells us that there are a few key strategies to unlocking more conversions on Amazon, and how they view authenticity and increasing brand awareness.TLDR: it takes great messaging, some big bets, and a lot of long-term thinking. Oh, and some pretty cool products, too. Hear all the details on this episode! Main Takeaways:Always Be Iterating: Producing marketing material is not a cut-and-dry process. Define your target market, set KPIs, and establish a timeline, then create a system that lends itself to AB testing and iteration. Don’t be afraid to create assets and then break them into pieces to test in different ways. You’ll learn more about your customers and the ma