Nii Ahene

Nii Ahene is the Founder and Managing Director of Net Influencer, a publication offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Previously, he co-founded CPC Strategy, which was acquired by Tinuiti, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer. Nii is also an angel investor in 5G, CPG, and B2B SaaS companies.

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Retail media has exploded in recent years, with hundreds of networks vying for ad dollars. While some brands see significant returns, others struggle to justify their investments. With so many options and increasing pressure from retailers, how can brands determine which retail media networks truly drive incremental growth?

Nii Ahene, an expert in eCommerce and digital marketing, emphasizes the importance of first-party data and strategic investments. Nii advises brands to evaluate whether a retail media network drives new customer acquisition or simply shifts existing demand. He suggests focusing on platforms where consumers actively research products and ensuring ad spend aligns with offline and online sales impact. Additionally, brands should integrate retail media with broader shopper marketing efforts, leveraging digital advertising to drive in-store purchases.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant speaks with Nii Ahene, the Founder and Managing Director of Net Influencer, about the evolving landscape of retail media. Nii shares insights on data-driven ad spending, the consolidation of retail media networks, and TikTok’s growing role in product discovery.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Critically assess retail media investments: Instead of blindly following industry trends, brands should evaluate whether retail media spending actually drives incremental growth. This allocates marketing budgets to strategies that create real value rather than just maintaining visibility.
  2. Leverage first-party data for targeted advertising: Retailers should develop partnerships to use customer data for off-platform marketing, such as social media and video ads. This enhances brand reach and engagement beyond traditional retail media networks, leading to better conversion rates.
  3. Prioritize digital discoverability over paid ads only: Brands should invest in content strategies, influencer partnerships, and organic search optimization to drive discovery. A balanced approach ensures long-term brand visibility rather than reliance on ever-increasing ad spend.
  4. Align retail media spend with offline sales impact: Many brands generate most of their revenue from brick-and-mortar stores yet allocate digital budgets without considering offline effects. Integrating digital and physical retail strategies ensures marketing efforts drive total brand growth.
  5. Stay agile with new eCommerce and AI tools: Emerging technologies can significantly enhance efficiency in retail media, email marketing, and product page optimization. Regularly evaluating and adopting the right tools keeps brands competitive in an increasingly data-driven landscape.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Aaron Conant

Aaron Conant is the Co-founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, a leading platform for executive strategy and networking sessions. In conjunction with BWG Strategy, BWG Connect has built an exclusive network of over 125,000 senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events annually. With over a decade of experience in digital commerce, Aaron provides advisory services to brands on Amazon sales strategies, retail media, DTC platform selection, and SEO. Before starting BWG Connect, Aaron was the Head of eCommerce Sales and Business Development at Perrigo and a Research Scientist at Pfizer. He is also the host of The Digital Deep Dive.

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Many brands invest in digital advertising and retail media to drive growth, but understanding when and how to allocate budgets effectively is crucial. Developing a strategic approach to Amazon Ads, logistics, and AI automation can help businesses scale while maintaining profitability. What key insights are industry leaders leveraging to stay ahead in the evolving eCommerce landscape?

Five eCommerce and media experts share strategies for maximizing your company’s digital footprint. Adam Epstein explains that Amazon Streaming TV ads are most effective for brands that have optimized their sponsored ads and DSP strategies, making them a powerful tool for expanding awareness. Todd Hassenfelt highlights the importance of subscribe and save programs in securing customer loyalty during economic uncertainty, advising that brands allocate their budgets across multiple digital channels. Avi Moskowitz emphasizes that brands don’t need hyper-fast shipping — just the ability to set and meet clear delivery expectations. Nate Pinkston and Lauren Livak reveal how misalignment in joint business planning (JBP) between retail media and business teams can create inefficiencies, leading to missed opportunities and budget mismanagement. Kashif Zafar has leveraged AI in DSP, retail media, and programmatic ads.

In this special compilation episode of The Digital Deep Dive, host Aaron Conant revisits his most insightful conversations with industry experts. The episode covers key strategies for brands looking to refine their advertising, fulfillment, and automation efforts. With eCommerce continuing to evolve, these experts provide actionable takeaways to help businesses navigate digital growth, optimize ad spend, and enhance the customer experience.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Optimize your Amazon ad strategy: Maximize sponsored ads and DSP before investing in awareness campaigns, like streaming TV ads, to ensure effective budget allocation.
  2. Leverage retail media strategically: Analyze private label competition and price gaps within your category to make informed decisions on media spend distribution.
  3. Enhance fulfillment consistency: Set clear and realistic delivery expectations for customers and prioritize meeting those promises rather than focusing solely on speed.
  4. Align retail media and sales teams: Integrate joint business planning (JBP) strategies between retail media and sales teams to prevent inefficiencies and budget mismanagement.
  5. Adopt AI-driven advertising solutions: Utilize AI automation in programmatic advertising to optimize budget allocation, improve targeting, and enhance performance across multiple retail platforms.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Meghan Corroon

Meghan Corroon is the Co-founder and CEO of Clerdata, a marketing intelligence platform that drives sales. As a data scientist, she has completed data science research for several national governments in Africa. Before co-founding Clerdata, Meghan was the Technical Director for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation portfolio evaluation.

 

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Retail media has evolved from a “growth at all costs” strategy to a demand for measurable ROI, forcing brands to rethink their ad investments. With nearly 700 retail media networks, companies struggle to allocate their budgets. As executives face increasing pressure to justify spending, incrementality measurement has emerged as a crucial tool for identifying retail media’s impact on sales and profitability. How can brands optimize their ad spend while ensuring data neutrality?

Data-driven professional Meghan Corroon helps brands assess the effectiveness of their retail media investments. Instead of relying on self-reported metrics from ad platforms — often skewed by conflicts of interest — companies should use third-party measurements to make data-driven decisions. Meghan explains how the halo effect influences buying habits across multiple retailers, emphasizing that retail media approaches must extend beyond just traditional performance metrics. By shifting to a neutral, evidence-based approach, brands can identify high-performing networks and reallocate budgets to maximize returns.

Tune in to this episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant hosts Meghan Corroon, the Co-founder and CEO of Clerdata, to discuss the future of retail media measurement. Meghan shares insights on optimizing retail media spend, evaluating ad performance, and navigating the growing complexities of retail media. She also highlights how brands can balance performance marketing with long-term profitability in an increasingly data-driven landscape.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Adopt neutral retail media measurement tools: Brands should move beyond self-reported ad platform data and invest in third-party measurement solutions to accurately assess the impact of their retail media spend. This ensures unbiased insights and helps optimize budget allocation based on actual performance rather than sales-driven metrics from media networks.
  2. Leverage halo effects for smarter spending: Identify where retail media ads are influencing purchases across multiple retailers. By understanding cross-platform impact, brands can refine their strategies to maximize efficiency, ensuring that ad dollars drive incremental revenue beyond the immediate platform where they were spent.
  3. Prioritize performance-driven budget allocation: Treat retail media investments like a stock portfolio — shift ad spend toward the highest-performing platforms and tactics. By continuously testing and adjusting investments based on neutral data, brands can drive efficiency and ensure every dollar spent contributes to overall profitability.
  4. Bridge the gap between marketing and finance teams: Equip executives and finance leaders with clear, data-backed insights on retail media performance. By presenting evidence of incrementality, brands can justify ad spend, reclassify expenses when needed, and secure necessary budgets for continued investment in high-performing media channels.
  5. Refine ad strategies for different retail networks: Not all retail media networks perform equally. Brands should analyze category-specific effectiveness across platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy to determine the best-performing ad types and placements. Adjusting the mix of PPC, DSP, and upper-funnel media can significantly improve return on ad spend.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Justin Leigh

Justin Leigh is the CEO of Workflow Labs, an automation software for eCommerce management. Before founding Workflow Labs, he was the Founder and CEO of Ideoclick, an online marketing services company. Justin began his career as a Product Manager at Amazon and a Senior Product Manager at Microsoft.

 

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With Amazon updating its platform regularly and operational costs rising, brands struggle to maintain profitability. Where should brands focus their efforts to achieve sustainable growth?

According to eCommerce entrepreneur Justin Leigh, brands spend too much time focusing on mundane tasks like catalog and content updates. This prevents them from strategizing customer engagement efforts and adapting to trends and platform changes. Justin recommends leveraging AI-driven automation tools to identify and correct site inefficiencies, monitor sales and pricing, and maintain compliance. 

In today’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant hosts Justin Leigh, the CEO of Workflow Labs, to discuss automating your Amazon business. Justin shares how Amazon’s new review system has eroded customer trust, the platform’s algorithmic changes that have impacted sales, and his recommended automation tools.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Reevaluate your tech stack: It's crucial to regularly assess the tools and platforms you're using to ensure they provide maximum value and align with current business objectives.
  2. Automate mundane tasks: By leveraging automation for daily operations like catalog management and content updates, businesses can reduce costs and redirect human efforts toward strategic growth opportunities.
  3. Focus on foundational eCommerce tasks: Maintaining a strong operational foundation ensures your products are accurately represented and available, which is essential before implementing more complex strategies.
  4. Invest in strategic agency partnerships: Agencies can provide valuable insights and support that in-house teams may lack, especially under staffing constraints.
  5. Prioritize customer engagement and brand trust: Building a strong brand connection with customers can mitigate the overreliance on ratings and reviews, which can be misleading or manipulated.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Jana Weinstein

Jana Weinstein is the Director of Social Commerce at Blue Wheel, an omnichannel marketing and operational agency. As a sales leader, she specializes in TikTok Shop, business development, go-to-market strategies, and creator and affiliate marketing. Before Blue Wheel, Jana was the Director of Partnerships for TikTok Shop at Pattern® and managed TikTok Shop partnerships at TikTok.

 

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TikTok's role in social commerce has rapidly evolved, presenting both opportunities and challenges for brands. Recent uncertainties, including a Supreme Court ruling on a potential ban, have raised questions about the platform's future. Despite these challenges, TikTok's innovative approach to engaging content has made it a dominant player in the space. How can brands leverage TikTok Shop to boost revenue?

Social commerce expert Jana Weinstein emphasizes the importance of long-term strategies over short-term gains. Large enterprises often struggle to adapt to TikTok’s fast-paced environment due to complex approval processes, while smaller brands excel by responding to trends quickly. Jana highlights the need for personalized approaches, from testing various products with creators to aligning promotional tactics with TikTok’s unique ecosystem. She also warns against relying on heavy discounts, instead encouraging brands to focus on creating engaging content and exclusive offerings to sustain growth.

In this week’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Jana Weinstein, Director of Social Commerce at Blue Wheel, about TikTok's impact on social commerce. Jana shares insights from her experience launching TikTok Shop in the US, the role of AI in scaling content, and the platform’s influence on competitors like YouTube and Meta.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Embrace creator collaborations: Partnering with creators is essential for brands entering social commerce platforms like TikTok. Creators are crucial for reaching and engaging with a broad audience, and their endorsement can significantly increase brand visibility and sales.
  2. Leverage campaign periods: Participate in high-value campaign periods offered by social platforms, such as TikTok's tentpole events. These moments bring increased attention and boost awareness and sales without resorting to deep discounts.
  3. Focus on consistent content creation: Regularly posting engaging content is necessary to remain relevant on platforms like TikTok. Consistency helps in maintaining audience interest and leveraging the platform's algorithm to increase visibility.
  4. Understand and adapt to market trends: Stay informed about trending content and consumer preferences on social platforms. Reacting quickly to these trends enables brands to maintain relevance and capitalize on viral opportunities.
  5. Test and learn with product offerings: Use social platforms to experiment with various products and identify which resonates best with audiences. This approach allows brands to refine offerings based on direct consumer feedback and preferences.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Benjamin Davis is the Founder and CEO of TryNow, which has pioneered the “try before you buy” model to improve conversion rates for eCommerce brands. Under his leadership, TryNow has raised approximately $24 million in funding. Before TryNow, Benjamin founded an apparel brand and worked in private equity. 

 

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eCommerce brands are so focused on minimizing returns that they often don’t consider how to enhance the online customer experience fundamentally. Consumers want the same experience online as they have in-store, like trying on clothes before purchasing them. How can you unify the online customer experience to increase conversions?

Benjamin Davis has pioneered the “try before you buy” method, which allows customers to sample items before purchasing them and decide which ones to keep or return. Rather than analyzing each customer’s return rate, brands can encourage them to sample multiple items to increase purchase rates and profit per order. This model also drives lifetime value since brands demonstrate trust in their consumers by allowing them to try products before charging them.

Tune in to this episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant hosts Benjamin Davis, the Founder and CEO of TryNow, to talk about implementing a “try before you buy” solution. Benjamin discusses this model’s impact on cart value, how D2C categories are adopting this solution, and how TryNow reduces CAC.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Implement a “try before you buy” model: This approach allows customers to try products at home before purchase, reducing barriers to purchase and increasing the likelihood of multiple items being sent, which can increase overall sales. By mimicking the in-store experience, this model addresses online shopping apprehension and improves conversion rates, especially in industries like fashion and cosmetics.
  2. Enhance fraud prevention measures: Collaborate with payment networks and card brands to ensure robust fraud prevention, which is essential when allowing products to be sent without upfront payment. By securing transactions, brands can confidently offer “try before you buy” solutions, minimizing risks associated with potential fraud.
  3. Focus on profit per order instead of return rates: Shifting the focus from reducing return rates to improving net revenue per customer can lead to more profitable outcomes. By encouraging larger initial orders and increasing the chance of multiple items being kept, brands can enhance profitability even if return rates increase.
  4. Leverage customer feedback for product improvement: Engage directly with customers to gather insights on why products are returned and aim to improve product offerings accordingly. Understanding the customer's perspective helps address fit and satisfaction challenges, leading to reduced return rates and better product-market fit.
  5. Explore new verticals for “try before you buy”: While fashion and cosmetics are the most common applications, other sectors like electronics or home goods can also benefit from this model. Identifying and targeting new potential markets can open up opportunities for growth and expansion by tapping into segments where this purchasing flexibility can drive significant customer interest.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Chris Perry

Chris Perry is the Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer at firstmovr, a satellite Center of Excellence (COE) for eCommerce education and change management. He is also an Executive Educator and Keynote Speaker at Path to Purchase Institute. With over 12 years of experience as an eCommerce leader and executive educator, Chris aims to empower leaders to embrace change with actionable knowledge, strategies, and KPIs.

 

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As brands grapple with small teams and increased content demands, compelling, optimized content remains a priority. In a landscape where even a 1% improvement can produce significant gains, how can brands ensure their content resonates with target audiences across channels?

With platform and retailer algorithms ranking content based on qualitative and quantitative factors, eCommerce thought leader Chris Perry emphasizes the importance of conducting content page audits. This includes measuring keywords for specific categories, identifying your target audience, including relevant images, and ensuring your titles reach the required character count. Updating your PDPs with a single image can increase conversion rates by 2%. Chris also recommends optimizing your content for mobile devices to meet customers where they shop. This involves creating user-friendly designs and prioritizing image creation.

Tune in to this episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant hosts Chris Perry, the Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer at firstmovr, to discuss optimizing content for the digital shelf. Chris explains how to test content creation tools, how to produce and measure full-funnel content, and firstmovr’s ENDCAPS educational program.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Conduct regular digital shelf audits: Regularly auditing your digital shelf ensures that your product pages remain relevant and optimized for the shopper experience. This allows you to create content that meets retailer requirements and evolving consumer expectations.
  2. Prioritize mobile-ready content: Optimizing your content for mobile devices is crucial as more consumers shop via smartphones. This captures consumer attention in a mobile-first world.
  3. Integrate social proof and user-generated content: Leveraging social proof can enhance credibility and engagement, making product pages more compelling. This provides an opportunity to build trust and connection through authentic consumer voices.
  4. Develop a full-funnel content strategy: Aligning your content with various stages of the consumer journey ensures a consistent and persuasive message. This addresses the challenge of fragmented content strategies and provides an opportunity to enhance conversion rates.
  5. Adopt a continuous improvement mindset: Embrace content creation as an ongoing practice rather than a one-time project, allowing for regular updates and optimizations. This mindset is effective in driving incremental improvements and staying ahead of the competition.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Mike Black

Mike Black is the Chief Growth Officer at Profitero, a leading eCommerce acceleration company offering intelligence-driven solutions for profitable growth. With a background in marketing, he held leadership positions in product marketing and demand generation at various global analytics companies. Before Profitero, Mike was the Vice President of Product Marketing at Nielson.

 

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According to a recent eCommerce organizational benchmark study, eCommerce has become increasingly democratized, with brands embedding its capabilities into each business function. This has led to joint business plans that prioritize eCommerce in every business goal. How can organizations collaborate with interdepartmental teams to accelerate eCommerce efforts throughout?

Traditionally, eCommerce has been confined to a single team that executes media and content single-handedly without input. Yet, the landscape has become more nuanced, with organizations needing to implement change management practices to outperform competitors and manage omnichannel selling and advertising. eCommerce leader Mike Black emphasizes a holistic eCommerce approach that involves collaborating with teams to align omnichannel strategies and expand roles and capabilities. He also notes the role of organization-wide education in promoting eCommerce efforts.

In this week’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Mike Black, the Chief Growth Officer at Profitero, about the future of eCommerce capabilities in businesses. Mike discusses results from Profitero’s 2024 eCommerce Organizational Benchmark study, the rise of integrated eCommerce teams, and the importance of collaborating with retailers.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments: 

Action Steps:

  1. Invest in education and upskilling: Prioritize training programs that enhance digital literacy across sales and marketing teams. This approach addresses the challenge of aligning traditional business units with the fast-paced demands of eCommerce, ultimately creating a more cohesive and effective team.
  2. Enhance retailer collaboration: Foster deeper, more strategic relationships with retailers by sharing valuable insights and data. This step helps overcome superficial engagement and aligns both parties on omnichannel strategies, driving mutual growth and understanding.
  3. Implement category management: Establish dedicated category management roles to bridge brand strategies with consumer insights, particularly in digital contexts. This addresses the opportunity to elevate retail relationships and improve market presence by focusing on category-specific trends and demands.
  4. Adopt market share as a key metric: Shift your focus toward omnichannel market share as a foundational performance metric to align goals across the organization. This approach measures success and promotes a unified strategy that reflects both online and offline growth.
  5. Pilot AI initiatives in eCommerce: Begin small-scale AI projects to generate and optimize product content, such as images and descriptions. This addresses the current hesitancy around AI adoption by allowing companies to explore its potential benefits while navigating legal and operational considerations.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Tim Zawislack

Tim Zawislack is a senior eCommerce executive for global DTC and B2B brands. He most recently served as the Chief Digital Officer and Senior Vice President of eCommerce at Conair, where he managed the company’s eCommerce channels for its brands. With over a decade of management experience leading consumer and digital strategies, Tim has delivered rapid, profitable digital growth for multi-brand portfolio companies. He is also an Advisory Board Member for BWG Strategy.

 

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In this episode…

In the early days of eCommerce, brands could advertise and sell on Amazon without a defined strategy. Today, Amazon should be used as a storytelling medium. How can you optimize your presence on Amazon?

With new brands hijacking market share from brands with an established Amazon presence, eCommerce executive Tim Zawislack says to expand your channels and advertising strategies. This requires integrating top-of-funnel advertising with branding and retail efforts to increase platform visibility and generate customer loyalty. Tim also recommends hiring an Amazon agency as an extension of your marketing team to ensure adequate market share and optimize ad spend.

Tune in to this episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant chats with Tim Zawislack about the past, present, and future of Amazon. Tim shares how to develop an omnichannel Amazon strategy, how to integrate AMC into your ads strategy, and what he learned from leading eCommerce efforts for legacy brands.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Leverage Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC): Utilize AMC to integrate Amazon Retail, Amazon Ads, and your internal brand strategies. By doing so, you can orchestrate a cohesive marketing approach that maximizes brand visibility and potentially increases sales.
  2. Develop a comprehensive channel strategy: Create a dedicated merchandising strategy for each channel, such as Amazon, Walmart, and DTC platforms. This approach addresses profitability challenges and ensures you’re not leaking market share to smaller, more agile brands.
  3. Engage with a specialized agency partner: Partner with an agency that understands Amazon's unique advertising and retail landscape. A specialized agency can help you stay on top of rapid technology and platform changes, providing an outside perspective that can lead to better strategic decisions.
  4. Focus on top-of-funnel advertising: Invest in top-of-funnel advertising to build brand awareness and drive potential customers to your product listings. This strategy is crucial for stimulating market consumption and creating long-term customer loyalty, which addresses the challenge of nascent brands eating into your market share.
  5. Evaluate your product unit economics per marketplace: Analyze the unit economics of your products on a per-marketplace basis to inform your advertising strategy. Understanding the profitability of each SKU at each retailer allows you to allocate your advertising budget more effectively, ensuring your investment yields profitable returns.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

Chris Orzechowski

Chris Orzechowski is the Founder of West Egg Agency, an X Ads agency that helps brands acquire new customers using X. As an email copywriter, he helps eCommerce brands grow their revenue using email automation. Chris is also the author of Make It Rain and Scale While You Sleep.

 

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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

In this episode…

Advertising on X isn’t new, yet many brands avoid it in favor of platforms like Meta and Google that produce faster results. However, these platforms are becoming increasingly saturated and competitive, making X a cost-effective and untapped alternative. How can you optimize your existing ads for X?

Brands that haven’t achieved results on X likely haven’t targeted or engaged with enough followers. X Ads trailblazer Chris Orzechowski recommends targeting brands with your ideal customer profile and creating follower look-alikes to convert their followers into your customers. This requires developing creative copy to rank for specific keywords. While you can reuse high-performing content from Meta on X, you must modify the copy to align with X’s requirements, like character limits and parameters for other creative mediums like video. 

Tune in to this week’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant invites Chris Orzechowski, the Founder of West Egg Agency, to discuss launching ad campaigns on X. Chris shares X’s upcoming integrations, the platform’s profitability, and how to structure an ad budget for X.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:

Action Steps:

  1. Experiment with X Ads: Leverage the underutilized potential of X Ads to reach a wide audience at a lower cost. This approach addresses the challenge of high competition and costs on other platforms by tapping into a less saturated market.
  2. Optimize content specifically for X: Tailor your ad copy and creative assets specifically for the X platform to increase engagement and conversion rates. This addresses the common mistake of using content designed for other platforms, which may not perform well on X due to its unique user engagement dynamics.
  3. Utilize broad and diverse targeting strategies: Implement a comprehensive targeting strategy by using keywords and follower look-alikes to ensure your ads reach a broad and relevant audience. This tactic is effective in overcoming the challenge of limited reach and high costs associated with narrow targeting.
  4. Leverage earned media impressions: Create ads that resemble regular posts to blend into users’ feeds and encourage organic engagement naturally. This method reduces advertising costs by generating free impressions through user interactions, addressing the constraint of limited advertising budgets.
  5. Start with a manageable budget and scale up: Begin your X Ad campaigns with a modest budget to test the waters and gradually increase spending as you analyze performance. This strategy helps mitigate risks and allows brands to optimize their campaigns over time, combating the challenges of budget constraints and uncertainty about platform effectiveness.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

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