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.

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

• [1:38] When should brands invest in Amazon Streaming TV ads?
• [3:10] How to adjust budgets and ad strategies based on the current economic climate
• [4:55] The importance of meeting customer expectations in fulfillment and delivery
• [6:52] Joint business planning (JBP) misalignment between media and business teams and its impact on profitability
• [8:31] How AI and automation have transformed DSP and retail media

In this episode…

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:

• Aaron Conant on LinkedIn
• BWG Connect
• Adam Epstein on LinkedIn 
• Todd Hassenfelt on LinkedIn
• Avi Moskowitz on LinkedIn
• Nate Pinkston on LinkedIn
• Lauren Livak on LinkedIn
• Kashif Zafar on LinkedIn

Quotable Moments:

• “Streaming TV ads aren’t for everyone. If you haven’t maximized your sponsored ads and DSP, awareness strategies might be premature.”
• “Retail media is booming, but brands must analyze private label competition and price gaps before allocating budgets strategically.”
• “Fast shipping isn’t always the answer; what matters most is setting clear delivery expectations and meeting them consistently.”
• “Disjointed JBP strategies lead to inefficiencies; retail media and sales teams must align to avoid budget misallocations.”
• “AI and automation are revolutionizing retail media, making programmatic advertising more efficient across Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart.”

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.