Eric Sheinkop is the CEO of The Desire Company, a platform that connects brands with industry experts to create high-quality, conversion-focused video content. With a background in entertainment marketing, Eric co-founded Music Dealers, a pioneering music licensing platform that partnered with global brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Disney. He is also an author, speaker, and thought leader in content strategy, recognized in Billboard’s 30 Under 30 and Crain’s Tech 50 list.

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

• [01:44] Eric Sheinkop’s background in music and brand partnerships
• [6:08] The types of content for driving conversions and FTC regulations on influencer content
• [13:53] How to create cohesive and high-quality content
• [19:53] Leveraging video content for retail media networks
• [24:13] The challenges of AI-driven shopping experiences
• [28:16] How AI shopping assistants will disrupt brand-consumer relationships

In this episode…

In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, brands face the challenge of creating high-quality, scalable content that converts. While influencer marketing and UGC once seemed like the answer, new FTC regulations and diminishing returns have left brands searching for a more effective approach. How can businesses generate content that builds trust and drives sales — without constantly reinventing the wheel?

According to brand partnerships and content strategy thought leader Eric Sheinkop, expert-driven content — featuring real professionals who use the brand’s product in their field — builds consumer trust and confidence at the point of sale. By investing in evergreen, professionally produced videos optimized for various digital platforms, brands can increase conversion rates, reduce returns, and enhance the customer experience. Eric also emphasizes the importance of aligning content strategy with new FTC regulations to ensure compliance and credibility while maximizing digital marketing efforts.

Tune in to this week’s episode of The Digital Deep Dive as Aaron Conant chats with Eric Sheinkop, CEO of The Desire Company, about the next evolution of digital content. Eric shares how AI-driven shopping assistants can reshape brand loyalty, how to create cohesive, story-driven content, and the new FTC regulations on influencer and UGC content. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Aaron Conant on LinkedIn
• BWG Connect
• Eric Sheinkop on LinkedIn 
• The Desire Company 

Quotable Moments:

• "Brands are spending millions; retailers are spending hundreds of millions on their site experience. So they don’t want to flood it with garbage."
• "Influencer content disappears in 24 hours, but brands need evergreen content that continuously works across multiple channels."
• "The FTC put out all new laws — not recommendations, laws — against UGC and influencer endorsements. Brands have to be incredibly careful."
• "Not all videos are created equal. You need to understand what type of content is right for your shopper at various parts of the funnel."
• "At what point is it just going to be AI talking to AI, and the consumer is completely out of the retail equation?"

Action Steps:

1. Reevaluate your content strategy: Ensure your brand’s content is designed for conversion, not just awareness. Influencer and UGC content can drive traffic, but expert-driven content increases sales.
2. Stay compliant with FTC regulations: The new laws around influencer marketing require transparency. Review your brand’s content to avoid costly violations.
3. Invest in evergreen content: Unlike influencer content that quickly disappears, high-quality video assets can be repurposed across platforms for long-term ROI.
4. Optimize video for different platforms: Create variations of content tailored for Amazon, direct-to-consumer websites, social media, and retail media networks.
5. Prepare for AI-driven shopping experiences: As AI shopping assistants become more common, brands must focus on creating content that builds consumer trust and stands out in algorithm-driven searches.

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.