Commerce Experience

Commerce Experience

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Commerce Experience episodes

  • The Secrets Behind ILIA Beauty’s 55K-Waitlist Product
    Crafting a buzzworthy launch is truly an art form, especially in a crowded market — like beauty — where it can be tough to stand out.

    Today, we’re joined by Cherene Aubert, VP of Digital & Commerce at ILIA Beauty, who has a proven track record of disrupting industries with her innovative ideas around product launches. She and Elena delve into the realities of omnichannel marketing, how creativity can be empowered by AI, and the evolution of personalization and brand in the age of data privacy. 

    TL;DR:
    • Discover how to create a big splash with your product launch and maintain momentum with smart marketing strategies 
    • Learn to balance data-driven decisions with human creativity in e-commerce
    • Explore the challenges and approaches for delivering personalized experiences amidst data privacy concerns
    27 min
  • How This Major Jeweler Thinks You Can Use Data for AI Success
    How are AI and data science transforming data teams’ workflows, business strategy, and the overall customer experience? 

    Prakash Hariharabalan, Senior Director of Marketing Analytics at Signet Jewelers — an overarching umbrella company that houses Jareds, Zales, Kay Jewelers, and more — stops by the show to break down the secrets of truly leveraging data in ecommerce. He and Elena delve into data privacy, ethics, and the importance of cultivating a data-driven culture in retail.
    28 min
  • Loyalty Programs That Actually Work
    Discover how loyalty programs can transform customer relationships. From Sephora to Kohl's and Elf, brands are evolving to incentivize and gamify the customer journey, creating extraordinary experiences that go beyond “just perks.”

    In this episode, Elena and Roxy delve into the distinctions between loyalty and rewards programs and explore how to tailor the best approach for your e-commerce business.

    TLDR;
    • The critical role of loyalty programs in customer retention
    • Gamifying the customer journey
    • Designing exclusive and personalized experiences
    24 min
  • How GenAI Changed Commerce Forever
    Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly transforming the e-commerce industry, urging forward-thinking businesses to dream bigger than ever before. Among the burgeoning areas of innovation is conversational commerce, which is increasingly becoming a dedicated budget item for marketers and merchandisers. 

    For deeper insights into this evolving field, Elena got together with Vikas Jha, VP of Engineering, Conversational Commerce at Bloomreach. With an impressive track record, including stints at Google and as the Founder/CEO of Radiance Commerce (acquired by Bloomreach in 2023), Vikas offers a rich perspective on the subject.

    TLDR;
    • The explosive rise of GenAI that has refined conversational commerce technologies over the last 24 months
    • Exciting ways AI-powered shopping assistants are set to revolutionize both marketing and merchandising 
    • Tips and tricks for getting the green light and budget to dive into the world of conversational commerce
    36 min
  • Is the Golden Era of Luxury Ecommerce Ending?
    A large market shift is happening in luxury ecommerce. Millennials and Zoomers alike are prioritizing value over brands, and with dupe culture being extremely popular amongst the younger demographic, luxury ecommerce needs help to stay relevant. Even big media outlets, like The New York Times, are noticing the change in its recent article, “Has the Luxury E-Commerce Bubble Burst?”

    Today, Elena and Roxy Couse, Director, Customer Experience Group, sit down at Bloomreach’s Charlotte, North Carolina office to break down the nuances behind the current market trends and discuss strategies to navigate the changing tides in luxury e-commerce. They'll examine how these preferences for value and authenticity over mere brand names are reshaping consumer behavior and what this means for luxury retailers.

    TLDR;
    • Shift in consumer preferences toward value over brand names
    • The rise of dupe culture and its impact on luxury ecommerce
    • Strategies for luxury brands to adapt and stay competitive in the changing market
    15 min
  • Learn To Build Ecommerce Merchandising Strategies Like a Pro
    With the increasingly crowded ecommerce landscape of 2024 and beyond, carving out your brand's unique online merchandising strategy is paramount. But how do you get started?

    In today's episode, Elena is joined by Salee Suwansawad, the trailblazing Digital Site Merchandising Leader at VF Corporation, which is home to brands like Vans, Timberland, Northface, and more. With a wealth of experience in the space, Salee unveils the blueprint for constructing a commerce empire that stands the test of time.

    Discussed in this episode:
    • Merchandising tactics tailored for both online and brick and mortar
    • The secrets behind effective marketing strategies and mastering the art of brand management
    • Navigating the evolving retail landscape with insights on trends, personalized consumer experiences, and technology adoption
    30 min
  • OLLY on ECommerce’s Future: Simplicity Over Complexity
    Ecommerce continues to evolve at a pace that is hard to fathom — let alone keep up with. In this episode of the Commerce Experience, which was recorded live at Shoptalk Spring in Las, Vegas, Elena sits down with Jennifer Peters, Senior Manager of ECommerce at OLLY PBC, and Phillip Jackson, Co-Founder of Future Commerce, to look at how e-commerce is prioritizing  simplicity over complexity with the democratization of platforms and staying agile and attentive to customers' expectations.

    Join us as we discuss: 
    • The importance of omnichannel for the modern consumer and how to consider it in your planning
    • The evolution of ecommerce tech stacks and the crucial nature of integrations in the age of simplicity 
    • The role of cultural relevance in marketing for all generations and the need for brands to adapt quickly to their desires
    38 min
  • What’s All the Hype With Experiential Retail?
    In 2023, there was a spike in experience, or experiential, retail. But what is experience retail? It’s a strategy that focuses on creating unique, immersive, and memorable experiences for customers — both online and in store. For example, the widespread excitement around pop culture-related events, like the Barbie movie or the Taylor Swift Eras tour, helped immerse consumers wholly into a particular experience — while also driving related purchases for themed outfits, accessories, costumes, and so on.

    With experiential marketing continuing to refine itself, we’ll see a brand’s ability to adapt get a lot quicker, allowing them to gauge important insights, shift merchandising strategies, and capitalize on pop culture trends. In today’s episode, which was recorded during Bloomreach's Commerce Experience Summit, Elena sits down with Christy Augustine, COO at Bloomreach, and Stefani Rosenberg, the former Senior Director of Marketing Product and Process at Macy’s, to explore the dynamic intersection of AI, experiential marketing, and ecommerce.

    Join us as we discuss: 

    • Adapting merchandising strategies to incorporate cultural trends and experiences
    • Leveraging live shopping and partnerships for emotional buy-in
    • Evolving consumer expectations in retail and what it means to your brand
    32 min
  • Do More with Less: Crush Goals with a Small Team
    In the current economic environment, the directive to "do more with less" has become an inescapable reality for marketers. Tasked with driving ambitious results on a shoestring budget and a lean team, the challenge is not merely to keep pace but to stand out and thrive. 

    Into this challenging scenario, Natalie Marcotullio, Head of Growth and Operations at Navattic, brings to the table a unique framework designed to empower small marketing teams. Joining Elena in an eye-opening conversation, Natalie shares how embracing innovative strategies can transform limitations into strengths, ensuring your brand not only resonates in a crowded market but shines distinctly.

    Discussed in this episode: 
    • Managing a marketer’s workload without burnout 
    • Outsourcing tasks for productivity enhancement
    • Finding the best time to pitch ideas to leadership
    22 min
  • Using Hershey's Approach to Unlock Digital Commerce Success
    Marketing teams run a million miles a minute, but one central focus fuels those that win — impenetrable teamwork and a customer-centric approach that focuses on curating the shopping experiences that make sense to them. This unwavering dedication to understanding and meeting the ever-changing needs of their customers sets the stage for groundbreaking strategies and unparalleled business success.

    Today, Elena sits down with Mark Frenette, the B2B Digital Commerce Manager at Hershey, to discuss B2B digital transformation, the B2C comparisons that plague B2B, and the power of creative consistency and digital strategy. Mark shares his vast marketing wisdom and underscores the need to push beyond limits to achieve true success.

    Discussed in this episode:
    • Why B2B companies often lag behind B2C companies in digital transformation despite the need to meet customer expectations
    • “Consistency,” “patience,” and “thinking creatively” as the core values to B2B (and B2C) digital transformation and overcoming internal resistance we feel as humans
    • The importance of aligning technology with your strategy and goals as an organization
    23 min

About Commerce Experience

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The Commerce Experience with Elena Kacan and Roxy Couse — two trailblazers in ecommerce who bring a unique perspective as one of the only women-led podcasts in the…