Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

This will be our very last episode of 2024 and we are closing out the year with a bang. 

We reached out to all our podcast guests from 2024 and asked them two thought-provoking questions:

• What’s been the most impactful change/development in our industry from this year and why?

• What’s something in our industry that excites you the most for next year?

Over a dozen industry experts shared their insights, highlighting the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the landscape.

To break it all down, we’ve invited two sharp minds to join the discussion: Russ Dieringer from Stratably and our very own Ross Walker. Together, we’ll dive into the themes that emerged from these conversations and explore what they mean for the future.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, Russ, and Ross discuss:

• AI & Personalization:

• Over 60% of past guests identified AI as a top trend.

• AI is enabling personalization at scale with negligible costs.

• Ross Walker observes more personalized ads, suggesting deep-level data scraping.

• Russ Dieringer predicts higher e-commerce conversion rates by 2025 due to personalization.

• AI's Impact on Retail:

• Amazon and Walmart are moving towards personalized sites and deals.

• AI-generated personalized product titles and shopper journeys are evolving.

• Big brands may face challenges with extensive approval processes, benefiting smaller, agile brands.

• Retail Media & Ad Spending:

• Amazon continues to dominate in retail media and gross merchandise value.

• Discussions on shifting ad budgets, with brands preferring Amazon’s scale.

• Mention of cross-channel media measurement and incrementality.

• Market Dynamics:

• Walmart's strengthening position in grocery, competing with Amazon.

• TikTok's transformation into a commerce platform.

• Retailers like Home Depot (home goods) and Chewy (pet supplies) find niche success.

• AI & Product Visibility:

• High-quality content on product pages influences AI-driven search results.

• Tools like Rufus can summarize reviews but pose visibility control challenges.

• Adoption of Omnichannel Strategies:

• Integration of online and in-store experiences, with Walmart leading.

• Amazon's gradual integration of data pipelines with Whole Foods.

• Future Trends:

• Emerging AI tools to enhance product detail page (PDP) measurement.

• Potential transformation of retail strategies by AI by 2025.

• Excitement for further discussions on retail media and marketplace trends in 2025.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

Today, we’re excited to welcome two of Acadia’s top experts in organic optimization for Google and Amazon. Scott Walldren, Head of SEO with over 15 years of experience, and Julian Galindo, Senior Account Manager, and Amazon organic growth expert, join us to tackle a key industry debate: does Amazon’s advertising and SEO strategy follow Google’s past playbook?

We’ll explore where the parallels hold up—and where Amazon is breaking new ground. Stay tuned for actionable insights from two leading voices in the field!

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Jordan, Scott, and Julian discuss:

• Conversion is the main goal of SEO on Amazon, emphasizing impactful keyword use over keyword stuffing.

• Google's Evolution: Transition from keyword focus to user-friendly, AI-refined content.

• Google's AI influences product titles and search result refinements.

• Amazon's Search and Product Promotion: Integration of richer content like editorial recommendations and badges on product listings that summarize customer feedback.

• AI streamlines customer journeys on Amazon, offering personalized recommendations but sometimes struggling with specifics.

• Importance of understanding consumer perspectives and conducting thorough keyword research.

• Aligning product descriptions with consumer search behavior.

• Evaluating search results to gauge consumer intent and market positioning.

• Balancing product features with search trends and refining naming conventions.

• The perpetual nature of SEO with continuous updates and adjustments.

• Regular content refresh cycles recommended for trend alignment and strategy effectiveness.

• AI's role in managing large-scale content updates and optimizing product discovery.

• Future implications of AI-driven search experiences.

• Utilizing questionnaires to gather client-specific information for accurate keyword targeting.

• Shifts in user search patterns requiring ongoing SEO strategy adjustments.

• Introduction of AI projects like "Rufus," providing personalized recommendations but facing challenges with detailed requests.

• User-generated reviews significantly impacting AI algorithms and customer trust in product discovery and purchase decisions.

• Future of E-commerce SEO: Optimizing for both AI-driven discovery and traditional search rankings.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

Today, we're bringing together some of Acadia's brightest minds from our retail media, account management, and strategy teams for a roundtable discussion. 

They'll share their initial insights into what set this Black Friday and Cyber Monday apart for Amazon and the brands we support. 

Joining us are Ross Walker, leader of our retail paid media team; Joanna Otto, account manager for some of our largest brands; and Predrag Vetnić, account strategist and our in-house authority on merchandising, promotions, and tentpole strategies.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Jordan, Ross, Joanna, and Predrag discuss:

• Brand Sentiment and Strategy:

• Observations on brand attitudes towards Q4 events amidst economic uncertainty.

• Strategies range from aggressive discounting for growth to cautious participation to preserve margins.

• Changes in 2024:

• Introduction to new promotional structures by Amazon, including increased required days for discounts to get badging.

• Highlights on how brands adjusted their strategies to align with these new requirements.

• Economic and Logistical Factors:

• Reflection on how macroeconomic factors and Amazon's logistical considerations influence the extended shopping event period.

• Performance Results:

• General consensus that most brands saw better performance year-over-year.

• Notable swings in performance based on promotional participation and advertising strategies.

• Operational Challenges:

• Common platform and operational issues, including listing suppressions, pricing compliance issues, and feature glitches.

• Positive notes on some improved aspects of Amazon's ad console.

• Upcoming Shopping Weeks:

• Continued focus on strategies for the remaining holiday shopping weeks.

• Importance of brand tailored promotions and advanced media tactics using AMC audience data.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

In this episode, we’re joined by Instacart experts Juan Munoz and Robert Benlloch to tackle some key retail media questions: 

Is my ad spend cannibalizing my organic sales? 

How should I be assessing my investment for growth? 

And what are the right measurement frameworks and metrics to use when having these conversations and providing guidance to our clients? 

Through the lens of Instacart, we’ll explore its unique nuances and advantages for measuring and understanding incrementality.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Jordan, Robert, and Juan discuss:

• Defining Cannibalization:

• Two types of cannibalization: traditional (ads taking credit for sales that would have happened anyway) and placement cannibalization (paid ads replacing organic placements).

• Understanding concerns about ad investments cannibalizing organic sales.

• Instacart-Specific Metrics:

• Overview of metrics unique to Instacart such as Halo Sales, New to Brand, and market share.

• Importance of the Customer Insights tab for tracking market share and competitive positioning.

• Sales per Instacart Weighted Distribution (SDPI):

• Explanation of how this metric isolates sales velocity by excluding changes in distribution.

• Importance of controlling for shifts in product availability across stores.

• Determining Optimal Ad Spend:

• Discussion on metrics like market share and total sales as better indicators of ad spend efficiency.

• How Instacart allows correlation of ad spend to market share growth against competitors.

• Developments in Instacart:

• Announcement of new metrics like "Share of Digital Shelf" which shows your position relative to competitors.

• Introduction of "Inspirational Ads" for targeting users looking for specific recipes.

• Speculations and Insights:

• Speculation on why Instacart is more transparent with data compared to other platforms.

• Reflection on Instacart's commitment to providing detailed analytics for better business decisions.

• Future of Instacart Innovations:

• Excitement around new ad placements and features like the recipe-based ads.

• Taking advantage of new developments on Instacart.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

Today we’re joined by Geoffrey Beliard, Senior Director of Product Solutions at Pacvue. 

Geoffrey has spent decades leading data and analytics teams both on the brand side at large CPG conglomerates and, more recently, with leading software companies in our industry. 

We’ll dive into Geoffrey’s take on where the industry is heading and how he’s leading the product team and roadmap at Pacvue to meet that future. 

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Geoffrey discuss:

• Core Focus of Pacvue:

• Emphasis on retail media and retail operations as primary pillars.

• Strategic choice to excel in fewer areas rather than offering a broad range of services.

• Differentiation Strategy:

• Preference for doing fewer things exceptionally well, setting Pacvue apart from competitors like Commerce IQ and Stackline.

• Advocacy for an open ecosystem, allowing integration with existing data sources and tools.

• Partnerships and Company Culture:

• Importance of strategic partnerships to augment weaker areas.

• Alignment of business strategy with a growth mindset and continuous improvement.

• Pacvue’s Capabilities:

• Retail media management tools and Pacvue Commerce for comprehensive retail operations.

• Integration with major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Kroger, etc.

• Insights from Geoffrey Beliard:

• Experiences from the brand side and agency side contributing to product solutions.

• Discussion on balancing scalability with niche agency needs.

• Retail Media Networks and Clean Room Technology:

• Comparison between broad versus deep approaches in retail media network development.

• Investment in clean room technology and its role in unifying data and understanding shopper behavior.

• Measurement and Incrementality:

• Development of robust methodologies to measure incrementality, starting with Amazon.

• Use of "ensemble learning" to handle diverse data inputs for better incrementality measurement.

• Automation vs. Human Intervention:

• Discussion on the balance between automated AI solutions and manual control.

• Factors affecting retail operations, including inventory and buy box ownership.

• Future of Retail Media:

• Consolidation around the top 20 global retailers developing retail media networks.

• Importance of large-scale retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target in attracting media investment.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

Today, we’re excited to revisit the important topic of catalog organization with seasoned expert and Operations Manager, Zlatana Pejovoc.

A couple of years back, we released an episode focused on managing large apparel catalogs, which is definitely worth a listen if you’re dealing with catalog challenges. 

In this episode, however, we’re taking a fresh, holistic look at variations and catalog organization to explore recent developments, current best practices, and the future of assortment strategy.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Zlatana discuss:

• Evolution of Catalog Variations

• Increased rigidity and standards in Amazon's process.

• Introduction of AVs (Automated Variations) in Vendor Central.

• Shift towards a more self-serve model in recent years.

• Positive impact on customer experience.

• Increased complexity but also better flexibility for sellers.

• Challenges in Catalog Organization: Balancing self-serve options and stricter standards.

• Better user experience versus operational complexity for brands.

• Case Studies and Examples: Practical examples from apparel brands and other categories.

• Best Practices for Variation Strategy: Importance of Grouping Similar Products

• Up to 30% revenue increase from well-executed variation strategies.

• Boosting visibility and conversion rates for new products.

• Common Mistakes and Pitfalls: Incorrect grouping leading to suspended listings.

• Variating different product types inappropriately.

• Future of Catalog Management

• Predictions and Wishes: User-friendly flat files and better support services.

• Potential AI-driven suggestions for simplifying the variation process.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

Today we’re joined by two amazing guests: Meghan Corron, Co-founder & CEO at Clerdata, and Andrew Lipsman, a notable industry analyst who heads up Media, Ads, and Commerce. 

We’ll be diving into some of the key takeaways from a report Andrew recently presented at RMN Ascendant called “The Future of Retail Media is the Future of ALL Media”, as well as getting Meghan’s take on a lot of the cutting-edge incrementality data and research that’s informing Andrew’s presentation on the state of the industry.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, Meghan, and Andrew discuss:

• The inefficiencies in current digital marketing due to poor measurement systems.

• The over-credited nature of Google and Meta due to their advanced measurement and frequent consumer interactions.

• Shift Towards Mobile Search and Social Media: Significant movement of ad dollars toward platforms like Google and Meta.

• Waves of Digital Advertising: Google, Facebook, and now retail media. Each wave leverages closed-loop measurement to attract budgets.

• Retail media is noted as a cost-effective yet underinvested channel.

• Despite higher costs than Google or Meta, RM captures consumer decisions at the point of purchase.

• Varied success among Retail Media Networks (RMNs) driven by targeting quality and contextual environments.

• Meghan Corroon compares marketing investments to stock portfolios, highlighting the over and under-investments across different platforms.

• The issue of siloed ROI reports often exceeds a company's actual revenue.

• The need for more reliable measurement techniques beyond ROAS to understand the true incrementality of ads.

• Connected TV (CTV) Opportunities: The emerging promise of CTV in influencing consumer behavior despite higher costs and low ROAS.

• CPG companies' willingness to experiment with credible measurement evidence.

• Pressure to grow sales, maintain stock prices, and avoid layoffs driving the need for trusted data.

• The Concept of clean rooms and their potential to unify data and attribution forms.

• Slow development and underutilization, with a call for clear application guidelines to improve their effectiveness.

• The progression from Retail Media 1.0 to 3.0, focuses on various aspects such as on-site search, offsite display, and experiential media.

• Amazon's pioneering role in retail media integration and its impact.

• Importance of loyalty programs like Amazon Prime for targeting and measurement.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Head of Retail Marketplaces Services Julie Spear and Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

Today we’re joined by long-time Amazon insider Joanna Otto. Joanna has spent over a decade across brand side roles, Amazon-focused agencies, and internally at Amazon. More importantly - she is the type of person we’ll invent any excuse to get on a call with so she can inject positivity into our days. 

But today we have a good excuse for our chat: Joanna has graciously agreed to give us a full download on the relatively new capabilities of Brand Tailored Promotions, what they are, where they came from, why they may or may not work for a given growth strategy and brand, and what they might tell us about the future of all things merchandising on Amazon. 

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Joanna discuss:

• Introduction to Joanna Otto: Experience in brand-side roles, Amazon-focused agencies, and Amazon itself; currently an account manager at Acadia.

• Overview of Brand Tailored Promotions (BTPs)

• Timeline of development and key updates (August 2023 launch, June 2023 update to exclude ASINs, October 2023 new features).

• Differences between Brand Tailored Promotions and Brand Tailored Coupons

• Placement: Promotions visible on product pages vs. coupons in search and browse.

• Discount thresholds and fees associated with each.

• Implementation Strategies: Importance of a phased approach and audience segmentation.

• Utilizing BTPs during significant events (e.g., Prime Day) to extend promotion benefits.

• Use Cases for Different Brand Types: Strategies for new/upstart brands vs. established brands.

• Examples of audience segments (e.g., cart abandoners, high spenders).

• Pros of BTPs: Non-crawlable, refreshed data, specific targeting, no additional fees.

• Cons of BTPs: Lack of immediate impact, no ASIN-level reporting yet.

• Future Outlook: Anticipated developments in ASIN-level reporting.

• The potential evolution of Amazon’s promotional strategies to provide more precise targeting and enhanced customer experience.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

We're coming to you live from unBoxed in Austin, Texas, with a very special guest: Jeff Cohen, Amazon's Ads Tech Evangelist who will be sharing insights into the latest developments in the Amazon ads ecosystem.

This episode will bring you insightful updates on brand-building strategies, innovative AI tools, and powerful measurement metrics designed to elevate your e-commerce game.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Jordan and Jeff discuss:

• Jeff shares his journey to becoming an Amazon ad tech evangelist.

• His passion for educating the community on Amazon ads and scaling brands.

• The importance of retail readiness before scaling advertising efforts.

• Advertisement as the kerosene that makes the brand's fire grow bigger.

• AI-Powered Creative Solutions

• Enhancing creative capabilities through Amazon’s new tools.

• Integration with Canva for streamlined creative development.

• The concept and benefits of managed campaigns for new product launches.

• Aligning inventory with advertising strategies to overcome the cold start problem.

• Utilizing Amazon DSP’s new user experience for planning and execution.

• The role of Performance Plus in simplifying the campaign setup.

• Importance of triangulating signals to achieve desired outcomes.

• Advanced Targeting Methods: Amazon’s strength with signal-rich targeting across various properties.

• Impact of upper funnel investments on down-funnel activity.

• Key targeting techniques for driving new-to-brand sales and subscriber growth.

• Enhanced Measurement Tools: Long-term sales metrics for 12-month impact analysis.

• Conversion path reporting to track multi-touchpoints.

• Amazon’s Multi-Touch Attribution Model using scientific methodologies.

• The Democratization of Branding Tools: Making advanced advertising tools accessible to SMBs.

• Simplifying complex processes to allow broader brand participation.

Welcome to another episode of The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast hosted by Acadia’s Director of Retail Operations, Jordan Ripley.

In this special edition, we dive into the results of this year's Prime Big Deal Days with some top-tier experts from the industry.

Joining us are Logan Nielsen, an Account Manager at Acadia and our resident Prime Day hype man, and Zach Christensen from Analytic Index, Acadia's trusted category and search analytics data partner. 

Just 36 hours after the event, they share their initial impressions, key trends, and data-driven insights, helping you understand what worked, what didn't, and what it all means for the future of e-commerce.

Make sure you tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Jordan, Logan, and Zach discuss:

• The different names for Prime Day and the event's brand identity.

• Personal takes on prime big deal days: personal experiences and purchasing stories.

• Analysis of consumer engagement and awareness compared to the summer Prime Day event.

• The general sentiment and energy surrounding Prime Big Deal Days.

• Emotional involvement and purchase decisions.

• Preliminary key trends and data insights

• The importance of leveraging external traffic and influencers.

• Analysis of the increased competitive landscape and its impact on ad spending and ROI.

• Notable Glitches and Technical Challenges: Issues encountered with Amazon's ad consuls and badging for sponsored brands.

• Logan's strategies for mitigating these challenges in future events.

• Logan highlights the success of premium brands with compelling discounts.

• The important role of prime exclusive discounts despite the new deal fee.

• Zach's insights into the surge of novelty items and Amazon's private label strategies.

• Predictions and strategies for the future: Leveraging brand-tailored promotions and new audience types.

• Importance of analyzing competitive promotions and preparing for upcoming Q4 events.

• Zach discusses the potential long-term impact on search visibility and shopping patterns.

• Summary of initial findings and anticipated future analysis.