Ecommerce Conversations

Apple's iOS change in May 2021 continues to impact advertising. To Triple Whale, an Austin, Texas-based analytics provider, the change is a debacle for merchants and an opportunity for the company.

Rabah Rahil is Triple Whale's chief marketing officer. He recently joined host Eric Bandholz to discuss the impact of iOS 14.5 and the need for accurate attribution, ad testing, and more.

For an edited transcript, please see https://pec-ly.com/?6kVr.

PeachBbies launched in 2019 as a direct-to-consumer seller of slime, the squishy-stretchy substance, mostly for kids. Fast forward to 2022 and the company's TikTok and YouTube channels have a whopping 5 million and 1.5 million followers, respectively. PeachyBbies' co-founder tells the story.

Drew Fallon launched Mad Rabbit, a direct-to-consumer tattoo skincare company, with two college buddies shortly after graduating in 2019.  Two years later, the company hit $3 million in annual revenue — as a side hustle.  He describes the company's rise and future in this terrific interview. (Read the edited transcript at https://pec-ly.com/?6ke7.) 

Chisos Boots, a handcrafted bootmaker in Austin, Texas, drives 90% of its revenue online. But its sole physical store serves as a gathering place and hosts two large annual events. Founder Will Roman explains in this week's episode with host Eric Bandholz. 

Nathan Allebach began managing the Twitter account for Steak-umm, the food brand, in 2017. It had 1,000 followers. It's now over 200,000. He speaks with host Eric Bandholz in this week's episode, addressing social media branding, divisive content, and more. 

Having successfully launched Spiceology, a DTC food seller, in 2012, Pete Taylor semi-retired. That was three years ago, after he had hired executives to run the company. He moved to Maui, took a year off, and reflected on his next venture. Fast forward to 2022, and that venture is Midas Brands, a multi-site consumer package goods company.

Mark Taylor is a former Fulfillment-by-Amazon seller weary of paying expensive long-term storage fees. He said, “We started looking for ways to solve the warehousing problem for ourselves, and in doing so, we thought it might be interesting for others.” His solution is Warehouse Republic, a 3PL serving mainly Amazon sellers, which he launched in 2018.

He discusses his journey with host Eric Bandholz, addressing FBA policies, warehouse leasing, fulfillment technology, and more.  See, also, the condensed transcript at: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/fba-seller-tired-of-storage-fees-launches-3pl.

The year 2021 produced dramatic escalations in influencer marketing rates and upheaval in Facebook ad performance. Both are critical marketing channels for Ridge Wallet, the maker of metal-clad billfolds. But CEO Sean Frank is unfazed, and the company is thriving.

It sounds like a movie script. A gay entrepreneur in Guatemala launches a cookie company in 2012 from his mom's kitchen. He meets another Guatemalan entrepreneur, also gay, who joins the business. They get married, immigrate in 2019 to the U.S., and, overcoming a slew of obstacles, relaunch the company from their base in Austin, Texas, achieving success.

The company is called Wunderkeks. The entrepreneurs are founder Hans Schrei and his co-owner husband, Luis Gramajo.

I recently spoke with them. Our conversation addressed much more than selling cookies.

Read the condensed transcript on Practical Ecommerce: https://pec-ly.com/?6jMY

Folks who grind their teeth while sleeping rely on custom-fitted guards for prevention. For sellers of those guards, the complication is the custom-fitting. It requires an exact teeth impression, which presumably calls for an in-person visit.

But not if the seller is Pro Teeth Guard, a San Diego, California-based online dental lab that sells made-to-order teeth guards via ecommerce. Its impressions-by-mail process facilitates custom manufacturing — and satisfied customers.

I recently spoke with JP Ji, Pro Teeth Guard's president, on production challenges, customer service strategies, marketing, and more.