Aaron Conant is the Co-founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, a leading platform for executive strategy and networking sessions. He is an eCommerce expert with over a decade of experience in digital commerce, providing advisory services to brands on Amazon sales strategies, retail media, DTC platform selection, and SEO. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Global, has built an exclusive network of over 125,000 senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events annually.

The digital commerce landscape is evolving faster than ever, with AI and automated shopping systems transforming the way consumers discover and buy products. Traditional strategies like keyword stuffing and static product descriptions no longer guarantee success. How can brands stay ahead in a space where AI drives both discovery and conversion?

Aaron Conant, an expert in digital commerce and eCommerce strategy, explains that adapting to agentic commerce is essential for brands aiming to thrive in this AI-driven environment. He highlights the shift on platforms like Amazon, where product images now play a bigger role in conversion, and AI systems analyze textual content to generate recommendations. Aaron suggests prioritizing bullet points that answer AI queries, leveraging TikTok and Reddit for traffic, and maintaining human oversight in AI-assisted content creation. By focusing on these strategies, brands can future-proof their online presence and optimize both discoverability and engagement.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Chad Franzen of Rise25 sits down with Aaron Conant, Co-founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, to discuss why brands must adapt to AI-driven shopping. Aaron covers agentic commerce, optimizing product content for AI, and leveraging emerging platforms like TikTok and Reddit. He also touches on human oversight in AI content creation and strategic networking for modern brand success.

Corey Apirian is the CEO of Davinci Micro Fulfillment, a full-service logistics company that uses technology and partners with brands and retailers to help market, sell, fulfill, and ship their products. As an accomplished supply chain and operations leader, Corey has over 15 years of senior management experience. With more than 20 years of experience in the eCommerce fulfillment industry, Corey has been drop shipping for every major retailer since 2004 and has launched over 50 different subcategories through individual online and brick-and-mortar channels.

The supply chain conversation is shifting from simple fulfillment to a broader question of how brands move inventory across every channel with greater control, flexibility, and margin awareness. Amazon's latest supply chain announcement puts that shift into sharper focus, signaling a bigger move into logistics services beyond traditional FBA. As marketplace profitability gets harder to protect, how should brands think about Amazon's expanding role in the supply chain?

Amazon Supply Chain Services can be useful when brands treat it as one part of a broader logistics strategy rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. Corey Apirian, an eCommerce, logistics, and supply chain expert, explains how Amazon is applying a familiar playbook: building powerful infrastructure for itself, then offering that capability to the broader market. Corey points out that brands may benefit from Amazon's rates, scale, and operational discipline, especially for storage, first-mile needs, or select freight opportunities. At the same time, carrier diversification, decentralized inventory, and sharper visibility are essential for protecting profitability and avoiding overdependence.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant sits down with Corey Apirian, CEO of Davinci Micro Fulfillment, to talk about Amazon's Supply Chain announcement and what it means for brands. Corey examines why brands are watching Amazon closely, how logistics diversification supports profitability, and the best fulfillment strategies across marketplaces. He also touches on carrier networks, inventory placement, and the future of third-party logistics.

Aaron Conant is the Co-founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, a leading platform for executive strategy and networking sessions. He is an eCommerce expert with over a decade of experience in digital commerce, providing advisory services to brands on Amazon sales strategies, retail media, DTC platform selection, and SEO. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Global, has built an exclusive network of over 125,000 senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events annually.

In today's digital landscape, brands are seeking strategies that not only deliver results but also stand the test of time. As eCommerce continues to surge, brands must stay ahead of the competition and drive sustainable growth. Identifying the right strategies is crucial, so what are the most effective approaches for digital success?

To answer this, industry experts share valuable insights on everything from omnichannel strategies to personalized marketing. Dan Brownsher stresses the importance of strategic channel management, urging brands to carefully orchestrate where and how they sell their products. Todd Hassenfelt highlights the need for personalized marketing efforts and the optimization of the digital shelf to meet each audience's unique needs. Corey Apirian explains how getting inventory closer to customers can drastically improve delivery speed and accuracy. Spencer Millerberg discusses the importance of understanding how customers search for products, emphasizing the need for brands to avoid the "curse of knowledge" when creating product listings and to align product names with what customers actually search for. Meanwhile, Andrew Lipsman explores the evolving landscape of retail media, particularly the growing impact of digital ads moving up the funnel and the rise of in-store digital experiences. These actionable takeaways provide clear guidance on refining your brand's strategy in the digital world.

In this special compilation episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant revisits his most insightful conversations with industry experts. The episode dives into topics like strategic omnichannel management, the importance of personalized marketing, and the future of retail media, including in-store digital ad experiences. It's a must-listen for digital marketers looking to stay ahead of the curve and optimize their strategies for sustained growth.

Wesley Wilson is the Head of the US and Canada for The Consumer Goods Forum (CFG), a CEO-led global organization advancing the future of retail and consumer goods. With a background in consumer goods investment and experience at Walmart and Mars, Wesley helps industry leaders collaborate on innovation, standards, intelligent commerce, adaptive value chains, and evolving consumer needs. He brings a global, multichannel perspective to conversations about data, AI, and the future of consumer goods.

Justin Honaman is the Global Head of Worldwide Retail, Restaurants, and Consumer Goods Business Development at Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud platform helping companies build, scale, and modernize digital capabilities. Justin works with global retail and CPG leaders on supply chain, eCommerce, data, analytics, AI, digital engagement, and customer experience solutions. Recognized as the 2026 Top AI Thought-Leader by Rethink Retail, he brings practical insight into how brands can use generative and agentic AI while navigating data, governance, and talent challenges.

AI has quickly moved from experimentation to expectation, but many organizations are still working through the foundations that make it useful. Clean data, strong governance, and the right talent are becoming just as important as the tools themselves. As agentic AI becomes more practical, how can companies move fast without losing control?

The answer lies in building flexible data systems, empowering teams, and choosing AI investments that align with real business value. Wesley Wilson brings expertise in retail and consumer goods strategy, while Justin Honaman adds a technology and cloud perspective on how brands are applying generative and agentic AI today. Wesley emphasizes the need for common standards, data control, and a clear customer value proposition, while Justin points to cloud adoption, talent development, and secure agent management as signs that companies are moving from curiosity to execution. Together, they suggest that success will come from balancing speed with structure, experimentation with governance, and innovation with practical use cases.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Wesley Wilson, Head of the US and Canada for The Consumer Goods Forum, and Justin Honaman, Global Head of Worldwide Retail, Restaurants, and Consumer Goods Business Development at Amazon Web Services. They focus on agentic AI and the data challenges shaping retail and consumer goods. Wesley and Justin discuss data readiness, AI governance, talent gaps, and touch on personalization, search, and what comes next for AI adoption.

JD Sass is the Co-founder and CEO of Axiom Return Solutions, a reverse logistics company that helps Amazon sellers and brands recover value from returns and improve post-purchase performance. He built the company after identifying inefficiencies in how returns are managed across marketplaces. JD leads a team that inspects, grades, and resells inventory while uncovering actionable data insights to reduce losses. He works with brands of all sizes to turn returns into revenue opportunities and improve decision-making across the supply chain.

Returns are often treated as an unavoidable cost of doing business and are absorbed into margins without much scrutiny. Yet behind every return is a set of decisions, missed insights, and potential value left on the table. How can overlooked processes become a meaningful driver of profitability instead of a sunk cost?

As an expert in reverse logistics and returns management, JD Sass explains that brands can significantly improve profitability by rethinking how they handle returned inventory. Rather than defaulting to disposal, he highlights the importance of inspecting, grading, and reintegrating products back into sales channels whenever possible. Many items are actually new and recoverable, and leveraging return data can uncover product issues, reduce future return rates, and inform better operational decisions. JD also stresses the value of filing claims and maintaining visibility into inventory to prevent unnecessary losses.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant sits down with JD Sass, Co-founder and CEO of Axiom Return Solutions, to discuss how brands can turn returns into a profitability lever. JD breaks down why disposal costs more than brands realize, how to recover value from returned inventory, and what data reveals about return behavior. He also touches on claim recovery strategies and optimizing listings to reduce returns.

Gautam Kanumuru is the Co-founder and CEO of Yogi, a product sentiment analysis platform that enables brands to gain deeper visibility into customer feedback and the voice of the customer. With a background in AI and natural language processing, he played a crucial role in developing Microsoft products, including Cortana and Xbox. Before co-founding Yogi, Gautam was the Vice President of Engineering at Clarke.ai and a Program Manager at Microsoft.

Shifts in how customer feedback is displayed can reshape the way people shop online. Even small changes in review visibility can influence trust, perception, and purchasing decisions. As platforms prioritize accuracy and transparency, brands are left adjusting in real time. So what happens when the rules around reviews suddenly change?

Gautam Kanumuru, an expert in consumer feedback and product analytics, explains that recent updates are pushing brands toward greater accountability at the individual product level. He notes that separating reviews by variation gives shoppers a clearer picture but also exposes underperforming SKUs that were previously hidden. Gautam emphasizes the importance of closely monitoring product-level sentiment and using that data to inform decisions across marketing, product development, and eCommerce strategies. Brands that actively listen and respond to customer feedback will be better positioned to adapt and grow.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant sits down with Gautam Kanumuru, Co-founder and CEO of Yogi, to discuss how Amazon's evolving review system is reshaping consumer behavior and brand strategy. Gautam explores the shift to variation-level reviews, the impact on shopper trust, and the growing need for accurate data. He also touches on AI-driven shopping tools and the increasing importance of product quality in a more transparent marketplace.

Aaron Conant is the Co-founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, a leading platform for executive strategy and networking sessions. He is an eCommerce expert with over a decade of experience in digital commerce, providing advisory services to brands on Amazon sales strategies, retail media, DTC platform selection, and SEO. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Global, has built an exclusive network of over 125,000 senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events annually.

Digital commerce is evolving at a pace that makes it difficult for even experienced professionals to keep up. New tools promise efficiency, but they often introduce more complexity and uncertainty. As expectations rise and technology shifts, businesses are being pushed to rethink how they operate, market, and grow. So how can companies adapt when the rules seem to change faster than they can respond?

Aaron Conant explains that the current environment is defined by rapid transformation, where AI, changing search behavior, and increasing demands on marketers are reshaping the landscape. As a digital commerce expert with deep experience advising brands, he highlights the importance of understanding emerging trends like conversational search and answer engines, while also emphasizing foundational elements such as clean data and strong content. Aaron suggests that companies focus on continuous testing, invest in learning, and avoid waiting for clarity before taking action. The key is building systems that allow for adaptability rather than chasing perfection.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Chad Franzen of Rise25 talks with Aaron Conant, Co-founder and Chief Digital Strategist at BWG Connect, about how AI is reshaping eCommerce and digital marketing strategy. Aaron shares insights on the rise of AEO and GEO, the growing role of personalization, and the challenges of AI adoption. He also explores content evolution, data readiness, and why constant testing and learning are critical for staying competitive.

Jessyca Dewey is the Founder of The Y Collective, a social-first digital marketing agency focused on CPG brands. With 16-plus years of experience in content and digital marketing, she has worked with brands like L'Oréal, Hasbro, and Califia Farms. Jessyca specializes in aligning social strategy with business goals, helping brands move beyond vanity metrics to drive meaningful engagement and real-world impact, especially in retail.

Most brands still measure social media success using metrics that are easy to track but not always meaningful. Follower counts, impressions, and ROAS often dominate reports, regardless of whether they reflect real business impact. So how should brands rethink their KPIs to align with actual growth?

As a social-first digital marketing expert working closely with CPG and retail-driven brands, Jessyca Dewey explains that the key is shifting away from vanity metrics toward signals of real engagement and intent. She highlights shares, saves, and watch time as stronger indicators of whether content is resonating and building brand recall, especially in retail environments where attribution is limited. Jessyca also stresses the importance of aligning social KPIs with business realities — like distribution geography and target audience — so efforts actually support sales outcomes. In her view, effective measurement is less about immediate conversion and more about building familiarity that influences purchase decisions over time.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant talks with Jessyca Dewey, Founder of The Y Collective, to discuss getting social media KPIs right. Jessyca covers why follower growth is outdated, how engagement signals like saves and shares drive impact, and how to align social strategy with retail goals. She also shares insights on organic versus paid social and evolving platform metrics.

Dan Brownsher is the Founder, Executive Chairman, and CSO at Channel Key, a full-service channel management marketplace agency. A recognized national thought leader in marketplace retail strategy and emerging eCommerce trends, Dan is a trusted commentator on Amazon and marketplace technologies and is frequently quoted by outlets such as Bloomberg, Forbes, Reuters, MSN.com, and the LA Times. He also co-founded Trend Nation, a top-200 global Amazon private label developer and seller that surpassed $1 billion in merchandise sales and achieved a private equity exit.

As digital commerce scales across marketplaces and AI-driven experiences, brands aren't deciding if they should sell online — they're deciding which channels to prioritize, which products belong on each, and how to operate at scale. From Amazon and Walmart to TikTok Shop and emerging agent-led buying journeys, the number of viable paths to purchase is expanding fast. How can brands pursue growth without wasting margin, media spend, or internal resources?

According to national eCommerce thought leader Dan Brownsher, this shift is driven by consumer trust in digital commerce and expanding shopping habits across marketplaces. He advises brands to evaluate channels based on SKU-level profitability, fulfillment constraints, and measurable incrementality rather than solely omnichannel expansion. Dan also recommends narrowing assortment by channel, actively shifting media spend to where returns are provable, and using AI to accelerate analysis and execution — not replace judgment.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Dan Brownsher, Founder, Executive Chairman, and CSO at Channel Key, about the future of omnichannel commerce. Dan discusses why consumers are driving marketplace expansion, how brands should manage assortment and media across channels, and what agentic commerce and AI-powered discovery mean for search, trust, and buying behavior.

Max Sinclair is the Founder and CEO of Azoma (formerly Ecomtent), which generates AI-powered product content across eCommerce sites. Before founding Azoma, he spent six years at Amazon, where he launched Amazon Business in the UK, Amazon.sg in Singapore, and Amazon Grocery across the EU. Max is also the host of New Frontier: The AI for ecommerce podcast.

AI is no longer just influencing how people search; it's starting to decide what they buy. As intelligent agents take on more decision-making, brands are facing a future where visibility depends less on ads and more on recommendations. How should businesses prepare for an environment where AI chooses on behalf of the consumer?

Max Sinclair notes that agentic commerce is already emerging, driven by AI systems that can analyze multiple data points and make personalized decisions for users. As an expert in AI-driven commerce and digital optimization, he emphasizes that brands must optimize for how AI understands, evaluates, and recommends products, not just how humans search. Max advises moving fast, aligning content across channels, and empowering teams to experiment rather than wait for certainty. The brands that act decisively now can leverage AI-driven recommendations effectively.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant chats with Max Sinclair, Founder and CEO of Azoma, about the rise of agentic commerce and its implications for brands. Max shares how AI agents influence purchasing decisions, what companies must do to stay visible in AI search, and why fast organizational adoption will define the winners in 2026.