Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

In this episode of the podcast, Richard and Taylor jump into some of the hottest topics in ecommerce right now. Fresh off the July 4th weekend tweet, Taylor shares his hottest ecommerce takes that have sparked conversations and debates across the industry. Highlights from the episode: -The importance of creating more ads and why having a top-notch video editor on your team can be a game-changer. -...

Welcome back to the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! This episode is extra special because we’re revealing something groundbreaking. Back in January, Taylor tweeted about finding a "magical wizard" who learns faster and works harder than anyone we’ve ever met. Today, we unveil that wizard and share an exciting new service. Meet Joy Sharma, the genius behind our new CTC Global Accelerator. Thi...

Welcome back to the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, State of the Industry edition! This special biannual mega episode dives deep into the first half of 2024, comparing it against the first half of 2023 to answer the burning question: How is the ecommerce industry doing? Key Topics Covered: -Year-over-year e-commerce trends for H1 2024 vs. H1 2023 -Insights into ad performance on Meta and Google -The i...

Hey everyone, Richard here! While Taylor is out of town, we're diving back into an insightful episode from October of last year titled "How to Build a Map to Profitable Growth." With the expansion of the Prophit System in Q3, this discussion on core components of forecasting and setting daily expectations is more relevant than ever. In this episode, we explore: The Prophit System and...

With Q2 officially in the books, Taylor and Richard pause to reflect on the first half of the year and give advice on how to readjust expectations for the second half. Discussion points include which key metrics to re-examine, how to beat the summer slump, and the surprisingly neglected revenue lever you should take advantage of as Q3 kicks off. Show Notes: Book a call today to see if the Prophit...

On this episode, Taylor and Richard sit down to further unpack what we mean when we talk about being “against” creative testing. Topics of discussion include the importance of getting everything right before you start designing an ad, the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a great piece of creative, and why Ryan Reynolds (probably) would hate iterative creative testing. Show Notes: Go to getred...

Welcome back to another episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! Today, we're joined by Marshall Morris, the co-founder and president of HomeLife Brands. Marshall shares insights on how there's a hidden asset within your eCommerce business that could generate millions at an 80% margin. In this episode, we explore the innovative approach of HomeLife Brands, a hybrid eCommerce company with...

On this episode of the podcast, CTC Director of Growth Strategy Luke Austin sits down with Richard to break down a phenomenon we noted in our most recent monthly DTC Index report: Google is losing Share of Wallet to Meta. Luke breaks down why this is happening, how Google is dropping the ball when it comes to product updates, and why Meta is better for incrementality. Show Notes: Book a call with...

Welcome back to another edition of the State of the Industry Report! This month, we're diving deep into the data and trends from May, brought to you by the experts at the DTC Index. Join us as we analyze key ecommerce moments and explore consumer sentiment and macro performance. Topics Covered: -Overview of May's key ecommerce moments, including Mother's Day and the start of Father&#39...

Last week, CTC’s media buyers flew to San Francisco to get the latest on upcoming product rollouts at the 2024 Meta Performance Summit.  On this episode of the show, Taylor and Richard recap the event, highlighting three key product innovations that prove that Meta is listening to the ecommerce industry, and what those innovations mean for profit-first media buying. Show Notes: Visit Parker today...

On this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Richard talk about a recent flap on Twitter around the best way to test creative, and dig into a controversial take: That iterative creating testing is a waste of time and money. Then they break down what really matters — building a marketing calendar that tells a unique story. Show Notes: Visit Parker today to learn how to scale with a focus on profitabi...

On this episode of the podcast, Taylor and Richard talk about our recent expansion of the Prophit system into organic and owned channels, how it gets us closer to our goal of building a complete system for Ecommerce growth, and Taylor’s reflections on turning 40. Show Notes: Get 50% off your first month of Motion when you mention Common Thread Collective to the Motion team. https://bit.ly/3VkuQ9n...

Welcome to another episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! Today, Taylor is joined by Kyle Hency, co-founder of Chubbies and CEO of GoodDay Software. They dive into Kyle’s journey from Chubbies to Loop Returns and now GoodDay Software, sharing invaluable insights on: Building and scaling Chubbies, a leading ecommerce brand Creating Loop Returns to solve operational challenges The importance of...

In this episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, Taylor and Tony Chopp, the VP of Paid Media from Common Thread Collective, explore the shifting landscape of Google Ads and the challenges posed by the implementation of PMAX. With over 20 years of experience in digital advertising, Tony brings invaluable insights into how AI developments are reshaping the strategies for Google Ads, particularly w...

Welcome to the April edition of our State of the eCommerce Industry Report! Our experts are here to break down everything that's happening in the market right now. We’re covering everything from impressive revenue growth across different brand sizes to significant shifts in advertising strategies and the evolving roles of platforms like PMAX and Advantage Plus. Plus, we'll discuss the rece...

In this episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, we're diving deep into why organic revenue is essential for sustainable growth. Richard and Taylor are joined by Travis Biechele, the brand-new Director of SEO at CTC. They discuss the strategic reasons behind CTC's shift towards SEO and how we're leveraging organic growth to build a stable revenue foundation for our clients. Learn abo...

In this episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, Taylor is joined by Steven Borrelli of Cuts Clothing. Steven shares how his brand, Cuts, launched as a small team focused on men's T-shirts and rapidly grew into a GQ giant. He discusses the pivotal post-COVID era, navigating supply chain disruptions, inventory challenges, and the surge in demand for new products. He also reflects on lessons l...

Last week, Taylor sat down with Sean Frank from Ridge and Tomer Tagrin of Yotpo to discuss the future of ecommerce SaaS companies. This week, Taylor joins Richard to clarify an important point from that discussion — brand equity is still the difference maker for both SaaS and DTC businesses. Show Notes: Get your free ticket to Make Ads That Convert: https://bit.ly/3QEwaRN The Ecommerce Playbook ma...

In this special edition of the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, Richard sits down with CTC Sales Directors Matthew Axline and Peter Hassan to discuss the most common mistakes brands make, the organizational error that destroys profitability, and the one thing they’d rather not have to say on sales calls anymore. Show Notes: Get your free ticket to Make Ads That Convert: https://bit.ly/4bkY5Ox The Ecomm...

In this episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, we've convened a panel of experts from the ecommerce industry to dive into one of the most debated topics today: SaaS pricing. Today's discussion features insights from Sean Frank of Ridge, and Tomer Tagrin of Yotpo, with moderation by Eric Dyck from DTC. This episode promises to offer an in-depth exploration of the strategies, challenges,...

In this episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast, we’re diving into the world of marketing incrementality and its impact on brand growth. Join Taylor and Luke as they explore the nuances of incrementality, attribution tools, and the quest for measurable ROI. Luke, our resident tactician, shares his expertise on how brands can strategically allocate their resources to maximize incremental contribu...

Join us for a raw and honest discussion as we dive into the evolution of company culture and the challenges faced by CTC in maintaining focus amidst changing priorities. In this episode, Orchid and Dane explore the journey of realization about the shift in priorities from personal dreams to core company objectives. From the inception of a visionary employee program, "Tell Me Your Dreams,&quot...

Welcome to the March edition of our State of the eCommerce Industry Report! In this episode, we take a deep dive into the performance of the industry throughout March. Joined by experts from various data conglomerates, we unravel the trends and insights shaping the eCommerce landscape. We're excited to share teasers from our latest report, which goes live on Monday, April 15th at https://www.d...

Welcome back to another episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! Today we dive deep into the fascinating world of marketing economics with CTC alumni Andrew Faris. Join us as we explore the concept of Negative Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and how it's revolutionizing the way businesses approach customer acquisition. In this episode, we discuss the idea of getting paid to acquire customer...

Welcome back to another episode of the eCommerce Playbook Podcast! In today's episode, we're diving deep into the fascinating journey of Loop Earplugs (GQ score of 148), a brand that has not only disrupted the earplug industry but has also redefined how we perceive hearing protection. Join us as we sit down with Dimitri O, one of the co-founders of Loop Earplugs, for a conversation on thei...