Future Commerce

Organizations love to optimize—but often forget what, or who, they’re optimizing for. When teams are built around internal structures rather than customer outcomes, even the best strategies become slow to adapt. Author and data analyst Neil Hoyne and Pini Yakuel explore how behavioral rigidity, not technical limitations, holds most companies back. Drawing from principles in Neil Hoyne’s book, Conv...

Join us for a live session from The Whalies in LA with Bryan Cano, Head of Marketing at True Classic, on a recent meteoric rise to an $850M valuation. Bryan reveals how True Classic is democratizing AI adoption across their organization by turning every employee into a technology architect and maintaining human empathy that drives authentic brand connection. We explore how tactical innovation serv...

Phillip and Pini decode the implications of operating in a world where generative AI acts as both creative partner and analytical assistant. The walls between departments are dissolving. Roles are becoming more flexible. Tools are learning faster than their users. And the new creative process starts with a prompt.   Key Takeaways AI is now the default creative and analytical partner —prompting, pl...

Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 15% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episo...

What happens when everyone becomes a brand for fifteen seconds? And what happens after brands become nothing more than ambient frequencies in our endless scroll? Today, we’re running back the highest-rated talk from VISIONS: LA. Emily Segal (K-HOLE, Nemesis) presents groundbreaking research on the post-peak vibe era, exploring what comes next when brands can no longer hide behind mood boards and a...

In this kickoff episode of Decoded , Phillip Jackson sits down with Pini Yakuel to explore the concept of "positionless marketing" — a radical rethinking of how marketing teams operate in an AI-powered world. Drawing inspiration from the evolution of positionless basketball, Pini argues that marketing, like sports, is evolving toward roles defined by agility and capability, not titles or silos. Th...

Massive acquisitions—from Skechers to Touchland to Foot Locker—aren’t just headline fodder; they reflect deeper shifts in how value is defined in commerce today. Phillip and Brian explore what this means for brand identity, consumer behavior, and retail strategy, while diving into everything from Ghost Nutrition’s licensing fallout to how Ozempic might reshape fashion trends. It’s all a signal: th...

Join the Membership: futurecommerce.com/plus and save $10 on your first month with code AFTERDARK Wooden nickels, gilded sovereigns, and a juke-joint cash drawer. We peel back the layers of Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS to show how currency turns into control—and why plantation scrip still echoes in today’s loyalty points. Get the full breakdown and bonus notes with Future Commerce Plus. Join the Members...

Live from Los Angeles, Phillip and Brian explore bizarre and brilliant intersections of commerce and culture of late, from commerce themes in Sinners to pope merch to DIY luxury. In an episode that’s part futurist insight, part sacred absurdity, they connect the dots between retail psychology, meme theology, and trade policy. PLUS: Phillip and Brian head to The Whalies with Triple Whale. Coming up...

Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 15% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episo...

Phillip and Brian bring hot takes on eBay’s Met Gala presence, the latest tariff turmoil, and the future of autonomous driving. PLUS: Dissecting Warren Buffet’s retirement and new research on Gen Z vs. Millennial communication trends.  The Y2K Bug Zapped Us Into Postmodernism Key takeaways: Trends that feel like youth trends are actually just internet trends.  Their effects are now felt across gen...

Brian dials in from B2B Chicago, Phillip gets existential, and Alicia Esposito returns to the show and makes her debut as the newest member of the Future Commerce team. This week, we unpack music festivals’ escalating cost of participation, Coachella as a retail laboratory, and how looming global trade challenges overconsumption. PLUS: The auto industry experiences a rare analog awakening. It Was...

Phillip and Brian dig into the cultural implications of AI’s new role—not just as a tool, but as a confidant, a co-pilot, and even a therapist. They also get into the Kraft Heinz x A1 viral moment, trade war disinformation on TikTok, and how AI-fueled consumer aesthetics are transforming luxury. Plus: A new HBR report shows “therapy and companionship” is now the top use case for GenAI. What does t...

Andrew McLuhan—author, speaker, and steward of The McLuhan Institute—shares rich, mind-bending perspectives on the current state of culture, media, connection, and commerce. Drawing from a generations-deep intellectual legacy forged by media theorist and philosopher Marshall McLuhan, Andrew explores what it means to live in a world electrified by complete digital immersion. A New Medium Is A New C...

Live from Optimove Connect, Brian sits down with Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel and Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist at Futurist.com, to unpack the philosophical and practical implications of 'positionless marketing'—a radical rethink of organizational roles in the AI era. Mind Over Mechanism Key takeaways: Positionless is Power: The most innovative organizations won't be flatter—they'll be fluid. Role...

Brian goes live from Optimove Connect in London to explore how the idea of “positionless marketing” is revolutionizing the way we think about team structure, agility, and creativity in marketing. He chats with endurance swimmer and environmental activist Lewis Pugh, as well as DAZN’s Ria Chin-You and Optimove’s Paul O’Shea, about marketing’s future and how AI is shaping it. Strive for Epic Key tak...

Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 15% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episo...

Elizabeth Schmidt sits down with Kelly Cook, the new CEO of David’s Bridal, for a deep-dive into one of the most ambitious retail transformations happening today. Kelly is leading the iconic bridal company through its pivot from “aisle to algorithm,” turning tradition on its head while honoring the trust of over 100 million women they've dressed. Kelly shares how David’s is embracing inclusivity,...

Feat. Daisy Alioto & Francis Zierer Daisy Alioto and Francis Zierer of Tasteland join us to talk about what happens when two distinct media brands—Dirt and Creator Spotlight—collide. We explore how podcasting has become a creative extension of newsletters, how parasocial dynamics shape audience building, and what it means to build brand and community in a fractured media landscape. Staying Afloat...

Feat. Josh Friedman Live from Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas, Phillip and Brian sit down with Josh Friedman, VP of Digital & eCommerce at Ulta Beauty, for an insider look at how one of America’s leading beauty retailers is evolving its digital experience. From launching a curated, invitation-only marketplace to expanding into wellness and enhancing in-app experiences, Josh shares how Ulta is blendin...

Live from the buzzing floor of ShopTalk Spring, Phillip, Brian, and marketing expert Elizabeth Schmidt unpack everything from nostalgic branding and Gen Z marketing to luxury retail and AI in education. We digest key themes we heard during ShopTalk in real-time and share a compelling look at how relationships and storytelling are driving the next chapter in retail. You Can’t Optimize Your Way to A...

The brilliant Orchid Bertelsen is back with a huge announcement… PLUS: From Aritzia x Sperry's viral fashion to the surprising new role of Amazon in eCommerce, we explore how brands are winning (and losing) in today’s retail landscape. “I Would Sugarcoat This, But You Would Eat That Too” Key takeaways: [00:04:30] The Sperry x Aritzia collaboration is a calculated and strategic flexing of the Aritz...

Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 20% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episo...

This week, we are talking Home Depot’s b-hole reminiscent chatbot and vibecoding JD Vance’s face. Plus—the biggest mystery in American shopping: why does TJ Maxx make people need to poop? Also on tap: Apple’s iPad launch cringefest and a surprising rise in Android smartphone adoption among creatives AND finance bros alike. The Rise of Butthole Logos Key takeaways: Home Depot's "Magic Apron" and Lo...

Scripted, mass-produced influencer marketing has sent the internet spiraling toward a dystopian era of “loser-generated content.” Plus, we share key insights from eTail West, a sneak peek into Future Commerce’s Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, and dissect some disturbing internet finds of the week. The End of the World As We Know It Key takeaways: [04:00] Lemon Balm Tea’s influencer campaign: Mea...