The Intelligent Marketer Building a $100M+ Ecommerce Brand in the Age of AI, with Bryan Cano of True Classic
9 snips
Aug 5, 2025 
Bryan Cano, Head of Marketing at True Classic, is an ecommerce growth expert who excels at blending performance and brand strategies. He discusses the controversial role of AI in marketing, emphasizing its potential to revitalize creative processes. Bryan shares insights on lifecycle personalization and AI-driven campaigns, even crafting a Bigfoot ad in under an hour. He also explores the importance of cultural relevance in marketing, illustrating this with Sydney Sweeney's ads, while advocating for embracing AI as a critical team resource for future growth.
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Episode notes
Wean Off Performance At Scale
- True Classic is intentionally shifting spend from short-term performance to long-term brand as it scales beyond ~$100M.
- They tested turning off major performance channels and saw profitability and ROAS improve, proving brand momentum matters.
Measure Brand With Longer Windows
- Treat brand and direct-response as separate disciplines with different ROI time horizons and metrics.
- Use longer attribution windows, post-purchase surveys, and leading indicators (CTR, CPM, engagements) to value brand work.
Allocate Budgets Like P&L Math
- Make budget allocation a P&L exercise: set top-line and margin goals, then split spend into brand vs performance.
- Review monthly and recalibrate quarterly to give brand bets time to prove out.