Future Commerce

Recorded live at MUSES during Art Basel 2023, join Phillip and Brian and special guest Ashley Batlz as they discuss and recap BFCM 2023 and how the need for better data drives every new experience for the future of marketing. Thanks to our partners at Dotdigital for supporting MUSES. Listen now!

It's a Christmas Eve miracle! We return with a FULL WRAP-UP of Walmart's first shoppable "RomCommerce" series, "Add to Heart"! Join Rhian, Jaci, and Phillip as we unwrap the greatest gift of all — a shoppable Christmas holiday rom-com!This episode is made possible by BundleIQ. Get your own private GPT, chat with websites and videos, and summarize Youtube channels with their exclusive Google Chrome extension today by signing up with our exclusive offer! Go to bundleiq.com/futurecommerce

Did you miss MUSES? Tune in for a mini recap at the beginning of the episode. Stick around as Phillip and Brian dive into the intriguing world of how digital media influences and sometimes distorts our memories and perceptions, particularly in the context of business and cultural trends.Ripples in a Stream{00:08:20} - “We had Chloe Ryan, who's the CEO of Acrylic Robots, sit on the panel, and her perspective is this is a new technology that allows for reproduction, not mass reproduction, but reproduction for digital artists to actually sell web to print, direct to consumer, print on demand paintings of the first of its kind and sort of launching a marketplace, which is a commerce-centered marketplace.” - Phillip{00:21:34} - “Brands no longer are in full control of their own story and their own destiny and customers now have the tools en masse to be creative and to contribute to the lore and the story and world-building that is going to be required to build brands in the future.” - Phillip{00:29:50} - “We sort of build on top of whatever takes hold at the moment. And so these worlds that are being built now, if you're a world builder now, who knows how adopted that might be in decades to come. We don't know what kind of foundation we're laying and what will end up becoming the foundation for a lot, lot, lot, lot more.” - Brian{00:33:35} - “What's so fascinating about something like Gag City where it used to be just fan fiction, the Gag City background could be a setting for many stories in the future, and that could elevate the next level of creators to a really well-realized universe where almost anything can happen.” - Phillip{00:43:52} - “The reason Future Commerce feels different is because we're making content for ourselves first and for an audience, not even second or third. I think we're doing things that pursuing things that are uniquely passion projects for us. That's why we are so early all the time on so many things.” - Phillip{00:46:58} - “Retail is both one of the best applications for technology and one of the best ways to understand how technology should actually be used and then spit out for other reasons.” - Brian{00:57:24} - “That's what a lot of brands are trying to do, which is make a mark in the culture that allows them to sit outside of the stream of consciousness. And maybe some photography from Haus is a really good example of it was profoundly of the time and will never escape its own gravity. It will be stuck in that time forever. And maybe for the brand equity, that's a good thing. That's what brands want. So that means you go through an awkward phase where at some point in the future, people make fun of it and deride it, and then it becomes nostalgic.” - PhillipAssociated Links:Grab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand for just $20 with free shipping in the U.S.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

A lot of brands say they want to make their customers’ lives better with their products, but how do they go about actually achieving that? The storied brand, James Baroud, is creatively connecting with their audience and finding new ways to not only help them want to purchase their products but also to enjoy their products even more, and therefore enjoy life even more. It’s a big task, but Bobby Huang is all about it. Listen to this episode to hear from him on the heart behind that and what the future holds for James Baroud.History and Innovation{00:06:58} - “When you evaluate yourself against your competition, the first thing you do is you identify the things that it's said that your competitors can't copy. And then you ask yourself if you can lean into it and do that really well.” - Bobby{00:21:31} - “There are lots of steps along the way for when you see this thing today on top of a car to be what it is. And so when you open up that tent and you crawl inside and you look around, all that history, innovation, and iteration in that process surrounds you. And so that is kind of the message that I wanna tell to a broader audience.” - Bobby{00:26:19} - “I would like this product to serve as a muse for families and their ability to just enjoy life more.” - Bobby{00:32:19} - “I can't help but think there's already a multiplayer story involved here. Because when you have a high-value resale market, that means that people are really committed to the product, and believe in its value. And when something goes up for sale, it doesn't sit on the market long. It's gonna get snapped up because people know and trust the quality.” - Brian{00:45:27} - “In terms of building trust and getting folks unified around a strategy, I wouldn't say it's a strategy, it's our strategy. It's something that we learn into together as a team.” - Bobby{00:47:41} - “Today, our website does not do DTC sales, for a couple of reasons. One of the side reasons that everybody can understand is these things are really big and heavy and shipping can be really expensive. But in an effort to build trust and do cool interesting things in 2024, we are going to put some hidden gems on our website and do some limited edition artistic colored tents for folks who can find it on the site. And there'll be some hidden portals to be able to buy some really cool artist-designed tents next year.” - BobbyAssociated Links:Learn more about Bobby Huang and James BaroudINSIDERS #107: DORK MODE: AN ANTIDOTE TO THE SEA OF SAMENESSGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand for just $20 with free shipping in the U.S.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Topics discussed include the multiplayer brand, the importance of art and human connection in commerce, the potential of Web Three, the community's perspective on Web 3 and crypto, brands moving too fast, and communal experiences in retail and online spaces.

The holidays are a time for giving and receiving gifts and sharing in schlocky Hallmark-style TV movies. Walmart's 23-part series, "Add to Heart" capitalizes on this trend by turning RomCom into RomCommerce! ASSOCIATED LINKS:Sign up for BundleIQ to start your own private GPT and searchable data for your eCommerce business.Add to Heart on Youtube.The Walmart Corporate press release for Add to Heart RomCommerceHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! 

TEASER for After Dark Episode 4.Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce Plus:https://futurecommerce.com/plus  

The shift towards low-code platforms like ServiceNow has changed the landscape for service agencies, requiring them to adapt their approach and focus on specific solutions. Phillip and Brian sit down with friend and mentor Jon Klonsky to discuss his new venture, which will specialize in implementing and rescuing failed implementations of the ServiceNow platform.“Measure twice, cut once, and test often”{00:12:55} “Only organic growth, as opposed to purchased growth, can be a better line to run so that you don't get ahead of your skis.” - Brian{00:13:59} - “So many people, especially if you talk to the investor community, are like, "eCommerce is done. Let's move on to the next thing. AI," which is also important. I don't wanna take away from that, but I think eCommerce is still growing and probably gonna continue to grow and change and do incredible things, and we're just at the tip of the iceberg now with some of the new technologies that are coming into the space.” - Jon{00:19:47} - “You have to have a strategy that you can stick to and sustain because, you know you're going to build a team in a culture that has to be simplified for them. I think you have to be really smart and definitive about what you're gonna be doing.” - Jon{00:37:25} - “A strength is knowing when to spend your first few dollars. We know to be patient and not get ahead of {our} skis. ” - Jon{00:48:55} “It is about focus, but my focus to start is gonna be on the solution and the technology. I'm casting a wider net across some verticals because, frankly, I don't know where all the business is gonna come from yet. So cast a wider net and then I will start to narrow or we will start to narrow as we evolve as a company.” - Jon{00:50:36} - “I've learned mostly through my failures, but I now think that that's a strength of mine. Being able to hire and retain great teams.” - JonAssociated Links:Learn more about Jon Klonsky and Halokinetic LLCGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand for just $20 with free shipping in the U.S.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

**TEASER for After Dark Episode 3.**Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce Plus:https://futurecommerce.com/plus

Phillip and Brian sit down with Natasha and Deana, Co-Founders of Boys Club and mavens in the web3 and crypto world. They discuss what place legacy brands have in web3, what the challenges are for adoption, who’s helping, and who’s hurting. But what will it take to get there? A Well-Governed Potluck{00:20:20} - “A big part of the value set of web3 is this idea of shared and distributed ownership, and governance, but ownership being a big part of that. And I think if you're a global corporate brand, that's gonna be at odds with shareholder values.” - Deana{00:41:03} - “As more and more fake news, deep fakes, weird AI content is put into the world, we're gonna want to know what is human-generated and what isn't. And decentralized, trustless, open, permissionless blockchain is a great way to do that. I think that we're quite a far ways off from what that user experience is for that set of tooling and how that comes to life in the apps that we're all using every day.” - Deana{00:43:48} - “web3 and crypto, we've always had the perspective that it is just a mirror to your interests and the things that you care about.” - Natasha{00:47:41} - “It's only a matter of time until brands like that do see wallets as a new type of acquisition channel for them. Now today, there's probably not enough data, not enough wallets for it to be worth it to them, but I would invite them to experiment, and I know no better place to do that than Boys Club World.” - Deana{00:52:07} - “We have found that you have to have a really strong vision and a vehicle for people to come in and play in. And that multiplayer mode has to be in the parameter of a game that we all set together or that a few people set and then a lot of people get to join in and have fun with.” - Natasha{00:54:03} - “To do anything in multiplayer mode, you have to be a really good listener and hear the other person and what they're saying and what their vision is and what they want. Many people aren't very good at that, so we've over indexed to this. “Let's co-create. Let's do all these things together,” and we're all just talking over each other. And it's really ineffective and inefficient, and nothing ends up happening.” - NatashaAssociated Links:Learn more about Natasha Hoskins and Deana Burke and Boys ClubGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand for just $20 with free shipping in the U.S.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!