Future Commerce

Delve into a lighthearted discussion about the cultural obsession with nonfiction business books over fiction. The hosts share their recent experience with an atheist-themed podcast that opens the floor to intriguing conversations about Christianity. They also tackle the fascinating notion of how gravity influences our perceptions of time. Tune in for a blend of humor and deep thoughts on contemporary topics!

Lee Glandorf, a former Director of Marketing at Tracksmith and author of The Sweat Lookbook, dives into the fascinating intersection of sports, fashion, and culture. She discusses how running is transforming into a style statement, thanks to social media's influence. Glandorf highlights the importance of inclusivity for female athletes and how branding can empower them, especially during major events like the Olympics. She also sheds light on the rise of community-driven brands and their impact on reshaping running culture.

Alexa Lombardo, a co-host with a flair for fashion and beauty, teams up with Candace Stewart, an insightful analyst in the beauty industry. Together, they discuss how female athletes are reshaping commerce by leveraging authentic storytelling. They explore the powerful collaborations between women in sports and beauty brands, highlighting how these partnerships redefine traditional beauty standards. The rise of emerging sports like rugby is also examined, along with the importance of aligning brand messages with athletes' true lifestyles. A fresh perspective on sports marketing unfolds!

Aaron Sheehan, an expert on the analyst ecosystem, dives into the intricacies of reports like Gartner's Magic Quadrant and their profound influence on the eCommerce sector. He reveals how these reports assess not just technology, but also business viability and innovation. The conversation covers the nuances of rankings, the impact of public data on company evaluations, and the importance of engaging with analysts. Sheehan emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of these reports, which can shape strategic decisions in a rapidly evolving market.

In this episode of Future Commerce Rewind, our summer series where we compare today's news against episodes from the archives, we are revisiting Episode 341 with friend of the pod and cultural theorist, Matt Klein, to discuss the findings from his annual META Trends Report. Today, we're not just talking about trends and data. We're talking about a deep human need that's driving patterns and how businesses can begin to sense those patterns and tap into and address the core desires and anxiety of people, and that's what it's all about.“Going Airplane Mode”Key takeaways:- A key takeaway from analyzing over one hundred trend reports spanning several years: many of the reported trends remain unchanged year after year after year.- Language used to describe disruptive changes often relies on established nomenclature instead of introducing new terminology.- There is an opportunity to hack trend reports by strategically seeding ideas and language that can shape future trends.- The ranking of meta-trends in reports can differ between what is frequently mentioned and what exists in cultural data, creating a discrepancy and an opportunity for manipulation.- Understanding the deeper human needs beneath trend manifestations is key for organizations to find success in addressing cultural shifts.{00:04:50} - “It's quite cliche, but it's a call to action for a little bit of bravery of not what's already being reported and said and what's comfortable, but what do we want to see, what does not yet exist, and how do we put our neck out there and really speak about the things that are uncomfortable, fringy, edgy, and strange because after all that is where change emanates from.” - Matt{00:12:57} - “The problem is the scant few people that are actually doing this type of work and research and will put the quantifiable and qualitative mind to analyzing trends is a small group of people that are all highly self-referential because they're all analyzing the same cohort of data because they're all kind of tapped into the same algorithm.” - Phillip{00:19:47} - “The meta trends act as trailheads for understanding all else within culture. When you acknowledge what's trying to be desired here… you understand beneath the surface what people actually need, that's where organizations find success.” - Matt{00:26:59} - “There's certainly importance and maybe I'm saying that because there's a livelihood or a career anchored or tethered to it, but I would say there are some implications and serious business consequences that come from this, but it is also fun. It is entertaining to be talking about these things and to be dissecting and analyzing.” - Matt{00:30:39} - “It's all from fear. No one wants to be disrupted. No one wants to be the disruptor either. That goes back to this idea of bravery, being the first to say something or sticking their neck out or reporting on the thing that no one else has reported. So you operate from a sense of, "Well, we wanna be the first to be second."’ - Matt{00:39:42} - “Every business is unique, everyone has their different challenges, everyone has their different audiences, and those audiences or those products interpret each of the meta trends uniquely. So what this really is is the starting point, not the answer key.” - MattAssociated Links:Learn more about Matt KleinRead the 2024 Meta Trends ReportCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printThe MUSES Journal is here! Grab your copy of our latest annual journal today at musesjournal.comHave 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!

Parasocial Relationships Will Change Retail ForeverWelcome to Future Commerce Rewind, our summer series where we compare today's news against episodes from the archives. Today, we revisit our historic 300th episode from 2023, where we explored the future of commerce shopping experiences through parasocial relationships. We also cover how the chat interface, a UI prediction we made just a year ago, is influencing commerce today. Listen now!Unlocking TomorrowKey takeaways:[00:02:07] Phillip: "In London, print reading is still a cultural staple and independent eyeglass retailers are thriving. It's a fascinating blend of old-world charm and modern retail innovation."[00:05:19] Phillip: "Imagine shopping with JFK Jr. as your style advisor – that's the future we're heading towards with parasocial relationships and AI."[00:24:51] Brian: "Livestream shopping in the West is a tough sell because our attention spans can't handle the mundane. But if you can make it entertaining, you've got a shot."[00:47:04] Phillip: "We're on the cusp of a new shopping experience where your favorite celebrity or even a virtual influencer can guide your purchases, creating a deeper, ongoing relationship."London maintains a strong print culture while simultaneously seeing a boom in independent eyeglass retailers, highlighting a unique intersection of old and new retail practices.AI-powered interactions with celebrity personas, like JFK Jr., are emerging as a new trend in shopping, blending entertainment with personalized recommendations.AI and parasocial relationships are creating more personalized shopping experiences, fostering deeper consumer connections with brands and influencers.Associated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe 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!

We’re back exploring the intersection of technology, payments, and consumer behavior with guests Michaela Weber from BigCommerce and Sanjeev Gill from Stripe Live from VISIONS Summit: NYC. The conversation covers how modern ecommerce platforms and payment solutions are transforming the retail landscape. Join us to discuss the shift from traditional retail hours to 24/7 online shopping, the importance of seamless checkout experiences, and the role of personalization in driving consumer engagement. Listen now!Tech-Driven Shopping: Fast, Global, and PersonalizedKey takeaways:[03:26] Mikaela Weber: "Shopping is everywhere. Shopping is 24/7."[07:10] Michaela Weber: "There's a monoculture in the sense that if we are from similar demographic groups, we probably see similar pushed ads."Consumers now shop anytime, anywhere, increasing the pressure on brands to be present across multiple channels.While algorithms create personalized experiences, there is still a collective aspect driven by shared demographics and interests.Technologies like AB testing in checkout experiences enable brands to optimize payment methods and enhance the user experience.Associated Links:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe 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!

These show notes were written at a time before LLMs were available to the public, if that's any indication of In this episode from 2017, we covered:WILL WALMART BE COOL AGAIN?Lord and Taylor started selling on walmart.com with their own special homepage.Also, remember how Walmart acquired Bonobos and Modcloth? The world has changed, people.THE DIGITAL DIVIDE:Walmart's upmarket aspirations clashed with the working-class market. Perhaps this is still true?Brian's unfailing optimism about the future of technology and the working class, with technology enabling efficiency and providing better products and better services.Robby Berman posits that AI will serve and make life better for humans, but only the top 1% of humans.A Princeton study on bias in bots explores how AI has the problematic ability to target people for committing potential crimes based off the bias and prejudice of the bot creators.AI ENABLING JOB ELIMINATION?Chris Gardner from Forrester predicts that automation will eliminate 9% of jobs in 2018."These jobs are not low-end jobs, they're white-collar jobs being replaced."Brian is again optimistic: a whole new host of jobs will be created for creating and servicing AI.Reuters reported that a son used data to recreate his dad as a chatbot. 

In this episode, we explore the dynamic interplay between traditional and new media with insights from retail analyst Heetha Herzog and culture writer Kate Lindsay live from VISIONS Summit: NYC. Moderated by Phillip, this conversation covers how media consumption shapes our reality, the influence of monocultural events, and the generational shifts in media platforms. We examine the evolving roles of traditional and new media, the impact of AI on marketing, and the rising significance of authenticity and community in consumer behavior. Listen now!“Media Matters”Key takeaways:[03:03] Kate Lindsay: "The barometer for when something has hit monoculture is when Twitter is just unusable if it's something you don't want to talk about."[05:00] Heetha Herzog: "There's a whole part of the population that still watches nightly news. They might be older, but they still consume that and watch it."[11:08] Phillip: "You also don't need someone's permission to post a TikTok, but there's still some prestige around the permission-gate kept media."[19:55] Kate Lindsay: "With tools like TikTok and Substack and Twitter, where you're seeing everyone talking at once, trends are really more what these gatekeepers pick up on and decide to elevate."Events like the Trump trial and Taylor Swift's album release dominate media, creating unavoidable online conversations.Younger generations gravitate towards platforms like TikTok, while older generations remain loyal to traditional media, indicating a shift in how content is consumed and trusted.The desire for luxury items and the rise of "dupe culture" reflect deeper psychological needs for identity and community, influencing consumer behavior.The prestige of traditional media is challenged by the authenticity of new media influencers, reshaping how trust is built and maintained in the digital age.Associated Links:Links & Resources:Check out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe 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!

Dan Murphy, SVP of Marketing at Liquid Death, shares how their team utilizes comedy and creative marketing to get earned media with minimal spend. They focus on innovative ideas, unconventional tactics, and the power of authenticity in marketing. The podcast delves into their unique approach, influencer strategies, and success on a small budget while evolving consumer perception and promoting eco-conscious marketing.