Up Next In Commerce

People love their pets. That’s a universal truth that Nick James uses as his north star while working as the Senior Director of Consumer Experience at Blue Buffalo. That’s where the universality ends, though. Pet parents, just like consumers in all industries, are individuals with specific needs, and brands have to create experiences and implement technology to make every customer journey as personal as possible. Here, Nick explains what that personalization looks like at Blue Buffalo.Tune in to learn:Why the future of commerce is universal commerce (2:00)Who and what is driving the pet industry more toward ecommerce? (14:00)20:00:Working behind the scenes for a new kind of buyer (20:00)30:00: Personalizing efforts around big events (24:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

When you think about quick-service restaurants like Chipotle, you might not always think they are on the cutting edge of innovation. But Nicole West, the VP of Digital Strategy & Product at Chipotle, says that’s not the case. In fact, Chipotle is making investments in robotics and AI in incredible ways to create the best possible experience in-store, online, and at all digital touchpoints. How? Find out on this episode. Tune in to learn:How to tackle personalization at scale (8:00)Collaborative robotics and driving efficiencies (10:20)Building a very conversational collection of bots to get customers what they need (15:50)How customers interact with brands and how to understand what they expect (25:20)Mentions:Stitch Fix episode of Up Next in CommerceRoblox episode of IT VisionariesUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Delivering what your customers want and need seems like an obvious thing for a company to do. But when there is so much new technology to experiment with and alternate roads to go down, it’s easy to get off track. Jon Luciano, Director of Ecommerce for Lumen, discusses how Lumen stays the course, and how and why telcos and other industries can invest in new opportunities in a way that allows them to succeed. Tune in to learn:Why to get excited about the technology behind NFTs (2:00)Will marketplaces be the future for telcos? (9:25)Why to bet on personalization (14:55)What metrics to look at to know if your personalization techniques are working well (17:10)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

What’s the secret to building a $100-million-dollar brand? MaryRuth Ghiyam has done it, so she knows the answer pretty well. And it turns out, it’s pretty simple: make something people need and do it in a way that is sustainable. Easier said than done, right? Luckily, MaryRuth broke down what that entails on this episodeTune in to learn:The art of reverse engineering your product. (5:50)Debt and how to get out of it. (12:00)Sound business building principles and why revenue and profits equal free will. (16:00) Building on Amazon. (20:20)A deep dive into product development — and when to kill a product. (29:00)Mentions:MaryRuth OrganicsUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

In the same way that the pen is mightier than the sword, the omnichannel approach is superior to throwing all your eggs in either the digital or in-person baskets. At BIC, Jennifer Elmashni, Vice President, Global eCommerce and Digital Marketing, breaks down how the global brand is building community, engaging in B2B and D2C strategies, and experimenting anywhere and everywhere in order to stay on top, including exploring how other countries are using digital influencers and scaling last-mile delivery. Tune in to learn:How to get to a place of anticipation (8:00)What it takes to develop an engaged community (11:50)How to reengage customers in an omnichannel way. (15:55)Understanding global scale and where to look around the world for trends. (21:00)How to think about branded content and partnerships. (29:00)Digital shelf tracking and insights deriving mechanisms help you create the flawless digital experience. (33:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Brands know that word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to acquire customers, but how do you create the kind of chatter you actually want? What do you need to do to find and use influencers, content creators and affiliate marketing in order to give your customers what they want most? Tyler Grooms, Director of Engagement Marketing at Sweetwater, provides answers on this episode. Tune in to learn:How can you make an affiliate program into a powerhouse? (2:40)What should brands avoid when working with content creator partners? (8:30)How to find the right content creators to partner with (10:55)Finding and hopping on opportunities (23:00)The shifting strategy of Sweetwater (24:00)Taking on more upfront cost to serve customers better. (25:57)Mentions:Ridge Wallet Episode of Up Next in CommerceUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

Can something as small as changing the color scheme on your website lead to exponential growth? Well, it’s not quite that simple, but according to Sheila Erickson, Vice President, Marketing and E-Commerce at Slumberland Furniture, making basic, obvious changes is the key to unlocking a much larger opportunity to grow in all areas.  Tune in to learn:What it takes to grow ecommerce sales and conversion rates. (2:00)How to implement a test-and-learn strategy. (4:00)How to connect to a younger generation or a new demographic. (10:15)What kinid of tech stack works best and how does it lead to more data and insights? (13:10)How should smaller companies be thinking about research and growth opportunities? (20:00)What’s overhyped or underhyped in the digital world? (34:30)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

If I told you that you could get the Rolex of cookies delivered to your door, would you be interested in that? Matthew Jung certainly was, and that’s why he went to work for Last Crumb, and since he joined the company, it’s become one of the hottest DTC brands with a waitlist about a mile long. What was the secret to creating a massively in-demand product (other than delicious cookies of course)? Find out right here.Tune in to learn:How to identify your core values and set priorities as a brand. (9:30)Why would you depprioritize popular channels? (11:00)Is email still important? (15:45)The most interesting things about SMS. (17:50)The magic behind Last Crumb’s organic growth. (20:25)Even if you think you have a great unboxing experience, you’re wrong. (25:00)How do you differentiate yourself from the rest of the brands in your category? (30:00)Mentions:Setting The TableDTC Newsletter2 PMTruff Episode of Up Next in CommerceOlipop Episode of Up Next in CommerceUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at http://www.salesforce.com/commerce Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at http://www.mission.org.

The buzz around Web. 3.0, NFTs, and the metaverse is undeniable, but how much should brands actually be paying attention to? And where will brands and consumers actually get the most out of these trends? We asked Taylor Holiday, the CEO of Common Thread Collective, those questions and more on this episode.Tune in to learn:Facing the future and what’s exciting about the years ahead. (4:35)What’s the deal with NFTs? (6:20)Brands need to deliver for both our physical and digital worlds. (11:00)What people miss about Facebook/Meta. 29:00)How do you think of Web 3.0? (34:20)The most contrarian opinion about the ecommerce world. (42:00)What disiruptions are coming to the supply chain next? (50:45)Mentions:The Light of Other DaysLex Fridman PodcastUp Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

In this day and age, are ecommerce brands still making basic mistakes? Yes, and there are a lot of small ways to improve your business that are ignored in favor of the shiny new object. Drew Himel, the Founder and CEO of Consult PCR, is here to help you focus on what really matters, improve retention, reduce churn, and make your business more resilient.Tune in to learn:How Drew’s business grew to work with brands like IBM, Lyft, GoPro, and more. And why was that bad? (4:30)What brands can do right now to get better. (7:45)How to find easy ways to reduce friction on your website and what meaningful gains that will lead to. (14:00)Are subscription programs here to stay? (15:30)What two changes helped MUD/WTR reduce churn? (18:30)How to build resiliency in your business. (26:00)Why it’s exciting to be an early investor in new ideas and companies. (38:00)Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerceMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.