Ecomm Cowboy

Live from Austin on Friday, January 9, 2026 - We break down the AppLovin “love fest” (and why it might be the first real crack in the Meta/Google duopoly for DTC), react to David Herrman’s practical playbook for making the channel work, and dig into FERMAT CEO Rishabh Jain's controversial hiring guardrail on job hoppers (why it stings, and where the nuance actually is). Then Taylor Holiday joins for the second half with 2026 bold predictions: AI breaking brand guidelines, why “creative strategy” is mostly pseudoscience, what real branding actually means, and why the endgame of creative volume is basically IRL/live content. We close with a quick hit on Bieber’s new shoe drop and a slightly unhinged “gray hat” search tactic that might be genius or chaos.0:01:54 Intro + today’s lineup0:04:01 AppLovin love fest + David Herrman’s playbook0:13:33 Rishabh’s hiring guardrail + job-hopper debate0:24:29 PostScript (SMS benchmarks)0:26:10 Taylor Holiday, CEO of Common Thread Collective, joins0:30:12 AI breaks brand guidelines + “creative strategy” is pseudoscience0:36:16 What branding actually means (Kalo + CrossFit)0:44:13 IRL/live content + “Truman Show brands”0:50:36 Events + entertainment budget + new revenue streams0:58:42 AMP + know your numbers (scale with confidence)1:01:05 Bieber shoe drop + gray-hat search tactic1:03:19 Wrap + outroWelcome to DTC's daily show — what's now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive. Weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/Made possibly by:Postscript - postscript.ioAMP - useamp.comFollow Ecomm Cowboy:https://x.com/ecommcowboyhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ecommcowboyhttps://www.instagram.com/ecommcowboy/https://www.tiktok.com/@ecommcowboy

DTC's daily show | Live weekdays at 12pm (CST) — what's now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

DTC's daily show | Live weekdays at 12pm (CST) — what's now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

DTC's daily show | Live weekdays at 12pm (CST) — what's now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

DTC's daily show | Live weekdays at 12pm (CST) — what's now/next in ecommerce so marketers can survive and thrive.Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommcowboy.com/

In this conversation, Chris Hall and Colin Dougherty discuss the recent trends and insights from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, focusing on the rise of Buy Now Pay Later services, economic concerns, and consumer behavior. They also delve into Shopify's performance, the impact of inflation on spending, and the future of advertising, particularly live shopping. The discussion highlights the role of AI in e-commerce and marketing, as well as new product launches and market strategies.TakeawaysBuy Now Pay Later services saw a significant rise in usage, especially among younger millennials.Economic concerns are growing as more consumers rely on financing options for everyday purchases.Shopify faced challenges during Cyber Monday, but overall performance remained strong.Record spending during Black Friday was influenced by inflation and price increases rather than a surge in purchases.Live shopping is emerging as a key opportunity for brands to engage consumers directly.AI technology is transforming e-commerce, enabling brands to create high-quality marketing materials quickly and affordably.The concept of the 'one man brand' is becoming more feasible with advancements in AI and technology.New product launches, like Groons' pre-workout gummies, reflect the ambition of brands to expand their offerings.The importance of clear branding and messaging is crucial for consumer understanding and engagement.The future of advertising will likely involve more interactive and engaging formats, such as live shopping.Chapters00:00 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Insights05:03 The Rise of Buy Now Pay Later Services09:17 Economic Disparities and Consumer Behavior11:42 Shopify's Performance and User Experience17:50 Record Spending and Inflation Concerns23:45 The Future of Advertising and Live Shopping26:32 The Rise of Live Shopping31:03 Interactive Selling Strategies35:03 AI in E-commerce: A Game Changer41:11 Innovations in Supplement Delivery

In this episode, Colin Dougherty (Director of Partnerships, CartConvert) joins and we dive into recent major economic shifts, starting with the sobering news of massive corporate layoffs at Amazon and Meta, and discussing the growing threat of AI to white-collar jobs. We explore the CEO of NVIDIA's view on this as a "carriage to automotive" moment, requiring new skills.On a more hopeful note, we analyze the billion-dollar acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand, Rhode, and break down why celebrity-backed "Superman brands" are perfectly structured for high-value D2C exits.We also examine intriguing data from Netflix's advertising platform, finding out how consumer engagement on streaming compares to TikTok and YouTube. Finally, we dissect the Fed's recent basis points cut and the decision to halt quantitative tightening (QT), and what this "frothy" outlook means for Q4, before looking ahead at the explosive growth of live selling (Whatnot, TikTok Shop) and the potential for a new wave of modern-day "Billy Mays" sales talent.Key Topics Covered:(01:06) Bad News First: Amazon Corporate Layoffs and the Rise of AI(07:37) Hopeful News: Rhode's Billion-Dollar Acquisition(13:22) Netflix Advertising Statistics(24:37) Huggies' Confusing World Cup Sweepstakes Campaign(30:35) The Fed Drops Interest Rates and Quantitative Tightening(36:18) "Frothy" Consumer Market and Q4 Sales Predictions(44:19) The Rise of Live Selling | QVC 2.0

What do you think the future of internet shopping should look like?(0:19) The Announcement(0:49) “Enjoyable + Convenient” Shopping Future(2:03) Instant Messenger or Iron Man?(4:59) What AI Can’t Do: Taste(6:36) Brand Play: Walmart’s Hidden Win

Lebron James' "retirement" was an ad, he's now getting sued, and four reasons why this is marketing gold.(0:20) Lebron's "Retirement" & Why It Matters(1:30) Chaos, Bets, and $400 Tickets(3:20) The Reveal: A Hennessy Ad(4:50) The Fallout and Lawsuit(5:00) 4 Reasons Why It's Awesome*If you were on this ad team, would you have done anything differently?*

ChatGPT isn't just competing for searches—it's replacing websites and checkout in the age of "Agentic Commerce."(0:17) The Big Shift: Shopify x OpenAI Integration(1:21) The Death of Websites & Search(2:59) New Internet Empires(4:44) SEO's Role in the AI Era(8:28) Who Will Rule Ecommerce?*How do marketers not get left behind?*

Podcast reboot, incoming.