Podcast
BRAVE COMMERCE
Hosted by Adweek · EN
MikMak Founder & CEO Rachel Tipograph and Profitero’s President Sarah Hofstetter tackle what’s relevant in eCommerce today for the world’s biggest brands. Each episode they’ll share tips worth millions in sales, while interviewing the bravest marketers on how to navigate eCommerce’s latest consumer and retailer dynamics.
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81episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Pinterest’s Kate Hamill on Visual Search, AI, and the New Path to Purchase
Feb 1000:24:54Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Kate Hamill, VP of North America Enterprise Sales at Pinterest, to unpack how the platform is evolving from an inspiration engine into a more measurable driver of commerce outcomes. Kate shares how Pinterest is compressing the funnel between discovery and conversion, and how brands can think differently about visual-first experiences across the shopping journey.The conversation also dives into why social search is capturing more search budgets, how Pinterest’s AI powers proactive discovery, and why modern measurement approaches—including MMM, MTA, and incrementality—matter more than last-click attribution as consumers shop across weeks and devices. From CPG to emerging non-endemic categories, Kate explains how brands can reach consumers earlier in the journey and better understand their impact on growth.Key TakeawaysSocial search plays a critical role in demand creation, not just demand captureVisual search helps brands engage consumers before preferences are fully formedIncrementality and triangulated measurement are essential to understanding impactAI-powered discovery experiences support both inspiration and performance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummarySpecial Episode: Inside an Acquisition—The MikMak x SPINS Story + Lessons from BRAVE COMMERCE Leaders
Feb 300:23:16Summary readyIn this special episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter unpack M&A from the inside, drawing upon their experience navigating acquisitions firsthand.Rachel announces MikMak’s acquisition by SPINS, sharing how it came together, why it was the right partner at the right moment, and her priorities for the first 90 - 180 days, from change management and customer communication to accelerating product innovation. She also reflects on the human side of the acquisition and what it means to support teams through uncertainty and transition.They also share standout clips from the BRAVE COMMERCE community—featuring Stuart Heflin (Quest Nutrition), Dan O’Leary (Hostess), and Esi Seng (Tate’s Bake Shop)—highlighting what makes acquisitions successful from a brand operator’s perspective—protecting what works, honoring culture, and maintaining a challenger mindset during change.Key TakeawaysWhy integration and change management, not the deal itself, define acquisition successHow to evaluate the right partner for customers, employees, and investorsWhat founders and leaders can do now if M&A is a long-term goalHow to preserve culture and momentum while continuing to deliver for customers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryBausch + Lomb’s John Ferris on Making Science Approachable, Reducing Friction, and Winning in the AI Commerce Era
Jan 1300:23:11Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with John Ferris, President, Consumer at Bausch + Lomb, to discuss how modern consumer behavior is rewriting the rules for legacy brands. John shares how his team is tackling a core challenge in eye health: consumers value vision deeply, but often don’t take action until something is wrong, creating a massive opportunity for education-led growth.John also breaks down what it means to market in a world where discovery is increasingly shaped by social platforms and AI tools. He explains how Bausch + Lomb is partnering with eye care professionals who show up as credible “influencers,” and why improving the quality and structure of brand content matters more than ever as chatbots become a go-to source. The episode closes with a look at how the pharmacy channel is evolving, and how “hidden” in-store friction can quietly shift demand online in an instant.Key TakeawaysEducation is a growth lever when consumers delay action until a problem appearsCredibility still wins—but only if you make it easy to understand and easy to trustOptimize content for the new discovery layer (AI + social), not just traditional searchReduce friction everywhere, because shoppers will reroute the moment it gets inconvenient Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryBeko Europe’s Marco Brucato on Scaling eCommerce Without Losing Local Relevance
Jan 600:23:20Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Marco Brucato, Head of eCommerce Europe - DTC Transformation at Beko Europe.Marco shares how he’s scaled digital commerce across diverse European markets by applying a “freedom within a frame” mindset, centralizing strategy, governance, and KPIs while empowering local teams to adapt for cultural nuance and shopper expectations.He breaks down what it takes to make transformation stick inside large organizations, from securing leadership buy-in to making the cost of inaction tangible. Marco also explains why selling the problem matters more than selling the solution, how a test-small-scale-fast approach helps prove value, and why omnichannel should be a core operating principle — not a buzzword.Key takeawaysScale with structure: Centralize principles and governance while enabling local executionCreate urgency: Make the cost of inaction clear to unlock leadership buy-inProve value fast: Test ideas in small ways, then scale what works Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryPhilips' Laura Briggs on Unifying eCommerce, Driving Category Growth, and the Power of Empathy
Dec 900:23:58Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Laura Briggs, Head of eCommerce Excellence at Philips.Laura shares how her team drives category growth across Philips' consumer goods portfolio (Sonicare, Avent, Grooming & Beauty) by establishing a universal focus and analyzing the core drivers of consumer growth as a key framework. She emphasizes that eCommerce is a team sport, explaining how her team aligns cross-functional partners around core KPIs, prioritizing the Digital Shelf as the essential foundation.She shares the challenge of achieving scale and consistency globally, focusing on designing solutions for different personas, from super users to executives. Finally, Laura offers her "blue sky" vision for a commercial operating model, which would involve eliminating the divide between sales and marketing to achieve unified growth.Key TakeawaysUse Category Growth as the single, non-negotiable objective to align diverse global teams and business unitsPrioritize maximizing the Digital Shelf (content, availability, and visibility) as the essential foundation for effective eCommerce investmentTreat eCommerce as a "team sport" by fostering empathy to ensure critical adoption and consistency across all functionsThe ideal commercial model eliminates the divide between Sales and Marketing to create unified growth leadership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryHeaven Hill Brands’ Matt Blevins on Long-Term Brand Building, Consumer Behavior Shifts, and Modernizing Spirits
Dec 200:23:32Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Matt Blevins, Chief Marketing Officer at Heaven Hill Brands.Matt shares why long-term brand building remains essential in the spirits category and how disciplined measurement guides smarter decision-making. He explains how digital discovery, from YouTube mixology to Reddit communities, shapes in-store behavior, and why premiumization, moderation, and innovation are the real forces reshaping today’s beverage alcohol landscape.Additionally, he also breaks down how Heaven Hill decides when to modernize a brand, why nuance is missing from industry headlines, and what it takes to stay grounded in consumer truth while the marketing world chases real-time optimization.Key takeawaysLong-term brand building and strategic patience remain essential in spiritsDigital discovery now heavily shapes in-store purchase decisionsPremiumization, moderation, and innovation continue to drive category trendsBrand modernization works best when rooted in product truth and distinctiveness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Matt Taylor on Navigating AI Search, Retail Media, and Real-Time Data
Nov 1800:22:50Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Matt Taylor, Vice President of Digital at Scotts Miracle-Gro. Matt shares how generative search is reshaping the Lawn and Garden category, raising expectations for content, partnerships, and digital experiences. He explains why Scotts brought digital and retail media together under one leader and how his team built a machine-learning model that uses weather, POS, macroeconomic signals, and media data to guide in-season investment.He also breaks down what it takes to align brand, sales, and media teams and why patience and iteration are essential when building data science capabilities.Key takeawaysGenerative search is raising the bar for content, consumer experience, and measurementConsolidating digital and retail media enables full-funnel planning and faster decisionsMachine-learning models help teams optimize weekly investments with real-time dataData science requires buy-in, experimentation, and time to improve Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryKellanova’s Louise Cotterill on Turning Clean Room Data Into Sales Impact and Cultural Change
Nov 1100:27:53Summary readyIn this episode, recorded live at Shoptalk, Sarah Hofstetter sits down with Louise Cotterill, Global Senior Director of Insights and Intelligence at Kellanova, for a wide-ranging conversation on how to turn complex data into business results and build cross-functional trust along the way.Louise shares how her team built a proprietary clean room solution to drive more precise audience targeting, tailor creative to shifting shopper behavior, and ultimately deliver a 36 percent sales lift for Special K in the UK. She also explains how marketers can move from one-size-fits-all campaigns to dynamic, behavior-based segmentation, even without first-party data.Beyond the tech, Louise emphasizes the importance of soft skills. From speaking the language of the CFO to running test-and-learn pilots that bring skeptical teams along gradually, she shows how marketers can lead with both credibility and curiosity. In a standout personal moment, she reveals the bravest thing she’s ever done: spending a summer living with nomadic eagle hunters in Mongolia.Key takeaways:Insights only matter if they drive action. Clean rooms enable smarter targeting and measurement, but results come from applying those insights across creative and media strategy.Buy-in is built through transparency. Louise outlines how gradual testing, third-party validation, and a shared focus on sales help teams embrace new tools with confidence.Transformation is both technical and cultural. Success depends on aligning stakeholders, evolving incentives, and creating a safe space to test, learn, and adapt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryMars Wrigley’s Neil Reynolds on Building Global Digital Commerce from the Ground Up
Nov 400:26:05Summary readyIn this episode, recorded live at Shoptalk, Sarah Hofstetter sits down with Neil Reynolds, Global Chief Customer & Digital Commerce Officer at Mars Wrigley. With experience leading across both developed and emerging markets, Neil shares what it takes to modernize digital commerce and retail partnerships at global scale.He breaks down how Mars Wrigley is investing in omnichannel foundations, aligning teams across functions, and collaborating more strategically with retailers around the world. From building fit-for-purpose capabilities to navigating internal complexity, Neil offers a practical lens on what transformation really looks like beyond the buzzwords.This conversation also explores why customer teams need to think like growth marketers, and how brave leadership means knowing when to slow down, simplify, and start with the basics.Key takeaways:Transformation is a capability, not a campaign. Real change happens through cross-functional alignment, local investment, and relentless customer focus.Retail collaboration must evolve. Neil shares how Mars Wrigley is rethinking retailer partnerships to drive shared outcomes and smarter execution.The basics still matter. Even in a digital-first world, s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SummaryLiquid Death’s Benoit Vatere on Creative Risk, Retail Collaboration, and Cutting Through the Noise
Oct 2800:25:02Summary readyIn this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Sarah Hofstetter and guest co-host Andrea Steele sit down with Benoit Vatere, Chief Media Officer at Liquid Death, for a candid and energizing conversation about what it really takes to build modern commerce partnerships that move the needle.From launching a viral college-themed campaign with Amazon to pushing the boundaries of brand collaboration, Benoit shares how Liquid Death ties breakthrough creativity directly to retail outcomes. He discusses the importance of treating retailers as strategic partners, why the media industry needs to stop overcomplicating retail media, and how to stay focused on what truly drives awareness and conversion.As a first-time CPG executive with an entrepreneurial background, Benoit brings an unfiltered perspective on navigating legacy dynamics with fresh thinking. He also reflects on the bold decision that brought him from France to the U.S. to chase the American dream.Key takeaways:Creativity must convert. Benoit shares how Liquid Death aligns bold ideas with retailer objectives and transaction points to maximize both impact and measurability.Retailers are partners, not gatekeepers. Success comes from building together, listening well, and treating retail media as a shared opportunity rather than a cost center.Bravery is a mindset. From career moves to creative risks, Benoit’s story is a masterclass in taking chances, building momentum, and staying relentlessly focused on outcomes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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