Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth
Common Thread Collective
2020 transformed the world of ecommerce forever.
For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain.
So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality?
No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone.
That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses.
Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world of ecommerce, or want to reorient your business around groundbreaking new big-picture strategies, Taylor & Richard are here to help answer the tough questions about what it takes to scale — and sustain — an ecommerce business.
For the modern DTC brand, the rewards have never been greater. But the waters have also never been choppier, and the way forward has never been more uncertain.
So how do you navigate this dangerous new reality?
No matter how you do it, you’d better not do it alone.
That’s where the Ecommerce Playbook Podcast comes in — join Common Thread Collective’s Taylor Holiday & Richard Gaffin as they bring you guiding insights from across CTC’s portfolio of growing DTC businesses.
Whether you need a clear view on the macro issues affecting the world of ecommerce, or want to reorient your business around groundbreaking new big-picture strategies, Taylor & Richard are here to help answer the tough questions about what it takes to scale — and sustain — an ecommerce business.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 7, 2025 • 26min
Stop Wasting Your Q4 Budget on Holiday UGC
Adrienne Austin, Director of Creator Content at Common Thread Collective, shares her expertise on optimizing Q4 budgets for creator-generated content. She reveals why focusing solely on holiday content is a costly mistake and how evergreen strategies can lead to better results. Adrienne discusses effective creator briefs, timelines for sourcing, and the surprising power of still images over videos. She also highlights the importance of diverse creator perspectives for innovative ad concepts and practical product use cases, ensuring your campaigns thrive well beyond the holidays.
Oct 2, 2025 • 27min
How to Craft the Best BFCM Offer this Year
As Q4 approaches, mastering your offer strategy becomes crucial for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Discover insights from a database of over 679 top brand offers to attract new customers while retaining existing ones. Learn how to tailor messages for different channels, balance discounts with inventory, and forecast audience engagement. Avoid common pitfalls like misspending and unrealistic expectations. The hosts emphasize the importance of transparency and adapting your strategy to current market conditions for successful holiday sales.
9 snips
Sep 30, 2025 • 49min
eCommerce Is About to Evolve - Taylor Holiday's Keynote @ Stord Summit
Taylor Holiday explores the evolution of DTC through four critical eras, highlighting the boom during COVID and the lean strategies of the Ozempic era. He discusses why self-funding can cap growth and reveals how brands are learning to operate efficiently amidst constraints. Innovative strategies like supplier financing and product-led growth emerge as key differentiators. As optimism builds for 2025, he emphasizes that the surviving brands have adapted and strengthened, setting the stage for a promising new chapter in e-commerce.
Sep 25, 2025 • 31min
The Measurement Roadmap: How it Works
Dive into the intricacies of the Measurement Roadmap, a framework that guides what to test in e-commerce. Discover the significance of incrementality testing and how it can illuminate vast discrepancies in platform reporting. Hear about the surprising results of Meta’s ad effectiveness and its influence on Amazon sales strategies. Unravel the importance of narrowing error margins for confident decision-making, and learn how to anchor choices in financial realities while interpreting unexpected test outcomes with caution.
8 snips
Sep 23, 2025 • 26min
Is AppLovin making a comeback?
Timing is everything when expanding ad channels, and understanding prerequisites like creative systems is crucial. AppLovin is highlighted for its unique inventory and ability to drive incremental growth without cannibalizing other platforms. A successful client case demonstrates its potential, as it grew to 30% of media spend. The platform's evolution and upcoming self-serve options are explored, while best practices for setup and measurement are emphasized. Overall, there's optimism about AppLovin's role in future channel strategies.
Sep 18, 2025 • 39min
The Best (& Worst) Creative Demand Scores We’ve Seen for Brands
In this discussion, Luke Austin, VP of E-Commerce Strategy at Common Thread Collective, shares his expertise in creative demand modeling. He highlights the critical metrics for assessing creative output and reveals how leading brands are producing hundreds of ads monthly to thrive during Q4. Luke emphasizes the importance of balancing evergreen content with high-volume testing and how AI is revolutionizing creative production. Get ready for insights on exactly how many ads your brand might need to stay competitive!
Sep 16, 2025 • 41min
How a CTC Client Unlocked 40% YoY Growth
Mike McVerry, SVP of Ecommerce & International Sales at Urban Armor Gear, shares insights on achieving 40% YoY growth in a tough market. He discusses the crucial role of financial clarity in marketing strategies, revealing how their 'Profit System' transformed operations post-COVID. McVerry emphasizes scaling creative output and the importance of collaboration between finance and marketing. He also dives into practical lessons on inventory management and budget reallocation aimed at sustainable DTC growth amidst evolving market dynamics.
Sep 11, 2025 • 47min
How 2 top-tier strategists actually forecast client growth
Lacie Geary and Brian Sakansky, top-performing growth strategists at Common Thread Collective, dive into the intricacies of precise forecasting for client growth. They discuss the delicate balance between efficiency and volume while utilizing tools like the Spend aMER Model. The duo shares how real-time signals influence media allocation and the impact of historical data on acquisition metrics. They also emphasize effective inventory management, shedding light on the role of data-driven decisions in enhancing brand strategies and achieving profitability.
10 snips
Sep 9, 2025 • 40min
Understanding the Seasonality of Media Buying by Month & Day
Luke Austin, VP of Growth at Common Thread Collective, dives into the nuances of media buying seasonality and revenue optimization. He reveals why blindly spending in Q4 could be a mistake and shares insights on how weekly variations can swing revenue by over 30%. Discover the significance of tailoring budgets for different days, the limitations of trying to 'fix' poor performance days, and why Fridays can be a goldmine or a pitfall depending on your brand. Luke also introduces the Spend <> aMER model for smarter ad spend allocation.
Sep 4, 2025 • 29min
Your Marginal Frontier Will Determine Your Q4
Dive into the intriguing concept of the marginal frontier, where the next dollar spent can lead to diminishing returns. Discover how to balance short-term gains with long-term growth while evaluating revenue and contribution margins. The discussion highlights the significance of the Spending Power Model in optimizing ad spend, emphasizing strategic financial decisions. Learn how to align marketing strategies with financial goals to maximize profitability and avoid overspending pitfalls, all while exploring the delicate interplay of business growth and spending power.
