BRAVE COMMERCE

Adweek Podcast Network
  • 4.9 (109)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. DEC 9

    Philips' Laura Briggs on Unifying eCommerce, Driving Category Growth, and the Power of Empathy

    In 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 Takeaways Use 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.

    24 min

  2. DEC 2

    Heaven Hill Brands’ Matt Blevins on Long-Term Brand Building, Consumer Behavior Shifts, and Modernizing Spirits

    In 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 takeaways Long-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.

    24 min

  3. NOV 18

    Scotts Miracle-Gro’s Matt Taylor on Navigating AI Search, Retail Media, and Real-Time Data

    In 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 takeaways Generative 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.

    23 min

  4. NOV 11

    Kellanova’s Louise Cotterill on Turning Clean Room Data Into Sales Impact and Cultural Change

    In this episode, recorded live at Groceryshop, 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.

    28 min

  5. NOV 4

    Mars Wrigley’s Neil Reynolds on Building Global Digital Commerce from the Ground Up

    In this episode, recorded live at Groceryshop, 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, strong data, clear roles, and a unified customer strategy remain the foundation for growth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  6. OCT 28

    Liquid Death’s Benoit Vatere on Creative Risk, Retail Collaboration, and Cutting Through the Noise

    In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, recorded live at Groceryshop 2025, 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.

    25 min

  7. OCT 21

    Kraft Heinz’s Andrea Steele on Embedding eCommerce Into the DNA of Big CPG

    In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Andrea Steele, Area Vice President (AVP) eCommerce & Customer Marketing at Kraft Heinz. Andrea shares her framework for embedding digital and eCommerce capabilities across large organizations, and how true transformation starts upstream, in brand strategy, product development, and core business processes. She breaks down five steps to make digital change stick, from aligning on strategy to measuring success and celebrating wins. Andrea also discusses balancing change management with team wellbeing, fostering collaboration across functions, and driving long-term transformation while keeping pace with an industry and audiences that move at lightning speed. Key takeaways Lead with strategy: Tie every digital effort to a clear business goal before investing in tools.Embed early: Bake eCommerce into brand planning and product development to make change stick.Align cross-functionally: Involve legal, finance, and supply teams early to remove bottlenecks and speed up execution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 min

  8. OCT 7

    Mizkan’s Megan Frank on Modernizing 100-Year-Old Brands Without Losing Their Soul

    In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter sit down with Megan Frank, SVP of Marketing and R&D at Mizkan, the 221-year-old, family-owned food company behind iconic brands like RAGÚ, Bertolli, Nakano, and the newly acquired Zing Zang. With a portfolio of legacy brands that have stood the test of time, Megan shares how she keeps them relevant to today’s consumer while staying true to their roots. She discusses the importance of preserving core brand assets, creating a culture of empowerment, and leveraging frameworks like OGSM to connect long-term vision to short-term action. Megan also explains how her team drives speed and agility within a family-owned structure, how retail partnerships are managed through data-backed joint business planning, and why consolidating media and shopper marketing under one team has unlocked more seamless consumer journeys. Key takeaways: Legacy brands can move fast. Clear vision and accountability empower teams to act with speed across functions.Relevance requires evolution. Megan shares how timeless assets and modern activations work together to engage new consumers.Data drives accountability. A custom measurement model helps Mizkan shift retailer conversations toward results-based planning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    23 min
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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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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