Marketing Operators

Marketing Operators I Connor Rolain I Connor MacDonald I Cody Plofker
  • 4.6 (11)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

.

  1. 5D AGO

    Setting 2026 Goals, Incrementality Lessons from BFCM and Amazon Brand Bidding

    This week, the team breaks down what recent platform moves signal for operators heading into 2026 — starting with Shopify’s Winter Editions and the growing role of Sidekick inside the Shopify ecosystem. They discuss how tools like Sidekick are democratizing data access, reducing operational friction, and changing how lean growth teams analyze performance, build reports, and take action inside the admin. From there, the conversation shifts to BFCM performance and incrementality, with the hosts unpacking what they learned from scaling spend in steps during peak periods. They discuss where incremental gains showed up, where marginal returns began to flatten, and why short testing windows can still offer directional insight even when results are noisy. The team then reacts to and unpacks a tweet about Amazon bidding more aggressively on brand terms, using it as a jumping-off point to explore demand capture during promo periods, brand search strategy, and how branded demand is distributed across Amazon and DTC during high-intent moments. Throughout the episode, a key theme emerges: how operators should interpret signals from major platforms and translate them into proactive strategy rather than reactive tactics. The episode wraps with a candid conversation on 2026 planning, including examples like Connor Rolain’s pyramid-style goal-setting framework, org design considerations, and how growth leaders can balance short-term execution with long-term thinking. MOperators Hotline If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters 00:00:00 – Shopify Winter Editions and the Rise of Sidekick 00:06:46 – Data Democratization and AI Inside Shopify 00:14:34 – Shopify Collective and Cross-Brand Merchandising 00:19:03 – Black Friday Scaling Tests and Marginal ROAS 00:27:27 – Brand Search Incrementality and Paid Search Myths 00:32:14 – Amazon Brand Bidding and the “Amazon Tax” 00:36:39 – What CMOs Must Lock Before Year-End Planning 00:41:22 – Hiring Plans, Budgets, and 2026 Readiness 00:46:21 – Managing Multiple Timelines Across Growth Teams 00:49:38 – Strategic Filters, Objectives, and Goal-Setting Frameworks Powered by Motion https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell https://www.aftersell.com/operators Rivo https://www.rivo.io/operators Haus http://Haus.io/operators Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS https://9operators.com/

    1h 7m

  2. DEC 16

    What Grüns, Marty Supreme, and TikTok Shop Teach Us About Modern Marketing

    This episode is a grab-bag of highly tactical operator insights - starting with a breakdown of why Grüns’ transactional SMS and subscription flows work so well, and what smart lifecycle design looks like when you’re trying to prevent churn, drive upgrades, and increase LTV. From there, we dive into one of the most impressive brand marketing plays of the year: the Marty Supreme campaign, and why its blend of social-first world-building, memeable moments, and built-in distribution is a blueprint for modern creative strategy. We also get into the realities of TikTok Shop: how to measure it when attributed revenue looks tiny but impressions, content volume, and halo impact are massive; how better tooling and reporting can give a clearer read on its true impact; and how leading brands are already staffing the channel with dedicated affiliate managers and creator-community leads. It’s a fast-moving episode focused on subscriptions, creative, and the emerging acquisition channels operators need to understand before they hit scale. If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:27 - Transactional SMS Marketing and Retention 00:20:32 - The Marty Supreme Brand Campaign 00:32:10 - The Formula for Viral Stunts 00:44:15 - TikTok Shop Strategy and Measurement 00:52:39 - Comfort's Affiliate Community Model Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell. https://www.aftersell.com/operators Rivo. https://www.rivo.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1 hr

  3. DEC 9

    Black Friday Cyber Monday Recap & The Forecasting Process Behind Ecom Profit - with Richie Mashiko

    This week, we’re joined by Richie Mashiko - Head of Beacon at Iris Finance for a full breakdown of how BFCM played out across their businesses. Together, the group recaps what actually drove performance this year, from media-mix diversification and top-of-funnel investment to traffic dynamics, conversion-rate behavior, and how different brand sizes approached Cyber Five strategy. From there, Richie walks through his forecasting philosophy - including how he builds bottoms-up financial models, how diminishing returns shape CAC and forecasting assumptions, and how finance and marketing need to stay aligned around realistic growth expectations. The group also dives into contribution margin, AMER, customer mix, and why so many brands forecast incorrectly when marketing isn’t part of the planning process. They then unpack the levers that actually make an ecommerce business profitable: cohort behavior, scaling past category saturation, interpreting flat conversion rates alongside surging traffic, and what contribution dollars really tell you. Richie shares lessons learned from She’s Birdie’s rebuild year and how smaller brands can apply the same financial discipline as companies operating at nine-figure scale. If you're trying to understand your BFCM results, build a forecast that reflects reality, or get finance and marketing speaking the same language, this episode is a must-listen. If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:06:40 - BFCM recap 00:24:47 - Media Mix Strategy 00:41:52 - International Markets 00:53:44 - FP&A Background 01:07:05 - Building a Forecast Powered by: Motion.⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell.https://www.aftersell.com/operators Haus.http://Haus.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 25m

  4. DEC 5 · BONUS

    Brand Tracking That Matters and How Modern Teams Scale TV

    In this episode of Marketing Operators, Cody and Connor break down how growth teams are rethinking measurement heading into 2026 - especially the rising importance of brand tracking. They discuss why click-based attribution alone no longer works, how incrementality and geo tests fill in the gaps, and why tracking awareness, consideration, and “future demand” is becoming essential. Then they’re joined by Austin Santino, Client Development Manager at Tatari, and Jonathan McKenzie, Co-Founder of Turtlebox. Jonathan shares the brand’s unique origin story - four best friends building a rugged speaker for their sailboat before realizing it could become a business. Austin breaks down how Tatari has helped Turtlebox validate audiences and content through high-signal CTV testing and confidently expand into larger live-sports and linear placements. Jonathan also shares how Turtlebox is aiming to move from fast-cycling, performance-style creative toward more intentional, long-form storytelling as the brand matures. This episode delivers the frameworks, tactics, and operator-level insights you need to sharpen your measurement strategy and scale your TV investment with confidence. Tatari: https://www.tatari.tv/?utm_campaign=29640555-Operators%20Podcast%20Nov%20%2725&utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=operators If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:06:32 - Implementing Brand Tracking 00:20:45 - The Value of Earned Media Value (EMV) 00:35:26 - Turtlebox Audio: Origin Story and Product Differentiation 00:48:11 - TV Content Strategy 00:58:25 - 2026 Planning and The "Small Bets" Philosophy for Founders Powered by: Motion. https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell. https://www.aftersell.com/operators Rivo. https://www.rivo.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 11m

  5. DEC 2

    Rethinking the Customer Journey: Text-to-Buy, Post-Purchase Wins & Alternative Media

    This week, the team breaks down how operators should be thinking about Q4 performance, offer strategy, and what it really takes to evolve beyond the traditional “discount + ads” playbook. We get into why some brands are rolling out first-ever sitewide promotions, how seasonal bundles create new revenue moments, and how text-to-buy flows, post-purchase upsells, and Shopify Collective can create seamless cross-brand merchandising opportunities heading into 2026. From there, we dive into one of the smoothest customer experiences we’ve seen lately: Fellow’s text-to-buy setup. We unpack why it works so well for hardware brands with natural consumable add-ons, which categories this model is best suited for, and how operators can use complementary products to create repeat pathways without relying on subscriptions. We then dive into media expansion, with the hosts discussing why there’s more opportunity than ever outside the traditional hero channels - from curated newsletter audiences to out-of-home paired with sampling and experiential moments, and the rise of street-interview content as a high-performing acquisition engine. There is so much overlooked media in the ecosystem right now, and operators who feel capped on their core platforms may be missing high-leverage arbitrage. We wrap with a discussion on identifying under-the-radar media buys, evaluating whether niche placements are worth the squeeze, and how to build a more resilient acquisition and retention engine moving into next year. If you’re expanding your media mix, pushing for higher LTV, or rethinking your Q4 strategy, this episode is packed with operator-level insights. If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:17:51 - Text-to-Buy and Complementary Brand Partnerships 00:35:40 - Testing Free Plus Shipping and Sample Funnels 00:46:02 - Out-of-Home and Street Interviews 00:58:11 - Balancing Arbitrage vs. Measurement 01:08:28 - Aligning Media Investment with Attention Trends Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell. https://www.aftersell.com/operators Rivo. https://www.rivo.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 15m

  6. NOV 25

    How We Track Revenue and Ad Spend Hourly During Cyber Five

    As we head into the final days before Cyber Five, this episode is all about going from daily pacing to true intraday pacing - the level of granularity operators need when every hour can swing the entire BFCM weekend. We break down how we monitor hourly revenue and ad spend across Meta, Google, and more using tools like Northbeam and Supermetrics, and how we make real-time adjustments when projections drift off target. We also get into the messy but essential stuff: how inventory, merchandising, and media-mix strategy shape bid caps, channel budgets, and how aggressively you can push during Cyber Five, including the constant tradeoff brands face between maximizing contribution margin dollars and maintaining efficiency. The hosts share real examples of scaling (and protecting efficiency), running holdout tests, understanding incremental lift, and avoiding the overspend horror stories that can tank a weekend. To wrap up, we talk through team etiquette during BFCM-who’s “on,” how to handle PTO, how the paid teams coordinate in hourly and bi-hourly check-ins, and what it takes operationally to keep a brand performing during the most high-pressure stretch of the year. If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:10:52 - Intraday Revenue Pacing 00:24:39 - Cyber 5 Scale-Up Tests 00:39:07 - Bid Caps and Budget Strategies 00:52:10 - Channel Spend Forecasting 01:02:50 - Scaling Mid-Funnel Campaigns Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell. https://www.aftersell.com/operators Haus. http://Haus.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 14m

  7. NOV 18 · BONUS

    What DTC Can Learn From Enterprise Media - with JMo, VaynerMedia

    This week, we’re joined by Jon “JMo” Morgenstern, Head of Investment at VaynerMedia, who manages over $1.5B in annual media spend across brands like Oreo/Mondelez, JP Morgan Chase, PepsiCo, and Yeti. JMo breaks down how enterprise advertisers think about channel mix, retail media, and allocating capital across Meta, TikTok, CTV, Amazon, and Walmart and what DTC operators can learn from teams working at that scale. From there, we dive deep into measurement. JMo breaks down how enterprise teams are approaching incrementality, causal MMM, brand lift, and retail media halo effects and why fast-moving brands need to start thinking beyond last-click and short-window ROAS if they want to graduate into real growth mode. Then we move into creative. We talk about why “just make more ads” isn’t the strategy and how Vayner thinks about creative volume × creative diversity, niche persona testing, and using organic performance as a signal before scaling into paid. We wrap with TikTok Shop, retail partnerships, and why even the biggest brands in the world are still navigating the same innovator’s dilemma as fast-growth DTC brands - just with more zeros and way more stakeholders. If you're trying to spend smarter, measure smarter, and make creative that actually moves the needle, you’re gonna love this one. If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:04:59 - Fortune 500 vs DTC Strategies 00:17:59 - Measuring Awareness, Incrementality & MMM 00:38:49 - Vayner Volume Model: Diversity over Iteration 00:52:49 - Turning Organic Wins into TV Commercials 01:04:11 - TikTok Shop Strategy & Cross-Channel Halo Powered by: Motion. ⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell. https://www.aftersell.com/operators Rivo. https://www.rivo.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 17m

  8. NOV 13 · BONUS

    What We’re Putting Into Motion: Evolving Creative Strategy for Meta’s Andromeda Era (Bonus Episode)

    In this episode of Marketing Operators, Cody and Connor unpack the real impact of Meta’s Andromeda update and what creative diversity actually means today, plus how to optimize for it in an algorithm-driven environment. They break down how short-form, personalized feeds have reshaped the playbook, why we’ve shifted from the editor era to the creator era, and what now constitutes a better ad in Meta’s eyes. They also dig into how to scale truly diverse creative without slowing down, harness organic social as a performance engine, and how the creative strategist role is evolving - expanding beyond editing into creator-first, social-native thinking and faster content systems. Then they’re joined by Cathy Sun, VP of Ecommerce at AppLovin, to dive into the launch of AppLovin’s self-serve Axon ads platform. Cathy breaks down how rewarded mobile gaming ads work, why long-form clickable inventory is driving incremental performance for e-commerce brands, and the creative tactics that win - from increasing ad volume and variation to leveraging interactive formats and scaling with repeatable creative workflows. She shares real stories of brands rapidly ramping spend and unlocking breakout ROAS on AppLovin, and why this channel has quickly become a powerful performance complement to Meta. If you’re evolving your creative for the Andromeda era and looking for scalable performance channels beyond Meta, this episode delivers the frameworks, tactics, and operator-level insights to grow with confidence. Check out Axon by AppLovin: https://axon.ai/inviteonlyUse code: KLOHWKP3YM Operators Masterclass on Channel Growth: https://www.9operators.com/applovin If you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:06:46 - The "Andromeda" Apocalypse 00:21:55 - Why We're in the "Creator Era" (Not the "Editor Era") 00:37:56 - How to Hire in the Creator Era 00:53:37 - Special Guest: What is AppLovin's Axon Platform? 01:07:39 - AppLovin Performance & Creative Best Practices Powered by: Motion. https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trends Prescient AI.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.prescientai.com/operators Richpanel.⁠⁠⁠ https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdesc Aftersell. https://www.aftersell.com/operators Haus. http://Haus.io/operators Subscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9 Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPS Sign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here: https://9operators.com/

    1h 26m
See All (99)

4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

.

Information

  • Creator
    Marketing Operators I Connor Rolain I Connor MacDonald I Cody Plofker
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Marketing Operators I Connor Rolain I Connor MacDonald I Cody Plofker
  • Show Website
    Marketing Operators

You Might Also Like