Acadia

The debate on performance marketing vs. brand marketing and the right allocation to dedicate to each is an age-old challenge that we all face as marketers. In this week’s episode of the Ecommerce Braintrust podcast, we narrow that debate and focus on Amazon specifically to tease out - is Amazon fundamentally a sales channel, a brand-building channel…or can it be both? My colleague Jordan Ripley sits down with two of our sharpest branding minds Julian Galindo and Laurie Tovo to tease out: 🔹 Why Amazon’s platform investments both on the organic and paid media side are shifting the balance between direct response lower funnel activation vs. upper funnel brand building, and what this could mean for how brands view Amazon over the long term 🔹 How mobile-first and social commerce have changed the way shoppers interact with brands across channels 🔹 Some tactical, low lift, no brainer steps that a brand can take to improve their Amazon brand presence regardless of their internal team creative resourcing (as well as common mistakes to avoid) 🔹 Developments in Amazon’s measurement and analytics ecosystem that help give us a better sense of brand health, both from a leading and lagging POV 🔹 And perhaps most importantly…if I’m a brand with good conversion metrics and margin, do I need to care about any of this? Tune in by searching for ““ecommerce braintrust” in your favorite podcast app, or streaming via the link in the comments.

Don’t let people tell you $5 million is not enough. Brands you have more than you think. Don’t get stuck ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. If you use it well your budget can go far. 1. Watch your fee bloat 2. Be careful with tech tax 3. Ask questions about money flow and be your own advocate Thank you MediaPost for the platform.

It’s safe to say the world of ecommerce has changed dramatically in the past decade.  With the increased opportunities for brands to offer their products in-store and across multiple retail marketplaces and media networks, the need for an omnichannel strategy that speaks to the unique customers and dynamics of their product categories across channels is greater than ever. This week on the Ecommerce Braintrust podcast I’m joined by two of our favorite guests, Chris Perry and Oskar Kaszubski of firstmovr to discuss  a report they released earlier this year that’s a guide to something they’re calling “Omni Category Captaincy.” During our conversation, Chris, Oskar and I discuss how the shift towards digital has really underscored the importance of data integration and responsiveness to new consumer behaviors and expectations, pushing brands to revisit and adjust their growth strategies, content personalization, and approach to retail partnership dynamics. All of this ultimately demands an unprecedented level of agility, innovative thinking, and a willingness to reframe traditional category growth approaches to succeed in the digital-first retail landscape. Their report outlines eight specific areas or actions that define a successful category captain, focusing on integrated efforts across all channels to enhance shopper experience, maintain product availability, and drive both category and brand growth. Listen by searching for “ecommerce braintrust” in your favorite podcast app, or streaming via the link in the comments. 

Building strong client relationships is everything in this business. I really enjoyed chatting with my teammate Sally Kazin about how we cultivate these lasting client relationships at Acadia. We explored how trust, candor, and collaboration play a crucial role in overcoming challenges and turning tough conversations into opportunities for growth.

🚀 We're Hiring! 🚀 I’m excited to share that Acadia is looking for a talented Retail Creative Strategist to join our growing performance creative team! If you or someone you know has a passion for eCommerce and creative strategy, this is your chance to help take our retail creative team to the next level. You’ll work on exciting projects across Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, creative testing, video briefing, and more. Why Acadia? We’re a fast-paced digital marketing agency with an incredible team of talented individuals. If you love pushing boundaries, collaborating with smart minds, and creating impactful work, this is the place for you! Interested or know someone who might be a great fit? Let’s chat! #hiring #ecommerce #retailcreativestrategy #amazon #walmart #instacart #creativetesting #digitalmarketing Job posting in description

The sooner you realize you can't do everything, the better. Media costs are soaring, teams are shrinking, consumer wallets are tightening, and tech options are overwhelming. That's where we come in. At Acadia, our analytics serve as your decision engine. We provide the tools to make confident decisions when it matters most. We offer tools to boost your confidence in crucial choices, from market focus to media platform optimization and customer audience targeting. By helping you make informed cuts and strategic additions, we ensure your efforts yield maximum impact. Our goal is to empower YOU to make bold changes with confidence, knowing they're data-driven and purposeful.

We’re launching a new series this week on B2B SEO strategies that actually drive traffic, leads, and growth. B2B SEO isn’t like B2C—it’s about reaching decision-makers like CEOs and IT managers with precise search intent. In this first post, we break down how B2B SEO fits into longer sales cycles, complex decisions, and why those lower-volume, high-value keywords are the real game changers. If you're looking to increase visibility and generate better leads, this series will provide the insights you need. Check the comments for the first article.

#CMBSummit Update 🚨 https://bit.ly/3AZWUai In the past few weeks, the Commerce Media Brand Summit program added world-class speakers from companies such as Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, General Mills, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Omnicom Commerce, Acadia, and more! With cookie-based tracking on the decline and retail media spending projected to reach $55 billion in the US this year, this is your opportunity to gain best practices for adapting and thriving in a new, unpredictable digital advertising environment. Boost brand awareness, secure market share, and more this March 10 - 11 in Atlanta 🔗 https://bit.ly/3AZWUai #retailmedia #commercemedia #digitaladvertising #ecommerce #mediabuying

This Q4 is going to be NUTS! It always is, but this year a big election and fewer shopping days are stacking things up. Why fight the crowded CPC war instead focus to areas more in your control... Concentrate on your current customers and prioritize conversion rate optimization (CRO) over CPM. Brittany Flanagan and I have come up with 5 marketing strategies to help your brand stand out during the election season and you can read all about them on Ad Age . Click the link in the comments to learn more.

I’m so proud to share that Acadia has been named a finalist for the 2024 #digidayawards. Our work with Sky Zone has been shortlisted for the ‘Best Search Campaign’ category. We’re very grateful for Digiday recognizing our work. This campaign focused on birthdays at Sky Zone, something that may seem obvious, but was severely undervalued before we did some digging. From there we were able to use our Paid Media, Performance Creative, CRO, SEO, Brand Strategy and Analytics team to create a seamless journey for the RIGHT customers to help achieve growth. Working with a partner like Yogi Jashnani is what any agency would hope to have with a client partner. Thank you for trusting our team with your brand and budget. To the Acadia team Alan Carroll, Seth Hirsch, Jared Saddler, Brittany Flanagan, Connor DeBruin, Margot Dukes Eddy, Tiffany Dang, Priya Randhir and everyone who had a hand in this campaign, thank you for all you do. You can read more about our work with Sky Zone and the rest of the Digiday Awards Shortlist by following the link in the comments.