A replay from VISIONS Summit: NYC featuring Future Commerce Co-Founder Phillip Jackson What happens when you bury the essence of an entire civilization fifty feet underground? Live from VISIONS Summit: NYC, Future Commerce co-founder Phillip Jackson takes us on an archaeological journey through time capsules—from the monuments of the Westinghouse's World's Fair to NASA's Golden Record floating through space. Through the lens of these cultural artifacts, we explore a provocative thesis: that comm...
Jun 27, 2025•24 min
Welcome to Future Commerce Rewind, where we compare stories in commerce today to episodes from the archives. This week, we’re playing back VISIONS speaker Justin Breton’s 2024 episode on Walmart Realm. When Walmart entered immersive digital experiences, it wasn’t chasing hype—it was rethinking how the brand shows up in everyday digital life. In this rewind from August 2024, Justin Breton, Director of Brand Experiences, shares how Walmart Realm launched as a gamified marketplace blending culture,...
Jun 20, 2025•54 min•Ep. 408
Positionless marketing isn’t just a framework—it’s a return to how work once was: flexible, intuitive, and deeply human. In this episode, Phillip, Pini, and Optimove’s VP of Product, Shai Frank, unpack how cultural mindset, military experience, and generative AI converge to create teams that move with speed and creativity. Listen to decode how technology and ambition together can strip away organizational friction, empower self-sufficient marketers, and dramatically improve customer experience. ...
Jun 18, 2025•55 min
Bestselling author and journalist Jo Piazza is best known as the host of the Under the Influence podcast, which boasts over 25 million downloads. Piazza is the author of the upcoming thriller Everyone is Lying to You, which dissects the rise of ‘trad wife’ influencers and the multi-billion-dollar industry built on selling idealized domesticity. Drawing on her background in investigative journalism, which has covered everyone from Donald Trump to mommy bloggers, Piazza reveals how traditional val...
Jun 13, 2025•48 min•Ep. 407
Organizations love to optimize—but often forget what, or who, they’re optimizing for. When teams are built around internal structures rather than customer outcomes, even the best strategies become slow to adapt. Author and data analyst Neil Hoyne and Pini Yakuel explore how behavioral rigidity, not technical limitations, holds most companies back. Drawing from principles in Neil Hoyne’s book, Converted , they argue for a shift toward systems that favor adaptability, exploration, and proximity to...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr
Join us for a live session from The Whalies in LA with Bryan Cano, Head of Marketing at True Classic, on a recent meteoric rise to an $850M valuation. Bryan reveals how True Classic is democratizing AI adoption across their organization by turning every employee into a technology architect and maintaining human empathy that drives authentic brand connection. We explore how tactical innovation serves a grander vision: transforming from a men's apparel company into a cultural force that builds con...
Jun 06, 2025•40 min•Ep. 406
Phillip and Pini decode the implications of operating in a world where generative AI acts as both creative partner and analytical assistant. The walls between departments are dissolving. Roles are becoming more flexible. Tools are learning faster than their users. And the new creative process starts with a prompt. Key Takeaways AI is now the default creative and analytical partner —prompting, planning, and predicting across workflows. The boundary between job functions is vanishing. Designers an...
Jun 04, 2025•31 min
Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 15% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episodes and bonus content!...
Jun 03, 2025•7 min
What happens when everyone becomes a brand for fifteen seconds? And what happens after brands become nothing more than ambient frequencies in our endless scroll? Today, we’re running back the highest-rated talk from VISIONS: LA. Emily Segal (K-HOLE, Nemesis) presents groundbreaking research on the post-peak vibe era, exploring what comes next when brands can no longer hide behind mood boards and atmospheric storytelling. From “strawberry girl summer” to “rodent boyfriend energy,” we've reached t...
May 30, 2025•16 min
In this kickoff episode of Decoded , Phillip Jackson sits down with Pini Yakuel to explore the concept of "positionless marketing" — a radical rethinking of how marketing teams operate in an AI-powered world. Drawing inspiration from the evolution of positionless basketball, Pini argues that marketing, like sports, is evolving toward roles defined by agility and capability, not titles or silos. The conversation weaves through leadership, startup culture, and how Optimove is enabling marketers to...
May 28, 2025•37 min
Massive acquisitions—from Skechers to Touchland to Foot Locker—aren’t just headline fodder; they reflect deeper shifts in how value is defined in commerce today. Phillip and Brian explore what this means for brand identity, consumer behavior, and retail strategy, while diving into everything from Ghost Nutrition’s licensing fallout to how Ozempic might reshape fashion trends. It’s all a signal: the future of commerce is being redrawn across culture, tech, and even your closet. The Skechering of ...
May 23, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 405
Join the Membership: futurecommerce.com/plus and save $10 on your first month with code AFTERDARK Wooden nickels, gilded sovereigns, and a juke-joint cash drawer. We peel back the layers of Ryan Coogler’s SINNERS to show how currency turns into control—and why plantation scrip still echoes in today’s loyalty points. Get the full breakdown and bonus notes with Future Commerce Plus. Join the Membership: futurecommerce.com/plus and save $10 on your first month with code AFTERDARK
May 21, 2025•51 min
Live from Los Angeles, Phillip and Brian explore bizarre and brilliant intersections of commerce and culture of late, from commerce themes in Sinners to pope merch to DIY luxury. In an episode that’s part futurist insight, part sacred absurdity, they connect the dots between retail psychology, meme theology, and trade policy. PLUS: Phillip and Brian head to The Whalies with Triple Whale. Coming up on the show, catch their live interview from The Whalies with Bryan Cano of True Classic! High Chur...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 404
Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 15% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episodes and bonus content!...
May 14, 2025•10 min
Phillip and Brian bring hot takes on eBay’s Met Gala presence, the latest tariff turmoil, and the future of autonomous driving. PLUS: Dissecting Warren Buffet’s retirement and new research on Gen Z vs. Millennial communication trends. The Y2K Bug Zapped Us Into PostmodernismKey takeaways: Trends that feel like youth trends are actually just internet trends. Their effects are now felt across generations, not siloed age groups. There has been a shift from modernism to postmodernism, and in turn, s...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 403
Brian dials in from B2B Chicago, Phillip gets existential, and Alicia Esposito returns to the show and makes her debut as the newest member of the Future Commerce team. This week, we unpack music festivals’ escalating cost of participation, Coachella as a retail laboratory, and how looming global trade challenges overconsumption. PLUS: The auto industry experiences a rare analog awakening. It Was Big Hibiscus All AlongKey takeaways: 70% of B2B purchasers are Gen Z or Millennials. Tariffs are a r...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 402
Phillip and Brian dig into the cultural implications of AI’s new role—not just as a tool, but as a confidant, a co-pilot, and even a therapist. They also get into the Kraft Heinz x A1 viral moment, trade war disinformation on TikTok, and how AI-fueled consumer aesthetics are transforming luxury. Plus: A new HBR report shows “therapy and companionship” is now the top use case for GenAI. What does this mean for society and us as individuals? The Secret’s in the SauceKey takeaways: Kraft Heinz's re...
Apr 25, 2025•51 min•Ep. 401
Andrew McLuhan—author, speaker, and steward of The McLuhan Institute—shares rich, mind-bending perspectives on the current state of culture, media, connection, and commerce. Drawing from a generations-deep intellectual legacy forged by media theorist and philosopher Marshall McLuhan, Andrew explores what it means to live in a world electrified by complete digital immersion. A New Medium Is A New CultureKey takeaways: “I quickly discovered that it’s easy to overwhelm people with too much informat...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 399
Live from Optimove Connect, Brian sits down with Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel and Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist at Futurist.com, to unpack the philosophical and practical implications of 'positionless marketing'—a radical rethink of organizational roles in the AI era. Mind Over MechanismKey takeaways: Positionless is Power: The most innovative organizations won't be flatter—they'll be fluid. Roles dissolve; talent flows where it’s needed. AI Is the New Intern: It drafts, it preps, it gets you st...
Apr 11, 2025•36 min•Ep. 398
Brian goes live from Optimove Connect in London to explore how the idea of “positionless marketing” is revolutionizing the way we think about team structure, agility, and creativity in marketing. He chats with endurance swimmer and environmental activist Lewis Pugh, as well as DAZN’s Ria Chin-You and Optimove’s Paul O’Shea, about marketing’s future and how AI is shaping it. Strive for EpicKey takeaways: [12:25] Lewis Pugh shares how emotional drive and preparation fuel extraordinary feats—like s...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 397
Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 15% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episodes and bonus content!...
Apr 08, 2025•5 min
Elizabeth Schmidt sits down with Kelly Cook, the new CEO of David’s Bridal, for a deep-dive into one of the most ambitious retail transformations happening today. Kelly is leading the iconic bridal company through its pivot from “aisle to algorithm,” turning tradition on its head while honoring the trust of over 100 million women they've dressed. Kelly shares how David’s is embracing inclusivity, rethinking what a wedding “should” look like, and creating magical moments for every kind of bride. ...
Apr 04, 2025•35 min•Ep. 396
Feat. Daisy Alioto & Francis Zierer Daisy Alioto and Francis Zierer of Tasteland join us to talk about what happens when two distinct media brands—Dirt and Creator Spotlight—collide. We explore how podcasting has become a creative extension of newsletters, how parasocial dynamics shape audience building, and what it means to build brand and community in a fractured media landscape. Staying Afloat in the Primordial SoupKey takeaways: The “Anti-Scene” Scene: Today’s creative connections often ...
Apr 02, 2025•59 min•Ep. 394
Feat. Josh Friedman Live from Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas, Phillip and Brian sit down with Josh Friedman, VP of Digital & eCommerce at Ulta Beauty, for an insider look at how one of America’s leading beauty retailers is evolving its digital experience. From launching a curated, invitation-only marketplace to expanding into wellness and enhancing in-app experiences, Josh shares how Ulta is blending personalization, innovation, and culture to deepen customer relationships. If you're in ecomme...
Apr 01, 2025•30 min•Ep. 394
Live from the buzzing floor of ShopTalk Spring, Phillip, Brian, and marketing expert Elizabeth Schmidt unpack everything from nostalgic branding and Gen Z marketing to luxury retail and AI in education. We digest key themes we heard during ShopTalk in real-time and share a compelling look at how relationships and storytelling are driving the next chapter in retail. You Can’t Optimize Your Way to A MythKey takeaways: [02:30] CEO Richard Dixon emphasized Gap’s legacy as a canvas for American cultu...
Mar 28, 2025•47 min•Ep. 392
The brilliant Orchid Bertelsen is back with a huge announcement… PLUS: From Aritzia x Sperry's viral fashion to the surprising new role of Amazon in eCommerce, we explore how brands are winning (and losing) in today’s retail landscape. “I Would Sugarcoat This, But You Would Eat That Too”Key takeaways: [00:04:30] The Sperry x Aritzia collaboration is a calculated and strategic flexing of the Aritzia brand to drive traffic by leveraging the resurgence of the boat shoe trend. [00:19:30] The new met...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 391
Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 20% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episodes and bonus content!...
Mar 20, 2025•3 min
This week, we are talking Home Depot’s b-hole reminiscent chatbot and vibecoding JD Vance’s face. Plus—the biggest mystery in American shopping: why does TJ Maxx make people need to poop? Also on tap: Apple’s iPad launch cringefest and a surprising rise in Android smartphone adoption among creatives AND finance bros alike. The Rise of Butthole LogosKey takeaways: Home Depot's "Magic Apron" and Lowe's "Milo" chatbots launched within hours of each other—proving that every brand now needs an AI ass...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 390
Scripted, mass-produced influencer marketing has sent the internet spiraling toward a dystopian era of “loser-generated content.” Plus, we share key insights from eTail West, a sneak peek into Future Commerce’s Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, and dissect some disturbing internet finds of the week.The End of the World As We Know It Key takeaways: [04:00] Lemon Balm Tea’s influencer campaign: Meanwhile, on TikTok, a scripted ad for Lemon Balm Tea sparks hundreds of fake testimonials. How many “h...
Mar 07, 2025•59 min•Ep. 389
Get ad-free episodes and bonus content, including the full recording of this podcast, by joining Future Commerce+ at futurecommerce.com/plus Access to our new Word of Mouth Index with Fairing, a brand new member benefit Save 20% on Future Commerce print journals and merch Exclusive invites to physical events, dinners, and priority invites to industry events (SXSW, Art Basel, VISIONS) Ad-free episodes and bonus content!...
Mar 06, 2025•3 min
