Google is positioning AI at the center of its advertising ecosystem with substantial changes to search, shopping, and campaign management. The new "PowerPack" approach combines Performance Max, Demand Gen, and AI Max for search campaigns, though questions remain about how these components will work together without cannibalizing each other. • AI Overviews and AI Mode represent massive shifts in search, with Google generating answers directly and using "query fanning" to search multiple queries b...
Jun 05, 2025•46 min•Season 4Ep. 6
We broke the news: Temu hit the brakes – hard. In this episode, Mike and Chris dig into Why Temu suddenly killed all ads in the US, and what happened next Signs that Temu's ad spend shifted to Europe OpenAI’s move into ecommerce, joining Amazon, Perplexity, and Microsoft in the AI shopping race Does Google’s silence might signal hesitation or confidence? A debate: how profit vs growth is now the defining tension in retail strategy This one’s all about who’s advancing, who’s retreating, and who’s...
May 08, 2025•35 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Google’s turning into an answer engine—so why does it feel like the internet’s disappearing beneath it? In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike and Chris tackle the search shake-up and what it means for everyone from advertisers to publishers: • AI Overviews (AIO) could kill clicks — We break down how Google’s zero-click model is reshaping the internet and threatening entire business models. • Can Google hold its ground in the AI era? Or are leaner, AI-native rivals closing in? • What is “Vib...
May 01, 2025•44 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Who’s real anymore? In this episode of Growing Ecommerce, Mike and Chris break down the chaos unfolding across the digital advertising world: • Instagram is testing AI-generated user profiles — Are we entering a world of fake influencers, and what does it mean for ad targeting? • Zuckerberg pulls back on content moderation — We dive into the actual data behind Meta’s shift in strategy. • Google's ads are showing up next to harmful content — A CSAM scandal rocks Google's Display Network. How many...
Apr 24, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Digital ads in 2025 are anything but boring. In this episode, Mike and Chris unpack: Mark Zuckerberg’s eyebrow-raising claim that ads aren’t important (despite 98% of Meta’s revenue coming from ads) Amazon’s move to sell its ad tech to other retailers—friend or Trojan horse? Plus details from our comprehensive new PMax research: How Google’s Performance Max is finally shedding its “black box” label, with fresh data from 500+ accounts Why your PMax campaigns need 30–60 conversions a month, no mat...
Apr 17, 2025•36 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Big changes on Growing Ecommerce! Chris Scharmueller joins Mike Ryan for a fresh, unscripted take on the latest in online retail. In this episode: Amazon vs. Temu : What Amazon’s “Haul” launch says about their playbook and profit risks Perplexity AI : Can it challenge Google by fusing search and shopping? Nike’s DTC misstep : When cutting out retail partners backfires Marketing strategy : Are you spending where influence occurs? All that and more, plus a hot take or two. Hit play....
Apr 10, 2025•37 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Discover the forces reshaping the ecommerce landscape leading into 2025 as host Mike Ryan guides us through a labyrinth of game-changing developments and strategic maneuvers. From the Department of Justice's legal challenges against Google to the emerging battleground between Amazon and Temu, Mike gives insight into how these seismic shifts might just redefine what we know about monopolies, market dynamics, and consumer engagement. Could the verdicts against Google have unintended consequences? ...
Dec 17, 2024•34 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Can a new low-price, slow-shipping strategy from Amazon truly rival Temu's direct-from-China model? On this episode of Growing ecommerce, host Mike Ryan dissects some of the biggest headlines from Q2 including Amazon's attempt to fight back against Temu, and Netflix's advertising woes, which led to another VP dismissal just one day after earnings were reported. He also discusses how Pinterest's ad deal with Google is shaping up, changes to Meta's remarketing mix, first reactions to Prime Day, an...
Jul 30, 2024•34 min•Season 3Ep. 9
(Recorded live at IRX Birmingham) Rob Davis is Acquisition Marketing Director at THG Beauty, a division which is responsible for £1.2B of THG's total revenues, and which includes brands such as LOOKFANTASTIC, Cult Beauty, and Dermstore. Rob tells how growth in the Beauty ecomm sector is shaping up, and which tech and consumer trends he's watching now. Plus, we get Rob's take on economic trends including the resilience of the luxury market and mythbusting the Lipstick Effect. Lastly we get Rob's ...
Jun 11, 2024•43 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Join Mike Ryan for a discussion of his highlights from GML 2024. Was the event overshadowed by Google I/O? Do advertisers need to worry about the biggest shake-up ever to Google's SERP? He answers these questions and unpacks the news around core ecommerce feature announcements like profit bidding, interactive Shopping ads, and improvements to asset and video reporting in Performance Max campaigns. All in all it was a good GML for paid teams, but a worrying one for organic teams and publishers. M...
May 28, 2024•33 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Learn about the future of marketing from Daniel Smulevich of Jellyfish, as he guides us through the MarTech revolution in a landscape brimming with change. This episode isn't about chasing shiny new tech; it's about strategic problem-solving and making tech work for your marketing needs.We dissect the tech FOMO that grips the industry, using platforms like Roblox as cautionary tales, and emphasize the importance of thoughtful tech adoption. Daniel describes the imperative for realignment of data...
May 14, 2024•47 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Temu's advertising has been at the center of countless headlines in recent months. However, journalists don't know advertising well enough and don't have the data necessary to tell the full story. Mike has monitoring Temu for months – and mega-advertisers like Amazon, Wish, and eBay for years. He ties together all of his research on Temu so far into a single story exploring their dramatic rise, and their performance impact on other advertisers. This episode isn't Wall Street analysts or regular ...
Apr 30, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Mike shares updates about two trending areas to watch this year. First is the rise of marketing mix modelling. He digs into Google's new Meridian model, including a refresher on Marketing Mix Modelling, a reminder of Meta's competing offer (Robyn), and Meridian's USPs. Then he shares a big change in the marketing activity of fan favorite Temu. We'll leave you in suspense on that one – listen to find out! Discussed in this episode: A recording of Mike's webinar, "What's IN and what's OUT in 2024 ...
Mar 11, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Get a heap of ecommerce & marketplace insights from Vinnie O'Brien, whose expertise from eBay to DTC brands sets the stage for a riveting discussion. Together with host Mike Ryan, he tackles the contrasting marketplace ecosystems across the US and EU, dissecting how these differences influence business tactics, and debates whether retail media networks are now indispensable in today's digital economy. For up-and-coming brands, Vinnie gives his seasoned perspective on navigating Amazon's plat...
Feb 27, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Unravel the complexities of the ecommerce universe as we sit down with Stefan Wenzel, veteran leader from eBay Germany, Otto Netherlands, and McLaren Automotive. This episode holds a wealth of insights, from understanding Otto's metamorphosis into a leading marketplace to examining the undercurrents that differentiate established goliaths like Amazon and eBay from emerging powerhouses Temu and SHEIN. Stefan's seasoned perspective guides us through the convoluted terrain of marketplace dynamics, ...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Join us as we navigate the choppy waters of ecommerce remarketing with Phillip Ivellio-Vellin, exploring the ramifications of the impending Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Google Consent Mode's implementation deadline of March 6, 2024. This episode promises to equip you with the knowledge and strategies to t thrive in an environment where privacy regulations and tech giants' policies collide. From the implications of user consent to the future of cookie tracking, our deep dive into the evolving di...
Jan 23, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Are you ready to uncover the future of Google Ads? Brace yourself as we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of Google's advertising platform, with a specific focus on the rising dominance of Performance Max (PMax), Demand Gen campaigns, and YouTube shorts. Mike dissects how PMax is transitioning from a mere extension of Smart Shopping campaigns to a possible replacement for all campaign types, and grapples with the changing nature of this technology.He dives into the prospect that PMax could...
Dec 19, 2023•32 min
Unveiling the hidden world of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising and software development is none other than one of the founders of True Clicks, Wijnand Meijer. Meijer joins us to guide us down his unique path into PPC and software development - a journey sparked by a simple idea to bridge a gap in the market. This lightbulb moment led to the genesis of the PPC Survey, a community-led initiative that aims to share invaluable, up-to-the-minute data within the PPC industry. Since its May 2022 incepti...
Nov 14, 2023•39 min
Wondering about the hidden potential of product segmentation in ecommerce? Join as we peel back the layers on this fascinating topic. We'll discuss the tension between efficiency and scale, and explore how product segmentation can help you navigate these opposing forces. Discover the relevance of the 1970s BCG Matrix in today's ecommerce world, learn about the role of algorithms in solving the fascinating "multi-armed bandit" problem, and get insights into Google's Shopping Graph and Audience Gr...
Oct 24, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Are you ready to peel back the curtain on Google's shadowy world of search auctions? Prepare for a shocking journey that will explore the murky details of Google's alleged auction manipulation, as revealed in the Department of Justice antitrust investigation. This is an absolute must-listen for anyone in the e-commerce space, as we navigate the mechanics of their reserve price increases, the mysterious RGSP system, and the controversial practice of 'squashing.' We'll dissect how these manipulati...
Sep 26, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Ever wonder why Amazon seems to always be ahead of the curve while Google seems to be playing catch up? Join me and James Hercher from AdExchanger as we pull back the curtain on the lucrative yet often under-discussed world of e-commerce and D2C. We dive into the intersection of commerce, media, and advertising technology, highlighting why Amazon's risk-taking approach grants them the edge ahead of Google and how human input continues to be pivotal in automation-dominated platforms. Can you imag...
Sep 12, 2023•51 min
Ever wondered how small advertisers navigate the labyrinth that is Google Ads? We dive into the thick of this challenge with Collin Slattery, founder of Taikun Digital, as we address the growing complexities of mid-funnel marketing. From Google's demand-gen campaigns and YouTube Shorts to the rise of Google's automation - we scrutinize it all. Discover the ins and outs of Google's automation platform, its pros and cons, and how it's changing the landscape for advertisers both big and small. Coli...
Aug 29, 2023•50 min
What if I told you that the elusive world of Performance Max campaigns could be demystified? That's right, after an exhaustive year-long investigation, analyzing over 3000 campaigns, I've begun to crack open the black box of Performance Max. Together with the help of data experts, we will shed light on the hidden facets of these campaigns and guide you through the labyrinth of mystery placements and estimations. We’ll even unpack the unique challenges faced by multi-brand retailers and reveal th...
Aug 15, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Ready to unlock the power of Amazon Ads? Join us for a fascinating deep dive into the world of Amazon advertising with our special guest, Stefan Bures, founder and CEO of metoda. Stefan is here to share his wealth of knowledge on Amazon Ads, offering a unique lens into its history, strengths, and how his company metoda is helping equip the retail industry to compete with Amazon. Expect to be enlightened on DSP linkout campaigns, product segmentation, and the concept of retail readiness. We throw...
Aug 01, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Get ready for a ride as senior product manager at adidas, Onur Polat, steps into the spotlight. His journey from launching a jobs portal in Albania to charting the intricacies of corporations and scale-ups like Criteo and Channable is nothing short of inspiring. We'll be picking his brain about the significance of feed-based advertising in product management, and we promise, his insights are a treasure trove of knowledge you won't want to miss. We'll be demystifying the 'black box' concept as we...
Jul 18, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Ever wondered what it takes to navigate the world of performance marketing amidst a global pandemic? Join us as we chat with Stefan Huß, Head of Performance Marketing at Lampenwelt, a mid-to-top market lighting brand and part of the Luqom Group. Learn how Stefan's fascinating career journey, which began with Aldi Süd and led him to the world of performance marketing, prepared him for the unique challenges and opportunities he encountered when he joined Lampenwelt just one month before COVID-19 s...
Jul 04, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 12
What if artificial intelligence could revolutionize the e-commerce industry? Join us in our captivating conversation with Ralph Mayr, director of Product Management at Smarter Ecommerce, as we delve into the intriguing world of AI and its impact on ecommerce. From high-level concepts like philosophical zombies to current applications in performance marketing, Ralph shares his expert insight from both a consumer and product manager's perspective. We tackle the moral implications of AI, including ...
Jun 20, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Welcome to growing e-commerce. This time, Mike is discussing Google marketing live, also known as GML. As the recording takes place between GML and IO (Google's big developer conference), it was a pivotal month probably in the history of the company. Most importantly, ecommerce was at the forefront of GML and it felt very much like an ecommerce event. Listen to the episode to learn about the features coming to Google search and Google ads and what they mean for you. We'll cover conversational ca...
Jun 06, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 10
With the introduction of the AI powered BING search, its an interesting time for the world as the advertisers are at an inflection point between learning, testing and generating results. Welcome to Episode 9. of Growing Ecommerce. Today Mike is joined by Fabrice Canel, Principal Program Manager for Bing Search. As he is responsible for crawling and indexing at BING and ultimately for the product relevance and customer expectations, we discuss what's changing with the integration of AI chat into ...
May 16, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Welcome to Episode 8. of Growing Ecommerce. Today Mike is joined by two guests, Kirk Williams, owner of ZATO marketing making his second appearance on the show, and Ben Kruger who's a senior ecommerce growth consultant at Google. In exchange for a packed agenda you get a stimulating conversation about the grand brand-non brand debate in Google ads, the ways in which PMax is like paid social and the discussion about whether or not CPCs matter anymore.
Apr 20, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 8
