Ecommerce Playbook: Numbers, Struggles & Growth

The Math Behind Creative Hits (With Real Spend Data) 30.07.2026 25นาที

Adrianne, VP of Performance Creative at CTC, breaks down the CTC Creative Strategy Canon, the codified methodology behind how 7-figure to 9-figure ecommerce brands structure their creative programs to consistently produce winning ads. This is not a theory session. It is a data-backed framework built from 504 stores, $3.35 billion in Meta ad spend, and years of iterating what actually works.In this episode:Why ad creative is a hits business and what the data provesHit rate benchmarks from Statlas: from creation to whale, 1 in 100The Creative Demand Formula and how to calculate exactly how many ads you needCarry rate explained: what survives, what decays, and what you controlThe 5 Creative Score Metrics that determine your creative efficiencyThree levers to move performance: mine, make, and catalogThe Unified Workflow: a 5-step monthly creative planning processKey stat: Only 0.9% of ads become whales. Top advertisers ship 12-19+ new evergreen creatives per week — and their hit rates are more than double those of smaller accounts.Show Notes:Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two monthsExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

D2C Brands Grew 15% in H1 (But At What Cost) 28.07.2026 22นาที

In this episode Richard and Steve break down H1 2026 performance data from across the CTC client portfolio, covering brand revenue growth, ad spend efficiency, incrementality testing results by platform, and the latest signals from the D2C Consumer Confidence Index.Topics covered in this episode:Median brand revenue growth of 15.2% in H1 2026Why spend grew 28% while revenue efficiency declinedAppLovin incrementality results across 18 tests (average: 171%)Meta incrementality: average 113.4%, with a wide spread across brandsWhy AOV is a key driver of Meta incrementality outcomesConsumer confidence data: what all-time highs in June mean for H2TikTok Shops, ChatGPT advertising, and Google ROAS trendsHow 7-figure brands can access the sophistication of 9-figure advertisersKey stat: Out of 18 AppLovin incrementality tests, only one came back below 100%. Five returned 225%+ incrementality. The average was 171%.The Common Thread Collective 7-Figure Growth Workshop: http://commonthreadco.com/earlybird26Show Notes:Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two monthsExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

We're Opening Our Doors to 7-Figure Founders This September 23.07.2026 7นาที

Richard breaks down what's holding most 7-figure brands back from crossing into 8-figure territory, and announces CTC's first in-person workshop designed to close that gap.On September 2nd, 2026, CTC is hosting the Seven-Figure Growth Workshop at our Costa Mesa office. Taylor Holiday will deliver the keynote, and founders will rotate through five hands-on workshops covering forecasting, team building, creative operating systems, paid media, and AI tooling, led by the CTC leaders who run these disciplines every day.Tickets are on sale now. Link in show notes.What you'll get at the workshop:Accurate revenue forecasting that drives confident paid investmentHow to build the right team and keep them (led by Dane, VP of Employee Development)A creative operating system that scales volume without chaos (led by Ally, Dir. of Growth Strategy)Paid social fundamentals and how to build a performing ad account (led by Tony Chopp, VP of Paid Media)How to build scalable AI tools that actually move the needle (led by Anmar, Dir. of Profit Engineering)Direct access to Taylor Holiday + CTC strategy staff throughout the dayNetworking with other 7-figure founders in the same building moment.Show Notes:Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Google Ads: CTC's Complete Playbook 21.07.2026 13นาที

Tony Chopp, VP of Paid Media at Common Thread Collective, breaks down CTC's Google Ads Canon, the complete framework we use to turn Google into a true demand-harvesting machine for 7-9 figure ecommerce brands. Learn how to expand your search frontier beyond product queries, set incrementality-adjusted ROAS targets, and structure campaigns for maximum profitable growth.In this episode:Why Google is demand harvesting, not demand creation — and why that distinction changes everythingThe four-quadrant search term framework: mapping competition vs. volume to find untapped intentExpanding your search frontier into problem and use-case queries (the silicone ring example)Landing page strategy: matching page intent to query intent, not defaulting to generic PDPsThe trifecta: smart bidding + broad match + responsive search adsIncrementality-adjusted bidding: Google brand benchmark = 0.27 iROAS, non-brand = 0.6 iROASSix-campaign structure: Brand Search, Non-Brand Search, and PMax/Shopping split by acquisition vs. retentionBrand search defense strategy: when to bid aggressively and when to pull backFeed optimization: complete attributes, optimized titles, daily updates, less than 10% disapproval rateHow Statlas normalizes iROAS across all channels for true apples-to-apples budget allocationKey Stat: Google brand search has an average incrementality benchmark of 0.27 — meaning most of that attributed revenue would have happened anyway. Are you bidding against platform numbers or real incremental numbers?Show Notes:Your free LTV audit is waiting at smile.io: https://bit.ly/4bKlMCvExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Your Unsold Inventory Is Costing You More Than You Think 16.07.2026 25นาที

Most ecommerce brands head into Q4 carrying too much inventory and not enough cash, and those two problems are directly connected. In this episode, Richard Gaffin sits down with Anmar Anmar Abdul Jawad, Director of Profit Engineering at CTC, to walk through the Cashmas in July framework, a four-step process for liquidating slow-moving inventory in Q3 so your brand has the capital and focus it needs to win in Q4.What we cover:Why brands fall into either an execution gap or a strategy gap with inventoryThe real cost of holding inventory, including storage fees and opportunity cost on cashHow cash constraints force brands to pull back spend and miss cohort valueThe four-step liquidation process: SKU identification, financial modeling, operating plan, and asset executionWhy sequencing discounts correctly depends on your brand's historical discount behaviorHow CTC's portfolio-wide data gives brands an edge on ad angles and creative strategyWhy adding a third party for liquidation adds capacity instead of displacing your evergreen businessKey insight: Brands that are cash-constrained in Q3 have to reduce new customer acquisition spend precisely when efficient CAC opportunities are available. Liquidating inventory early funds the cohorts that drive your Q4 contribution margin.Ready to run Cashmas in July for your brand? https://commonthreadco.com/pages/cashmas-in-julyShow Notes:Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two monthsExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Cashmas in July: Turn Q3 Inventory Into Q4 Cash 14.07.2026 17นาที

Stale inventory and thin cash flow are the two things that show up in nearly every Q3 conversation we have with ecommerce brands. In this episode, Richard Gaffin and Randall Thompson break down Cashmas in July, a CTC framework for turning slow-moving inventory into real cash before Q4 bets get expensive.Topics covered:Why Q3 is the lull that destroys Q4 setupThe cash event data: $156K Q3 cash generation led to 42% YoY Q4 growthHow to wrap inventory in a narrative instead of slashing pricesWhat CTC builds in a 30-day Cashmas event (creative, email, media, narrative)The awareness effect: Q3 ad spend primes Q4 buyersWhy the brands that moved inventory early felt momentum, and the ones who waited felt flatKey stat: Brands that ran Q3 cash events saw Q4 growth of 42% to 67% YoY. Brands that did nothing averaged -8% to +11%.Cashmas in July: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/cashmas-in-julyShow Notes:Your free LTV audit is waiting at smile.io: https://bit.ly/4bKlMCvExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

How 7-Figure Brands Can Win in Q3 09.07.2026 36นาที

Joy Sharma runs CTC's PE7 program for mid to high 7-figure brands. His claim: if you're stuck at a growth plateau, he can diagnose what's wrong without looking at your ad account. The answer is almost never creative. It's almost never ad structure. It's offer-market fit.In this episode, Joy breaks down why Facebook's auction works against you as you scale spend, how the AOV-to-CAC ratio determines your ceiling, and why Q3 is the single most important window for 7-figure brands to get this right before Q4.In this episode:Why growth plateaus are a business problem, not a marketing problemHow Facebook's auction gets harder as you spend moreThe AOV vs. CAC framework that reveals who you're actually competing againstWhy Q3 is the window to solve offer-market fit before Q4 spend rampsHow CTC's Marketing Moments service guarantees incremental revenueThe sequence that matters: product-market fit → offer-market fit → creative strategyKey insight: Creative strategy is a volume mechanism, not an efficiency mechanism. If you're trying to solve a business problem with a marketing solution, that's where 7-figure brands go to die.Show Notes:Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

How Meta Actually Works in 2026 07.07.2026 17นาที

Meta has fundamentally changed how it targets and delivers ads, and most brands are still operating on the old rules. In this episode, CTC's VP of Paid Media Tony Chopp breaks down the CTC Methodology for Meta advertising: why creative is now the targeting, how Meta's Andromeda and GEM systems make decisions no human operator can match, and the counterintuitive principle that defines how our profit engineers manage accounts every single day.Topics covered:How Andromeda and GEM replaced audience-first targetingThe breakdown effect and why historical ROAS doesn't predict future ROASCampaign structure: evergreen vs. marketing moment campaignsSignal quality, CAPI integration, and event match quality scoresBudget liquidity and why day-to-day spend variance is a feature, not a bugThe four-phase framework for solving underspendWhy turning off ads is the single most common mistake brands makeKey stat: Meta's Andromeda enables a 10,000x increase in model capacity per impression opportunity.Show Notes:Book a free demo at tapcart.com/ctc to learn how brands like Aviator Nation, BEIS, Athletic Brewing, and thousands more are winning with TapcartExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

The Measurement Gap: iROAS, Geo Holdouts, and Progressive Truth 02.07.2026 23นาที

Your platform ROAS is not the truth. It's a story your attribution tool tells you. Luke Austin, breaks down exactly how CTC approaches marketing measurement — and why the gap between platform-reported numbers and actual incremental revenue is where most brands make their worst capital allocation decisions.This is Part 3 of the CTC Canon Series — our codified methodology across the core disciplines of ecommerce growth. In this episode, Luke covers the full measurement framework: why geo holdout tests are the gold standard, how CTC's database of hundreds of incrementality tests gives every new brand a head start, and what it means to build "progressive truth" over time instead of chasing a single source of truth.Topics covered:Why media efficacy is always in flux — and why any system that treats it as fixed is lying to youThe measurement gap: reality vs. fiction, and how to move closer over timeGeo holdout tests explained — how they work, why they're the gold standardCTC's incrementality benchmarks by channel: Facebook acquisition (1.14x iROAS), Google Branded (0.27x iROAS), and moreWhy Google branded search dramatically over-reports ROASHow iROAS normalization enables true apples-to-apples channel comparisonThe three-stage framework: aggregate benchmark, individual test, accumulated medianWhy iROAS is always subordinate to contribution marginShow Notes:Go to https://bit.ly/4aiEz79 to start your free migration with Omnisend todayExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

The Modeling System That Powers 30%+ Revenue Growth 30.06.2026 22นาที

Most brands forecast from gut feel and ROAS. CTC runs on four interlocked proprietary models that produce a daily P&L forecast with 3.1% accuracy across more than $3 billion in GMV. In Part 2 of the Canon series, Luke Austin breaks down each model, how they connect, and what a Profit Engineer actually does with themTopics covered:Why a single ROAS number can't run a businessThe Spending Power Model — ACoNS curves and what spending power actually tells youThe Retention Model — forecasting returning revenue cohort by cohortThe Event Effect Model — how to get daily precision without breaking monthly targetsThe Creative Demand Model (teased — full breakdown in the creative strategy episode)How these four models wire together into a connected forecast systemWhat R-squared below 0.6 signals about your retention dataThe three optimization points every brand should know: max CM, max revenue, max LTV CMKey stat: 3.1% forecast accuracy across $3B+ in GMV managed — producing 30%+ revenue growth and 40%+ contribution margin growth.Show Notes:Go to https://bit.ly/4aiEz79 to start your free migration with Omnisend todayExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Why Ritsu Switched Email Platforms Mid-Growth (And What It Actually Took) 25.06.2026 25นาที

Every dollar spent on SaaS is a dollar that does not go into ads.In this episode, Luke Austin sits down with Gil Dyen, Head of Marketing at Rutsu Barefoot, to walk through a real email and SMS platform migration to Omnisend — what drove the decision, what the process actually looked like, and how a 60,000-contact list got fully migrated in under 30 days with less than a working day of direct involvement.Gil runs marketing at a mid-7-figure DTC footwear brand that has sold 45,000 units in its first 18 months, with a clear mandate: keep SaaS costs lean, reinvest every freed dollar into Meta spend and creative, and build the retention engine that takes the brand from 12% returning customers today to 45% by year three.Topics covered in this episode:Why a bootstrapped DTC brand audits its SaaS stack constantlyThe two criteria that actually drive platform decisions: cost and timeHow Omnisend managed the full migration, from contact database to flow automationsWhat the QA process looks like after a migration (and how long it takes)The warm-up mechanics: 9 days to re-engage 60,000 contactsWhy Q4 is the wrong time to switch email platforms (and when to do it instead)How an ESP migration becomes a flow audit opportunityCTC's Omnisend integration inside Statlas for forecast-connected email trackingShow Notes:Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

How We Forecast $4B in GMV to 3% Accuracy 24.06.2026 23นาที

Every forecast is wrong. The question is whether yours is useful.Luke Austin, walks through the CTC Methodology series opener: a complete operating model for making profit predictable across ecommerce brands. This is not a spreadsheet. It is a four-step system built on 12 years of experience and $4 billion in GMV, combining proprietary data science with daily operational discipline to hit 3% forecast accuracy at scale.Topics covered in this episode:Why all models are wrong and what makes the best ones usefulThe "tigers not mice" framework for prioritizing what actually mattersQualitative planning: how a 12-month marketing calendar becomes a mathematical inputThe Spending Power (AMER) model and three optimization modes for new customer spendCohort LTV modeling: why active vs. lapsed customer distinction changes everythingThe Event Effect model: how marketing moments get quantified, not just scheduledBuilding a full P&L forecast from customer cohorts up, not channel metrics downWhy contribution margin is the north star metric, not ROASPlot, Pivot, Profit: the daily cadence that makes forecasts self-correctingThe "What / So What / Now What" daily operating format used by CTC profit engineersResults: 3% forecast accuracy across $4B GMV, 32% avg revenue growth, 41% avg CM growthThis is Episode 1 of the CTC Canon Series. The Canon represents CTC's cumulative operating principles across 12-plus years and hundreds of brands, covering forecasting, media buying, creative strategy, email, and media measurement.Show Notes:Go to https://bit.ly/4aiEz79 to start your free migration with Omnisend todayExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

How One Methodology Runs 170+ Brands 18.06.2026 24นาที

What if your agency published every opinion, every framework, and every strategy they use to grow your brand? That's exactly what CTC just did.The Canon is a decade of ecommerce methodology distilled into seven categories: technology, forecasting, marketing measurement, Meta advertising, Google advertising, email strategy, and creative strategy. It's not a pitch deck. It's the actual operating system behind how CTC grows 170+ ecommerce brands.In this episode, Taylor Holiday walks through why codifying methodology changes everything, how The Canon updates itself through live testing across hundreds of brands, and why the way you evaluate agencies is about to fundamentally shift.Topics covered:What The Canon is and why methodology needs to be written downHow CTC's methodology updates in real time through aggregate testingWhy evaluating agencies by individual talent is an outdated frameworkThe role of AI in deploying institutional methodology at scaleFrontier methodology: catalog strategy, affiliate creative, TikTok ShopsHow brands should codify their own methodology for better partner outcomesWhy publishing methodology for scrutiny is a competitive advantageShow Notes:Book a free demo at tapcart.com/ctc to learn how brands like Aviator Nation, BEIS, Athletic Brewing, and thousands more are winning with TapcartExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

12 Years of Agency Knowledge in One Document 16.06.2026 46นาที

Taylor Holiday reveals the system CTC built to deploy 12 years of ecommerce knowledge across every brand they manage. From AI-powered scouting reports for his son's Little League team to the Canon, CTC's institutional playbook, and the MCP database now free for every client.Topics covered:How AI + unique knowledge + the right data creates competitive advantageThe Canon: CTC's 12-year methodology written down and codifiedTurning tribal knowledge into AI skills that any team member can deployThe Profit Engineer model and why it worksWhy structured data is the moat for ecommerce brandsMCP (Model Context Protocol): connecting your entire data stack to AICTC is making the Statlas MCP free for every brandH2 plans built by the system, reviewed by your engineerLoops, alerts, and the future of automated diagnosisLearn more about CTC's creative services → https://commonthreadco.comShow Notes:Go to https://bit.ly/4aiEz79 to start your free migration with Omnisend todayExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Offer-Market Fit: Why 7-Figure Brands Hit a Wall 11.06.2026 31นาที

Joy Sharma runs CTC's PE7 program for mid to high 7-figure brands pushing toward 8 figures. His claim: if you're stuck at a growth plateau and you've tried more creative, new ad structures, and different platforms, we can tell you what's wrong without even looking at your account. The answer is offer-market fit.In this episode, Joy breaks down why Facebook's auction forces you to compete against increasingly sophisticated players as you scale spend, why the AOV-to-CAC ratio in your industry determines your ceiling, and how CTC's Marketing Moments service guarantees incremental revenue by solving the offer problem first.In this episode:Why growth plateaus are a business problem, not a marketing problemHow Facebook's auction works against you at higher spend levelsThe AOV vs. CAC framework that reveals who you're really competing againstWhy the AOV vs. conversion rate log curve determines your offer's viabilityHow static images outperform expensive videos when you have offer-market fitCTC's Marketing Moments service and the revenue guarantee behind itThe sequence that matters: product-market fit → offer-market fit → creative strategyKey insight: Creative strategy should be a volume mechanism, not an efficiency mechanism. If you're trying to solve a business problem with a marketing solution, that's where businesses go to die.Show Notes:Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

The Branded Ads System Behind 170+ Ecommerce Brands 09.06.2026 25นาที

How do you build branded ads fast enough to find winners at scale? Nisha Fermawi, Senior Branded Ads Manager at CTC, breaks down the exact system that delivers ad plans in 24 hours, moves to production in a week, and uses performance data to drive every creative decision.In This Episode:The full branded ads pipeline: kickoff to live ads in 10 business daysWhy performance data runs creative strategy (not opinions)20 ads per batch and the 5% hit rate realityHow AI enables speed without replacing human designersProduct-level personas vs. brand-level personas (the big unlock)Why emotional copy beats sterile benefit-listing every timeThe review platform that killed the feedback game of telephoneHow to iterate on winners and compound creative insightsLearn more about CTC's creative services → https://commonthreadco.comShow Notes:Go to https://bit.ly/4aiEz79 to start your free plan todayExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

What a Profit Engineer Actually Does All Day 04.06.2026 28นาที

What does a CTC Profit Engineer actually do all day? Brian Sakansky, Profit Engineer Manager at CTC, breaks down the exact daily, weekly, and monthly cadence behind managing 7, 8, and 9-figure eCommerce brands. From Monday's plan reset to Friday's close-the-loop review, this is the operating system behind the Profit Engine.In this episode:The weekly rhythm: reset, diagnose, align, ship, close the loopHow execution and strategy split 50/50 (and when that flexes)Why daily action beats waiting for a weekly callThe scientific method applied to eCommerce growthContingency planning that saved Black FridayHow Statlas and AI tools accelerate diagnosisWhat makes a Profit Engineer different from an account manager6:45 AM to 4:30 PM: A Day in the Life of a Profit Engineer: https://commonthreadco.com/blogs/coachs-corner/6-45-am-to-4-30-pm-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-profit-engineerShow Notes:Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Why Most Founders Set the Wrong Growth Goals 02.06.2026 31นาที

Randall Thompson built an ecommerce brand from scratch, scaled it to eight figures, and sold it. Along the way, he learned that the goals he set had almost nothing to do with what his business could actually deliver.In this episode, Randall joins Richard to break down what it means to understand your business's DNA, the non-negotiable metrics (COGS, repeat rate, margins) that determine what's actually possible, and how to align your goals to reality instead of fantasy.They cover the three goal buckets every founder should be thinking about, why all roads lead to profit regardless of your endgame, and how CTC's Prophit System functions as a data-driven reality check for your brand.In This Episode:Why every business has a "DNA" that determines its ceilingThree goal categories: build to sell, raise capital, or optimize for lifestyleHow to connect daily execution metrics to long-term outcomesWhy money may be flowing back into eCommercePersonal brand as a key element of business DNAHow CTC's Prophit System gives you a second opinion rooted in dataShow Notes:Go to https://bit.ly/4aiEz79 to start your free plan todayExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

Join Our Growth Mastermind (Here's What's Inside) 28.05.2026 15นาที

Growth MastermindWhat if you could get weekly strategy sessions with a senior CTC profit engineer, full Statlas access, and a private cohort of brands at your stage, all for $500/month?That's the Next Level Growth Mastermind.Richard breaks down exactly what's inside, who it's built for, and five real insights that came out of our pilot cohort sessions, including why offer-market fit matters more than CRO, the exact launch sequence for marketing moments, and a Post-It note ad tactic that's outperforming studio creative.What you get with the Growth Mastermind:Weekly live calls with senior CTC leadershipSmall cohorts of 10 brands matched by revenue stageFull Statlas subscription ($750/mo value included)All your data ingested for a complete 360 view of your businessDedicated cohort Slack channelFull access to CTC's methodology archive (Meta, Google, email, TikTok, AppLovin)30-day money-back guaranteeWhether you're a 6-figure brand looking for a second opinion, a 7-figure operator who wants to connect with founders in a similar stage, or an 8-figure brand that wants senior strategic guidance on a weekly basis, this is built for you.Show Notes:Axon is offering $5K ad credit when you spend $5K. Go to https://axon.ai/en/ctc to set up your first campaign.Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have

We Tested AppLovin Discovery for 4 Months. Here's What Happened. 26.05.2026 20นาที

CTC's AppLovin specialist Connaugh is back four months after our first episode on the platform to break down what's actually working. Discovery campaigns are averaging 284% incrementality, 45-60 second video creative is where the spend goes, and the tactical playbook is starting to take shape.If you're running an 8-figure ecommerce brand and haven't tested AppLovin yet, this episode makes the case for why you should.Topics covered:AppLovin's new Discovery campaign type and how it differs from ProspectingIncrementality test results: 284% average on Discovery vs. 141-150% on ProspectingWhy 45-60 second video creative gets 44% of total AppLovin spendThe creative set hack for granular reportingHow to drip new creative without tanking performanceProduct catalog segmentation by campaignCTC's $5K spend match partnership with AppLovinKey stat: Discovery campaigns are driving 85-90% completely new visitor traffic with 190% incrementality (excluding outliers).Show Notes:Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two monthsExplore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engineThe Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have