Ecommerce Conference Recap: Our Favorite Themes From CommerceNext 2022

👉 Register to attend the 2024 CommerceNext Growth Show on June 11-13 in NYC to learn from 150+ industry leaders about ecommerce and retail growth.

We are thrilled to get the CommerceNext community back together in NYC next June. As we get ready to announce more details for The 2023 Ecommerce Growth Show, we can’t help but reminisce on all the content and fun of the 2022 ecommerce conference.

We had 100+ industry-leading speakers across 50+ sessions discussing all things marketing and ecommerce with the focus of seizing the next wave of growth.

We recapped some of the content highlights and hottest 2022 ecommerce conference topics below.

Navigating the New Era of Data Privacy

With industry-wide privacy changes as well as third-party cookies on the verge of crumbling, marketers are scrambling for new ways to power their personalization efforts. Our ecommerce conference demonstrated that brands have been working tirelessly to create and test other data-collecting pathways aside from the beloved, but increasingly ineffective, third-party tools.

Abercrombie & Fitch on First-Party Data Collection at Ecommerce Conference

Abercrombie & Fitch explained at the ecommerce conference that it has been focusing heavily on first-party data points like ratings and reviews and customer service chats/calls. Ratings and reviews as well as customer service interactions give the brand a sentiment analysis, allowing them to better understand how certain products are faring. These are objective, quantitative data points that bring consumer opinions and thoughts to the forefront.

In addition to this, Abercrombie & Fitch has been collecting insights from in-store associates by empowering them with better technological tools like a mobile app on a work device. This has allowed the brand to receive localized feedback on everything associates learn directly from consumers. They are able to take this data and not only optimize their in-store experience, but also personalize all digital experiences as well.

Walmart and Parachute Home on Adapting Advertising Efforts

Paid social is a huge form of customer acquisition and retention for so many brands. Because of Facebook and Instagram’s recent privacy changes, advertising has been severely affected. Our ecommerce conference shared that brands have had to shift their focus to continue seeing success through different channels, like affiliate marketing.

  • Walmart has seen success through the implementation of influencer partnerships. However, they try to partner with more niche, micro-influencers who seamlessly work the brand’s products into their day-to-day lives in order to be more personable and relatable to their target consumers.
  • Parachute Home has also joined the affiliate marketing journey. They believe the content deal with influencers is not to gain millions of followers, but instead to show authenticity. The brand compensates by boosting and sponsoring the post. They believe you are optimizing for the authenticity and the content itself, then using paid marketing to amplify the reach.

The Future of Ecommerce: Keeping Your Options Open

With the continuous evolution of technology, the ecommerce industry is ever-evolving. It is critical for marketing executives to be flexible and open to new ideas in order to stay relevant.

At our 2022 ecommerce conference, executives from GoPuff, Qurate Retail Group and American Eagle discussed how their brands are seizing the growth of ecommerce through various new channels, trends and technological advancements.

1. Instant Commerce. The online shopper’s newest addiction.

  • Amazon changed the world with one or two-day shipping times, and it created an “instant gratification” addition for consumers.
  • Consumers want their products not only to come fast but consistently fast.

2. Liveshopping. The booming new way to shop!

  • Livestream shopping gives your consumers the most personalized digital shopping experience.
  • Going live allows you to bring the richness and texture of those in love with your brand to the forefront.

3. The Metaverse. The newest (and slightly intimidating) social platform.

  • If you’re on social media, congrats! You’ve already entered the Metaverse.
  • Following your target audience is key. If they are on certain channels, its crucial to gain visibility exactly where your consumers are to stay top of mind.
  • Make the Metaverse work for you: match your real-life campaigns to those you are doing virtually.

Ecommerce Conference Shares the Importance of Consumer Connections

Building meaningful relationships with consumers is the most important thing a brand can do to not only optimize personalization and overall ecommerce experiences but also to create lifetime, returning customers. Here’s how some of the brands who joined us at ecommerce conference CommerceNext 2022 are establishing and keeping these relationships.

  • Brilliant Earth has found that in order to create relationships with its consumers, it needs to emphasize the values of the brand that match those of the consumers. Today’s consumer cares extremely about sustainability, so the brand focuses its marketing messaging on its social responsibility and sustainability efforts. This has helped them build strong, deep connections with their target audience.
  • Jenni Kayne focuses on connecting with its consumers through their lifestyles. The brand uses imagery and messaging in its marketing efforts to promote the lifestyle the customers live or want to live. This makes the customer not only want the product but see a stronger connection with the brand itself.
  • Rainbow Shops builds relationships with its customers through conversational commerce. The brand began using personalized SMS messaging to humanize the brand and its ecommerce experience.

While these were some of our favorite themes, the key learnings above definitely do not cover all the learnings from this year’s ecommerce conference. If you’re interested in diving deeper, watch the over 25 session videos on our Youtube channel today (and be sure to subscribe for more ecommerce content)!

P.S. Save the date for CommerceNext 2023: The Ecommerce Growth Show—June 20-21, 2023 at the New York Hilton Midtown!