Our DTC 2026 Predictions & What 2025 Got Right and Wrong

This week, the hosts return for their annual predictions episode, starting by revisiting their 2025 forecasts and holding themselves accountable for what hit, what missed, and what changed faster than expected. From there, they transition into their 2026 predictions for DTC and eCommerce marketing, grounding each call in real performance data, platform behavior, and operator-level experience.The conversation centers on paid media and channel mix, with deep discussion on Meta’s evolving ability to drive new customer growth, AppLovin’s continued rise, renewed performance on X, and how brands should think about wallet share, prospecting vs. retargeting, and incrementality across channels. They also unpack how creative strategy and signal engineering are becoming more critical as platforms automate bidding and optimization.As the episode progresses, the discussion broadens into longer-term growth levers, including performance-driven organic social, brand awareness measurement, dynamic pricing and pre-orders, affiliate and social commerce strategies, and the growing need to connect marketing decisions with inventory, finance, and long-term brand value.A core takeaway from the episode is how operators can move beyond tactics and apply better measurement, accountability, and systems thinking heading into 2026.Watch last year's predictions episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CzkMlAHp7a2elLsIWO9qJ?si=wqbUJI_3QWqFLlOb5vN8awIf you have a question for the MOperators Hotline, click the link to be in with a chance of it being discussed on the show: https://forms.gle/1W7nKoNK5Zakm1Xv6Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:04:33 - Reviewing 2025 Predictions00:18:58 - Brand Tracking and Awareness00:38:41 - AppLovin and Channel Predictions00:57:14 - Database Design and Data Fragmentation01:16:46 - AI Infrastructure and DocumentationPowered by:Motion.⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/pricing?utm_source=marketing-operators-podcast&utm_medium=paidsponsor&utm_campaign=march-2024-ad-reads⁠⁠⁠https://motionapp.com/creative-trendsRivo.https://www.rivo.io/operatorsPrescient AI.⁠⁠⁠https://www.prescientai.com/operatorsRichpanel.⁠⁠⁠https://www.richpanel.com/?utm_source=MO&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ytdescAftersell.https://www.aftersell.com/operatorsSubscribe to the 9 Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@Operators9Subscribe to the Finance Operators Podcast here:https://www.youtube.com/@FinanceOperatorsFOPSSign up to the 9 Operators newsletter here:https://9operators.com/