Using the Conversion Funnel to Enhance Brand Equity - Luis Spencer

In this episode of Check In to Checkout, Mobile1st’s CPO Justin Aronstein and Director of Optimization Connor Burke sit down with Luis, the dynamic Senior Director of Digital Route to Consumer at Moët Hennessy. What starts as a laugh over shorts at a formal sales convention turns into one of the most insightful deep dives we've had into modern e-commerce strategy. Luis unpacks how digital is redefining brand-building in a category constrained by the 100-year-old U.S. three-tier system. He challenges the outdated idea that brand and conversion live in separate funnels, making the compelling case that seamless, well-timed ecommerce interactions are branding today. You’ll hear how he’s using platforms like Instacart and Uber Eats not just to sell—but to elevate premium brands like Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy. He also shares: The unexpected lessons from launching direct-to-consumer experiences that didn’t work Why focusing only on your business objectives (and not the consumer's actual needs) leads to flops His vision for how AI agents will change product discovery, recommendation, and even how brands get found online A “digital anthropologist” lens on how consumer behavior has evolved—especially in high-regulation industries His “video game” approach to e-commerce burnout and knowing when to put the controller down Sprinkled throughout are honest reflections on failure, a killer Pokémon metaphor, and some top-tier anime and video game recommendations. Whether you're a director of e-commerce, a digital strategist, or just someone obsessed with where the customer journey is heading, this episode is packed with value. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Biggest Failure Of The Week(00:01:18) - The Future of E-Commerce: Building a Brand(00:03:11) - Clara's Kira on(00:04:19) - Top Executives: Moet Hennessy's ECommerce(00:05:46) - Three-Tier system in the US(00:06:51) - The 3-Tier Alcohol Industry(00:08:19) - What's your day-to-day(00:11:02) - Bar and E-Commerce Director Burnout(00:14:33) - Hennessy CEO on the Digital Revolution(00:18:08) - On Real Conversations With the Customer(00:19:20) - Alcohol Brand Chat Online(00:22:10) - How Did I Get Into E-Commerce?(00:27:21) - Mo Hennessy's Ash Ketchum(00:28:16) - How many languages can you speak fluently(00:29:21) - What Are Some Of Your Failures?(00:34:07) - How E-Commerce is driving brand equity(00:38:56) - Uber Eats: Brand Discovery(00:41:26) - E-commerce: The Next Generation of Agents(00:43:43) - Will AI Transform the Consumer Shopping Journey?(00:45:58) - How Is AI Affecting Consumer Behavior?(00:48:03) - Beyond the Book: What's on your Feed?