Commerce Media Matters

In this special episode, hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn revisit some of the most compelling conversations from Commerce Media Matters — this time through one unavoidable lens: AI.From agentic commerce and shifting customer journeys, to control, power, and the battle between publishers and Big Tech, to the growing importance of trust in an AI-saturated world — this episode cuts through the noise to unpack what’s worth paying attention to, what’s being overhyped, and what’s already playing out.Because while AI might be the headline… the reality is far more nuanced.Take a listen back to some of our past guests sharing their perspectives on AI — where they align, where they push back, and where the debate gets interesting.What you’ll learn from this episodeFeaturing highlights from conversations with:Roger Dunn (Principal Consultant at Retail Media Consultancy):  On agentic commerce, the evolving shopping journey, and why AI won’t replace humans overnight, but will dramatically shorten the path to purchase.Ricky Sutton (Founder of Future Media):  On control, power, and leverage in an AI-dominated ecosystem and how brands and publishers can push back against Big Tech.Andreas Reiffen (Founder and CEO of Pentaleap): On AI agents as a new channel, not a total disruption, and what happens when retailers risk losing direct access to their customers.Bill Fisher (Senior Analyst at EMARKETER): On trust, quality, and why in a world flooded with AI-generated content, credibility becomes the ultimate differentiator. About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Everyone’s talking about retail media, AI, and the future of commerce.But what happens when you strip away the hype and actually look at how brands, consumers, and the industry behave in reality?In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn sit down with Kiessé Lamour for a refreshingly honest conversation on where commerce media is actually heading and what still needs to catch up.From why retail media isn’t as “mature” as people think, to the real role of AI in creativity, Kiessé brings a grounded, no-BS perspective on how brands should navigate an increasingly complex ecosystem.What you’ll learn from this episode:Why retail media isn’t as mature as it seemsDespite rapid growth and investment, retail media is still heavily reliant on search, with gaps in measurement, education, and true full-funnel capability — meaning the industry still has a long way to go.How brands are moving away from “shiny object syndrome”With more networks and platforms launching every day, brands are becoming more selective — consolidating spend with strategic partners that align to business goals and deliver real outcomes.Why commerce is becoming embedded across all mediaThe lines between content, media, and commerce are collapsing, with every touchpoint becoming a potential point of transaction, driven by consumer demand for seamless experiences.The role of creativity in a transactional worldEven as commerce becomes more performance-driven, creativity remains the biggest differentiator, driving up to 60–70% of campaign effectiveness and turning shoppers into long-term brand advocates.Why AI should be seen as a co-creator, not a replacementAI can enhance and accelerate creative processes, but it can’t replace human intuition, cultural nuance, or strategy, making it a powerful tool, not a shortcut.The reality of AI adoption and its impact on searchWhile AI is dominating industry conversations, adoption is still relatively early, with only a portion of consumers using it regularly, meaning search isn’t disappearing, but evolving.What consolidation actually means for the industryConsolidation isn’t about control — it’s about simplification. Brands and agencies are streamlining tech stacks, processes, and partnerships to better navigate an increasingly complex ecosystem.Why consumer experience should guide everythingUltimately, innovation in commerce media isn’t about the industry — it’s about the consumer. Reducing friction, enhancing experience, and meeting people where they are remains the core focus.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, Bill Fisher from eMarketer joins Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn to unpack what the data is really telling us about media, commerce, and consumer behaviour.From the rise of AI-generated content to the growing importance of trust and quality, Bill shares a grounded, data-led perspective on where the industry is heading and what’s overhyped versus underestimated. The conversation explores shifting consumer behaviours, the evolution of video and connected TV, YouTube’s untapped potential, and how commerce media is expanding beyond conversion into full-funnel influence.If you’re trying to separate signal from noise in a rapidly evolving landscape, this episode brings clarity — backed by real data.What you’ll learn from this episode:Why trust and quality are becoming the new competitive edgeAs AI floods the ecosystem with synthetic content, both consumers and marketers are questioning authenticity, brand safety, and credibility — making trusted environments more valuable than ever.The reality behind AI hype in commerce and mediaAI is incredibly powerful when it comes to efficiency, speed, and optimisation, but does it inherently build brand equity or consumer trust? And what percentage of transactions is it actually forecast to drive?How consumer behaviour is becoming more fragmented and omnichannelShoppers are discovering products constantly, with 70% discovering new products at least weekly, and 23% researching five or more times before buying — spanning multiple touchpoints across digital and physical environments.Why traditional media still matters more than we thinkDespite digital growth, traditional channels like TV, radio, and in-store continue to play a critical role — with surprising data showing even younger audiences trust traditional media highly.The rise of connected TV (CTV) as a commerce opportunityCTV is rapidly overtaking traditional TV and even mobile video in time spent, creating new opportunities for both brand storytelling and direct commerce actions.Why YouTube may be one of the most underutilised platformsDespite being the largest media platform globally, YouTube is under-monetised relative to time spent, creating a major opportunity for advertisers.How commerce media is evolving beyond conversionRetail and commerce media are moving up the funnel, blending awareness, consideration, and transaction into a more integrated, measurable ecosystem.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode, Andreas Reiffen, Founder and CEO of Pentaleap, joins Commerce Media Matters to unpack the structural tensions shaping the next phase of retail media. From the fragmentation of retail media networks and the limits of walled gardens, to the challenge of unlocking real media budgets, Andreas offers a grounded view on what is really holding the category back. He also explores why measurement remains one of the industry’s biggest unresolved issues, what programmatic retail media could unlock, and how AI agents may reshape — but not replace — the retail and commerce ecosystem.What you’ll learn from this episode:Why retail media is growing — but still structurally messy:The category has exploded in recent years, but beneath the hype sits a fragmented ecosystem of competing tech models, disconnected platforms, and retailers all trying to build their own version of a walled garden.The real reason many RMNs struggle to scale:Why the challenge is not just infrastructure or reach, but the fact that many retail media budgets are still coming from trade, not true media investment, making growth harder than headline numbers suggest.Why the future may belong to hybrid and programmatic models:As smaller and mid-tier retailers struggle to go direct at scale, programmatic access, ad networks, and interoperability may become essential to unlocking broader spend across multiple retail environments.Why ROAS is still an unreliable comfort blanket:Andreas shares his candid take on measurement, why publisher-reported returns should always be treated cautiously, and why truly accurate retail media measurement remains difficult, resource-heavy, and often misaligned with industry incentives.What AI and agentic commerce could mean for retail media:A look at the difference between retailer-owned AI experiences and third-party agents and whether these new interfaces are simply another channel or the start of a deeper threat to retail’s ownership of the customer relationship.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode, Ricky Sutton of Future Media joins Commerce Media Matters for a blunt, unfiltered take on AI’s biggest impact on media since the internet, plus the monopoly era of Big Tech, and why the next phase of commerce will be defined by leverage – who controls the data, distribution, and ultimately the customer relationship. From publishers blocking bots to CMOs rethinking ad spend concentration, agent commerce, and the slow sunset of the dotcom era, this episode explores where opportunity still exists as the open web evolves into a more conversational, AI-driven commerce landscape.What you’ll learn from this episode:AI as the biggest media shift since the internet:Why AI represents a once-in-a-generation change to media, advertising, and commerce — and how decisions made now will shape the next 20–30 years. The fight isn’t only product innovation; it’s distribution, infrastructure, and monopoly leverage.Big Tech monopolies, regulation, and shifting power dynamics:What antitrust action, global regulation, and geopolitical pressures mean for Google, Meta, Apple, and others — and why the next phase may involve tech giants competing harder with each other.The sunset of the dotcom era and rise of conversational commerce:How AI is shifting engagement from static websites toward audio, visual, and conversational interfaces — reducing friction and moving brands from “ranking on a page” to building real-time, two-way relationships.Why publishers and brands need leverage in the AI era:From blocking bots to negotiating content licensing, Ricky explains why controlling your data, content, and distribution channels will determine future negotiating power.Retail media, AI commerce, and where the money flows next:Why AI companies are prioritising high-yield commerce verticals like travel, beauty, automotive, and fitness — and what that means for retail media networks, advertisers, and publishers.Content needs leverage:If content is your most valuable asset, leaving it open on the web is like leaving cash on the street. Blocking bots — or licensing access — is how you regain negotiating power.The biggest misconception: we’re powerless:Why CMOs collectively hold more leverage over Big Tech than they realise — and it all comes down to where you spend your advertising. About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode, hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn recap a very fast start to the year, jumping on planes and landing in the middle of two of the biggest moments on the commerce calendar: CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas and NRF (National Retail Foundation) in New York.From ad tech decision-makers focused on turning plans into progress, to retailers getting real about agentic commerce, AI interoperability, and what it means to show up as a brand inside LLM-driven discovery, this is a grounded read on what’s hype, what’s happening, and what’s coming next.If you’re planning 2026 strategy, building decks, or trying to connect the dots between retail media, creativity, and the new AI-led shopping front door, this one’s your practical reset.Featuring highlights from:CES (Las Vegas): Ad tech and agency leaders signalling commerce media is now core operating rhythm (not a side quest), plus serious momentum around AI inside platforms, CTV, and consolidation chatter.NRF (New York): Retail at scale, with agentic commerce as the headline, plus a reality-check on trust, privacy, and bot-vs-bot infrastructure.AI, discovery, and brand anxiety: Brands grappling with how to show up inside LLM-led journeys without losing branded experience, differentiation, or the ability to introduce new products.AI commerce getting real: OpenAI’s positioning around brands building experiences inside LLM environments, plus clear signals the rails for LLM-native transactions are being built.Retail media’s next pressure point: Retailers feeling top-of-funnel traffic shifts and pushing harder into offsite/off-network to maintain delivery and outcomes.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

AI isn’t just a back-office tool anymore. It’s creeping into the front end of shopping, discovery, and decision-making. In this episode, Roger Dunn joins Commerce Media Matters to unpack what happens when agents, answer engines and retail media collide. From generative browsers and “browser wars” to instant checkout, affiliate-style monetisation and TikTok’s role as a commerce front door, Roger cuts through the noise to separate what’s hype from what’s truly changing customer journeys. If you’re trying to work out how AI will reshape commerce in the next 2–3 years (without throwing out everything you already know), this one’s essential listening.What you’ll learn from this episode:AI agents, tempered expectations and real behaviour change: Why AI agents won’t replace all human decision-making any time soon and why we need to temper the hype while still recognising how AI will shorten paths to purchase across both e-commerce and in-store journeys.From blue links to answer engines: How ChatGPT, Atlas, Comet and other AI browsers are changing the search experience; why Google still has enormous power; and how the “browser wars” may reshape who owns the front door to commerce.The new rules of visibility in AEO, GAEO and ACO: Why traditional SEO isn’t enough in an AI-first world and how Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), Generative AI Engine Optimisation (GAEO) and AI Commerce Optimisation (ACO) will shape how products and brands show up in agents, product cards and instant-checkout flows.Monetisation in an AI world. Ads, affiliates and instant checkout: Why Sam Altman can’t avoid monetisation forever, the likely role of affiliate-style models and transaction-led revenue (think Shopify’s payments business), and what that means for retailers and brands looking to trade inside AI ecosystems.How marketers can stay sane in 2026 and beyond: Practical advice for marketers facing fragmenting channels and expanding remits — including where to over-index experimentation time, where to lean on established playbooks, and why older channels don’t disappear just because new toys arrive.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

It’s 2026. New budgets. New pressure. New expectations.And before diving headfirst into the chaos, we’re hitting pause with a rewind.In this special episode, hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn look back at some of the most influential conversations from Commerce Media Matters — the ideas, debates, and perspectives that will matter even more in the year ahead.From the explosive growth of commerce and retail media, to the realities of trust, privacy, and governance, to global shifts in how creativity and commerce collide — this episode is your warm-up lap for 2026.If you’re building decks, shaping strategies, or gearing up for planning conversations, consider this required listening.Featuring highlights from conversations with:Jason Westcott (Global Head of Commerce Solutions, WPP): On the scale and maturity of commerce and retail media, why it’s now core to the media mix, and what needs to change as it continues to grow.Gai Le Roy (CEO, IAB Australia): On trust, privacy, and governance, and why strong frameworks are critical to building confidence and scaling responsibly.Kiri Masters (Journalist and podcaster of Retail Media Breakfast Club): Bringing a global, practical lens to how fast the space is evolving — and why learning, openness, and collaboration still matter.Colin Lewis (Co-founder of Retail Media Works): Challenging the industry on creativity, effectiveness, and differentiation, and why commerce media needs its own language, thinking, and execution.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Retail media is booming — but maturity isn’t evenly distributed. Lachlan joins Commerce Media Matters to cut through the hype and grey areas: misaligned incentives, messy data expectations, the “too many screens” problem, offsite extensions, and why we need better briefs, not more buzzwords. From IAB council work to hands-on network builds, he shares a pragmatic view on how retailers, brands, media agencies and tech partners can make retail and commerce media actually work together.What you’ll learn from this episode:First-party data as the real product: How data has become the new currency of media, and why retailers must treat it as an asset that powers smarter targeting, better measurement, and more meaningful customer relationships.Where everyone’s misaligned (and how to fix it): Retailers, brands, and agencies are still figuring out how to work together. From budget confusion to long-standing silos, Lachlan explains why they’ve been operating in different swim lanes, and what needs to change to bring everyone into alignment.Offsite done right: Why retailers can’t rely on onsite media alone and how using offsite channels can extend reach from a small share of e-commerce shoppers to almost their entire audience.Incrementality without the buzzword bingo: Why “incremental” is meaningless without context and why brands need to clarify what kind of Incrementality they’re chasing.Retail media vs. commerce media: Lachlan’s take on the two: retail media goes deeper with product-level insights, while commerce media goes wider, using more data sources for scale, explaining why both are essential to a connected media strategy.The realities of data sharing: Retailers can’t share everything. Understanding what’s commercially sensitive, what can be shared, and where the boundaries lie is key to building stronger partnerships.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, Nick and Paul sit down with Kelly Wearmouth, a leader in the world of adtech and retail media. Her career has taken her from working with global brands like Unilever and Microsoft to helping shape Amazon’s advertising business. Now, as Managing Director at Mars United Commerce, she’s driving connected commerce and helping brands rethink how they reach consumers. Kelly shares her journey through adtech, insights on the evolving commerce media landscape, and strategies for brands to stay ahead.What you’ll learn from this episode:Convergence from opposite ends: Traditional retailers are evolving in-store screens into broader digital capabilities, while digital-first retailers are expanding into physical environments, merging into one connected ecosystem.Friction is the silent killer: Removing every click, step, and barrier from sampling, browsing, and checkout can turn moments of inspiration into measurable momentum.B2B can be commerce-creative, too: Distributor networks and trade enablement demand new thinking, new training, and new activation layers beyond traditional media.Sensory overload: Too much in-store media risks overwhelming shoppers, and why retailers will need to curate their environments as inventory grows.Connected creative is a work in progress: The industry is still learning how to pull creative consistently across every touchpoint — and to bring contextual relevance to retailer data beyond ROAS.Consolidation is inevitable: As retail media networks fragment, shared infrastructure and marketplace partnerships will streamline access, measurement, and scale.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Recorded live at SXSW Sydney, this special crossover between Commerce Media Matters and Mind the Model podcast brings together Paul Blackburn, Nathan Guerra, and Emily Crone for a conversation about the collision of AI, commerce, and creativity.From agentic shopping and retail media’s next evolution to copyright, deepfakes, and data power plays, the trio unpack how AI is reshaping the way we buy, sell, and tell stories. It’s equal parts thought-provoking, entertaining, and a little bit alarming — covering everything from ChatGPT’s commerce integration to the future of brand trust in an AI-driven era.What you’ll learn from this episodeAI-generated video’s double edge: powerful creative potential, but growing risks around trust, authenticity, and verification.Why premium content is more impactful than ever: how trust will become a competitive advantage in the AI era.The looming question of copyright and compensation: exploring how credit and references for original content could work with AI.Ad-funded AI models on the horizon: with rising compute costs, sustainable AI will hinge on advertising and commerce integrations, reshaping how brands, agencies, and creators show up.The future of shopping goes conversational: unpacking what agentic commerce really means for brands, retailers, and media owners.Data ownership and transparency in the AI era: who stands to gain as LLMs rewrite the rules of first-party ecosystems.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn welcome strategist, writer, and retail-media advisor Colin Lewis for a rapid-fire tour through creativity in retail media, why “conversion everywhere” should be your mantra, and how AI & LLMs are reshaping search and shoppability. Drawing on decades of experience in strategy, teaching, and marketing leadership, Colin makes the case that innovation is everywhere—and that retail media is its own channel with its own language.What you’ll learn from this episode:Creativity is a mindset, not a media format: True innovation in retail media lies in rethinking how networks are structured, scaled, and sold—not just how ads look on screen.Think like a media company, not a retailer: To scale, retailers must think like media companies: get C-suite buy-in, hire media sales, align trade, ecomm, ops, and stores, and manage change.The Era of Conversion Everywhere:  Shoppable formats reduce the distance from inspiration to purchase across on-site, off-site, and in-store, without sacrificing brand building.AI’s next frontier: LLM optimisation will upend “search” habits; brands need brilliant basics plus new skills to be searchable by LLMs.Mind the Fab Four: Brand, Trade, Shopper, and Digital often operate in silos; retail media forces new ways of working.From co-op to accountable media: Expect trade/coop budgets to fold into retail media with demands for ROAS, incrementality, and closed-loop outcomes.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Commerce Media Matters hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn welcome Kiri Masters onto the podcast to chat about all things retail media – or is it commerce media these days?That topic is the underlying debate of this episode, as IAB recently consolidated the definition and categorisation of commerce media.As a retail media pioneer, and fellow podcaster with her Retail Media Breakfast Club show, Kiri offers her expert insight into this new framework and challenges some preconceptions.These include questioning the relevance of ROAS as a success metric and whether retail media networks have reached a saturation point. As Kiri points out, these topics are not “zero-sum” and require nuance to unpack, rather than absolute statements.Agentic AI is also discussed, with varying degrees of caution for its potential impact. Kiri recognises it could be as much a friend as it is a foe; Nick sees it in the midst of the hype cycle, while Paul thinks it still has opportunities to bring benefits.What you’ll learn from this episode:Data defines commerce media: While opinions may differ over defining commerce media, the unifying factor is that it’s data-driven to achieve outcomes.Retail media’s continued rise and evolution: Retail media is no longer a niche for marketers – by extension, commerce media will become a standard “hygiene” factor for campaigns.Measurement beyond ROAS: defining retail media success through ROAS is flawed, as it doesn’t account for other campaign objectives, such as brand uplift.Agentic AI’s existential threat to retail media: AI and LLM platforms could potentially remove the exclusive advantage retailers have with their first-party data, and reduce monetisation opportunities.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Our Commerce Media Matters hosts, Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn, take a look back on the biggest commerce media moments of 2025 so far.With Paul moving from publisher world to startup life at Vudoo, he brings insights from both sides of the industry. Nick puts him in the hot seat to unpack what went down on the Croisette during Cannes Lions –  from standout creative moments to commerce media’s growing influence on the global stage.They discuss the year’s big picture trends, laying out what they expect to see from retailers and marketers in the months and years ahead. Again, underpinning these changes is the continued importance of creativity: from the actual content itself to implementing new tools and strategies.Data, AI, TikTok, and targeting – all the hot topics are in this episode. And they’ll definitely be discussed in every industry event for a while yet.What you’ll learn from this episode:Creativity at Cannes and beyond: Creativity is the way to elevate brand messaging in retail and commerce media strategies, which can be unlocked with new tools like AI.Retail media’s continued rise and evolution: Retail media is no longer a niche for marketers – by extension, commerce media will become a standard “hygiene” factor for campaigns.Resetting targeting: marketers have access to a wealth of data and tools, but understanding the context in which to target is most important. Overtargeting can actually cause datapoints to conflict.New roles for agencies: While agencies at large are facing change and challenges, they still play vital roles in executing commerce media strategies.AI and SEO disruption: AI platforms have fundamentally changed the way consumers search and shop, requiring marketers to adapt by showing up closer to the point of purchase.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Alex Brownsell, Head of Content at WARC Media & Digital Commerce, enters the Commerce Media Matters booth to unpack the trends he’s observed and the industry directions he’s forecasted.From the rise of “commerce everywhere” to the ongoing frustrations around measurement and standardisation, one hot topic keeps showing up: the never-ending debate between brand and performance. Has the line finally blurred for good?As these trends play out, Alex believes that the industry still needs to solve some bigger challenges as the overarching commerce media phenomenon takes place. From budget shifts to new channels and measurement standards – especially data – there is still a lot of work to do.Be all ears for Alex’s findings to learn the A to Z and CTV of commerce media to prepare for the future of the industry.What you’ll learn from this episode:Where WARC Media sees global advertising and commerce shifts: the biggest growth is happening where media and commerce intersect, especially in retail, CTV, and social. Performance outcomes underlying commerce media: in times of economic uncertainty, tangible results – like commerce – still rule the roost.Commerce can happen anywhere and everywhere: new channels and technologies combined with the commerce media approach are unlocking opportunities previously unavailable.The growing need to value content quality and premium environments: there’s increasing pressure to prioritise premium environments as the industry moves beyond blanket CPM buying.The role of AI in reshaping performance and brand marketing: how AI is speeding up performance marketing while raising new challenges around creativity, transparency, and long-term brand growth.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

How does a 187-year-old department store turn heritage, customer loyalty, and in-store experiences into a futureproof retail media business?In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, Nick and Paul are joined by Melissa Polglase, Head of Category Marketing and Retail Media at David Jones Amplify, who’s helping lead that very transformation. With brick-and-mortar no longer the sole destination for consumers to engage with brands or make purchases, retailers need to adapt and build omnichannel pathways to meet customers wherever they are. Melissa shares how David Jones is doing exactly that: tapping into its national store network, luxury brand partnerships, and rich customer data to build David Jones Amplify, a premium retail media offering. Listen closely as Melissa walks us through the ROPO behaviours shaping modern retail and what it takes to build a retail media network that’s not bolted on, but built in. In this episode, learn:The Amplify advantage: The journey of David Jones' retail media arm, Amplify, and how it’s redefining retail media through premium store experiences, integrated channels, and omnichannel innovationPlanning for impact: What brands need to know about using first-party data, segmentation tools, and customer insights to deliver more personalised, full-funnel campaigns—and how to align media investments with measurable outcomes through closed-loop attribution.Beyond the aisles: How retail media creates additional touchpoints across the buying journey, supporting research-online, purchase-offline (ROPO) behaviours both in and outside the store environment.Double the opportunity:  Where endemic and non-endemic brands fit, and why both are key to the retail media mixLearning from the best: What global leaders like Harrods and Nordstrom taught David Jones about building a premium media businessAbout the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

We’re taking a brief detour from our regular commerce media track to tackle the topic du jour: AI.In this episode, we’re joined by John Blackburn AO—one of the leading voices in national security. As a strategic advisor to the AI CoLab Alliance in Canberra, John brings sharp insight into one of the most pressing and widely debated technologies of our time: AI.He explores the evolving relationship between humans and AI, a technology that’s rapidly transforming how we interact, communicate, and work. Rather than shying away from its complexity, he encourages us to look under the hood and better understand how AI operates. While he cautions against blind acceptance of its outputs, he reinforces that AI is most powerful when it enhances—rather than replaces—human intelligence.Hear from one of the most informed voices in the space as we unpack how AI is opening up new possibilities—and why approaching it with curiosity, responsibility, and a human touch will shape its most meaningful impact.What you’ll learn from this episode:Understanding bias within AI: John discusses how AI’s data inputs often reflect Western and male-centric perspectives, and why recognising these biases is essential to using AI effectively across different contexts and cultures.The current limitations of AI: While the technology is advancing quickly, AI still faces challenges like interpreting the temporal context of source material, necessitating the need for human oversight.The importance of human input: AI can be a powerful assistant, but it’s most effective when paired with critical thinking and human decision-making.How businesses can best use AI: From building trust to protecting user data, businesses have a key role in ensuring AI is used in ways that are both innovative and safe.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Grant Johnstone, Chief Marketing Officer at ACE Radio, enters the Commerce Media Matters booth to reflect on nearly four decades of being on the air. Contrary to popular belief, video has not killed the radio star. In fact, Grant argues audio is stronger than ever and has proven itself to be a powerful platform in the commerce media world. He explains that the format has evolved from “spots and dots” to a sophisticated medium that can influence buyer behaviour right up to the checkout.The formidable capabilities of modern radio should not be underestimated – if anything, it deserves fresh attention.Listen up to learn how leading brands are fine-tuning radio as part of their commerce media mix to execute effective campaigns that’ll stick in audience ears.What you’ll learn from this episode:Traditional media’s continued role in growing commerce media: the traditional format of broadcast radio and its established audience makes it a prosperous advertising platformRadio’s unique ability to influence consumer behaviour: how powerful audio call-to-actions can change behaviours in real time.The importance of creatives in effective advertising: attention is the ultimate currency in advertising and strong creative captures it.Respecting the advertiser-audience relationship: personalised advertising will help engagement but too much of it will see brands dropped like a hot potato.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

What happens when consumer expectations outpace industry change? When AI grows faster than regulation can keep up? When retail media becomes commerce media… and no one can agree on the label?In this episode, we sit down with Gai Le Roy, CEO of IAB Australia and one of the most trusted voices in the industry, to make sense of it all.From the early days of pop-up ads to the complexities of data ethics, Gai’s seen it all—and she’s not afraid to call out the contradictions, confusion, and opportunities hiding in plain sight.If you're navigating retail media, wrangling with measurement, or just trying to explain AI to your team—this one’s for you.In this epsiode, we cover:The data dilemma: Why consumer trust and transparency are the new currency—and how brands can earn it.Retail vs commerce media: Are we talking about the same thing? Gai unpacks the ongoing identity crisis.Measurement reality check: The promise of closed-loop reporting vs. what’s actually being delivered.AI in action: How AI could power cohort-based targeting, aggregated reporting, and a new era of attribution.Why Australia needs to stay scrappy: Gai's take on local innovation and the global tech arms race.Inside the IAB engine room: 13 councils and working groups, 5 key themes, and an industry that never hits pause About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode, we’re joined by Jason Wescott, Global Head of Commerce Solutions at GroupM Nexus and Chair of the IAB Europe Retail Media Committee. With over 20 years of experience in media, e-commerce, and retail media, Jason has helped craft the industry's playbook—practically putting the final stamp of approval on its evolution.We dive into the fast-changing world of commerce media, where retail and advertising are becoming one and the same. Jason shares insights from the UK and European markets, breaking down the rise of retail media networks, the power of offsite media, and why an integrated onsite-offsite approach is a game-changer.But it’s not all smooth sailing. We tackle the tug-of-war between agencies and RMNs, the growing demand for data transparency, and the need for industry-wide measurement standards. This episode is one you can’t afford to skip.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Retail Media’s Rise to Power: Once a niche, now a powerhouse. Retail media is fast becoming a core pillar of the marketing mix, commanding 30% of the overall marketing strategyThe Offsite Media Boom: Why offsite retail media is set to hit 30% of total retail media spend in the next three years—and how brands can tap into its full potentialBridging the Gaps: How retail and commerce media bring siloed departments together to drive marketing momentum and maximise closed-loop sales.The Holy Grail of Marketing: How commerce and retail media are redefining closed-loop measurement, providing the ultimate link between ad spend and salesThe Standardisation Struggle: The battle for transparency, accountability, and measurement frameworks, and how the IAB is stepping in to lead the charge.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, we sit down with Matt Prohaska—Founder, CEO, and Principal at Prohaska Consulting, and a veritable oracle of data monetisation and programmatic advertising. With 32 years of experience and a portfolio featuring giants like Walmart, United Airlines, and The Gap, Matt dives headfirst into the complexities of commerce media, offering sharp insights and bold predictions. From the pitfalls of last-click attribution to the untapped potential of identity solutions, Matt dissects what’s holding the industry back and what’s driving it forward. What you'll learn from this episode:Commerce Media’s Big Leap: Commerce media is breaking out of retail and charging into industries like automotive, travel, and finance. What’s driving this shift, and how will it shape the future?The Attribution Conundrum: Why the dominance of last-click attribution hinders fair measurement and optimisation and why it’s holding brands back.Cracking the Data Code: Why a one-size-fits-all approach to data won’t work. Companies need to embrace a mix of deterministic, probabilistic, and contextual solution to unlock deeper insights and better outcomes.Privacy and AI. A New Era: The cookie is crumbling, privacy laws are tightening, and AI is changing the game. What does it all mean for brands trying to navigate this new world?What’s Around the Corner for Commerce Media? A surge of new players, inevitable shakeouts, and a push for transparency. Matt’s predictions reveal the trends that will define the next chapter—including the rise of hybrid gardens.About the guest:Matt Prohaska, CEO and Principal, Prohaska Consulting, is a 31-year media veteran and consulting executive to leading digital media and advertising technology firms and executives.   As head of award-winning Prohaska Consulting, Matt, works with CEOs, CROs, COOs, CFOs, and CTOs to drive revenue and/or reduce costs on a strategic and/or tactical level by improving sales, marketing, operations, product, and/or tech. Matt has contributed to the growth of online advertising since its commercial inception in the early 1990s, first by creating the online media practice at BBDO (now part of Omnicom) in 1994 and later opening CNET’s New York sales office in 1996.  In 2013, prior to launching Prohaska Consulting, Matt was Programmatic Advertising Director for The New York Times, leading more programmatic direct sales than any publisher in the world during his tenure.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Ok, 2025 is here—now what?From AI-powered commerce to the meteoric rise of retail media 2.0, Nick and Paul explore the hottest trends, bold predictions, and groundbreaking innovations that are redefining how we shop, engage, and connect. 2025 is set to be a game-changing year for the industry, and this episode will challenge conventional thinking to bring fresh perspectives on what e-commerce and media could—and should—look like.In this episode, we predict that:AI Will Steal the Show: From turning search into instant action to delivering seamless, personalized experiences, AI is going to set a new standard in commerce.Retail Media Will Enter Its Next Act: The era of retail media 2.0 will see premium formats, offsite media, and creative strategies rewriting the playbook.CTV Will Advance: Forget what you know about Connected TV - Commerce TV is the disruptor that's going to change the game.Customer Experience Will Become Non-Negotiable: Frictionless, hyper-personalized advertising is the bare minimum. Brands that can't keep up are about to become digital dinosaurs.The Future Will Unveil New Possibilities: AI that creates content? Shopping assistants that actually know you? Robots as your shopping buddy? What would the future hold for commerce media?About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

What was 2024 like in the world of Commerce Media?It’s the grand finale of 2024! Join Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn as they dive into a special year-end wrap-up of Commerce Media Matters. Take a trip down memory lane as they revisit their favorite conversations and unpack the biggest hits, misses, and game-changing moments that defined the year. From transformative trends to standout innovations, discover how 2024 reshaped the commerce media landscape—and what it means for the future.In This Episode, We Reflect On:What is commerce media, really? A look back at how commerce media has grown from its origins to a vast ecosystem transforming how brands connect with consumers. Have we cracked the code, or is it still a work in progress?The voices that shaped our conversations:  Insights from Lance Eerhard on blending influencer-driven content, Joshua Lowcock on automation and first-party data, and Nick Smith, who redefined content-driven commerce with Medium RareBold moves in the commerce media space: From United Airlines’ leap with Kinective Media to CommBank’s foray into media networks, 2024 showed commerce media extends far beyond retail. The highs and lows of 2024: What worked, what didn’t? From Google’s cookie saga, Australia’s groundbreaking social media laws, and bold partnerships like Walmart's acquisition of Vizio, this year brought big headlines and shake-ups. About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, we’re joined by the brilliant Lance Eerhard, CEO of BuyersCircle—a game-changing social eCommerce platform created by former Alibaba execs to empower e-Tailers and suppliers to connect with their social communities. With 30,000 sellers, 950,000 active shoppers, and a career that’s seen him in top roles at WooliesX, Dan Murphy's, and CUB, Lance knows a thing or two about transforming online retail and tapping into the power of the creator economy..Social commerce is undeniably in its prime, and Lance dives into how creators are flipping the script on traditional affiliate and commerce models, turning trust and personalization into powerful tools that build real consumer loyalty. He shares why smaller, dedicated audiences can make a huge impact through influencers who truly “get” them—especially as consumers increasingly seek curated experiences that resonate with their values and identity.In this episode you’ll get the lowdown on:The Affiliate Challenge: The digital world is no walk in the park, with razor-thin margins and an ever-diversifying consumer base. Lance reveals how BuyersCircle’s marketplace model is redefining the rules, empowering creators to set up their own stores and retain their hard-earned audiences within the content and environment they’ve crafted.Social Commerce's Bold Future: One-to-one interactions and live commerce are shifting the game, giving creators fresh ways monetize their content like never before.Retail Media and Cultural Diversity: Why connecting with Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities is so important—reaching new audiences means embracing and understanding a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.A Brand Renaissance: Trust in big brands is making a comeback as consumers are drawn to companies that reflect their own values. Discover how this shift is shaping retail’s landscape.Specialty Retail's Rise: Consumers are done with generic—today, it's all about bespoke recommendations and shopping experiences that feel personal and genuine.About the guest:With a career shaped by key leadership roles at Woolworths, Dan Murphy's, and Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), Lance brings a forward-thinking perspective on the trends shaping the eCommerce sector. He joined BuyersCircle in April 2022, following his tenure as General Manager at Woolworths’ WooliesX, where he led innovative digital initiatives.Lance actively contributes to the industry as an Advisory Board Member for the National Online Retailers Association (NORA) and as a Customer Advisory Group Member at Australia Post. About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this episode of Commerce Media Matters, hosts Nick Morgan and Paul Blackburn sit down with the one and only Nick Smith, Managing Director of Medium Rare Content Agency, to crack open the secrets behind the explosive growth of retail media.Nick’s portfolio is packed with some of Australia’s biggest brands—Coles, David Jones, Qantas, and more. But it’s not just about big names; it’s about big ideas. Nick reveals how Medium Rare has mastered the art of transforming retail objectives into irresistible content that audiences actually want to engage with. Whether it’s the wildly popular Coles magazine (read by over 5.2 million Aussies!) or Commonwealth Bank’s 'Brighter' magazine and TV series, Nick shows how the power of storytelling can turn everyday brands into consumer favourites.In this episode, you’ll get the inside scoop on:Building Brand Trust: How brands like Coles, David Jones, and Commonwealth Bank are strengthening trust and loyalty through content-driven campaigns that truly resonate.Next-Level Content Ecosystems: How David Jones is redefining retail media through its Amplifier arm—and what brands can learn from this content commercialization powerhouse.Creating Consumer Loyalty: The reason why Coles Magazine is Australia’s most-read publication.Retail Media’s Secret Sauce: How delivering content in-store can drive real retail results.Nick also shares his thoughts on the future of retail media, the rise of owned media ecosystems, and why brands need to think beyond traditional advertising to connect with today’s savvy consumers. If you’re in the business of making media that matters, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.About the guest:Nick Smith is the Managing Director of Medium Rare, Australia's leading content marketing agency. With over 20 years of experience, Nick is a highly respected publishing executive known for creating and delivering award-winning brand strategies, premium content, and digital communications. Before joining Medium Rare, Nick was the CEO of BURO.Global, a London-based digital publishing network, where he oversaw operations across 12 territories in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Prior to that, he served as Prestige & Lifestyle Director at News Corp Australia, leading iconic titles such as Vogue Australia and serving as Editor-in-Chief of GQ Australia.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In this electrifying episode, we chat with Joshua Lowcock, President of Media at Quad, an American marketing services company that helps brands make direct consumer connections across household, in-store and online with a range of marketing and media solutions. Joshua shares Quad's dynamic approach to putting clients first and driving business results through innovation and emerging tech, including their latest game-changer, In-store Connect.In this episode you'll hear:How Quad’s In-store Connect is revolutionizing in-store experiences by blending traditional print with digital displaysInsights on balancing creativity and AI-driven decision-making in media optimization, and the evolving role of humans in an AI-driven worldJoshua’s take on data privacy and the impact of GDPR-like regulations in Australia, including the need for a united industry front to protect consumer rights while ensuring smooth business operationsThe key differences between the US and Australian markets and advice for Australian businesses looking to expand globallyIf you’re looking to stay ahead in the world of Marketing and understand the future of data privacy and innovation, this episode is a must-listen!About the guest:Joshua Lowcock is an Australian digital media executive based in New York, currently serving as President of Media at Quad. Previously, he held key roles as UM’s Global Chief Media Officer, Chief Digital Officer, and Global Brand Safety Officer.Currently, Joshua is a Non-Executive Director and Chair for AdVeritas (ASX.AV1) and has served on the boards of several public companies, including Accent Group (ASX.AX1), Cashrewards Ltd (ASX.CRW), and Prime Media Group (ASX.PRT).Recognized by AdWeek, he was named one of the 50 most influential people in media and one of the 25 Media All Stars.About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

In the debut episode of Commerce Media Matters, hosts Paul Blackburn and Nick Morgan unravel the transformative power of commerce media in retail. Discover how commerce media can combat fragmentation in marketing and drive both brand and transactional results through innovative content and first-party data.In this episode, you’ll discover:The concept of commerce media and its role in the retail industry.Key differences between commerce media, retail media, and shoppable content.The rise of retail media networks and how content brings together different networks.How shoppable media enables seamless transactions directly from ads and content.Strategies for achieving frictionless shopping experiences and transactable attribution.If you’re looking to demystify commerce media and understand its full potential, this episode is for you!About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!

Welcome to Commerce Media Matters – an all-new original show where Nick Morgan (CEO at Vudoo) and Paul Blackburn (Director of Commercial Data & eCommerce) take you on an insider’s journey through the dynamic world of commerce media, sharing the latest trends, perspectives, and insights to help you create marketing content and media that truly matters!About the hosts:Nick Morgan: Nick is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and eCommerce. He founded Vudoo in 2018, a platform that enables in-stream content commerce across articles, videos, and images. Nick's work transforms every ad impression into a potential shop front, offering a seamless eCommerce experience.Paul Blackburn: Paul is a digital media innovator with over 20 years of experience. At News Corp Australia, he launched the "Intent Connect" data platform and led innovation in shoppable video and the "Total Commerce" framework. Now as Chief Growth Officer at Vudoo, he helps brands, publishers, and agencies unlock new ways to monetise content through immersive, commerce-enabled experiences.Subscribe & Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Commerce Media Matters and leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform!