Social Commerce

Jake and Madison walk listeners through Dr. Jim Barry’s MBA-level course on social commerce, using his book *The Social Commerce Ecosystem* as the backbone. They unpack how the course traces the $2+ trillion shift from search-driven e‑commerce to feed-driven, creator-led, and immersive commerce; how relationship-based, omnichannel experiences replace old-school funnel thinking; and how students learn to design data-driven, AI-powered social commerce strategies. Along the way they explain the structure of the three core modules—(1) The Social Commerce Ecosystem, (2) Omnichannel Customer Experiences, and (3) Optimizing Customer Paths to Social Commerce—plus the kinds of case studies, projects, and platform strategies students will tackle. Ideal for prospective MBA students, marketing leaders, and anyone who wants a rigorous yet practical roadmap for mastering social commerce in 2026.

Most brands are trying to be everywhere at once—and burning out their teams in the process. In this episode of Social Commerce, Jake and Madison break down a practical framework for choosing where your brand truly belongs online.Drawing from Module 1 Unit 3 of The $2 Trillion Shift: Social Commerce in 2026, they walk through the five dimensions of platform fit—audience alignment, product-content fit, commerce capability, creator ecosystem, and resource requirements—and apply them to TikTok, Meta (Instagram/Facebook), and YouTube.Along the way they explain why TikTok is the spark of discovery, Meta is the conversion engine, and YouTube is where trust is earned. You’ll learn how to avoid the biggest platform mistakes (like reposting the same content everywhere or chasing vanity metrics), how to start with one primary platform before expanding, and how to orchestrate TikTok, Meta, and YouTube into a coordinated customer journey.If you’re a brand manager, founder, or marketer trying to decide where to double down in 2026, this conversation gives you a clear, actionable way to pick your primary platform without falling for FOMO.

In this episode of the Social Commerce series, Jake and Madison break down Module 2: how creators became the new storefront in today’s digital economy. Aimed at MBA and graduate marketing students, this conversation unpacks why the path to purchase increasingly runs through creators rather than traditional retail and advertising.They explore the “scroll, trust, buy” funnel, examine how parasocial relationships and niche authority turn content into storefronts, and analyze the shifting power dynamics between brands, platforms, and creators. Along the way, they connect theory to practice with examples, frameworks, and strategic implications for marketers designing social commerce and influencer strategies.Perfect as a companion to class discussion or a refresher before exams, this episode reframes creators not as “add-ons” to campaigns, but as central infrastructure in the modern path to purchase.