2PM – To Polymaths

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No. 750: Luxury Retail Migration

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The DTC Power List | Updated: September 13

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Recent Memos

Memo: New York, Los Angeles, and Columbus

One line from a book written 130 years ago would influence marketing and branding for ages to come. In his novel Five Hundred Dollars, Horatio Alger writes: “I don’t know but I can wait two or three weeks,” he said slowly, “if you are sure we shall play at Peoria.” This line gave the advertising… Continue reading →

September 12, 2021September 14, 2021

Web Smith

Memo: The Newly Rich

In 2020, OpenSea, the world’s biggest NFT marketplace, recorded $21 million in transaction volume. On August 8, 2021 alone, it transacted $79 million. Countless articles have been written to highlight what’s now known as the “digital flex”. Market forces are converging in ways that will impact consumerism for years to come. The global supply chain… Continue reading →

August 29, 2021September 1, 2021

Web Smith

Memo: H.E.N.R.Y. and Tiffany Blue

Nearly eleven years ago, the then-41 year old musician rapped, “My favorite hue is Jay Z blue.” A lot can change over a decade: tastes, ownership of Tiffany & Co, or even the public awareness of a rare painting by famed artist Basquiat. At the center of LVMH’s controversial approach to realigning the brand with… Continue reading →

August 24, 2021August 25, 2021

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Memo: How Sanzo Won Marvel

A generation of young consumers deserve the credit for its role in how brands think about partnerships and messaging. For today’s retailers, authentic engagement and depth can matter as much as reach when it comes to partnerships. This has become common practice in the world of modern brands and niche media outlets. But something bigger… Continue reading →

August 22, 2021August 23, 2021

Web Smith

Linear Commerce, Metaverse, Web3, Economics, and Polymaths

NEW: The Study

Recent Member Briefs

Member Brief: The Casper Analysis

A one-time unicorn, Casper is now trading at a valuation of $210 million (Eight Sleep just raised at a $500 million valuation). As TechCrunch reported, a DTC founder anonymously speculated that the Apple iOS 14.5 update, which cracked down on apps’ ability to track user data without permission, has cut Casper’s marketing returns and… Continue reading →

September 16, 2021

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Member Brief: Shopify Corp Dev and Yotpo

The online retail industry is near its all-time peak according to Q1 census data and on-site reviews and user generated content (UGC) are of the most visible forms of social proof available to many online retailers. This makes Shopify and Yotpo a match made in SKU heaven. Shopify has invested $30 million investment into Yotpo… Continue reading →

September 11, 2021

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Member Brief: The “Home Now” Strategy

Look to the furniture industry and you may find the present and future of eCommerce. I may have never been more incorrect about an industry insight. In an earlier analysis of Wayfair (2PM, February 2020), I homed in on their marketing concerns, razor-thin margins, and the diminishing returns of an aging drop-shipping strategy. A year… Continue reading →

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021

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Member Brief: 2PM Is Irrelevant

You may find this essay to be considerably meta. The hope is that the insight can be applied, usefully, to your own pursuits. I thought back to a 1987 lecture by a world-renowned psychologist, spiritual leader, and academic. In it, Ram Dass recalled a story where he explained to his father that though he could… Continue reading →

August 27, 2021August 27, 2021

Web Smith

The Monday letter. Join your colleagues.

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