Most D2C brands have tried YouTube ads. Almost none of them are getting credit for what those ads are actually doing. Brett Curry, CEO of OMG Commerce and the guy behind YouTube growth for brands like Native, Arctic, and Dude Wipes, makes the case that in-platform reporting is under-counting YouTube's real impact by roughly 70% — and that the brands leaning in right now are about to widen the gap on everyone still dabbling.
This one goes deep: incrementality testing, omnichannel attribution, creative frameworks, and why your Meta winners almost certainly won't survive on YouTube.
Inside the episode:
- Why a 1.0 in-platform ROAS on YouTube is probably a 3.4 in reality — and the 190-test incrementality study behind that number
- How Arctic drove a 25% Walmart sales lift (and 230% branded search lift) by running YouTube in select markets — measured scientifically against matched control markets
- The three creative types that actually work on YouTube: hero/brand films, single-creator UGC, and the specific criteria your Meta winners need to meet before you bother testing them
- How to diagnose a broken YouTube ad using just three metrics: view rate, click-through rate, and average watch time per impression — and what each one tells you to fix
- Why campaign structure for retail lift looks completely different than for D2C sales — and how to set up for both at once
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Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact and request your FREE strategy session today!
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Chapters:
[0:00] Introduction: Why Most Brands Still Suck at YouTube
[1:51] Audience Poll: Who's Actually Winning on YouTube?
[3:15] The Core Problem: Bringing a Meta Mindset to YouTube
[4:05] YouTube as Trust: Creators, TV, and Time Spent
[8:14] Incrementality 101: Measuring the Real Impact of Your Ads
[11:22] How Incremental Is YouTube? The 3.4x ROAS Reality
[15:28] Going Omnichannel: Using YouTube to Drive Retail and Amazon Sales
[19:13] Arctic Case Study: Measuring YouTube's Impact on Walmart Sales
[24:09] Creative Diversity: The Essential Elements of a YouTube Ad
[27:16] Creative Breakdown: Single Influencer, Hero, and Mashup Ad Examples
[38:05] Creative Story Arc: How to Hook Viewers and Drive Action
[40:24] Creative Feedback Loops: What Data to Watch and Why
[46:09] Campaign Structure: How to Buy Media Based on Your Goals
[51:56] Measure, Model, Maximize: The Trifecta of YouTube Measurement
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Connect With Brett:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQmbMwBW8LYDfFAqNqlgTGw
Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/
Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact
Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more