Key Strategies for Ecommerce Success | Aaron Magness (Full Glass Wine Co, Thistle, Brandless, Betabrand)

"You can’t discount your way into building customer loyalty—you earn it through value and trust."

In this episode of Growth Talks, Aaron Magness, SVP of Marketing at Full Glass Wine Co., joins host Krystina Rubino to share his journey from brand builder to ecommerce leader. He breaks down how to adapt your leadership style, leverage data to drive growth, and create personalized shopping experiences that turn first-time buyers into loyal customers. 

Aaron also explores the nuances of consumer behavior, the power of trust in brand-building, and the strategies fueling success across multiple wine brands in a competitive online marketplace—drawing from over 20 years of experience building iconic consumer brands like Thistle, Betabrand, Brandless, and Zappos.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Adapt your leadership style: Coach your team to lead from their strengths—not your checklist. Give them the trust and autonomy to own outcomes and scale what can’t be done alone.
• Empower top talent: Look for people who are great at one thing—not okay at everything. When you plant specialists in the right role, they don’t just grow—they flourish.
  
• Leverage data strategically: Don’t just collect data—connect the dots. From segmentation to storytelling, let your insights drive smarter decisions that build trust and loyalty at scale.
  
• Build trust through personalization: Know who your customer is—and why they chose you. Use that insight to deliver value that feels tailored, timely, and true to your brand promise.
  
• Experiment boldly: Create space for fresh ideas. Set clear expectations, document outcomes, and revisit tests with conviction. The best insights often come from what didn’t work the first time.

⏰ Timestamps

01:16 - Leadership evolution in the marketing industry

06:44 - Understanding consumer preferences

12:07 - Shipping wine vs. other D2C categories

16:39 - The A/B Test: A or B questions

27:09 - Balancing brand storytelling with performance marketing

32:54 - Experience of working across many brands

36:39 - Brand management philosophy

39:09 - Fostering innovation in marketing teams

41:35 - How to use data to drive repeat purchase

44:52 - Providing value over discounts

🔗Mentioned in this episode:

• Full Glass Wine Co: https://www.fullglass.wine/
• Thistle: https://www.thistle.co/
• Betabrand: https://www.betabrand.com/
• Brandless: https://brandless.com/
• Zappos: https://www.zappos.com/
• Williams Sonoma: https://www.williams-sonoma.co

 

👍Did you enjoy this video? Don’t forget to click the like button! And find more episodes of Growth Talks here: https://bit.ly/3xXGJJc

 

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