In a market defined by volatility, profitability has become the defining metric for sustainable growth. At eTail Boston, a keynote panel of seasoned operators shared the real levers they’re pulling to protect margins, adapt to shifting consumer behaviour, and build resilience when external conditions are anything but predictable.

The discussion brought together leaders from across industries and business models:

Their perspectives revealed a common truth: there is no single playbook for profitable growth but the leaders who succeed share a discipline for testing, a willingness to make decisive changes, and a deep commitment to staying close to the customer.

From shifting categories to new revenue models

For April Guidone at SMAC Entertainment, profitable growth has been a moving target. SMAC operates at the intersection of talent management, licensing, and production, managing brands like Michael Strahan’s menswear line and Erin Andrews’ women’s fan apparel.

The suits category, once a reliable revenue driver, has faced headwinds as remote work and casual dress codes became the norm. “We were at Men’s Wearhouse for a long time, now JC Penney, and soon we’ll announce a new retail partner,” Guidone said. “But people aren’t wearing suits as much, so we’ve had to adjust.”

That adjustment has meant diversifying: testing direct-to-consumer customisation for suits, expanding into home and casual apparel, and quietly leveraging off-price retail channels to drive volume without eroding brand equity. The approach is multi-pronged by design, protecting margins while exploring where customer demand is shifting.

The wake-up call in the P&L

Ken Ehrman’s experience at Halo Collar underscored the impact of the macroeconomic climate on business priorities. In a period when venture capital flowed freely, growth-at-all-costs was the focus. But when funding tightened, the company had to confront its cost structure.

The income statement revealed one obvious culprit: advertising spend. “We had a two-to-one ROAS on a $3,000 product,” Ehrman said, “but we were losing a million dollars a month.” The fix was as unglamorous as it was transformative - switch media agencies and drive ROAS up to five-to-one. That single change moved the business from deep monthly losses to profitability.

The lesson is a sharp one: incremental improvements in marketing efficiency can be the difference between bleeding cash and sustainable growth. The key is knowing which levers will have the biggest financial impact and acting quickly.

Live streaming as a profit engine

For some brands, the path to profitability runs through more direct engagement with customers. Erin Potempa-Wall of Beachwaver Co. described live streaming as both a sales driver and a brand-building tool.

“It’s incredibly value-driven,” she explained. Offers create urgency, but the real power comes from pairing those moments with educational content, explaining product features, quality, and brand values long before the promotion hits. “When customers already want the product, the deal becomes a dream,” she said.

Live streaming also serves as a low-cost testing ground. By varying offers, formats, and audiences, Beachwaver gets immediate feedback on what resonates. That data informs where to invest ad spend and where to pull back.

The human factor in conversion rates

Not all profitability gains come from media optimisation. For Kirstie Rickert at Amourprints & Cuddle-kin, the breakthrough came from listening to customers more closely. Facing rising CPAs and declining ROAS, she ran a paid user test asking participants to narrate their browsing experience on her site.

The feedback was blunt: the site felt gimmicky, with too many artificial scarcity tactics. Customers doubted the authenticity of the offers. Rickert removed the false urgency signals and reinstated her founder story on product pages. The result? A 100% lift in conversion rate within a day.

Her takeaway: in a world dominated by automation and AI, human connection still drives trust and trust drives profit. “If you’re not connecting with your audience, how are you going to build that trust? How are you going to succeed?”

Targeting moments of intent

Beyond creative and site experience, timing emerged as a critical profitability driver. Ehrman described how Halo Collar shifted to focus on high-intent buying moments, for example, when a pet owner moves to the suburbs or plans an RV trip. These events signal a need for the product, allowing for tighter targeting and higher conversion efficiency.

Similarly, Christina Monkman of IKEA US emphasised the value of targeting customers in high-consideration phases, such as back-to-school or major home purchases. Doing so requires close collaboration between marketing and finance to forecast ROI, test, and adjust quickly. “Every dollar spent matters right now,” Monkman noted. “You need the flexibility to pivot and prove results before committing long-term.”

Evolving channel strategies

Panelists also discussed the importance of reassessing channel mix.

  • SMAC Entertainment is investing in grassroots marketing with a loyalty program across 32 NCAA campuses, aiming to build early advocacy among younger fans.

  • Amourprints is tailoring creative to different genders and emotional triggers, shifting from generic “buy this” ads to problem-solving narratives.

  • Beachwaver Co. is testing Snapchat to reach demographics not present on other platforms.

  • IKEA continues to invest in television but with more focus on context and relevance.

Matt Collins of MNTN added that for brands entering Connected TV, precision in audience building and authenticity in creative are non-negotiable. Television’s scale and shared-viewing nature make it a high-stakes channel, a great creative impression can elevate a brand, but a poor one can waste significant spend.

Balancing brand and performance

Several speakers stressed the need to balance brand storytelling with performance-driven tactics. Potempa-Wall noted that while urgency and offers work, they perform best when layered on top of an established emotional connection. For Beachwaver, this means investing in top-of-funnel content, fashion shows, and brand heritage storytelling even as they optimise lower-funnel efficiency.

Rickert’s experience mirrored this: her highest-performing ads emerged when they combined emotional resonance (the meaning behind a gift) with clear product value. “When you do that, you see a better return on your investment,” she said.

Common threads

Across industries and tactics, five themes stood out:

  1. Diagnose profit levers quickly: Use your P&L to identify high-impact changes, even if they require tough calls.

  2. Test relentlessly: From live streaming offers to channel experiments, constant iteration fuels learning and efficiency.

  3. Prioritise trust: Transparency, authenticity, and human connection can lift conversion rates as much as any technical optimisation.

  4. Target moments, not just audiences: Timing campaigns to life events or high-consideration windows improves ROI.

  5. Balance brand and performance: Sustainable profitability comes from blending emotional engagement with measurable impact.

In an era where uncertainty is the norm, these leaders are proving that profitable growth isn’t about a single silver bullet. It’s about building an operating rhythm that combines data-driven decision-making with a deep understanding of the customer and having the agility to adjust as both the market and consumer expectations evolve.

🤝 Got 15 Minutes in Boston?
The ClickZ team will be on-site all four days, collecting insights and POVs from marketers shaping the future of retail and ecommerce.
💬 Want to have a quick exchange of ideas?

ClickZ is hosting an exclusive drinks gathering today at eTail Boston and you’re invited!

We’re bringing together some of the sharpest minds in retail and marketing for an evening of cocktails and insider conversations, all just steps away from the event venue.

⏱ Wednesday, 13 August | 5 PM (Day 3)

📍 5 minutes from the venue (details shared upon RSVP confirmation)

Spots are limited, grab yours now.

📲 Like what you’re seeing?

Follow ClickZ on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn for exclusive video content, speaker soundbites, and behind-the-scenes moments from eTail.

Make sure you don’t miss us.
To keep these insights in your main inbox, follow these quick steps:

  • Gmail:

    • Mobile: Tap the 3 dots top right → ‘Move to’ → ‘Primary’

    • Desktop: Drag this email to your ‘Primary’ tab

  • Apple Mail:
    Tap our email at the top → ‘Add to VIPs’

  • Other apps:
    Add [email protected] to your address book

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Independently Created. Not affiliated with eTail Boston.

Unofficially eTail is a ClickZ Media publication in the Events division

Keep Reading

No posts found