How should your Meta Ads account be structured to win this Black Friday and Cyber Monday? In this episode of The DTC Hotline, the CTC crew Richard, Tony, and Luke break down exactly how to set up your Meta account for BFCM success.
You’ll learn:
The simplest campaign structure that maximizes performance during peak sales
When (and why) to use separate campaigns or bid caps
How to create a “phantom” highest-volume campaign ready to flip on when spend surges
The right budget pacing and time-zone settings for the BFCM weekend
Quick landing page, creative, and offer consistency tips that keep your Meta ecosystem tight
Whether you’re managing seven figure ad spend or just trying to get your setup right before Black Friday hits, this episode gives you a clear, tested roadmap straight from CTC’s media team.
Show Notes:
Whether you're running paid ads on Meta, Google, or TikTok, FERMÀT can help you increase your conversion rates without touching your website. https://www.fermat.com/ctc
Explore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.com
The DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us your eComm questions.
Most brands talk about hitting their Q4 goals — but few have a system to identify and close revenue gaps before they happen.
In this episode of The DTC Hotline, Tony, Luke, and Richard break down how to spot and fill revenue shortfalls during the holidays, using the same daily frameworks CTC applies across top DTC brands.
They’ll walk through:
If you’ve ever wondered how to turn missed forecasts into closed gaps — this episode is your blueprint.
Call or text the DTC Hotline: 866-DTC-2263 (866-382-2263)
Ask your burning eComm questions and we might answer them live on air.
Show Notes:
Whether you’re running paid ads on Meta, Google, or TikTok, FERMÀT can help you increase your conversion rates without touching your website.
https://www.fermatcommerce.com/ctc
Explore the Prophit System:
https://www.prophitsystem.com
The DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask your eCom questions.
Most brands have no idea how many ads they actually need to scale profitably on Meta.
In this episode of The DTC Hotline, Tony, Luke, and Richard break down the creative math behind Meta ad performance revealing how to calculate your brand’s true creative demand and avoid overspending during Q4.
They’ll walk through:
How to know if your Meta spend has hit the point of diminishing returns
The 5 creative metrics that predict your next winner
How to estimate your ideal ad count to hit $500K/month
Why Meta’s algorithm rewards creative diversity — not repetition
The system CTC uses to forecast ad output for top DTC brands
If you’ve ever asked “Why isn’t my Meta spend scaling?” — this episode is your answer.
Call or text the DTC Hotline: 866-DTC-2263 (866-382-2263)
Ask your burning ecom questions and we might answer them live on air.
Show Notes:
AppLovin’s Rise, Google Ads Setup, and the Amazon Reality CheckWelcome back to the DTC Hotline, your direct line to hot takes, cold truths, and real e-commerce advice from the team at Common Thread Collective.
In this episode, “The Professor” and “The Chopper” dig into three huge topics shaping paid media right now:-AppLovin’s Rise — Why this mobile ad platform is suddenly delivering 2× Meta’s ROI, how its non skippable video inventory works, and what makes its pixel shockingly powerful.-Google Ads Setup for 7-Figure Brands — The right order of operations for success: pixel, feed, shopping, scale. How to avoid double counting conversions and nail your Merchant Center setup.-Amazon Reality Check — The truth about launching in today’s supplement saturated marketplace. When “velocity” beats “branding,” and how to decide whether you’re ready to compete.-Plus: Why “decide and commit” is the only mindset that works in new channel expansion and how CTC is testing AppLovin incrementality for real results.Call or text the DTC Hotline: 866-DTC-2263 (866-382-2263)Ask your burning e-com questions and we might answer them live on air.Show Notes:-Whether you're running paid ads on Meta, Google, or TikTok, FERMÀT can help you increase your conversion rates without touching your website. https://www.fermat.com/ctc-Explore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.com-The DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us your eComm questions.
You can’t just “optimize” your way through Q4.In this episode, Richard, Tony, and Luke tackle two real questions from DTC Hotline listeners:
The conversation covers hard trade-offs between short-term EBITDA targets and multi-year growth horizons, plus what kinds of investments (media, product, or brand) actually move the needle. You’ll also hear sharp takes on Q4 strategy—from when to launch holiday creative, to stacking Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday offers, to why simplicity often beats complexity.Call the Hotline:📞 866-DTC-2263Show Notes:Whether you're running paid ads on Meta, Google, or TikTok, FERMÀT can help you increase your conversion rates without touching your website.https://www.fermat.com/ctcInterested in ADmission?Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/Explore the Prophit System:https://www.prophitsystem.comThe DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us your eComm questions.
You can’t media-buy your way out of a product, or offer, problem.In this episode, Richard, Tony, and Luke tackle two big questions from listeners:- What can low-conversion brands do to escape Meta’s learning phase?- How do you actually measure if YouTube demand gen is working?And the answers? They don’t live in your ad account.You’ll hear hard truths about attribution, the real power of offer strategy, and why performance marketers need to stop over-optimizing and start zooming out. Plus: how CTC is rethinking creative testing and what the “just-in-time” model for ad production might look like.Show Notes:Interested in ADmission? Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/Explore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.comThe DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of eCom
In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard “The Professor” Gaffin is joined by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to answer the toughest operator questions—live from the Hotline.
They tackle:
• How to actually scale creative production (and why most brands get it wrong)
• What Loop Earplugs is doing right—and how to replicate their model
• Why relying on one team for all your ad creative will cap your performance
• What a balanced budget between creative and media spend really looks like
• How incrementality works (with metaphors involving McDonald’s scales, butcher shops, and Amazon)
• How to operate brands with long purchase windows without chasing your tail in Meta
• The case for the Profit Engineer and why the media ecosystem is collapsing (in a good way)
This is where your eCommerce questions get answered—direct, practical, and unfiltered.
📞 Call or text us your question: 866-DTC-2263
Show Notes:
Join over 15,000 merchants protecting their revenue with Chargeflow. Use our promo code CF30 and start saving money, time, and sanity today: https://www.app.chargeflow.io/auth/sign-in?utm_source=ctc+hotline%2C+podcast&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CTC+Hotline+%26+Chargeflow&utm_id=CTC+Hotline
Interested in ADmission? Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/
Explore the Prophit System: https:www.prophitsystem.com
The DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of eCom
In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard “The Professor” Gaffin is joined by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of Ecommerce Strategy) to answer the toughest operator questions—live from the Hotline.
They tackle:
How to structure BFCM offers that boost perceived value without killing your margin
Why “returning customer media” might be more incremental than you’d expect
What Spend-to-aMER modeling can reveal about overspending (or underspending) this Q4
The evolving role of aMER in brands with high repeat revenue
How to sequence your Black Friday offer ladder—and why bundles, thresholds, and gifts still win
The future of media mix modeling, and where incrementality testing is headed next
This is where your ecommerce questions get answered—direct, practical, and unfiltered.
Call or text us your question: 866-DTC-2263
Show Notes:
Join over 15,000 merchants protecting their revenue with Chargeflow. Using our promo code CF30 and start saving money, time, and sanity today: https://www.app.chargeflow.io/auth/sign-in?utm_source=ctc+hotline%2C+podcast&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=CTC+Hotline+%26+Chargeflow&utm_id=CTC+Hotline
Interested in ADmission? Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/
Explore the Prophit System:
The DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm
In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard “The Professor” Gaffin is joined by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to answer the toughest operator questions—live from the Hotline.
They tackle:
• How price increases in response to tariffs are affecting brands, supply chains, and consumer sentiment
• Why “creative fatigue” is Meta’s most important hidden metric—and why finding ad #6 or #7 is so hard
• How brands should weigh risk vs reward when responding to Texas’s new SMS law
• The real way AI is impacting the workforce (hint: it’s strategy, not production), plus Tony & Luke’s personal workflows with it
This is where your eCommerce questions get answered—direct, practical, and unfiltered.
📞 Call or text us your question: 866-DTC-2263
Show Notes:
Join over 15,000 merchants protecting their revenue with Chargeflow. Right now, you can try it FREE for 60 days.
https://www.chargeflow.io/
Interested in ADmission? Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/
Explore the Prophit System: prophitsystem.com
The DTC Hotline mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have about the world of ecomm
For today's episode of The Ecommerce Playbook Podcast, we're featuring our latest episode of The DTC Hotline. Richard Gaffin is joined by Tony Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke Austin (VP of Ecommerce Strategy) to take on real questions from DTC operators.
They tackle:
This is where your questions get answered with hot takes and cold truths from CTC’s sharpest operators.
In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard Gaffin is joined by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to take on real questions from DTC operators—bringing hot takes and cold truths on today’s toughest ad challenges.They tackle:
- Should you move away from ASC if Meta overspends on the “wrong” age bracket?
- What to do when Meta pushes spend into underperforming ads
- How to approach media buying for subscription businesses with high LTV
- Cost controls and strategy when you’ve got a massive SKU catalog
- The personality traits that actually make a great media buyerThis is where your eCommerce questions get answered—direct, practical, and unfiltered.Call or text us your question: 866-DTC-2263Interested in Admission? Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/
Email: podcast@commonthreadco.com
Explore the Prophit System: https://www.prophitsystem.com
In this week’s episode of The DTC Hotline, Richard Gaffin is joined once again by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to take real questions from eComm operators and Admission members—no fluff, just clear, hard-earned answers.
They tackle:
• What to do when “nothing works” on Meta (and why that diagnosis is often wrong)
• How to spot the real business problem hiding behind poor ad performance
• Why TikTok creative might crush while Meta flops—and how to close the gap
• When to expand into secondary channels like Pinterest or Snapchat (and when not to)
• The truth about CPMs—and why chasing lower costs can lead you astray
• How to pitch cost caps to your boss so they actually say yes
• Why profitable scaling means solving business problems, not just account problems
This is where your DTC questions get answered in real time.
Call or text us: 866-DTC-2263
Interested in Admission?
Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/
Email: podcast@commonthreadco.com
Explore the Prophit System: https://prophitsystem.com
In the debut of The DTC Hotline, Richard Gaffin is joined by Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy) to take real questions from eComm operators and Admission members—no fluff, just unfiltered answers.They tackle:• Why your Meta cost caps aren’t spending (and what to do about it)• How much creative is really “a lot” in today’s ad environment• The best tools for competitor research and ad spying• What to do when LTV is low and repeat purchases are rare• When to launch a new campaign vs. just adding creatives• Why AI is more valuable for strategy than production• The truth about when (or if) eCommerce is “getting better”Call, text, or listen in—this is where your DTC questions get answered in real time.Interested in Admission? Learn more at https://www.youradmission.co/Call or text us: 866-DTC-2263Email: podcast@commonthreadco.comExplore the Prophit System: https://prophitsystem.com
Welcome to The DTC Hotline — the eCom call-in show.
Hot takes, cold truths, real advice.
Episode 1 premieres this Friday, August 8th!
Hosted by Richard Gaffin, Tony “The Chopper” Chopp (VP of Paid Media) and Luke “The Weatherman” Austin (VP of eCommerce Strategy), this show takes real questions from real operators and breaks them down with unfiltered insights.
Got a burning DTC question?
Call or text the DTC Hotline at 866 - DTC - 2263.
