Brands tend to think of Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) as being about data, quantitative metrics and statistics. While all of those things are important to CRO, it doesn’t tell the whole story. CRO, at its core, focuses on changing user behaviour to act in a more desirable way. We measure this behaviour with the above, but we use human psychology and creativity to create that change. The below will explore how to come up with impactful ideas and how to give your experiments a higher chance of winning and delivering value to your brand and customers.

At Pulse eCommerce Summit ‘25, we hosted a session titled The Future of Commerce - Emerging Trends, Technologies & the State of AI, exploring where commerce is heading and what this evolution means for brands, platforms, and consumers alike. Below, we’ll outline the key takeaways from the session, including the rise of generative content, the shift toward agentic AI, the growing importance of LLM visibility, and the early impact of tools like Model Context Protocol - along with some predictions for the year ahead and why brands should adapt.

Affiliate networks are third-party platforms that connect brands (advertisers) with affiliates (publishers, influencers, content creators, and other partners) to facilitate performance-based marketing partnerships. These networks provide the infrastructure for tracking, reporting, and payment processing, enabling brands to run scalable affiliate programmes efficiently. The below will delve into the fundamentals of the core functions of global affiliate networks, who the main players are in the industry, their USP’s and how brands can choose the most suitable network to match their business goals.

When a brand leans too much on discounting, it creates a pattern where performance marketing takes a significant hit outside of those promotional windows. But here’s the challenge: transitioning from a discount-driven model to a more premium, full-priced approach - without negatively impacting overall revenue. This shift is critical for brands looking to build long-term value and reduce their dependence on short-term fixes. How does discounting, despite its perceived top line benefits, create challenges that undermine sustainable growth?

Retention is often overlooked when it comes to paid media strategy. New customer acquisition is typically the main focus as businesses prioritise growth, shaping how campaigns are structured, audiences defined, and creative developed. While acquisition is essential for scaling, this focus on growth often means retention strategies are missed, with more reliance placed on other channels like email marketing.

Affiliate marketing has become an integral part of brands’ digital marketing mix, allowing them to connect with a wider audience while rewarding publishers for driving sales. But like any system built on trust, it isn’t immune to abuse. Affiliate fraud is a growing concern that undermines the integrity of the affiliate ecosystem, draining marketing spend if programmes are not monitored. Here, we’ll break down what affiliate fraud is and how it impacts brands.