Perpetual Traffic

Ralph reunites with paid media creative expert Lauren Schwartz for Part 2 of their deep dive into what makes beauty brand creatives truly perform. Lauren, founder of The Loft 325, unpacks how her team leverages emerging trends—like food-inspired visuals and creator authenticity—to build content that doesn’t just look pretty, but sells. From Hailey Bieber’s strawberry face trend to Halloween-ready lash looks and Cinnamon Toast Crunc...

Ralph and Lauren P. sit down with Tier 11’s Creative Director, Lauren Schwartz—formerly of The Loft 325—to unpack what truly drives high-performing ad creative in the premium beauty and wellness space. Drawing from years of experience and countless tests across major ad platforms, Lauren reveals why most brands are getting creative wrong and how to shift from “pretty” to “profitable.” From bridging the communication gap with design...

Ralph Burns unpacks a powerful case study from Tier 11’s vault that showcases how one beauty and wellness brand increased revenue by 57% and new customer acquisition by 73%—all without relying on TikTok or short-form content. Ralph dives into the exact creative strategies, ad structures, and conversion-optimized landing pages that drove the results, with an emphasis on the underutilized power of long-form video, Meta Ads, and segme...

Ralph and Lauren break down the immediate and long-term implications of the recently imposed tariffs—and what savvy marketers and business owners must do right now to stay ahead. From navigating rising costs of goods to uncovering massive ad spend inefficiencies (including a shocking $1.2 million in wasted budget), they share cutting-edge tactics for scaling during economic disruption. You’ll hear real-world client insights, why no...

Ralph Burns and Lauren Petrullo reconnect to unpack Lauren’s whirlwind tour through three of the biggest marketing events of the year: ShopTalk, South by Southwest (SXSW), and Podcast Evolution. From radically inconsistent product launches to Gen Z’s zero loyalty game, Lauren brings raw, in-the-room insights that challenge conventional playbooks. Discover how $200K vendor booths, haunted childhood bedrooms, and an invite-only Googl...

Ralph Burns shares a special guest appearance he made on the Affiliated Podcast with hosts Tom and Kyle. While Lauren was away traveling, Ralph dove into his personal journey from affiliate marketer to agency owner, offering valuable insights on scaling a business through strategic delegation. He breaks down how to stop doing everything yourself and instead focus on what you do best—echoing themes from “Who Not How” and “10x Is Eas...

In this special live workshop edition of the podcast, the team at Tier 11 dives into a behind-the-scenes strategy session with a real brand, tackling the financial backbone of scalable growth. From calculating Net Allowable CAC (NAC) to mapping out customer LTV and building membership-first funnels, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Discover how to avoid costly scaling mistakes, implement profit-first media strategie...

Ralph Burns and Lauren Petrullo sit down with online video storytelling expert Ian Garlic to unpack the collision of artificial intelligence and video marketing. Broadcasting from the legendary Casa de Garlic, they dive into how AI is reshaping content creation—and the critical difference between smart augmentation and soulless automation. Ian shares insider tools, real-world use cases (including a wild Florida Bar AI debacle), and...

In Part 2 Ralph Burns and John Moran continue their breakdown of why ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) is an outdated and misleading metric for scaling businesses. They introduce a better, more reliable metric that high-growth brands use to measure success—one that actually aligns with business revenue and profit, rather than vanity numbers. Expect insights on how to use Meta for prospecting and Google for conversions, why multi-channel at...

Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) has been the go-to metric for measuring success in digital advertising, but is it actually holding your business back? In this episode, we break down why traditional ROAS is misleading, how agencies manipulate data to appear successful, and what you should be focusing on instead. John Moran joins the conversation to discuss the metrics that actually drive growth, including Media Efficiency Ratio (MER) and ...

Ralph and Lauren sit down with Ian Garlic, the founder of Video Case Story, to uncover the most effective ways to use video for sales. While most brands flood social media with endless content, Ian reveals why simply creating more video isn’t enough. Instead, he shares a strategic approach to video marketing—one that moves prospects seamlessly from awareness to purchase without relying on traditional ad clicks. Whether you’re strug...

Hiring the right people is the single most impactful decision a business can make. In this episode, Ralph Burns and Josh Hill break down Tier 11’s time-tested hiring system, sharing how to attract, assess, and secure top talent—without wasting hours on the wrong candidates. From leveraging LinkedIn outreach to using automation tools like JazzHR, they reveal how to streamline the hiring process while keeping it personal. Learn why a...

How much can you really afford to pay for a new customer? The answer isn’t as simple as your Facebook ad spend. In this episode, Ralph Burns and Amanda Powell break down customer acquisition cost (CAC) and customer lifetime value (CLV) to uncover what businesses should actually be spending to scale profitably. They discuss how marketing costs go beyond ad spend, why your marketing team and operational expenses matter in CAC calcula...

In this episode of Perpetual Traffic, we take an unprecedented deep dive into a real business audit, revealing critical insights that could redefine your e-commerce strategy. From the importance of balancing new customer acquisition cost (NCAC) with lifetime value (LTV) to leveraging Amazon as a customer acquisition tool, this discussion uncovers how scaling a brand goes beyond just increasing ad spend. Discover why subscription mo...

Ralph and Lauren are getting into the nuances of Meta’s audience segmentation and why relying solely on in-app metrics could be costing you big. They break down how Meta categorizes audiences into "new," "engaged," and "existing" and why that distinction is crucial for optimizing ad spend. If you’ve ever wondered whether your ad dollars are actually bringing in new customers or just retargeting the same warmed-up leads, this is the...

Hiring is easy—said no smart business owner ever. In this episode of Perpetual Traffic, Ralph and Lauren sit down with Josh Hill, Tier 11’s VP of Employee Success (or whatever his title is this week), to break down the real way to find and keep A+ players. Forget the “gut feel” hiring disasters—you’ll get the step-by-step playbook for building a team that actually scales your business. Whether you're looking to offload the 80% that...

In this episode of Perpetual Traffic, Ralph Burns sits down with Cameron Campbell, a top-tier media buyer at Tier 11, and possibly the only person who can outshine John Moran’s meta expertise—at least in the looks department. Cameron brings the heat, diving deep into why most brands are flying blind with their ad data, and what they should actually be tracking to scale profitably without burning cash.

He breaks down the real numbers...

Super Bowl ads: they can be brilliant, they can be cringeworthy, and sometimes, they can just make you question everything. Welcome to part two where Ralph and Lauren go all in on the weirdest, most awkward, and most controversial ads of the year. From Coffee Mate’s disturbing tongue commercial to Tubi’s bizarre cowboy skin-hat fiasco, they break down which brands took big swings and which ones completely missed. Plus, they dig int...

Super Bowl ads aren’t just commercials—they’re a cultural moment, a case study in brand impact, and a $7 million gamble for 30 seconds of airtime. In this episode, Ralph and Lauren break down the best, the worst, and the most effective ads from this year’s game. From Wanda Sykes flipping the script on shock marketing to Tom Brady’s Duracell-powered longevity, they chat about what worked, what flopped, and what brands should do afte...