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 Google quantum AI session all tie back to the future of customer experience and brand building. Whether you're scaling eComm or rethinking your retention funnel, this episode is packed with unexpected lessons, real-world tactics, and a few wild stories you won’t forget.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Kicking Off Another Wild Ride on Perpetual Traffic
00:00:26 - Did the Hosts Break Up? Ralph Spills the Tea
00:01:16 - Lauren’s Back—with Ghosts, Nostalgia, and Chicago Vibes
00:03:50 - Ghosts, Toe-Breaking Drawers, and Voodoo Blessings
00:05:37 - The Conference Circuit Is No Joke (But It’s Hilarious)
00:06:54 - $200K Booths, Ugg Swag, and the Vegas Vendor Jungle
00:13:10 - Radical Inconsistency: The Strategy You Didn’t Know You Needed
00:21:21 - Forget Perfection—Launch Loud, Messy, and Real
00:21:39 - Loyalty Through Limited Drops and Cultural Flavor
00:22:44 - 11 Million Receipts a Day? Fetch is Playing 4D Loyalty Chess
00:24:59 - Your Real KPI? What Happens After the Purchase
00:29:23 - Beyond Facebook & Google: Hunting Down Fresh Ad Gold
00:31:32 - Two Conferences, One Mic Drop Recap
00:33:39 - AI Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It’s Changing Everything
00:41:24 - Catch Flights, Not Feelings: What’s Coming Up Next

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

ShopTalk
SXSW Conference
Evolutions by Podcast Movement
Fetch
Prosper Show
Klaviyo
Criteo
Flamingo Estate
Get Your nCAC Calculator Now!
Tier 11 Jobs
Perpetual Traffic on YouTube
Tiereleven.com
Mongoose Media
Perpetual Traffic Survey
Perpetual Traffic Website
Follow Perpetual Traffic on Twitter
Connect with Lauren on Instagram and Connect with

3 Jaw-Dropping Takeaways from Shoptalk & SXSW

Perpetual Traffic