Creators Quit Jobs & Brands Rethink Ads
Even B2B is starting to dance.
Welcome back to Sell! Sell! Sell! 🛍️
👋 Tobias here. This week felt like whiplash — old-school retail making modern moves, doctors becoming full-time influencers, and social platforms quietly rewriting how brands and creators work together.
It’s messy. It’s weird. It’s working. And somewhere between the TikTok Shop back-end and eBay’s live tour, it’s clear: social commerce isn’t settling down — it’s splitting off in every direction.
Let’s get into it.
🚨 This Week’s Headlines
(June 10th)
📦 eBay’s Livestream Shopping Tour Goes Cross-Country
eBay is kicking off a multi-city live shopping tour this week featuring top sellers across collectibles and fashion. It’s part of a broader push to bring live commerce out of the screen and into physical retail events. First up, Tampa.
💰 TikTok Shop Tests Flat-Fee Creator Collaborations
TikTok is quietly testing a new flat-fee collaboration model inside TikTok Shop, giving brands the ability to pay creators upfront for guaranteed videos — with optional commissions layered on top. Currently in limited release, the tool includes custom rates, up to 5 video revisions, and support for Shop Ads. It’s positioned as a more controlled alternative to the standard commission-only setup.
Internal testing only for now — full rollout expected soon.
📺 Shoppable TV Is (Really) Happening — Here’s the Proof
New data from VAB shows that viewers exposed to shoppable TV ads are 2.5x more likely to purchase than those who aren’t. As platforms and streamers double down on clickable overlays, QR integrations, and smart TV partnerships, the line between entertainment and e-commerce continues to blur.
“The largest trend in the West is the rise of live social shopping,” said Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia
🎤 Seller Spotlight
Dr. Dana: From $300K Physician to Full-Time Creator
Primary Channel | Top Brands / Items | Hook |
TikTok (600K+ followers) | Skincare, wellness routines | From ER doc to influencer — she earns more online |
5.2M likes across her videos
Major brand deals include Olay and Target
Has hinted she tripled her income with content
What sets Dr. Dana apart isn’t just her credentials — it’s her credibility. In a recent video, she called out the “shoppable link culture,” saying too many creators will say anything to get a click. Her audience trusts her because she doesn’t — she vets what she promotes and treats her platform like a clinic: evidence-based and relationship-driven.
@pagingdrfran these sellers are ruthless and i won’t stand for it #prenatalvitamin #ritualvitamins #folicacid
She’s part of a new cohort of experts who aren’t just quitting their day jobs — they’re monetizing their expertise directly to their audiences, with transparency at the core.
🧠 Brand Move of the Week
RXBar Founder’s New Venture: David Protein
Peter Rahal launching new Protein Bar —> David
Peter Rahal—the creator who sold RXBar to Kellogg’s for $600 million—is back with a new CPG brand: David. Launched this week, Pattern is a direct-to-consumer line of protein-heavy snacks designed for modern, health-conscious shoppers… but with a twist: everything from the packaging to the flavors is built for visual punch and viral pull.
The debut products—think bold colors, nostalgic textures, and TikTok-friendly wrappers—dropped with a coordinated push through mid-tier creators and microinfluencers. Within 48 hours of launch, Pattern reportedly saw site traffic more than double, with early customers citing TikTok as their first touchpoint.
Insiders are already describing the launch as “Magic Spoon meets Feastables”—blending functional nutrition with personality-driven branding and social-first distribution.
“It’s the kind of product that looks good in a pantry… and even better on camera.”
📈 Why it matters:
Rahal’s move is textbook modern CPG 101:
Use founder credibility to build trust fast
Start with niche creators, not mass-market ads
Design for scroll-stopping visuals, not just taste
It’s further proof that the next wave of DTC isn’t about cutting through retail shelves—it’s about owning the feed, one dopamine-colored box at a time.
🔭 Trend Watch
Shoptalk Europe Signals a B2B Shift in Social Commerce
Shoptalk Europe, hosted in Barcelona, just wrapped a couple of days ago and one theme cut through the noise:
Social commerce is graduating from “brand buzz” to full-on business infrastructure — and it’s not just for B2C anymore.
Retail leaders, founders, and tech execs pointed to three major shifts:
💬 WhatsApp and Discord Are Quietly Running Wholesale
More brands — especially in fashion and home goods — are using invite-only Discord servers and WhatsApp groups to manage B2B relationships. Think early access drops for boutique buyers, product feedback loops, and bulk ordering… all via emoji-filled chats.
🤖 AI Tools Are Replacing Influencer Spreadsheets
Vendors are launching tools that automatically pair influencers to SKUs based on past performance and community fit — turning what used to be manual matchmaking into a real-time, data-led flywheel.
🔁 From Reach to Revenue
We’re seeing a clear shift from “likes” to logistics. Social commerce isn’t just a discovery tool anymore — it’s being used to close deals, fulfill orders, and retain customers. Brands are layering in CRM, chatbots, and checkout all within social channels.
📌 Why it matters:
The perception of social commerce as a B2C-only, creator-first game is outdated.
Increasingly, it’s a full-funnel channel — one where a product pitch, a wholesale order, and a customer service DM might all happen in the same thread.
The future of social commerce?
It’s starting to look a little less like Instagram, and a lot more like Salesforce… but with memes.
Ask of the week…
(no, this is not a new segment)
We’re building something new — a social commerce platform that showcases what creators are actually selling across social. Think: never-before-seen insights, product trends, and real-time sales data.
If you’re curious (or just nosy), I’d love to show you what we’re working on and get your take.
Just hit reply and I’ll share an early peek.
See you next week. In the meantime, Sell! Sell! Sell! 🫡