Eric Martindale is the Founder and CEO of Elite Commerce Group, a full-service agency specializing in Amazon and retail media. Under his leadership, the company has driven over half a billion dollars in retail sales for clients, maintaining a strong focus on testing and innovation to stay at the forefront of digital marketing. A former Marine officer and adventure athlete turned e-commerce authority, Eric is also a passionate technocrat interested in futurism. His unique perspective stems from identifying and exploiting retail frontiers before they become mainstream.
Building a successful brand isn’t just about selling more products — it’s about creating recognition and trust long before the customer is ready to buy. Many food and beverage companies focus on short-term sales, but without visibility and awareness, growth quickly stalls. So how can brands balance profitability with building a lasting presence?
According to Eric Martindale, a thought leader in retail media and e-commerce, the answer lies in prioritizing brand awareness as part of a full-funnel strategy. He highlights that relying solely on bottom-of-the-funnel ads may generate quick wins, but it leads to “redlining,” where ad spend becomes unprofitable and unsustainable. To break out of this trap, he emphasizes the importance of owned traffic like email and social media, which can feed platforms such as Amazon with new customers and trigger algorithms to favor a brand. The impact, Eric explains, is greater long-term growth, stronger positioning against competitors, and resilience when trends shift.
On this episode of the Firebelly Social Show, Duncan Alney talks with Eric Martindale, Founder and CEO of Elite Commerce Group, about the importance of brand awareness in e-commerce growth. They explore how awareness impacts profitability, why off-platform traffic gives brands an edge, and how retail media drives ROI. Eric also talks about the future role of AI search in shaping brand visibility.
