Episode Details

In this episode Richard and Steve break down H1 2026 performance data from across the CTC client portfolio, covering brand revenue growth, ad spend efficiency, incrementality testing results by platform, and the latest signals from the D2C Consumer Confidence Index.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Median brand revenue growth of 15.2% in H1 2026

• Why spend grew 28% while revenue efficiency declined

• AppLovin incrementality results across 18 tests (average: 171%)

• Meta incrementality: average 113.4%, with a wide spread across brands

• Why AOV is a key driver of Meta incrementality outcomes

• Consumer confidence data: what all-time highs in June mean for H2

• TikTok Shops, ChatGPT advertising, and Google ROAS trends

• How 7-figure brands can access the sophistication of 9-figure advertisers

Key stat: Out of 18 AppLovin incrementality tests, only one came back below 100%. Five returned 225%+ incrementality. The average was 171%.

The Common Thread Collective 7-Figure Growth Workshop: http://commonthreadco.com/earlybird26

Show Notes:

• Go to http://outersignal.com/thread to get 50% off your first two months

• Explore the Prophit Engine: https://commonthreadco.com/pages/prophit-engine

• The Ecommerce Playbook mailbag is open — email us at podcast@commonthreadco.com to ask us any questions you might have