Stop Running YouTube Ads Like Meta Ads: The DTC Playbook for 2026

Most D2C brands have tried YouTube ads. Almost none of them are getting credit for what those ads are actually doing. Brett Curry, CEO of OMG Commerce and the guy behind YouTube growth for brands like Native, Arctic, and Dude Wipes, makes the case that in-platform reporting is under-counting YouTube's real impact by roughly 70% — and that the brands leaning in right now are about to widen the gap on everyone still dabbling.

This one goes deep: incrementality testing, omnichannel attribution, creative frameworks, and why your Meta winners almost certainly won't survive on YouTube.

Inside the episode:

Why a 1.0 in-platform ROAS on YouTube is probably a 3.4 in reality — and the 190-test incrementality study behind that numberHow Arctic drove a 25% Walmart sales lift (and 230% branded search lift) by running YouTube in select markets — measured scientifically against matched control marketsThe three creative types that actually work on YouTube: hero/brand films, single-creator UGC, and the specific criteria your Meta winners need to meet before you bother testing themHow to diagnose a broken YouTube ad using just three metrics: view rate, click-through rate, and average watch time per impression — and what each one tells you to fixWhy campaign structure for retail lift looks completely different than for D2C sales — and how to set up for both at once

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‍Chapters:

[0:00] Introduction: Why Most Brands Still Suck at YouTube

[1:51] Audience Poll: Who's Actually Winning on YouTube?

[3:15] The Core Problem: Bringing a Meta Mindset to YouTube

[4:05] YouTube as Trust: Creators, TV, and Time Spent