Breaking Free From The Black Box: Transparent Ad Automation For Ecommerce

A Shopify Podcast To Grow Revenue And Loyalty

Welcome to eCommerce Fastlane. Today my guests are Mitsunaga Kikuchi, Founder and CEO of Shirofune, and Rocco Baldassarre, VP of Account Strategy.

In this episode, Mitsunaga and Rocco discuss how Shirofune blends human intelligence and automation to optimize digital advertising like never before. We dive into topics like:

• Simplifying Campaign Management: Automating budgeting, bidding, and performance analysis to save hours of manual work.
• Overcoming Data Overload: Managing omnichannel campaigns across platforms like Google, Meta, TikTok, and Amazon.
• Targeting New Customers Effectively: Leveraging lifetime ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and LTV (Lifetime Value) metrics for long-term success.
• Demystifying the “Black Box” of Algorithms: Offering transparent, actionable insights compared to traditional AI-powered tools.
• Integrating with Shopify and Attribution Tools: Enhancing ad performance by combining Shirofune with platforms like Triple Whale and NorthBeam.

Whether you’re a startup founder or a seasoned marketer, this episode offers actionable strategies to maximize your advertising efficiency, boost revenue, and drive customer loyalty.

This is Shirofune’s Story:

Shirofune, named after the Japanese word for “white ship,” symbolizes innovation and bringing fresh ideas to global markets. Founded by Mitsunaga Kikuchi in 2014, the platform replicates the decision-making capabilities of human ad managers while automating tedious tasks. Unlike traditional AI, Shirofune’s system is based on over 20,000 hours of coding to mirror human expertise.

This human-first approach has enabled Shirofune to work with major global brands like Burberry, L’Oréal, and Disney, achieving extraordinary results through optimized ad campaigns and transparent metrics.

Key Insights from Our Conversation

1️⃣ Revolutionizing Ad Campaign Management: Shirofune automates manual tasks such as budgeting and bidding, allowing marketers to focus on strategy and creativity. This approach delivers time savings of up to 70% and empowers teams to scale their campaigns more effectively.

2️⃣ Going Beyond Short-Term Metrics: While many platforms focus on short-term ROAS or CPA, Shirofune prioritizes lifetime ROAS and customer LTV to provide a clearer picture of long-term profitability.

3️⃣ Demystifying Attribution and Optimization: Shirofune integrates seamlessly with tools like Triple Whale to provide transparent insights into ad performance, enabling marketers to refine campaigns without relying on opaque AI systems like Google’s PMAX or Meta’s Advantage+.

4️⃣ Omnichannel Budgeting for Maximum Impact: Shirofune’s unique omnichannel budgeting approach dynamically allocates resources across platforms like Meta, Google, TikTok, and Amazon, ensuring every dollar works harder.

5️⃣ Case Study Success: One DTC brand improved its ROAS from 190% to over 500% within three months using Shirofune, demonstrating the platform’s ability to deliver transformative results.

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Shirofune
• Shopify
• L’Oréal
• Burberry
• Procter & Gamble
• Calvin Klein
• Louis Vuitton
• Disney
• Amazon
• Meta
• Google
• TikTok
• NorthBeam
• Triple Whale
• Dentsu
• Merkle
• iProspect
• Etsy

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