Roblox: Not Just Child's Play Anymore
Welcome to Wednesday, futurists!
In today's edition of The Senses, we're excavating the archaeological remains of what might be termed "the creator economy's primordial soup."
Our latest episode (YouTube) features Tasteland podcast's Francis Zierer and Daisy Alioto—two architects of independent media who've masterfully transformed their intellectual kinship into commercial viability without surrendering to venture capital's siren song.
Their narrative reveals a fascinating paradox of contemporary media: the most sustainable growth emerges not from algorithmic acceleration but from the painstaking cultivation of what Francis poetically calls "brand sillage"—that lingering essence that defines your presence long after you've exited the room. While platforms like The Skimm and Messenger stumbled after raising millions, these independent operators have quietly constructed resilient ecosystems through strategic parsimony and patient coalition-building.
The conversation spans the balance between editorial autonomy and commercial gains, and how intellectual alignment often precedes—rather than follows—friendship, even in the most fruitful creative partnerships.
In short: just like in Commerce, to survive in media you have to outlast the competition through evolutionary pressures without succumbing to premature optimization.
And for our full breakdown of the Studio Ghibli memefest of 2025, it’s in the part two continuation over on Tasteland's feed. A truly bifurcated media experience worthy of the networked age.
Listen to parts 1 and 2 on the Future Commerce and Tasteland Spotify channels, respectively.
🎧 Future Commerce on YouTube and Spotify
— Phillip
P.S. This is also Shoptalk recap week on Future Commerce! Catch up on all of our content including our interview with Ulta’s Josh Friedman on their new marketplace launch, our Day One recap, and more to come.
Updated: Commerce Secretary Tracker. Our 100 Days of Commerce tracker has been updated to include today's seismic "Liberation Day" announcement—Trump's multi-tiered reciprocal tariff framework with Lutnick as its visible architect and occasional lightning rod.
We've meticulously documented the Commerce Secretary's ascent from Wall Street power broker to economic nationalist standard-bearer, capturing each pivot, contradiction, and ambitious boundary-crossing along this remarkably consequential trajectory. The tracker now illuminates the intricate choreography between Lutnick's public performances and the administration's crystallizing protectionist agenda.
Our comprehensive policy analysis is reserved exclusively for Plus members.
Amazon Courts TikTok: The Ultimate Algorithm Marriage. In a strategic eleventh-hour maneuver, Amazon has submitted a bid to acquire TikTok's US operations, intensifying the competition for the popular video app that faces a Saturday ownership restructuring deadline. This unexpected move by the e-commerce giant could dramatically reshape both social media and e-commerce landscapes if successful. The acquisition would potentially give Amazon access to TikTok's powerful algorithm and vast user data, potentially transforming how products are discovered and purchased online.
Target’s Great Wall of Tariff Defense. Target is pushing Chinese suppliers for price reductions amid mounting trade tensions, following similar strategies employed by Costco and Walmart. As Trump-era tariffs resurface and import costs climb, these retail giants leverage their purchasing power to maintain competitive pricing despite the challenging economic landscape. The retailers are exercising various tactics to absorb the impact, including requesting suppliers to shoulder a portion of the tariff burden.
Roblox: Not Just Child's Play Anymore. Roblox has announced a new rewarded video advertising format and strategic partnership with Google to accelerate the growth of its advertising business. The format allows gamers to watch video ads up to 30 seconds long in exchange for in-game boosts or resources, creating a non-disruptive advertising experience that maintains player engagement.
With 85.3 million daily active users—mostly above age 13—Roblox is strategically positioning itself to monetize its substantial Gen Z audience through diversified revenue streams beyond traditional gaming transactions. This expansion builds on Roblox's comprehensive advertising ecosystem, which will soon include additional formats like billboards through Google Ad Manager, further enhancing its brand activation capabilities.
🔮From Walmart to Gucci, Future Commerce tracks the top brands that activate on Roblox with our Roblox Brand Activation Tracker.
Our Take: As we previously analyzed in our piece, Roblox is an Entrepreneurship Platform, this move perfectly aligns with Roblox's transformation from gaming platform to comprehensive commerce ecosystem.
Shopify's partnership with Roblox last year signaled this shift, focusing first on enabling creators with entrepreneurial opportunities before addressing brand commerce needs. With approximately 5 million developers and creators earning Robux across 170 countries and billions in GMV already transacting on the platform, Roblox is creating what we called "new modes" of commerce that transcend traditional channel thinking.
Google's involvement further legitimizes this approach, bringing mainstream advertising infrastructure to what was once considered merely a children's gaming platform.
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