How To Win With Owned Data, Content And Communities

Forbes

2 days ago

Erik Huberman is founder and CEO of Hawke Media, a full-service marketing consultancy, and author of The Hawke Method.
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If you're still building your business on someone else's land, whether it's Meta's algorithm, Amazon's marketplace or Google's ever-shifting SEO rules, you're already behind.
Welcome to the era of Proprietary Commerce, where the brands that own their data, content and community don't just survive. They dominate.
We've been conditioned to believe that success in commerce means paying tribute to the algorithm gods. 'Just boost the post.' 'Just rank higher.' 'Just bid more.' But guess what? You're not building a business—you're gambling on a slot machine you don't control.
Rented channels are a trap. Social platforms throttle organic reach. Marketplaces undercut you. Search engines change the rules mid-game. Every time you optimize for someone else's platform, you grow their ecosystem, not yours.
If your customer data lives in a Facebook pixel and your content lives in a TikTok trend, you don't own leverage—you own liabilities. One algorithm update or terms-of-service change and you could become invisible.
So let me ask you: Why are you investing your marketing budget into other people's platforms like it's a 401(k)?
Proprietary commerce is about making your brand platform-proof. You need assets no one can take away. That means:
• First-Party Data: Because cookies are crumbling and privacy is nonnegotiable.
• Original Content: Because SEO isn't dead, but recycled garbage sure is.
• Community: Because attention is expensive and trust is priceless.
Let's break this down.
Apple kneecapped third-party tracking. Google's next. If your customer insights live in third-party platforms, your growth is on a countdown clock.
You want leverage? Then build systems that capture zero- and first-party data. Offer gated content. Run quizzes. Create loyalty programs. Incentivize profile completion. Capture SMS and email at every step of the funnel, not just at checkout.
Then actually use that data. Personalize the hell out of your customer journey. Consider things like dynamic pricing, smart product recommendations and life cycle emails that read like a concierge wrote them.
Every customer interaction should give you something you can use. If your CRM isn't your company's second brain, you're doing it wrong.
You don't need more content. You need better content—that you own. That converts. That compounds.
Stop chasing trends and start building a content moat. That means blog posts that rank and sell. Video that educates and entertains. UGC that doesn't feel forced. Hell, start a podcast. Build media equity.
You're not just a product company anymore. You're a media company with a monetization engine. And when AI floods the web with derivative slop, your original voice will cut through the noise like a damn machete.
If your content doesn't make your audience smarter, more confident or more curious, you're not in the game, you're just background noise.
Here's the cold truth: It's cheaper to keep a customer than find a new one. But brands treat loyalty like an afterthought. You want brand equity? Invest in community.
That means:
• Private Discord or Slack channels for customers
• Beta programs for superusers
• Events, virtual or physical, that build connection
• Ambassador programs with actual rewards
When customers feel like insiders, they don't just buy again. They bring others with them. You'll go from needing influencers to building them. Your best ads are your happiest customers. Give them a place to speak up—and listen.
Look at brands like Glossier, Liquid Death or Gymshark. Their success isn't built on any one product—it's built on owned assets like:
• Email and SMS lists with six-figure engagement
• Social followings that convert because they have earned attention
• Content machines and loyal communities that double as retention engines
That's not luck. That's design. That's the Proprietary Commerce Playbook in motion.
Let's make this tactical. Here are your next steps:
• Audit your dependency. Where are you over-leveraged on rented platforms? What percentage of your traffic is owned versus paid?
• Double down on CRM. Clean your list. Map your segments. Build journeys that feel human.
• Create pillar content. Think evergreen blogs, how-to videos and SEO hubs that drive compounding traffic.
• Launch a micro-community. Even if it starts on a Slack thread or text loop, seed it now. The long-term payoff could be insane.
Let everyone else optimize for clicks. You're optimizing for control.
The brands that win in this next wave aren't just the loudest—they're the ones who own the conversation. They don't panic when Meta raises CPMs or Google updates an algorithm. Because they've got first-party data, content libraries and fan bases that don't vanish overnight.
Proprietary commerce isn't a trend. It's the future-proof foundation of modern business. Own the data. Own the message. Own the customer. Or keep renting—and pray the rent doesn't go up tomorrow.
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