How Cubic Promote Grew by Shifting from Products to Marketing Solutions
Charles, founder and marketing lead at Cubic Promote, shares how his brand simplifies buying custom-branded merchandise for Australian businesses. This interview reveals how focusing on marketing solutions and building trust through expert content has driven consistent growth.
In this edition of the Ecommerce Authority Playbooks series, we dive into how
Cubic Promote grows, retains customers, and prepares for the future of search in 2026 and beyond.
The interview
1. What’s the quick origin story of your brand, and what makes your product or positioning genuinely different from other options in your niche?
Charles: Cubic Promote started with a simple idea: make custom-branded merchandise easier to buy. We supply promotional products, apparel, and corporate gifts to businesses across Australia. What sets us apart is our combination of product sourcing expertise, local support, and a hands-on approach. Clients deal with real people who help them select products that actually support their marketing goals, rather than simply processing orders.
2. Since launch, what have been the 1-2 real turning points for your brand-specific decisions, pivots, or experiments that noticeably changed your growth or profitability-and what did you learn from them?
Charles: The first major shift was moving away from being product-focused and becoming solution-focused. Instead of selling pens, bags, or apparel, we started helping clients solve marketing and engagement challenges. The second was investing heavily in SEO and educational content. We learned that customers often research long before they buy, so being visible and helpful early in that process creates long-term growth.
3. Which 2-3 channels drive most of your revenue right now (for example SEO, paid social, email, marketplaces, influencers), and what have you learned about making those channels work in your category?
Charles: Search Everywhere (Youtube, Google, Meta etc) is our largest channel, followed by repeat business and referrals. AI-driven discovery is becoming increasingly important as well. The biggest lesson is that trust wins. Buyers want expertise, transparent information, and confidence that their order will arrive as expected. The businesses that educate best tend to convert best.
4. How are you thinking about search in 2026 – Google, AI assistants like ChatGPT, and other discovery platforms? What, if anything, have you changed in your content or site to stay visible as AI search grows?
Charles: We’re creating content that answers real buyer questions directly rather than chasing keywords. AI platforms favour clear expertise, original insights, and helpful information. We’ve focused on improving product knowledge, publishing practical guides, and ensuring our website demonstrates genuine experience within the promotional products industry.
5. What do you do to turn first‑time buyers into repeat customers and advocates? Are there specific experiences, content, or community touches that work especially well for you?
Charles: We focus on making every order easy. Clear communication, reliable delivery, proactive service, and practical advice create trust. We also share product ideas, branding recommendations, and industry insights that help clients get better results. When customers feel supported rather than sold to, they come back and refer others.
6. If you had to write a short playbook for an ecommerce founder one stage behind you, what would you double down on over the next 12 months – and what would you stop doing entirely?
Charles: Double down on customer experience, organic visibility, and building trust. Invest in content that helps buyers make decisions. Stop chasing shortcuts, vanity metrics, and marketing tactics that don’t directly support customer acquisition or retention. Consistency compounds faster than most founders expect.
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