Sunday Soma Brief #9: The "Humanity Premium" & Conversational Buying

The Confession: I have a new worst enemy, and it’s the TikTok Shop algorithm. I realized this morning that I haven’t actually "visited" a retail website in three weeks. Instead, I’ve been stuck in a scrolling fever dream, nearly clicking "buy" on everything from Korean hair growth supplements to high-quality dupes.

I’m currently one late-night session away from owning a full collection of "Fadidas" tracksuits, "Figers" sneakers, and a shelf full of "Fabubus." (If you know, you know).

Between those impulse clicks and ordering Squish’s bully twists via a quick voice command while making coffee, the traditional funnel is dead to me.

I didn't click a link; I had a conversation.

The "Conversational" Rabbit Hole: We are officially in the era of Universal Commerce. The old "Click-to-Site" playbook is gathering dust. In 2026, the buy button lives wherever the user is already talking or scrolling.

If your brand isn’t "conversational," you’re essentially invisible to the new wave of buyers who refuse to leave their social feed or LLM interface to find a checkout page.

The Soma Take: Here’s the paradox: the more we use AI and algorithms to buy, the more we crave a Humanity Premium. (And no, I’m not talking about a new pair of jeans.) When a bot or a viral video is doing the heavy lifting, we naturally gravitate toward brands that feel like they have a heartbeat.

Looking at our recent GSC data, we are still seeing a ton of impressions for

"Digital Marketing Agency Naperville." People are still searching traditionally, but the conversion—the actual "Yes"—happens when they realize there’s a real person in Oak Brook behind the screen.

Universal commerce handles the transaction, but you handle the trust. In an AI-saturated world, your "Naperville local" roots aren't just a location; they are your most valuable asset.

Drop a comment: When was the last time you actually went to a website to buy something vs. just clicking a "buy" button in an app or chat?