Above The Fold Episode 60 | What Most DTC Brands Get Wrong In 2025 With Patrick Johnson
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May 15, 2025 Patrick Johnson, an engineer and brand builder, shares his unfiltered insights into the evolving landscape of e-commerce. He critiques the oversaturation and sameness plaguing DTC brands, emphasizing the need for true personalization and authentic engagement. Patrick discusses how AI is reshaping creativity in marketing, often to the detriment of originality. He also highlights the importance of genuine community building and understanding customer motivations, while reminding brands that bundling without strategy is merely 'vibes'.
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Brand Focus Balance Matters
- Many brands fail by either trying to be everything or focusing on just one channel.
- This creates either dilution or missed opportunities in customer awareness and product breadth.
HydroViv's Subscription Success
- HydroViv had the same water quality quiz as Jolie but with a less polished website.
- Despite this, HydroViv retained customers with a subscription model showing functionality over flashiness.
The Beige D2C Website Era
- The 'lookalike' beige DTC website era endures.
- Brands prioritize clean, simple funnels over rich, unique website design to maximize paid media effectiveness.
