#366 - 360° Brand Growth: How Premium Brands Crack the UK, Optimize Their Funnel & Scale Profitably

Natalia Chappell is the founder of Natalia Chappell & Co, a UK-based consultancy helping luxury and lifestyle brands scale sustainably. Previously, she led marketing for THG's luxury division, working with brands like Coach and Ralph Lauren across price points from hundreds to thousands of pounds.

In this episode of DTC Pod, Natalia breaks down what it really takes for US brands to win in the UK—and why so many get it wrong. She shares the full-funnel mistakes she sees premium brands make over and over, why some household US names thrived in Britain while others quietly retreated, and what's actually driving results on Meta right now. She also gets into how to connect with younger consumers who think differently about spending, and why the old playbook of polished content isn't cutting it anymore. Plus, her journey from corporate marketing leader to female founder, and what she wishes more people understood about building a business as a woman.

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On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:
1. Lessons from high-growth UK e-commerce brands 
2. Creating sustainable, holistic marketing strategies
3. Using data and analytics to drive channel mix decisions
4. Optimizing for paid and organic synergy
5. Landing page and website audit best practices
6. UGC, influencer, and creator partnership frameworks
7. Onboarding and managing creators for conversion and brand fit
8. Navigating UK logistics, customs, and local expectations
9. How to adapt brand voice and content for UK consumer
10. UK cultural moments and how to plan campaigns around them
11. Success stories (Drunk Elephant, Ralph Lauren, Coach) and why some US brands flop
12. Digital-first approaches to brand building
13. Upcoming trends—partnership ads, authentic content, and Gen Z consumers
14. Supporting and growing as a female founder in e-commerce

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to DTC POD and episode with Natalia Chappell
01:18 Natalia’s background: fashion, digital marketing, luxury brand experience
03:26 Lessons learned building luxury and beauty e-commerce teams
05:16 Becoming a female founder and launching Natalia Chappell & Co
07:22 The type and scale of brands Natalia’s agency works with
09:07 Optimizing paid-to-organic mix for sustainable growth
12:12 Data, analytics, and the importance of first-party data integrity
13:33 Why understanding inventory and offer depth matters before scaling ads
16:26 Building a marketing flywheel that feeds itself
18:50 Audience segmentation, CRM, and conversion optimization
20:08 Attribution modeling and keeping data integrations clean
22:29 Organic growth: auditing website, SEO, landing pages, and reviews
24:03 Content strategy: authentic UGC, influencers, and the UK market
26:58 Equipping creators for conversion, not just reach
29:25 Structuring affiliate and creator programs, commissioning vs. flat fees
33:01 Logistics: Warehousing, customs, and UK delivery expectations
36:54 Adapting voice, copy, and calendar to resonate in the UK
38:34 Brand case studies: Drunk Elephant, Coach, Ralph Lauren
41:09 Why some US brands struggle in the UK (Forever 21, etc.)
44:21 Trends to watch: partnership ads, content authenticity, Gen Z targeting
47:25 Where to find and connect with Natalia Chappell

Show notes powered by Castmagic

Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  

Additional episodes you might like:

• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth

• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content

• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views

• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands

• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook

• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands

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Natalia Chappell - Founder of Natalia Chappell & Co.
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic