
DTC Podcast
Weekly discussions between disruptive direct to consumer ecommerce brands and our amazing team about marketing, funnels, and everything scaling related. Subscribe to our newsletter for highlights and step by step tactical insights 👉🏻 📦 directtoconsumer.co
Latest episodes

Oct 7, 2024 • 44min
Ep 445: C-Suite Replay – 8 Figure Product Launch Schedule with Brandon Horoho Montana Knife Company
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Welcome to DTC Podcast, today we're sharing another talk from C-Suite Mastermind, with friend of the Podcast Brandon Horoho from Montana Knife Co.
Brandon came to C-Suite and blew all our attendees away with this authenticity and story, and showed everyone what it looks like to plan ahead...we're talking 2 years of product launces meticulously planned out so that his team never has any questions about what they need to focus on.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed hanging out with Brandon for a few days,
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Brandon Horoho and Montana Knife Company
02:00 - Origin Story: Building a Legacy Brand
04:30 - Overcoming Challenges: From Custom Knives to Mass Production
07:00 - The Drop Model: Scarcity and Community Engagement
09:30 - Email Marketing Strategy for Product Drops
12:00 - Expanding the Business: New Product Lines and Collaborations
14:30 - Challenges in Paid Advertising and Restricted Industries
17:00 - Growth Through Partnerships and Collaborations
19:30 - Manufacturing Limitations and Future Expansion Plans
22:00 - Nurturing the Community: Social Media and User Engagement
24:00 - Planning Product Drops and Managing Inventory
Hashtags:
#MontanaKnifeCompany #DTC #BrandonHoroho #KnifeDrops #EmailMarketing #Entrepreneurship #HuntingKnives #DirectToConsumer #EcommerceGrowth #SmallBusinessTips #BrandBuilding #ScarcityModel #SEO #DigitalMarketing #MadeInUSA #AmericanManufacturing #BusinessExpansion #ContentStrategy #MarketingStrategy #Collaboration
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Oct 4, 2024 • 43min
Ep 444: How to Maintain A Brand that Lasts (When Creating a Metric F*&^ Ton of Content) | AKNF
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Today's AKNF Podcast is another session from C-Suite Mastermind with Avery from Pilothouse. For her talk she focused on how to grow your brand through ads on social media, in a way that resonates and actually performs with your target audience. Listen and you'll learn practical methods to discover, define, and speak to each of your customer avatars through your social media ads.
Work with Aves and Pilothouse ➝ https://pilothouse.co
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction & Common Mistakes by Brand Owners
05:00 Story of Aunt Lala & Emotional Marketing
10:00 Persona Development: Us on Us
16:00 Case Study: Big Blanket's Persona Segmentation
23:00 The Role of Humor & Getting Weird in Ads
Hashtags:
#MarketingStrategy #BrandIdentity #CustomerPersona #EmotionalMarketing #CreativeAdvertising #PaidSocials #ContentCreation #SEO #DTCMarketing #PilotHouse #AIInMarketing #PersonaDevelopment #AdOptimization #BigBlanket #AdvertisingTactics #TikTokTrends #MarketingTips
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Sep 30, 2024 • 53min
Ep 443: C-Suite Mastermind Exclusive: Four Sigmatic's Rick Cadotte on Small Wins that Stack Up to Big Results
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Today's DTC Podcast is taken from Rick Cadotte's day 2 presentation at C-Suite Mastermind a few weeks back. This event brought together 50 fast growing brands from across the US and Canada for two days of unforgettable learnings and experiences.
Rick is the VP of Growth at Four Sigmatic, one of the world's largest ground coffee brands, and this presentation outlines the strategic blueprint he's used to help grow them massively in his time at the helm in marketing.
In this talk Rick outlines the small wins that brands can make at each stage of their business, that can add up to MASSIVE results when you stack them
Stay tuned to directtconsumer.co to hear about upcoming events.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction to the C-Suite Mastermind Event
00:02 - Importance of Talking Points in DTC Branding
00:05 - Marketing Strategy with CTV Ads
00:07 - Roku Ads Manager Overview
00:10 - Insights from Rick Cadotte on Brand Momentum
Hashtags
#DTCMarketing #BrandStrategy #CTVAdvertising #RokuAds #FourSigmatic #DTCBrands #MarketingInsights #BrandGrowth #CMarketing #BrandMomentum #DigitalMarketing #MarketingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #MastermindEvent
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Sep 27, 2024 • 22min
Ep 442: Unlocking Premium Amazon A+ Content: Best Practices and Mistakes to Avoid with Pilothouse | AKNF
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Welcome back to the DTC Podcast! Today, we dive deep into the world of Amazon A+ content with Pilothouse's own Amazon experts, Sabrina and Rob. As your ultimate tool for converting potential customers, A+ content is a must-have for any brand serious about succeeding on Amazon. In this episode, Sabrina and Rob break down exactly how to leverage this feature, covering everything from the basics to advanced strategies like cross-selling and A/B testing.
Key Insights You'll Learn:
Why A+ Content Matters: Understand why A+ content is the most crucial part of your Amazon listing and how it’s your last chance to convince customers.
How to Use Premium A+ Content: Discover how you can access Premium A+ content for free and leverage features like carousels, videos, and hotspots.
Effective A+ Content Strategies: Learn tips for creating visually stunning and highly informative A+ content that speaks to your customer's needs.
Actionable Tips from the Episode:
Leverage Premium A+: It’s free if you meet Amazon's criteria, so ensure you use this feature to make your content stand out.
Think Like Your Customer: Craft your A+ content by anticipating the problems your product solves and communicating your value proposition effectively.
Use A/B Testing: Experiment with different formats, layouts, and content types to optimize conversion rates.
Utilize Lifestyle Imagery: Use imagery that resonates with your audience to create an emotional connection and tell your product’s story.
00:00 - Introduction to Amazon A+ Content
04:00 - Designing Effective Amazon A+ Content
08:00 - AB Testing and Analyzing A+ Content Performance
12:00 - Restrictions and Guidelines for Amazon A+ Content
16:00 - Amazon's Evolution in Brand Experiences
#AmazonAPlusContent #EcommerceTips #ContentStrategy #SEO #AmazonMarketing #DigitalMarketing #ProductBranding #ABTesting #CustomerEngagement #ContentCreation
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Sep 25, 2024 • 25min
Bonus: The Democratization of Connected TV – Roku’s Self-Serve Ads Manager is Here
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Hello and welcome to the DTC Podcast! Today, we’re joined by Peter Hamilton, Head of Innovation at Roku, who shares how Roku is reshaping the connected TV (CTV) advertising landscape. With a new self-service ad platform, Roku is breaking down barriers, allowing DTC brands to easily enter the world of television advertising.
Get started with Roku Ads Manager for CTV https://advertising.roku.com/solutions/advertise/ads-manager
Key insights from this episode:
Democratizing TV Advertising: Roku Ads Manager offers a low-entry point for brands to test TV advertising with budgets as low as $500.
Interactive Ad Features: Learn about new ad formats that encourage direct viewer engagement through their TV remote.
Full-Funnel Strategies: How Roku enables DTC brands to leverage CTV for both awareness and direct conversions.
Tune in to understand how to diversify your marketing channels and make the most of CTV with Roku.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction & The Evolution of TV Advertising
4:50 - The Role of Creative Strategies in CTV Advertising
9:30 - Roku's Shopify Integration & Action Ads
14:00 - Best Practices for CTV Advertising Campaigns
19:00 - Optimizing Ad Spend & The Future of CTV
Hashtags:
#CTVAdvertising #RokuAdsManager #DigitalMarketing #TelevisionAds #PerformanceMarketing #eCommerce #ShopifyIntegration #ActionAds #MarketingStrategy #DTCBrands #StreamingAds #AdvertisingTrends #MarketingInsights #AdTech #DigitalAdvertising
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Sep 23, 2024 • 50min
DTC Archive: Don't Dare call it CONTENT. The Art of Brand Storytelling with Niclas Bornling from Craft Sportswear
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Today we're digging into the DTC vault to one of this year's most listened to episodes with Niclas Bornling on the power of story telling in footwear.
Hello and welcome to the DTC Podcast, I’m Eric Dyck. Today, we’re excited to have an incredible guest, Niclas, who has masterfully woven the art of storytelling into the fabric of branding, transforming iconic brands like Salomon, New Era, Keen, Houdini and currently Craft Sportwear, a trail running brand cashing in on the newish wave of niche purpose sportswear, headlined by billion dollar brands On running, and Hoka.
In this episode, we delve into the pivotal moments of brand evolution and the power of a compelling narrative in shaping a brand's journey. We'll explore the intersection of brand identity and performance marketing, and the crucial role of storytelling in creating an authentic and engaging brand experience.
The Eureka Moment: where niclas realized everything is a story, and how it revolutionized his approach at Salomon and Houdini.
Crafting Iconic Brands: Learn how Niclas helped transform these outdoor brands into cultural icons, blending innovation with captivating stories.
Future of Branding and why you should never call what you make CONTENT, instead focusing on the fusion of brand story telling and strategic marketing.
Niclas also pitches me on changing the name of this podcast to Direct to User, reflecting his philosophy and approach while working with brands like Houdini, where the focus is on viewing customers not just as consumers but as users who actively engage with the product.
I'll take it under consideration, but I already have the hat...sooo
Join us as we uncover these insightful perspectives with Niclas, offering valuable lessons for brand builders and marketers alike.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Niclas Bornling and the Art of Storytelling in Branding
00:02:00 - The Evolution of Brand Identity at Salomon and the Outdoor Industry
00:14:20 - Breaking Into the Running Shoe Market: Insights from Craft Sportswear
00:33:10 - The Rise of Challenger Brands in Running Footwear: Hoka and On's Success
00:47:30 - Direct Response Marketing Strategies in Sports Apparel
Hashtags:
#BrandStorytelling
#RunningShoes
#DTCMarketing
#SportsApparel
#CraftSportswear
#InnovationInSports
#AthleteBranding
#MarketingStrategies
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Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Sep 20, 2024 • 26min
Ep 441: How to Crush Halloween Campaigns On Meta (Plus Doing Data Different) | AKNF
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Hello and welcome to the DTC Podcast! Today, we're joined by the creative minds from Pilothouse: Taylor and Aves, who share their expertise on preparing for smaller but increasingly important holidays, such as Halloween. With Halloween and Thanksgiving on the horizon, this episode dives into strategies to capitalize on these growing consumer moments.
Key Takeaways:
Why starting your holiday campaigns earlier can yield better results.
The benefits of cooperating with cultural trends instead of merely following them.
How creative testing methods can find winning ads more efficiently, ensuring you maximize your marketing efforts.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: Halloween Trends in Marketing
02:00 - Evergreen Testing and Meta’s Advantage Plus
06:00 - Creative Strategies for Halloween Campaigns
12:00 - Stocking the Pond: Preparing for Q4
16:00 - Creative and Data Integration for Better Ad Performance
24:00 - A Preview of the C-Suite Mastermind Workshop
Hashtags:
#MetaMarketing #HalloweenCampaigns #EvergreenTesting #MediaBuying #CreativeStrategy #DigitalMarketing #HalloweenTrends #MetaAdvantagePlus #DTCMarketing #Q4Marketing #EcommerceSuccess #MarketingInsights #CreativeAdvertising
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Sep 18, 2024 • 23min
Bonus: How Carpe Scales Global Sales with Strategic International Expansion and Passport
Kasper Kubica, co-founder of Carpe, a DTC brand specializing in sweat solutions, and Tom Griffin from Passport, a global shipping partner, share insights on international expansion. They discuss transitioning from passive to intentional global growth strategies. Kasper details Carpe's journey from dorm room idea to international brand, while Tom highlights how Passport simplifies logistics and compliance. They emphasize the importance of localized marketing to build trust and enhance conversion rates in new markets, equipping brands for global success.

5 snips
Sep 16, 2024 • 31min
Ep 440: Driving 5x Digital Growth – How Salt & Stone Optimizes E-commerce and Amazon Sales
In a captivating conversation, Dejan Rankovic, SVP of Digital at Salt & Stone, shares his expertise in digital marketing. He reveals how the brand achieved a staggering 5x growth in digital revenue within a year. Dejan discusses the power of prioritizing hero products like the Mini Discovery Set for customer retention and effective ad spend strategies across platforms like Meta and TikTok. He also delves into influencer marketing tactics and the significance of Amazon integration to enhance e-commerce success.

Sep 13, 2024 • 23min
Ep 439: Maximizing Google Ads Profitability – Aligning Campaigns with Unit Economics | AKNF
Join Brian Juhos from the Pilothouse Google Ads team, a pro in optimizing ad campaigns for profitability. He reveals common pitfalls brands face, like relying on generic ROAS targets, and advocates for aligning campaigns with real unit economics. Discover how to avoid wasteful spending by segmenting ads based on product margins and fulfillment costs. Brian also shares insights on smart bidding strategies and the importance of transparency between brands and agencies for effective marketing collaboration.
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