DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built

“Community is everything, that's absolutely shaped the way that I approach eCommerce brands.” @pug  #DTCPOD“Managing one brand and managing six brands actually doesn't mean that it's six times as hard as long as you're able to follow the same framework and systems.” @pug #DTCPOD“My background as an influencer helped me understand how to make content as a brand.” @pug  #DTCPOD“If a secret is the only thing that's keeping my business afloat, then I'm standing on weak ground.” @pug  #DTCPOD“Make sure that you can stretch the lifetime value or increase the chance of customers coming back so you don't have to spend money acquiring them all over again. That's how you survive.” @pug  #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:02] Jason introduces himself and Wonghaus  [01:59] How Jason got his career started[04:38] The importance of community [06:40] Tools and resources to identify and learn about your target audience  [09:13] How to use influencers to locate your audience and increase promotion[12:02] The creation behind Wonghaus   [14:25] Jason’s process for developing and expanding products   [16:13] Important factors for driving sales  [18:31] Sharing knowledge to other founders through Shopify [22:08] Leveraging tiktok for brand growth[25:36] Tiktok’s unique algorithm for attracting an audience  [31:57] additional projects Jason has worked on[35:57] What’s next for Wonghause and where to find Jason Wong onlineBuilding a brand starts with the community Jason Wong, entrepreneur and managing partner of Wonghaus, joins the POD to give some insight on the venture studio and strategies for building a brand.Wonghaus is a brand incubator focusing on creating solutions for eCommerce merchants.Jason recognizes that an important component of brand promotion is creating a community for your product and understanding how to market to that community. A beneficial approach for brand development is suggested by first creating products derived from a solution to a problem, and then from there engage in market research. Virtual strategies for eCommerce brand promotion Wonghaus is a fast growing venture studio helping brands in the consumer space, and one of jason’s many marketing projectsJason’s incentive for creating Wonghaus was to create more companies, with the idea in mind that following the same framework and systems for each brand is the key to managing them all successfully. Jason discusses how to locate the right influencers for your brand through their audience composition and affinity, and how to optimize this strategy to create brand recognition and audience attraction. TikTok’s unique algorithm that differentiates it from other media platforms in attracting consumers is also discussed.Stay tuned as Jason shares additional projects he is working on and important tips from these experiences. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Wonghaus’s website: https://www.wonghaus.com/Jason Wong’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pug/

“When we're talking about break-even ROAS,  the real importance comes into mind when you're comparing it to your actual return on ad spend.” @JayAtSwpely #DTCPOD“When the break-even ROAS number and the ROAS number are very close together, that means that you might have a better chance of profitability.” @JayAtSwpely #DTCPOD“Discounts can be really helpful for achieving ROAS goals. But be careful because they can also increase what you need to break even.” @jadesai #DTCPOD“Product customization or monogramming can help boost brand loyalty.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“A lightly discounted bundle of complementary products can boost your average order value.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:57] Defining ROAS[02:34] How to calculate your break-even ROAS [04:34] The importance of discounts[06:14] Tips to maximize your ROAS and reach your break-even ROAS doesn’t always paint the full picture, so make sure you check break even ROAS tooWhen building a business, there are many strategies to measure success. The strategy discussed in this episode is break-even ROAS, which gives a business an idea of what their margins are and return on dollars spent.   To make money you have to spend money, and it is important for businesses to measure costs against return value to examine how to maximize profits. Stay tuned as we discuss how to calculate discounts into your break-even ROAS, and other techniques to increase returns on dollars spent. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:More on break-even ROAS: https://marketerhire.com/blog/how-to-calculate-roas

“Having a quiz to connect with your customers on site has become almost an essential part of the shopping experience.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“You're collecting key insights about your customers with every question you ask and then using that to create personalized recommendations and personalized future engagements.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“Quizzes are an opportunity to increase AOV because you have people purchasing more than maybe they would if they were just cruising through your website and happened to find that one single product.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“An advantage of using a quiz is having personalized emails, SMS, and Facebook messenger messages that you send to customers to bring them back, and to engage with them again.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“Based on the information that you've collected through a quiz, you can be strategic about the questions you ask to get that information, you've learned so much about who your customers are to create this full profile of every single one of them.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:04] Tina introduces herself and Octane AI  [02:17] The development process of Octane AI[04:34] The different types of quizzes and the benefits it builds for a brand[06:24] How the tool collects insight and offers personal engagement for customers [09:59] Marketing strategies to optimize the consumer quiz experience[13:26] How quizzes maximize AOV  [15:36] what strategies work best for cross and up-selling [17:44] How quizzes create an informed and personal brand [23:28] Additional brand value [25:33] How and when to implement a quiz in the customer journey [28:16] Creative ways to introduce personalized products  [30:49] Where to find Tina Donati and Octane AI onlineIf you want to build a strong brand, you need build strong relationships with customers (and use quizzes!)Tina Donati, content marketing manager of Octane AI, joins the POD to give some insight on the business, and the creative value quizzes can add to your brand . Octane AI is an all-in-one platform for quizzes, messenger, SMS, and opt-ins that powers a personalized cross-channel experience.  Tina recognizes that when it comes to building a brand, knowledge about your customers and personal engagement are key components for customer retention and brand growth.To provide this experience, Tina is part of a team that focuses on developing this value for businesses. An approach to gaining these key components is through quizzes. Offering a customer quiz on the brand website provides useful information to the brand and creates an engaged experience for the customer.  Tina recognizes the importance of this, and Octane AI has developed a shop quiz platform that businesses can use.In DTC, you need to find unique ways to add value to the customer experiencePersonalized quizzes can be great for optimizing the customer experience and driving brand affinity.   Quizzes can act as product recommenders and virtual assistants, adding value to the customer experience as they lead them to personalized products and create cross-selling. This in return may lead to an increased AOV.Tina addresses the types of quizzes and how to utilize them to create an engaged consumer.  Further brand opportunities are discussed through marketing strategies with quizzes.Stay tuned as Tina discusses the post-purchase process and lifetime value tips when integrating a shopping quiz. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Tina Donati’s email: tina@octaneai.comTina Donati’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-donati-61Octane AI’s website: https://www.octaneai.com/

“Values matter a lot and people sniff through false values. If you're a sustainable brand partner with sustainable brands. If you are a clean beauty brand partner with other brands that actually speak to your mission.” @connersherline #DTCPOD“I like thinking about my influencer strategy with the micro-influencers mostly, and then plugging in a few strategic macros that we create a longer-term relationship with.” @AmandaMGoetz #DTCPOD“As it becomes easier and easier to create products or offer classes or sell content, the relationship that you build with your customer is going to be the biggest key.” @LukasThoms #DTCPOD“The main thing is just listening to our customers, who already love your products and asking them what they want to see next.” @jazyfent #DTCPOD“If you have good people and the position is not working, recognize if they bring value to the company, then figure out how to make it work in another position.” @irleslie #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:57] Advice on brand partnerships[02:21] Influencer marketing and strategies [03:56] The importance of building customer relationships[05:41] The benefits of customer feedback [07:14] Paying attention to the inner workings of a business We’re recapping some of the best tips from DTC and eCommerce leadersThere are many strategies the businesses take on when building a successful brand.These strategies can range anywhere from product promotion to customer retention, all sharing a common goal of building a successful business.  Many companies take different approaches to gaining brand awareness, and learning tips and tricks from numerous companies is a beneficial component to building your own brand.Stay tuned as we discuss important tips from previous episodes, and what key strategies led these companies to the success they have today. From leaders of 8-figure brands to eCommerce influencers and more.If you missed part 2, you can access it here! If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Podcast with Conner Sherline on brand collaborations: https://trend.io/blog/brand-partnerships-collaborationPodcast with Amanda Goetz on using influencers for SMBs: https://trend.io/blog/early-stage-smb-influencer-marketingPodcast with Lukas Thoms on brand storytelling: https://trend.io/blog/design-brand-storytellingPodcast with Jaz Fenton on hero products: https://trend.io/blog/hero-products-rebranding-yellow-beautyPodcast with Ian Leslie on lessons from a CMO at a 10-figure brand: https://trend.io/blog/industry-west-b2b-dtc-sales

“Our hypothesis was if we can really give content a shot and really invest in content marketing for a couple of months, maybe that can be our competitive moat.” @JVMeredith  #DTCPOD“The way I look at retail is ‘if we're not on the aisle in the broth and stock section, then we're going to lose market share’.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“I think the key thing is to remember, is our marketing plan is just a plan and plans change constantly. It's important for us to be flexible to where, as we see opportunity, we're able to jump on it.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“We try to leverage our experience on the performance marketing side to get what we need from the retail side.” @JVMeredith #DTCPOD“Our core channels from the early stages were influencer and affiliate marketing and they are still core channels for us today.” @JVMeredith #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:15] Backstory on Trend’s personal connection to Kettle & Fire  [02:30] About Jack and Kettle & Fire[05:00] Kettle & Fire’s unique content marketing approach[06:00] Why Jack and his team invested heavily in content and the results that followed[10:15] Kettle & Fire’s Facebook ads approach with a consumable good[12:50] How retail plays into Kettle & Fire’s marketing strategy [15:25] Jack’s approach to setting KPIs for Kettle & Fire[17:20] Trying to attribute and get data on retail sales[19:50] Key metrics for retail sales[22:55] How Kettle & Fire nailed their first retail experience[25:40] The channel Kettle & Fire used while warming up SEO[28:05] How Jack does influencer and affiliate marketing[33:20] What’s next for Kettle & Fire?The scrappy marketing that grew Kettle & Fire into an 8-figure brandJack Meredith, VP of Marketing at Kettle & Fire joins the POD to talk about their unique approach to marketing and growth that’s turned the brand into a retail and DTC star.Kettle & Fire is a brand that has created the first 100% grass-fed, shelf-stable beef bone broth.When Kettle & Fire started, they didn’t have a ton of money resources to grow the brand. So instead, they turned to content and influencer marketing.Content has been a huge growth lever for Kettle & Fire. Today, the brand ranks at the top for hundreds of keywords that creates a great funnel for customers.Jack and his team have taken an almost B2B-like approach for content marketing and it’s paid off big time.Tracking performance is key to growing a brand, even when data is hard to come byContent and influencer marketing aren’t the only growth levers for Kettle & Fire though.As the brand has grown, paid ads and retail have become a large source of growth for the business.Opening up the retail channel specifically has yielded huge returns for the business. Jack sees it as a way to complement the online strategy.Even though retail data is hard to come by, the brand is constantly trying to use their learnings in performance marketing to track performance in retail better.Stay tuned as Jack breaks down all of the channels Kettle & Fire uses for marketing, how they’ve mastered retail, and the exact KPIs the brand uses to grow.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Kettle and Fire’s website: https://www.kettleandfire.com/Jack’s Twitter account: https://twitter.com/JVMeredithJack’s DTC playbooks: https://www.dtcplaybooks.com/

“Pinterest is a great opportunity to be able to direct traffic to where you want it to go.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“About 97% of the top pinterest searches are unbranded, this gives brands a huge opportunity to engage with customers who are planning future buying decisions” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Pinterest is a great way to build a community and educate customers.” @jadesai94 #DTCPODPinterest isn't just a great place for static image content, videos can also highlight your brand and the product functionality ” @jadesai94 #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:53] Pinterest as a user-generated platform[01:21] How to promote products through the shopping experience [02:11] Utilizing pinterest to direct traffic[03:37] Pinterest marketing tools and techniques [05:10] Well-established brands on pinterest[05:46] The analytic benefitsOften forgotten, Pinterest can be a great place to grow your brandProduct promotion is the first step to building a successful brand, and this element can be accomplished in various unique ways.Many brands take to Facebook and Instagram to engage with potential consumers, but there’s an underlooked platform with a high rate of users - Pinterest.Pintrerst is a popular social media outlet known for its creative user-generated content, and its development as a purchase point to connect users with brands.Not only can this platform be utilized to inform users of your product, it's also a beneficial resource that provides feedback on competitors. Stay tuned as we discuss key strategies for marketing on Pinterest and additional components to increase brand value through this platform. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Key Pinterest stats: https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/31147/the-ultimate-guide-to-mastering-pinterest-for-marketing.aspxBrands with great Pinterest strategy: https://later.com/blog/brands-on-pinterest/How to build your own Pinterest strategy: https://www.oberlo.com/blog/nail-pinterest-marketing-pinterest-ads

“We had another launch within the first hour. We did one hundred and fifty thousand dollars of sales and then we sold out.” @jordan-west-marketer  #DTCPOD“You're either going to pay with your time or you're going to pay with your money to the big platforms.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“People that like the same product love to be validated in their choices, and when you gather everybody together in a VIP group, they're validating each other.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“A great way to get feedback is by running post purchase surveys.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPOD“Build that gathered community where people can talk back and forth among themselves and create something bigger than you could create by just advertising to them.” @jordan-west-marketer #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:09] Jordan introduces himself and Mindful Marketing  [05:42] How minimal advertising became profitable [07:07] How having a VIP Facebook group led to higher sales[12:46] The strategy for obtaining initial users [14:18] Sustainable group growth[15:53] How to run a successful product launch while building an audience  [17:06] How gathering consumers together generates brand buzz[18:44] Utilizing post-purchase surveys [21:00] Mixing up the product launch strategy[22:22] Strategies for increasing customer lifetime value[24:32] The benefits of utilizing consumer generated content [26:46] Tips on how to grow and scale your business [28:08] Where to find Mindful Marketing, and Jordan West onlineHow one brand supercharges growth with a Facebook GroupJordan West, agency owner of Mindful Marketing and co-owner of Little and Lively clothing, joins the POD to give some insight on the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, marketing strategy, and customer retention. Mindful Marketing is a digital marketing service aimed to help businesses find customers. This company derived out of the strategies that were used to market his own clothing company, Little and Lively.Jordan recognizes that when it comes to brand promotion, product launches are a valuable way to generate business and increase profit. To initiate this marketing strategy, Jordan produces gated and ungated launches to keep customers excited and ready.  A beneficial approach was taken by utilizing a VIP Facebook group to centralize customers, which has created a platform for customer feedback and consumer generated content. This entail has led to higher profits. Jordan values the feedback from his consumers, and knows that building a loyal following is a key strategy for building a brand.Sometimes in DTC, let the people do the talkingMindful Marketing stands out as an online service agency that was created to help others grow a business, by using marketing experience from their own clothing company.   Jordan takes a unique approach to achieving successful growth by limiting costly advertising and benefiting from consumer generated content.The brand favors a VIP Facebook group, which has given customers a platform to promote and provide feedback on products as well as get premium access to gated product launches and limited offers.Jordan recommends continually developing new products and to establish a goal with your advertising besides driving straight purchases. Stay tuned as Jordan discusses how building a gathered community creates profit and additional techniques to promote products . If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Mindful Marekting’s website: https://mindfulmarketing.co/sales/-launch-checklistJordan West’s Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jordan-west-marketer

 “Native deodorant went from zero to selling for $100M in 2.5 years.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“It's important to have sustainable growth. Sometimes businesses die from not having enough customers and sometimes businesses die from having way too many customers at once.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Nail down that product and provide a really good experience and a really good product that people are going to repurchase from, before you think about expanding your line.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“You have to focus on where you are getting the most money from time spent, per dollar spent and how you can double down and grow and scale that channel. ” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The big points from this growth story are standing out from the crowd with a bold message, really understanding your customers and building your business in a way that builds repeatable business.” @jadesai #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:56] How focusing in on profitable purchases led to high customer retention [01:48] Curating meaningful hero products[02:51] The benefits of modifying a product through customer feedback[04:26] The importance of sustainable growth[05:27] Marketing strategies that led to strong brand retention [07:00] How deep customer understanding can drive more product usage [07:59] Key points in Native’s growth story In DTC, brand growth starts with listening to the people  Customer retention is a key strategy that leads to brand growth, but this element is not as simple as it soundsSo how do you create a meaningful product that will build the brand and accumulate repeat purchases?  Native Deodorant mastered just this by reaching an exponential brand growth in only two-and-a-half years with a 50% retention rate. The strategy for building such a successful business in a small period of time includes valuing every customer feedback and using this info to make their product better. Stay tuned as we discuss when to expand your brand and when to not, and additional key points for promoting repeat purchases.  If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.

“We focused on making a skin care brand that would make the process of buying and using skin care itself simple, fun and engaging for men” @SLewkowict  #DTCPOD“We didn't hire a design firm. We didn't hire a marketing firm. We didn't hire content firms. We did everything ourselves.” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“We did a better job ourselves in the end, just by learning the ins and outs and no one cares as much as you do.” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“If we're trying something we've never done before our risk tolerance is high because it's worth it to find out if that works.” @SLewkowict #DTCPOD“Through iterating and talking to our customers and learning, we've been able to figure out exactly what they want and we've been able to continue that.” @SLewkowict #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:01] Sam introduces himself and Black Wolf[02:41] How Black Wolf became a business opportunity[03:59] The independent and affordable strategy that caused exponential brand growth[06:16] Elements of sophistication that added value to the brand[09:11] An unanticipated additional business opportunity that derived from Black Wolf[11:35] Prioritizing customer experience and marketing for sustained growth[13:46] The importance of doing it yourself[16:43] When to take risks with the marketing strategy[19:09] The company’s successful approach for achieving customer retention[23:03] Building a brand through customer feedback[25:17] Advice to direct-to-consumer brands[28:16] What’s next for Black Wolf and where to find the brand, and Sam LewkowictHow Black Wolf targeted an underserved audience and gained exponential growth Sam Lewkowict, Co-founder and CEO of Black Wolf, joins the POD to give some insight on the direct-to-consumer business’s growth, marketing strategy, and how the brand got started. Black Wolf is a cosmetic brand targeted towards men, focused on being simple and effective.Sam recognized that when it comes to skincare, men are often uninformed and left with limited options and ineffective products. To fill this gap, Sam and his brother developed a skincare brand for men and focused intently on customer feedback for further development.A unique approach was taken by handling finances and operations independently, without hiring an outside firm to help in design and marketing. All investments went into ads, and this strategy led to higher profits. Sam recognizes that no one cares about your brand as much as you do and that doing the hard work yourself is an opportunity to better yourself and your company. Sometimes in DTC, it pays to not payBlack Wolf stands out as an eCommerce skincare company that caters to men with simple, effective, and reliable products. The brand has experienced continuous sustained growth by prioritizing customer feedback to improve their products and marketing the brand themselves. Sam takes a unique approach to achieve successful growth by limiting costly outside parties and handling product, production, and promotion independently.  The brand has fostered further entrepreneurship opportunities through the founder's policy of doing it yourself.Sam recommends seeking advice from honest investors and pushing through adverse feedback if you truly believe in your brand. Stay tuned as Sam discusses how Black Wolf fostered customer retention and why doing it yourself may lead to higher profits. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Black Wolf website: https://blackwolfnation.com/Sam Lewkowict’s twitter: https://twitter.com/SLewkowict

“A marketing calendar can help drive revenue and create the structure for how you want to grow.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Product releases are a great way to drive an extra event and you can manufacture this moment.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“Having more moments is a good way to help grow revenue during those off months or areas where you might be running standard ads throughout the year.” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“If you're working with creators or influencers, those are moments where you can double down and really put together more creative pieces of content at once. ” @jadesai94 #DTCPOD“The more kind of moments you can create, the more personalized it feels towards your audience, towards your brand story, the more effective those events are going to be.” @jadesai #DTCPODWe Speak About:[00:52] How to manufacture moments to drive revenue growth[02:30] Differentiating the marketing calendar through product releases [03:29] Utilizing cultural moments to promote brand growth[04:05] How personalizing moments increase brand value[05:11] Integrating PR hits and influencers  [06:10] The benefits of adding additional moments for peaks in revenue [07:02] Tools and techniques for creating content  Marketing calendars are an essential strategy for sustainable revenue growth  Hosting events is a marketing strategy most companies conduct to promote brand awareness and revenue growth, and these promotional efforts typically occur twice a year.So how do you manufacture moments to create the most growth?  Additional ways to further this promotional effort are through product releases and utilizing cultural moments.Personalizing these events to your brand story creates additional value that may lead to peaks in revenue.Stay tuned as we discuss how to add value to an eCommerce Calendar, integrating influencers and PR hits into creating content, and the tools and techniques to help event promotion. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Build a marketing calendar with more revenue peaks: https://commonthreadco.com/blogs/coachs-corner/ecommerce-marketing-calendarDemonstration of how to think of your eCommerce marketing calendar: https://youtu.be/zBW9NCJ9ttM