Grab One of the 2 Final Spots for the DTC Live Gran Canaria Brand Retreat 🌴 & Why Meta Won’t Scale Your “New” Ads & What to Do Instead

View this email in your browse (*|ARCHIVE|*) :loudspeaker: r (*|ARCHIVE|*) Logo ** The Growth Newsletter for UK DTC Brands ------------------------------------------------------------ Hey there, We’ve got big updates you won’t want to miss, a final call for our island retreat, a sneak peek at the brands joining us in London, and a live podcast you can tune into this month. ** 🌴Last 2 Spaces Remaining | DTC Live Brand Retreat | Gran Canaria, 24–27 Sept ------------------------------------------------------------ Three days. Twenty founders and decision makers.Lasting connections. Facing real eCom problems together. We’re heading back to Gran Canaria for our bi-annual retreat, and this is your chance to be part of it. Firstly, this isn’t your typical networking retreat. It’s a space for real conversations between founders, solving challenges side by side, trading unfiltered learnings, and making connections that last beyond the plane ride home. This year’s theme, Trends, Tactics and Transformations, is all about stepping away from the day‑to‑day so you can focus on what’s next for your brand. Expect… ✨ Workshops and honest brand chats you can actually learn from 🌅 Morning yoga, scenic hikes, and proper downtime 🥂 Unhurried networking over dinner and drinks 🌴 A stunning backdrop to spark fresh ideas Who’s it for? Founders and senior leaders shaping a DTC brand. Past guests include names from Saatva Mattress, Loop Earplugs, Built for Athletes, Rippl Impact Gear, and more. If you’re interested, simply fill out this quick application and we’ll be in touch: 📋 Exclusive Brand Retreat Application (https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/brandretreat) Curious to see what it’s like? 📹 Check out our highlights video from our last retreat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0YscPaf6w) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0YscPaf6wCheck out some pics from last time (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fzDcP7h0T4rr7prfb-m6ZULur-vS5STN?usp=sharing) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fzDcP7h0T4rr7prfb-m6ZULur-vS5STN?usp=sharingTake a look at last year’s agend (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VOaL_O_goqUdp2ZmK9ikxcPcs4T-dS65/view?usp=sharing) a Email amelia@dtclive.com, if you've got any questions, we would love to see you there. DTC Live London is back, and you’re invited 🎉 London, we’re back. One day. One room. A lot of brand power. And once again you’ll be in great company, here’s just some of the brands joining us: TALA • RegalRose • Mallet • Smoothie London • Myprotein (THG) • YETI • PACK’D • The Steam Bar • Indu • Sealskinz • Hair Loving • Hollywood Browzer Beauty • One Good Thing • Eleven as One • Selkie Hair It’s a full day of keynotes, panels, and real conversations designed to give you ideas you can use the very next day, plus networking drinks to wrap things up. 📍 The Fable, Holborn Viaduct, London 🕘 09:00–17:00 https://www.dtclive.com/dtc-live-london Why not sign up and come join us? use code JAQRGFUAX for a free ticket Sign Up Here ✏️ (https://www.dtclive.com/dtc-live-london) ** BFCM Might Feel Far Away… But It’s Closer Than You Think ------------------------------------------------------------ Talking about Black Friday and Cyber Monday in August might feel early. But with the biggest shopping weekend of the year creeping up fast, now is the time to make sure your operations are ready for the rush. BFCM can bring huge spikes in traffic but also exposes cracks in the customer experience if fulfilment is not seamless. Nearly 70% of online shoppers abandon their carts and this can be even higher during peak trading. We spoke to our fulfilment friends at Sprint Logistics for their top tips on keeping customers converting. ** 5 Fulfilment Fixes to Keep BFCM Customers Converting ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Give Real-Time Delivery Estimates Shoppers want clarity. Sprint Logistics integrates Warehouse Management Systems and carrier networks to provide live tracking and accurate delivery times. Pro tip: put BFCM cut-off dates front and centre on product pages and at checkout. 2. Be Upfront About Shipping Costs Nothing kills a checkout faster than surprise fees. Offering free shipping thresholds or showing costs early in the journey can make a big difference. Sprint’s flexible carrier network helps keep options competitive without eating into margins. 3. Keep Inventory Data Accurate Selling something that’s actually out of stock? That’s a guaranteed trust-buster. Sync your sales channels, update stock in real time, and let customers know exactly what’s available, Sprint’s eCommerce fulfilment service is built for this. 4. Promise (and Deliver) Speed Same-day dispatch, next-day options, and localised fulfilment can be the edge you need. With multiple fulfilment centres across the UK and Europe, Sprint helps brands offer faster shipping without the stress. 5. Make Returns Hassle-Free BFCM shoppers want reassurance. A simple returns process and clear policies can build trust and increase conversions. Sprint’s reverse logistics service keeps it smooth from start to finish. Post-BFCM? Don’t Just Move On Sprint suggests digging into your fulfilment data after the rush, what products caused the most cart drops? Where did delays happen? This insight is essential when planning for the next peak. Usually people associate reducing cart abandonment just with better marketing but it’s about better logistics. Get your fulfilment right, and you can turn more clicks into completed checkouts this BFCM. Check out Sprint Logistics (https://sprintlogistics.com/) ** Why Meta Won’t Scale Your “New” Ads (And What to Do Instead) ------------------------------------------------------------ Meta’s Andromeda update may be killing your ad performance, and if your “new” ad looks anything like the old one, Meta won’t scale it. Here’s why that happens, and how to fix it: Same vibe = same signal Meta doesn’t look at fonts or colours, it looks at scroll patterns, hook structures, and engagement loops. If your new ad feels like the old one, Meta routes budget back to your original winner. Small tweaks won’t cut it, you’re not testing new creative, you’re echoing the old signal. Micro-iterations are getting punished This is the mistake: new headline, new cut, same concept. To Meta, that’s not a new idea, it’s noise. It’s not glitching, it’s just smarter now. Andromeda prioritises content variation that breaks prediction models, not surface-level edits. Scale comes from message variation, not versioning You only need one message to win, but you need to package that message in radically different formats. What works right now: Raw UGC with human urgency Skits or rants to reset scroll inertia Testimonial mashups that stack proof Us vs Them comparisons to provoke emotion Bold stat carousels that create logic-based desire Founders explaining value directly to camera Educational explainers that unlock curiosity Each one gives Meta a different behavioural pattern to optimise around. If you’re still tweaking winners, you’re falling behind Surface edits aren’t strategy. Brands relying on old systems are getting capped. Meta is rewarding signal variance, your creative process has to evolve. Strategic implementation plan Identify your top-performing message Scrap the micro-edits Rebuild 6–8 distinct formats around the same message Track which unlocks spend Kill anything that stalls early New results need new signals. Same concept, same outcome. Not sure where you stand heading into peak season? Take 10 seconds to vote below, we’re using your answers to shape upcoming content, tools and invites. Answer the poll 📊 (https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/to/YExZSzVd) Book your free call with our META expert (https://calendly.com/james-jago-rainycityagency/rainy-city-meta-ads-7-day-trial-setup-clone) 🎙️ DTC Live on Air Podcast | How SURI Shook Up Oral Care Join us 21 Aug, 3–4pm for DTC Live On Air with Mark Rushmore, co‑founder of SURI, and Rebecca Worsley. We’re talking: 💡 How Mark’s P&G background helped him reinvent the electric toothbrush 🛍 From launch to landing in Selfridges & John Lewis ♻ Why repairability and recyclability matter more than ever 📈 Lessons from going DTC‑first (and how retail fits in) 🔥 Tips for disrupting a sleepy category If you’ve ever wondered how to turn an everyday product into something people love, you’ll want to tune in. Sign up here ✏️ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/dtclive/?originalSubdomain=uk) An Overview on Our Upcoming Events DTC Live London 16th October | Fable, Holborn Viaduct, London Talks, panels, drinks, and deep dives with teams from leading brands. More details to follow. 🎟️ Free brand tickets (https://www.dtclive.com/dtc-live-london) , use code JAQRGFUAX Learning Labs Manchester: Annual Planning October (date TBC) | Huckletree, Ancoats Everything you need to get your annual plans sorted, actionable workshops, templates, and honest discussion with other brands. 🤝 Book your spot (https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/to/nkYaO9XM) Gran Canaria Brand Retreat 24th–27th September | 5-star wellness resort An all-expenses-covered* escape for founders, leaders and decision makers, focused on trends, tactics & transformation (*except flights). 🌴 If you’re interested, fill out this quick application: 📋 Exclusive Brand Retreat Application (https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/brandretreat) Want a look at last time? Take a look at our highlights video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0YscPaf6w) , photos (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fzDcP7h0T4rr7prfb-m6ZULur-vS5STN?usp=sharing) , and last year’s agenda (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VOaL_O_goqUdp2ZmK9ikxcPcs4T-dS65/view?usp=sharing) ! Sculpt & Scale, An event of beauty and wellness brands 5th November | Reformer Pilates Studio, London A private reformer pilates session, juices and breakfast, plus a chance to connect with other brands in health and wellness. 💪🥤Register your interest (https://2aahovc9gzu.typeform.com/to/YE93NOiQ) Hope to see you soon! Check out our FULL events calendar here 📅 (https://www.dtclive.com/events-calendar) That's it for this week! Thank you for reading :) To help continue to build the DTC Live community, please forward this email on to someone you think might like it. Or if easier, share this link (https://www.dtclive.com/newsletter-sign-up) . We'll be back with more growth strategies and insights for eCom and tech brands next week. Logo Copyright (C) *|2024|* *|DTC LIVE|*. All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences (*|UPDATE_PROFILE|*) or unsubscribe (*|UNSUB|*)