How to increase your LTV by 306% and How to make the most out of Gifting Seasons 🎁

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* View this email in your browser (*|ARCHIVE|*) Logo ** The Growth Newsletter for UK DTC Brands ------------------------------------------------------------ Hello everyone, Rebecca here, Hope you all had a great bank holiday weekend. I spent the weekend with my family and enjoying the last bits of summer outside! When DTC Live first started, it was meant to be an intimate event with 12 brands in the room - this quickly cascaded into 120 brands joining us, with industry leaders from Absolute Collagen, ThisWorks, Adam from True Classic, Bird & Blend, SpaceGoods, Paul Valentine, Revive Collagen and Wild Deodorant to name a few all having graced our stage. For anyone new here, DTC Live started from a mission of connecting brands together as we found that so many brand leaders didn’t know each other and there wasn’t particularly a DTC ‘scene’ in the UK. Since then all of our Gamechangers workshops and DTC Live conferences have been SOLD-OUT events and we have been awarded Best E-Commerce Event at the 2023 FlameNCo Ecom Awards. This September, if you haven’t already heard... We are taking this conference overseas! and it’s shaping up to be one of NYC’s most exciting eCommerce events this year! 🖥 sign up here 💻 (https://www.dtclive.com/dtc-live-new-york) We have secured some of the best and brightest minds in DTC providing us with valuable insights… You may already know them! Lenny Chase (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennychase/) CEO of Rasa He grew Halo Top to become the #1 selling ice cream pint in the US, reaching $350M in sales in just 2 years! 🍦 He also doubled revenue at Firstleaf, taking it from $25M to $50M while growing their subscriber base to 50K+. 🍷 What else do you need to know? At Plenty, Lenny led a brand refresh recognised by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas awards, working alongside industry giants like Apple’s former Creative Director and the designer of Tesla’s Model S. 🚀 Now at Rasa, Lenny is rethinking how we can energise without relying on caffeine. How? With alternatives powered by adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms. Next up we have, Raymond Croft (https://www.linkedin.com/in/croftraymond/) Senior Art Director at Tommy Hilfiger He’s known for transforming art, culture, and fashion into compelling brand storytelling Raymond has worked with incredible brands including Banana Republic and Polo Ralph Lauren PLUS his designs have been featured in Vogue, WWD,Refinery29 and Nobu Hotels. So miss the chance to hear from one of the best in the industry! 🙌✨ Finally we have, Andy Coxon (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andycoxon/) Co-Founder & Director at AKT (The natural deodorant brand everyone has been talking about!) Born out of the challenges of performing eight shows a week in London’s West End, Andy and Ed Currie decided enough was enough. Despite trying everything on the market, nothing could keep up with the demands of their rigorous performance schedules. That’s where AKT was born – a natural deodorant balm designed to meet the needs of performers but quickly recognised for its effectiveness by a much broader audience. 💥 From hitting their Kickstarter goal in just one hour to being named the best deodorant by Vogue within five months of launching, AKT is growing! 🎟 Grab you tickets here 👉 dtclive.com/dtc-live-new-york Now onto today’s topics 📣ChaChing The New Tool DTC Brands Can’t Afford to Ignore 📣 Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy: How To Win and Keep High-Value Customers 📣How to increase your LTV by 306% 📣How leading UK prebiotic brand increased add-to-cart actions by 67% 📣How to make the most out of Gifting Seasons ChaChing The New Tool DTC Brands Can’t Afford to Ignore As advertising costs skyrocket on platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands are feeling the squeeze. Today, it’s not unusual for brands to see 30% to 50% of their revenue vanish into big tech’s coffers just to secure online orders. This leaves many businesses with razor-thin margins, forcing them to hike prices or cut costs elsewhere. If you have been a DTC Live Newsletter for a while, you may have already heard about ChaChing. (http://chaching.me) However, if you are new here, 👋hi, or you simply haven't had the time to check it out, now is our chance to tell you why you should. What Makes ChaChing Different? …it’s a disruptive model that puts power back in the hands of both brands and consumers. Unlike big tech giants that pocket the cost-per-order (CPO) fees, ChaChing flips the script by returning the majority of this fee to the shopper as cashback, making online shopping more rewarding and accessible. It’s a win-win: consumers get real financial incentives, while brands get a model that’s entirely performance-based—only paying for actual sales, not clicks or impressions. ChaChing allows brands to set their own CPO rate, meaning you have the flexibility to determine how much you want to reward customers. The higher the CPO, the more cashback shoppers receive, driving sales. If margins are a priority, you can lower the CPO and keep more of your revenue while still benefiting from ChaChing’s broad customer base. This flexibility gives brands a level of control they’ve never had on platforms like Facebook or Google. So, why as a DTC Brand Should you Take Notice??? First things first, you can grow your audience - Risk-Free. Through partnerships and a vast network of engaged users, ChaChing connects you with new customers who are eager to shop smarter. Best of all, you don’t pay for clicks or views—only for actual conversions. 👋goodbye to Ad Waste🗑 ChaChing eliminates the pain of wasted ad spend by refunding the CPO for returned items. Unlike traditional advertising platforms that charge upfront with no guarantee of results, ChaChing only charges you when a purchase sticks. The future of marketing lies in first-party data🔮 With ChaChing, transactions occur on your website, letting you capture valuable customer information for personalised follow-up and remarketing efforts. 💰The promise of real cashback—not points, not complicated rewards motivates shoppers to choose your products over competitors. By offering up to 50% cashback on purchases, you’re creating loyal customers who appreciate the added value. How to ChaChing on ChaChing? Optimise Your Listings for Discovery: With ChaChing acting as a product discovery tool, make sure your listings are top-notch. High-quality images, persuasive descriptions, and competitive pricing will make your products stand out. Adjust CPOs Based on Performance: Use ChaChing’s reporting tools to monitor your campaigns. If you want to drive higher sales volume, increase the CPO to offer more cashback and attract more shoppers. If margin preservation is the goal, lower it strategically while maintaining visibility. Integrate ChaChing Promotions into Your Marketing: Boost your exposure by promoting your ChaChing offers across your other marketing channels. Let your email subscribers, social media followers, and website visitors know they can get cashback by shopping through ChaChing. Capitalise on First-Party Data: Use the data you collect through ChaChing to refine your customer segmentation and targeting. Personalised campaigns based on purchase behaviour can drive repeat business and long-term customer loyalty. Explore Incremental Sales Opportunities: Think of ChaChing as more than just a sales channel—use it to test new products, target different demographics, or experiment with pricing strategies without the high upfront costs traditional advertising requires. Ready to take control of your advertising budget? Learn more @ chaching.me Creativity Meets eCommerce Strategy: How To Win and Keep High-Value Customers We have FREE Webinar series for you! Industry leaders Finch (https://finch.com/) and Flocksy (https://flocksy.com/) have teamed up for a can't-miss webinar series for eCommerce pros. Each session will highlight a panel of experts to reveal how successful brands use customer-centric marketing to achieve growth goals. There are 4 sessions remaining. Register for your spot here (https://flocksy.com/webinar/?source=Finch+DTCLive-Email) . Join us for these great panels (all sessions start at 10am CST): 🎉8/29 - Creating Lasting Impressions: What Matters Most in Every Customer Interaction 🥇9/5 - Foundations of Success: Core Elements of a Winning Buying Experience 💵9/12 - Growth Strategies: Blending Paid, Organic, and Loyalty for a Winning Formula 📈9/19 - Data-Driven Success: Using Insights to Monitor, Measure, and Grow How to increase your LTV by 306% It's no secret that today’s consumers crave connections with brands that share their values, especially when it comes to the environment. Did you know that customers who feel a strong emotional bond with a brand are likely to have a 306% higher lifetime value than those who don’t? Post-pandemic, 78% of consumers have expressed that sustainability is important to them. Moreover, sustainable products are seeing growth rates 2.7 times faster than non-sustainable ones. This shift is a clear signal that integrating sustainable practices isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business. Building trust with your consumers means being transparent about your sustainability efforts. Brands that do this well, like Patagonia with its candid communications, not only build credibility but also deepen customer loyalty. Here are a few more examples that you may have heard of… H&M: Points for recycling old clothes or purchasing from their eco-conscious collections. Coffee Shops like Costa and Starbucks: Incentives for customers using reusable cups. Etihad Airways: Rewards for eco-friendly travel choices. Sustainability can create meaningful experiences that resonate emotionally with consumers. Whether it’s through engaging stories, community initiatives, or leading in environmental activism, showing real commitment can strengthen consumer bonds with your brand. So let’s get into how you as a brand can implement such practices? Regularly update your customers about your sustainability efforts and real results. >>> Check out Suri here (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/70H3bymBHJM) >>> where they spoke at DTC Live about how revolutised the toothbrush market! Millennials and Gen Z are leading the charge towards eco-conscious spending. Tap into this by educating through engaging content that highlights the benefits and necessity of sustainable choices. What makes your product stand out? What part of it has benefited the environment? Reward Green Choices Follow the footsteps of Starbucks and Costa—reward customers for bringing their own cups or participating in recycling programs. Small incentives can lead to big changes. Or if you are a beauty brand, why not offer refillable, to ensure the waste of less plastic? Partner Up Collaborate with other green brands to expand your reach and enhance your sustainability initiatives. This could be through co-branded products or shared marketing campaigns. Measure Your Impact Like Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, define clear metrics to track your progress and share these wins (and areas for improvement) openly. How leading UK prebiotic brand increased add-to-cart actions by 67% Let’s face it: with so many brands competing for consumers’ attention, simply having a good product isn’t enough anymore. To really stand out, you’ve got to get personal and build trust with your customers. Personalisation isn’t just about sticking someone’s name in an email header. It’s about making every interaction feel like it’s been crafted just for them. Start by really getting to know your audience. Segment them based on factors like skin concerns or experience levels. For example, a skincare brand might have customers focused on anti-ageing, those new to skincare routines, and casual browsers—all needing different messages to keep them engaged. Next up: product recommendations plus social proof (more on this later). Tools like Cooee (https://www.letscooee.com/) can help you suggest products based on what customers have browsed or bought before. If someone’s into hydrating serums, why not show them moisturisers or face masks that complement their routine? Finally, everyone loves a good deal (myself included, anyone else?). Make offers feel personal with time-sensitive discounts for first-time buyers or special deals to win back lapsed customers. A UK skincare brand recently nailed this strategy (with a little help from Cooee) by blending personalisation with clever social proof tactics, leading to impressive growth. At first, the brand struggled with traffic—plenty of visitors, but most weren’t converting. Here’s how they turned it around using social proof: First, they spotted low-intent visitors. Using Cooee’s analytics, they identified visitors who were just browsing without clear buying intent and focused on targeting messages and social proof specifically for them. They used social proof to build trust, meaning they 🟣Displayed customer testimonials and reviews front and centre. 🟣Added real-time purchase notifications to show that others were buying right now. 🟣Showcased user-generated content (UGC) with real customers sharing their experiences and results. They didn’t stop there. Personalised pop-ups offered discounts based on what people were browsing, and retargeting ads followed up with visitors who left without buying. The results? In just three months: 🟣An extra £4,000 in revenue. 🟣A 67% increase in add-to-cart actions, with engagement soaring among previously hesitant visitors. 🟣Increased trust and engagement, leading to longer site visits and more pages viewed. Want to find out more? Check out letscooee.com (https://www.letscooee.com/) How to make the most out of Gifting Seasons Most brands will prep heavily for this time, however they do not take advantage of all the holidays / gifting seasons throughout the full year. Conversion rates spike in key gift giving periods so here are some your brand can utilise all year: Q1: 🎇New Year’s Day: Focus on new beginnings and resolutions. This is an excellent time for health, wellness, and sports brands to launch new products and attract customers. ❤️Valentine’s Day: Capitalise on the shopping frenzy for loved ones. Run promotions early, as most purchases occur between February 8-11. Q2: %Memorial Day: Boost peaks with patriotic themes. While gifting isn’t typical, discounting dominates this holiday. 🤍Mother’s Day: Drive significant traffic with campaigns that celebrate all forms of motherhood. Use content marketing to share heartfelt stories. Q3: ☀️Summer Season: Push summer-related products leading up to Independence Day. Plan heavy marketing efforts early in the season. ✏️Back to School: Take advantage of the back-to-school shopping rush. Create engaging campaigns that resonate with parents and students alike. Q4: 🎉Holiday Season: Q4 is the big show with Halloween, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas. Use a variety of deal structures to maximize sales. Utilise as many as you can above to keep the peaks peaking. 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|*)