DTC Dispatch #002

LATEST NEWS

BLACK FRIDAY: Efficiency over experiential journeys

Heading into Black Friday, box-store retailers are prioritizing clear communication and efficient experiences over comprehensive experiential journeys.

Our take: Given the macroeconomic conditions, this makes sense. As consumers hold out for the best deals this week, online and box-store retailers aim to simplify the customer experience as much as possible. Focusing on one clear offer and reducing the number of steps to checkout.

Stanley continues to dominate with viral tumblers

Many know and love Stanley for their limited-edition tumblers. However, Stanley has recently gained brand traction after a storied 110-year history with this unique product line. This article was published just days before a video of a Stanley tumbler surviving a car fire went viral.

Our take: Think sturdy tumblers are a low-repurchase product? Think again. This just proves that, not only can an old dog learn new tricks, sometimes they can teach the rest of us a trick or two.

Taking a product that would traditionally be bought infrequently and incorporating limited-edition drops gives consumers a motive to create a “complete set” where most brands would simply focus on cross-selling and up-selling different products. We look forward to studying Stanley more.

Brands plunge ad dollars into TikTok, but is it really worth it?

While some brands, such as BK Beauty, are experiencing explosive growth on TikTok, others are finding it to be a black-hole for advertising dollars. As the platform grows and improves, the real question is whether the brands that invest early are more likely to see outsized results.

From an expert: "While TikTok is still lacking in some critical areas to measure results and optimize spend, many brands are investing heavily as it shows promise to become one of the top 3 advertising platforms." —Hal Smith, Founder, H Street Digital

‘Brand Safety’ advertising standards crush pop-culture site Jezebel

404 Media reports that the primary cause in the death of Jezebel was advertiser concerns about “brand safety” and “suitability.” Advertisers pulled away from the site over concerns that Jezebel’s controversial content on social issues — causing readers to be sad or upset — negatively impacted their brands.

Our take: Securing funding for journalism is one of the hardest business problems to solve. There are 3 primary ways news sites support their business:

• With deep-pocketed donors

• With reader subscribership

• With advertising

Nonprofit news organizations often operate at the behest of a small handful of influential donors. News sites propped up by adverting are ultimately beholden to the wishes of their largest buyers (just like Jezebel).

Arguably, reader-supported news sites are in the best position to report in an unbiased way, but are also the hardest to sustain profitably.

It’s difficult to imagine we’ll ever find a perfect model to support “real” journalism.

FEATURED CONTENT

One small change causing a 22% increase in conversion rate.

Our take: Nate Lagos found a fascinating, and counter-intuitive, optimization for Original Grain. While many CRO pros swear by putting descriptions at the bottom of collection pages, this is a great example of powerful copywriting moving the needle in the right direction.

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