DTC Podcast

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Conversion Rate Optimization for Subscription Ecommerce Products...could there be a sexier topic for brand owners? 💃🏼   🤓Nerd out with Eric, the Pilothouse team, along with legends Josh F Elizetxe from Snow At-Home Teeth Whitening and Vinny McCauley from SmoothieBox for a golden nugget filled talk that fills in the details on how each has built, optimized and pivoted their funnels to reach 8 figures in sales.   Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup In this cast we invite longstanding team member Brett to join us. We talk about what's working in lead generation, and the holistic approach to multi-touch marketing you need to make things work in today's environment. We also talk about what Ecommerce entrepreneurs can learn from lead generators and vice versa  What's Working with Lead Gen in 2020   Benefits from Lockdown for Lead Generation   How has Lead Generation Evolved in the last 5 years   Optimium form length (push the info onto the phone)   Multi-touch marketing for lead gen (incorporating SMS + Push)   Lead Generation Ad Content (What Works?)   Which Niches are Popping for Lead Gen?   Automation and aggregation in the Lead Gen space   Telemedicine Client with multiple Touchpoints   Server to Serve Tracking - Benefits, what it enables, how to set it up   Main takeaways: Smarter customers and more automated middlemen Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup The team was a little light this week, but the actionable insights are HEAVY.    🎥 How to make a first person explainer video (these are crushing)   📈Listicles continue to pay dividends in the form of cheap engagement   👨🏻‍⚖️Facebook Ads Rep Reports - Auction Competition is heating back   🛍Shopify vs. Tesla - which valuation is more nutty?   🏘Should you buy an office in this down market or continue to rent?   🩺Keeping a pulse on all accounts and staff as the weeks from home drag on Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup What do you do when the Facebook Ad creatives that brought you to scaletown BURN OUT? That's what this week's AKNF found us asking. We brought in our Senior media buyer, Nate Vankoughnet and Creative Director Cam Wind to join co-founder Kylh Eitchcox and myself for a round table discussion on:  The Facebook Power 5 and why you need to embrace it for longer lasting audience and creative  The Pilothouse Creative process (and the importance of aligned incentives on the creative team  How to create purposeful, angle driven creative  How build creatives and campaigns for launch (and the place for dynamic ads.)  Creative testing at Scale through isolated variables  Restarting a MASSIVE campaign after creative burnout strikes Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup 🚀🔪AKNF #5 is LIVE 🚀🔪   This week we discuss:   🧔🏻 Nick Shackelford's "It's True" ad copy hook and our experiment testing it across most of our clients campaigns   👟We bought Vessi shoes and this happened (experiential marketing)   🛠Anthony Ulwick's concept of Jobs to Be Done and how that should impact how we think of and talk about all our products   🍫Rogers Chocolate, Accountants and the big Covid Pivot Winners Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup 🟢It's GO TIME - This week I surprised the panel with an ambush AKNF session. Good thing our team is always ready to rock 🤘🏼Here we discuss the success we're having across the board, as traffic is on sale, and clients are scaling hard and fast. Watch this quick cast to glean some insight onto how YOU can best ride this wave with your brand! 🌊 0:00 - It's GO TIME across the board (and how best practices allow you to ride the wave)   2:50 - Double, or Triple your Budgets yesterday!   4:00 - Exodus of certain traffic vertical advertisers (travel + + ) means inventory is on sale   4:40 - ROAS vs Volume in these BOOM times (invest now at a discount)   6:00 - Email Story telling and education tactics from Chris Meade and CROSSNET   7:28 - Lifetime Budgets still CRUSHING (are you switched over yet??)   9:00 - Control campaign overlap with FB Experiences, Facebook's native testing platform   11:35 - Pre Sales Magic - Use presales page to align your angles fully (shout out to the master, Mohamed Ali Aguel!)   14:12 - Advertisers and Ideas we LOVE: - Novel ideas - Brands reinventing themselves - Info Product Deluge (The GURUS are coming( - DIY and Hair Dye is the new TP   18:25 - Is this the new normal for Ecommerce? What happens when the economy rebounds?   20:15 - 🍷Are you drinking more or less? Box wine vs Bottle?   21:35 - Shoutout to Moez Ali's new podcast "Exit Strategy"   22:10 - Team member personal growth through #WINNING  23:10 - No such thing as a bad Dragon's Den experience Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup 👀Watch this 20 min vid to learn the tactic (that we learned from Josh F Elizetxe, that's LOWERING our CPAs 20-50% (!!!) for our Agency clients across the board.   Find out how switching campaigns to lifetime budgets could make a big addition to your bottom line.   🚀Welcome to All Killer, No Filler Fridays, the pod where Pilothouse principles get together to discuss what worked this week in our agency with examples and data to back it up.   Skip to -12:00 to hear our Lifetime Budget Scaling hack that's working well right now, or blast the whole "all killer, no filler" cast for other tips on:   1. Crushing with Facebook Poll Ads   2. Quiz funnels for ecom and Lead Gen   3. Ad comment kung fu   4. Lifetime budget hacks that lowered CPA 30%!   5. Testing old tactics, finding new wins   6. New client runways coming out of the crisis   7. Custom calculations in ad reporting Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup 👋🏻Hey everyone! Eric Dyck here with my new WFH studio all built out!  What better time than a global pandemic to get five digital marketing veterans with over 50 years of performance ad buying experience into a #zoom call to discuss high level strategies and in-the-trenches tactics for brands and media buyers to keep their campaigns scaling throughout these uncertain times.  If you're a brand or a media buyer looking for guidance, then check out this value-packed call where we discuss the angles that are working right now, how position your brand during this time of low cost traffic and high anxiety, compressing the customer journey with campaign structure changes and lots more!  Check out the timestamps below to jump to the most relevant sections.  If you dig it, we'll do it again and again. Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupJocelyn from Pilothouse breaks down how their team stays aggressive, adapts fast, and helps clients scale efficiently—even on the actual day of Black Friday.For media buyers and growth teams optimizing in real-time...What to do when your CPMs and CACs spike day-ofWhy legacy evergreen might outperform your BFCM creativeThe one Canva trick Jocelyn uses to refresh high-cost ads fastWhat Rebuy is and how it helped one brand double YoY revenueHow Pilothouse pushes Meta’s algorithm before it catches trend shiftsWho this is for: DTC brands, marketers, and performance teams deep in BFCM trench warfareWhat to steal:Canva border hack to make organic product shots pop for BFCMSimplify site UX: static banners, one clear offer, above-the-fold CTADon’t trust one dashboard—use the data triangle: Shopify, Meta, Triple WhaleTimestamps00:00 Black Friday PPC shifts and customer acquisition02:05 Scrappy creatives that cut CPMs and boost conversions04:20 Top of funnel focus and new customer strategies06:30 Website optimizations to increase conversion rate today08:50 How one brand hit 100 percent year over year growth11:10 Dealing with delayed attribution and platform discrepancies13:15 How Rebuy boosts AOV and top line revenue15:20 Guiding the algorithm and deep audience persona testing17:35 Wellness category trends and emerging demo shifts18:55 Healthier on-platform metrics through segmentationHashtags#dtcpodcast #blackfridaymarketing #ecommercetips #pilothouse #metaads #googleads #paidmedia #shopifybrands #rebuy #conversionrateoptimization #ecomstrategy #digitalmarketingtips Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF563Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupConnor Swegle co-founded Priority Bicycles to build bikes that look good, ride great, and don’t require you to be a mechanic. From a Kickstarter that sold 1,500 bikes to 25,000/year today, he’s grown a DTC brand that rides differently — literally and strategically.For DTC founders scaling from ~$5–50M looking to tighten marketing funnels, reduce wasted spend, and build real community.Launched with a $565K Kickstarter campaign that validated product and storyBuilt a brand around low-maintenance belt drive bikes — a real differentiator in a crowded marketWhy they ignore most attribution data and focus on 3 things: product views → add to cart → purchasesSlimmed down Meta spend and saw ROAS increase by tightening targetingHow community-led R&D helped launch the Bruiser with built-in demandWho this is for: founders and marketers growing DTC product brands with real AOVWhat to steal:Don’t run campaigns unless your audience is already in a buying mindsetMeasure funnel performance with just 3 steps: view → add → buyInvolve customers in product development, but don’t let them pick the color Timestamps00:00 Why Priority Cycles was created03:00 Launching on Kickstarter and early traction06:00 The low-maintenance bike differentiator09:00 Building DTC trust through customer service12:00 Simplifying brand positioning and wayfinding15:00 Crowdsourcing product ideas and community involvement18:00 Using customer insight vs platform data21:00 Meta downshifts and rethinking paid efficiency24:00 Incrementality, ROAS traps, and smarter funnel design27:00 Understanding real customer motivations and tradeoffs30:00 Entering the mountain bike market33:00 Working with creators to co-develop products35:00 Growth outlook and category expansionHashtags#dtcpodcast #prioritybicycles #ecommercegrowth #marketingstrategy #dtcbrands #digitalmarketing #customeracquisition #growthmarketing #brandstrategy #directtoconsumer #bicycleindustry Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupMost DTC brands aren’t short on effort — they’re stuck in the tactical spin cycle: chasing hacks, optimizing in circles, burning time and team on things that used to work.In this episode, Dave Steele (CEO) and Duncan Ferguson (Strategy Lead) unpack how Pilothouse breaks that loop — and why a proper strategy isn’t optional once you pass $5M.For DTC brands trying to scale past tactics and actually build leverage.What’s inside:What the “tactical spin cycle” really is — and how to get outThe 3 parts of real strategy: diagnosis, how-we-win, cohesive executionWhy your team’s “best practices” might be killing growthHow to unify Meta, Google, Email + more into a single systemWhen to stop optimizing and start repositioning👀 What to steal:Use data to find your core challenge — not just a list of problemsWrite a “how we win” statement that shapes every channelStrategy = focus. If you're doing everything, you're doing nothing.Unlock the BFCM Command Center: https://triplewhale.com/dtc Timestamps00:00 The shift in DTC and why strategy matters03:00 The Tactical Spin Cycle and how brands get stuck06:00 When optimizations stop working and market dynamics change09:00 Product strategy vs growth strategy in modern DTC12:00 What strategy actually means for brands15:00 Identifying the core challenge before jumping into tactics18:00 How “How We Win” statements align every channel21:00 Good strategy vs bad strategy and finding leverage24:00 Creating cross-channel coherence that compounds results27:00 Avoiding promo dependency and algorithmic trapsHashtags#dtcpodcast #pilothouse #ecommercegrowth #marketingstrategy #dtcbrands #digitalmarketing #growthmarketing #brandstrategy #metaads #googleads #customeracquisition Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF561Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupNate Lagos just wrapped his first week as CMO of Adapt Naturals after a breakout run that saw him quadruple Original Grain’s revenue. In this episode, Nate joins Eric Dyck for whiskey and wisdom on persona-driven marketing, CRO as a growth engine, and why you don’t need 100 ads a week to win on Meta.For DTC founders and marketers optimizing for LTV and profitable scale in 2025.How to uncover true customer motivations and build actionable personasCRO testing frameworks that compound results across ads, email, and retentionThe “Better Than Black Friday” offer that boosted LTV by 30%Creative volume vs. creative quality — where the real lever isBuilding bundles and pricing for high-AOV buyersIf you’re a DTC founder, growth marketer, or a CMO looking to turn creative and CRO into profit levers, this episode is for you.Timestamps00:00 Better Than Black Friday Offer Strategy02:00 Nate’s DTC Journey and Early Career04:00 Scaling Original Grain and Persona Marketing06:00 Creative Targeting and Sub-Persona Strategy09:00 CRO Lessons and Split Testing Wins12:00 The Creative Volume vs. Quality Debate15:00 Why Customers Really Buy and Competitor Frames17:00 Moving From Watches to Supplements19:00 Best-Ever Offer and LTV Impact22:00 Pricing Power, Inflation, and High-Ticket Bundles24:00 New Channels, Offers, and Team Leadership27:00 Remote Work, Management Style, and Alignment29:00 Nate’s Creative Process and Mindset31:00 Advice to Marketers: Do One Thing Exceptionally Well33:00 Tactical and Practical Podcast OverviewHashtags#dtcpodcast #ecommerce #dtcmarketing #cromarketing #offerstrategy #lifetimevalue #metads #directtoconsumer #performancecreative #shopifybrands Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signuphttps://levelwear.comHyman Ngo, SVP of Product & Marketing at Levelwear, joins us to talk through the brand’s evolution from a behind-the-scenes apparel manufacturer to a powerhouse in wholesale and licensing — and now, their pivot into DTC.For brand leaders scaling from golf, wholesale, or licensing into consumer channels.What we cover:The real reason they acquired a customer’s brand — and how that changed their whole trajectoryWhy golf was the launchpad: how credibility in elite U.S. clubs unlocked growth back homeHow they scaled to 85 of the top 100 U.S. golf courses (and what that did for their reputation)The role of licensing (MLB, NHL, PGA) in adding growth and brand legitimacyHow they finally built their brand narrative (“Team Over Everything” / “Who’s With You”) and why it’s now central to their DTC pushWho this is for: Brand operators in wholesale, licensing, or B2B looking to build emotional connection and consumer pullWhat to steal:Build credibility in a “clean” market (no legacy baggage) and use it to reposition back homeTreat brand story as an internal alignment tool — not just external marketingUse licensing as a bridge, but don’t lose sight of your brand equityUnlock the BFCM Command Center: https://triplewhale.com/dtcTimestamps00:00 Transitioning from manufacturing to a brand02:15 Buying Levelwear and early operational challenges04:40 Breaking into retail and managing order volume07:20 Slow early growth and breakthrough in the US golf market10:05 How Levelwear entered top golf courses12:40 Evolution of golf culture and apparel trends14:00 Sponsoring pro golfers and athlete partnerships16:00 Expanding into licensed sports apparel18:05 Fanatics partnership and industry comparisons20:00 Crafting Levelwear’s brand message and manifesto22:30 Launching the "Who's With You" campaign24:15 Using streaming ads for brand awareness26:10 How the brand story aligns across sports27:40 Message consistency in B2B and retail channels29:00 Levelwear’s path toward nine-figure revenue30:30 DTC ambitions and where the brand goes next32:00 Expanding into international golf markets33:00 The future of independent retail in golf34:00 Closing thoughts and next steps for LevelwearHashtags#dtcpodcast #levelwear #golfapparel #sportsbusiness #directtoconsumer #ecommercegrowth #brandbuilding #athleisure #golfindustry #sportsmarketing Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - ⁠https://dtcnews.link/signup⁠Welcome to the episode: we’ve got Jordan Gordon back on the mic — the guy leading email, retention and CRO at Pilot House, with 25 years in ecommerce under his belt.Role‑Based Hook (for DTC growth/marketing audience):For DTC founders & growth marketers scaling from $5M–100M in revenue, this is your CRO check‑list for Q4.Here’s what we dig into:Why your headline conversion rate is a shaky metric — and why “direct conversion” gives you better signal.The one page type (your top product page) you can fix in time for Black Friday to move the needle.How to push “bundling and recommendations” tools to unlock +8–30% lift in AOV with zero extra ad spend.The eight choke‑points across homepage → category → PDP → cart/checkout you must optimize right now.Real copy & button tips: How a tiny phrase (“Feel organic again”) can flip the homepage from meh to go‑time.Who this is for: DTC brand leads, ecommerce CRO/optimization folks, retention & growth marketers who already run advertising and now need to tighten the funnel.What to steal:Run quick benchmark: Are you hitting 5‑7% Add‑to‑Cart, ~2% conversion, ~1.25% direct conversion in Shopify?Pick your top 3‑5 PDPs and make them ultra‑fast (under 3s load) using a tool/tech stack like Niche.Install a bundling/recommendation engine (like Rebuy) across the site and measure +8% lift in AOV by pushing “people like you bought this + add it” flows.Timestamps00:00 Highest Leverage CRO Insights for Q402:10 Benchmarking Add-to-Cart and Conversion Rates04:45 Why Direct Conversion Is a Better Signal07:00 Speeding Up PDPs with Niche for Instant Wins10:05 Boosting AOV with Rebuy Bundling13:00 The 8 Critical Website Choke Points15:45 Optimizing Copy Around Key Conversion Areas18:20 Homepage Strategy for High-Volume Traffic21:40 What Big Brands Get Right on Their Homepages24:30 Final Q4 CRO Checklist and Fast WinsHashtags#dtcpodcast #q4ecommerce #cro #conversionrateoptimization #ecommercetips #shopifygrowth #blackfridayprep #aov #d2cbrands #onlinescaling Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF559Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupWelcome to the DTC Podcast. Today we’re joined by Donatas Smailys, Co‑Founder & CEO of Billo, a creator‑marketing platform that helps DTC brands turn authentic creator videos into high‑performing ads. Explore Billo We dive into how brands can build a repeatable creator/content engine that integrates with ad funnels, why follower‑counts are becoming less relevant, how to brief creators with performance in mind, and why AI should support—not replace—human creators.Key TakeawaysWhy creator marketing must be treated as a systematic channel, not ad‑hoc influencer blastsHow to identify and match creators based on performance metrics (hook rate, CTR, ROAS) rather than follower sizeThe role of AI and data in briefing creators, generating content variants, and feeding back into ad performanceHow brands at the $3‑M‑$10‑M revenue stage can structure the first 90 days of creator‑led campaignsWhy authenticity still matters: synthetic avatar creators may work short‑term but risk long‑term trust and accountabilityThe emerging concept of “Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)” and how creator/social assets feed into future search ecosystemsWhether you’re a DTC brand marketer responsible for scaling ads, or a founder looking to build long‑term acquisition engines, this episode gives you a clear blueprint for building creator marketing into your growth stack.Timestamps00:00 AI brief generator and purchase data02:05 Why Billo started content at scale04:15 Creator marketing as a system06:20 Andromeda and creative diversity08:25 Segmenting by the why10:30 Let creators experiment and avoid fatigue12:35 AI influencers vs authenticity14:40 Meta partnership ads and Spark ads16:45 Answer Engine Optimization AEO18:50 Future of authenticity and human only20:55 First three months on Billo plan23:00 Performance backed creator selection25:05 Pricing and ad volume cadence27:10 Data loops AI variations and reuse29:30 Scaling creator content into paidHashtags#DTCPodcast #CreatorMarketing #InfluencerMarketing #UGC #EcommerceMarketing #PaidSocial #MetaAds #PartnershipAds #SparkAds #Andromeda #PerformanceCreative #AnswerEngineOptimization #AEO #Whitelisting #TikTokMarketing #AdCreative #CustomerAcquisition #DirectToConsumer #BilloApp #MarketingPodcast Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - ⁠https://dtcnews.link/signup⁠In this episode, we sit down with Aves, Creative Lead & Partnerships at Pilothouse Digital, to unpack how DTC brands must rethink their creative strategy in the age of Meta’s Andromeda algorithm.For performance marketers and DTC founders scaling from $5–20M+.Tactical Takeaways:Why the “one winner ad” model no longer works in Meta’s current landscapeHow to identify customer motivations (not just demographics) and map them to creativeA practical framework for testing hooks: swap visuals first, not just voiceovers or copyHow to build a full creative range — from low-effort UGC to high-budget studio work — for each personaWhat creative audits should look like heading into Q4 and how to avoid “noise” in your ad accountWho this is for: DTC brand founders, heads of creative, performance marketersWhat to steal:Steal the “motivation-based segmentation” mindset in your ad strategySteal the 3–5 second visual hook test framework (visual first, audio later)Steal the creative range checklist (iPhone shot → studio shot) to audit your account this weekTimestamps00:00 Understanding Motivations and Creative Diversity02:00 How Meta’s Andromeda Update Changed Creative Strategy05:00 Building a Full Creative Range from UGC to Studio Content07:00 Why Niching Down Helps You Scale Up09:00 Moving Beyond “Winner” Ads and Budget Distribution11:00 How to Research Audiences Using Reddit and Reviews13:00 Avery’s Hook Testing Framework and Meta Insights17:00 Common Creative Mistakes and Noise in Ad Accounts19:00 How to Audit Creative Diversity for Q4 Success21:00 Creative Audits, Partnerships, and Avery’s Process23:00 Lessons from Hosting the Ad-Venturous PodcastHashtags#DTCpodcast #AdVenturous #CreativeStrategy #MetaAds #AndromedaEra #PerformanceMarketing #AdCreative #Pilothouse #EcommerceGrowth #DigitalMarketing #CreativeTesting #AdOptimization #MarketingStrategy #UGC #AgencyLife Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF558Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode of the DTC Podcast, we talk with Ben Perkins, founder of &Collar — a men’s performance dress shirt brand that’s scaling smart by rigorously testing what works. Ben breaks down how they use Intelligems to uncover pricing and shipping threshold wins, and how they’re segmenting customers to align messaging and creative for maximum return.What you’ll learn in this episode:How a 4-way price test on a single SKU using Intelligems led to an extra $1.99/unit without conversion lossThe impact of testing free shipping thresholds ($75, $125, etc.) on AOV vs. conversionHow to define and target “recurring & required” customer personas for profitable acquisitionWhy your core SKU may deserve more focus (50% of &Collar’s sales are still from their white dress shirt)How to evaluate agency and team performance with contribution margin logicIf you’ve ever relied on intuition or competitors when setting prices or shipping offers, this episode will challenge you to test with precision — and scale what works.Timestamps00:00 – Price testing with Intelligems on &Collar’s best-selling dress shirts03:00 – Founding story and early years of &Collar’s growth journey06:00 – Post-pandemic market shifts and targeting “recurring & required” buyers09:00 – SKU expansion challenges and focusing on the white shirt advantage12:00 – Persona-based creative strategy and micro-segmentation for growth15:00 – Discovering the $49.99 price sweet spot through A/B testing18:00 – Testing free-shipping thresholds and increasing conversion rates21:00 – Focusing on new customer acquisition and top-of-funnel strategy24:00 – Always be testing: CRO roadmap and platform optimization27:00 – Tracking profitability per visitor, product, and employee30:00 – Long-term vision for &Collar and the road to a potential exitHashtags:#DTCpodcast #Intelligems #AndCollar #PricingStrategy #ABTesting #EcommerceGrowth #DTCbrands #ConversionRateOptimization #ShopifyBrands #EmailMarketing #CustomerAcquisition #BusinessStrategy #Profitability #Ecommerce Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupWelcome to the DTC Podcast. Today, we’re joined by Seth Waite, Founder and Buyer Psychologist at Schaefer, where he helps CPG and food and beverage brands unlock growth by digging into the real reasons people buy.In this episode, we cover:Why knowing your customer via demographics isn't enough - the shift to behaviors, motivations, and jobs-to-be-done.How to build a "Why People Buy Pyramid" for your brand and map messaging across basic needs, emotional values, personal growth, and community.How to recognize true product-market fit in a DTC/CPG context (hint: when the only thing stopping you from selling more is budget).Why targeting the small obsessed segment matters (the "kingpin strategy") and how that unlocks long-term scale and profitable growth.Practical tips for talking to customers today - simple interviews, replacement questions, and how to turn qualitative insights into segmentation and messaging.Best moments you'll want to scan for:• "Demographics are interesting ... but they're not always insightful."• "What you should be telling is the customer's story - these are the occasions you'll have with our product."• "If the only reason why you're not selling more is money ... you've got product-market-fit."• The breakdown of the Why People Buy Pyramid and how it applies to food and beverage brands.• How brands like Oreo and Liquid Death illustrate layering of needs, emotional values, and community.Whether you're launching a new DTC food brand, scaling a snack or beverage line, or trying to sharpen your segmentation and messaging, you'll walk away with concrete frameworks and a clearer path to growth.00:00 - Introduction: Why People Buy01:20 - From Sam's Club to Walmart: Studying Real Buyer Behavior05:12 - Motivations vs. Demographics12:15 - Oreo: How to Own a Category18:03 - Brand Psychology, Packaging, and Subconscious Triggers26:06 - What Product-Market Fit Actually Looks Like32:28 - Tell Their Story, Not Yours39:13 - How to Actually Get Insight (Without a $150K Research Budget)#ConsumerPsychology #WhyPeopleBuy #CPGMarketing #BrandStrategy #ProductMarketFit #CustomerInsights #BehavioralScience #MarketingPsychology #FoodAndBeverage #DTCMarketing #MotivationBasedMarketing #EmotionalBranding #DataDrivenMarketing #OreoCaseStudy #LiquidDeathMarketing #FishwifeBrand #CustomerResearch #FounderStrategy #MarketingPodcast #DTCPodcastSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode of the DTC Podcast, host Eric Dyck sits down with Dougie, Head of the Google team at Pilothouse, to unpack how DTC brands can and should use YouTube advertising more strategically — especially when trying to build awareness and capture new demand before peak periods such as BFCM.Key moments & actionable insightsWhy YouTube upper‑funnel campaigns often fail: mis‑targeted audiences, automated overrides, and device‑versus‑user mismatch.How to set up placement, topic and keyword exclusions to avoid low‑quality traffic (e.g., gaming, ASMR, children’s content).The importance of checking the actual served demographics in your audience reporting and comparing to your true converter demographics.How optimising for new customer conversions (instead of all conversions) can yield significant gains (e.g., +50% new customers, +15% share of new customers via Google).Why narrow geo‑targeting for awareness campaigns can improve measurability of incremental lift.Why brand‑lift studies may not be the most reliable metric and what alternatives to use (brand search lift, remarketing behaviour, time‑on‑site post‑click).Distinguishing between YouTube for pure awareness vs YouTube driving demand capture, and how budgets and measurement should differ accordingly.Whether you’re a performance marketer at a growing DTC brand, or scaling marketing budgets and looking to break through awareness ceilings, this episode gives you tactical controls, audit steps and measurement frameworks to make your YouTube spend work harder.Timestamps00:00 – Why most advertisers are targeting the wrong audiences02:10 – How misaligned content (like kids’ or gaming videos) wastes budget05:00 – The sneaky Demand Gen setting sabotaging your audience08:00 – How to force Google to find new customers only11:40 – Using Audience Insights to audit your actual converters14:00 – The evolution of YouTube as a top-of-funnel growth channel17:00 – Why Brand Lift studies can’t be trusted and what to measure instead18:40 – Narrower geo-targeting for better awareness results20:00 – Step-by-step audit to fix your top-of-funnel YouTube campaignsHashtags#YouTubeAds #GoogleAds #YouTubeMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #DTC #Pilothouse #MarketingPodcast #AdStrategy #DemandGen #DigitalAdvertising Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF556Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupHello and welcome to the DTC Podcast. Today’s guest is Brenden  Delarua, co‑founder of Stella, the measurement SaaS helping DTC brands convert media spend into real business growth through incrementality testing and media‑mix modelling (at a much lower price than a lot of other platforms).https://stellaheystella.comFollow Brenden on TikTok Why this matters for DTC marketers & media buyers:You’re under pressure to justify ad spend with profit, but your on‑platform ROAS doesn’t tell the full story.Brenden walks us through how to build and run incremental testing (hold‑out studies) + media‑mix models so you allocate budget to channels that drive real growth.We also dig into his view on channel incrementality: why CTV/YouTube often win, why branded search and retargeting may be traps, and how creative diversity and scaling methodology matter.Key moments in this episode:Why Brenden built Stella (the anxiety of hitting ROAS goals but not seeing P&L growth.)How to set up hold‑out incrementality studies: picking regions, measuring revenue lift, ignoring on‑platform vanity metrics.The “Always On Incrementality” concept: daily causal analysis across campaigns.Creative diversity review: three‑word heuristic to test if your ads are too similar.Campaign structure advice for Meta: testing vs scaling in two campaigns.Hot take on measurement: many brands over‑complicate it (and overpay) without actionable clarity.Future of media buying & AI: creative + measurement convergence.If you’re a DTC brand owner, media buyer or marketing leader trying to squeeze more profit from your ad dollars, this conversation will give you a grounded, tactical framework to start measuring and scaling smarter.Timestamps00:00 – Why ROAS doesn’t mean ROI and the rise of incrementality02:00 – How Stella helps DTC brands test true ad impact06:00 – The myth of high ROAS campaigns and what’s really incremental10:00 – Always-on incrementality and Stella’s AI dashboard14:00 – Media mix modeling and improving accuracy for marketers18:00 – Pricing transparency and making incrementality affordable22:00 – Which ad platforms are actually incremental26:00 – Why most marketers overcomplicate incrementality27:00 – Brenden’s TikTok growth and its impact on Stella30:00 – Meta’s Andromeda update and how creative drives results36:00 – The future of AI and media buyingHashtags#dtcpodcast #incrementality #mediabuying #marketingstrategy #adspend #stella #digitalmarketing #ecommercegrowth #brandstrategy #advertisinganalytics #d2cbrands #metaads #googleads #tiktokmarketing #marketingmeasurement #roas #growthmarketingSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video