📦 - Marketing Like Magic

DTC 347 - A rebranding saga, Changing your mind, Photoshop generation, Unlocking marketing magic, Competing with ASIN campaigns [DTC]( Banter Wednesday, June 14, 2023 It’s way cooler and not as dangerous as it seems! 💥😎💥 If you’re new to DTC, welcome! You’re in good company with fellow newcomers from Google, Sunco Lighting, Tore, and Klaviyo. In this newsletter, you’ll find: 👇 📦 Gather ‘round for a story like no other 📦 Questions that make or break your marketing plan 📦 Photoshop? More like One-stop-shop! 📦 Unlocking AI marketing magic 📦 A quick tip to keep you competitive on Amazon Read till the end to access exclusive DTC swag. 😎 👉 If a pal forwarded this to you, [subscribe](, so you never miss out. Podcast One For The Books 🎧 On today’s episode of the DTC pod, we’re cozying up with the inside scoop on Wilet’s epic rebranding saga. Our guest is none other than the co-founder herself, Vivian McCormick, who’s ready to spill the tea on how Wilet is turning bedrooms into snuggle-central with their luxurious linens and a game-changing linen-cotton blend. 💅 In an age where Netflix marathons are the norm, Vivian chats about why we should be hitting the ‘pause’ button for some good ol' rest and how Wilet’s new look makes that a piece of cake. We discuss how they’re cranking up the volume on Wilet’s brand story with influencers, community love, and some killer organic content. So grab your comfiest blanket, maybe some popcorn, and tune in for an episode jam-packed with nuggets of branding gold and a whole lotta heart. 💛 ‍The takeaways 👇 🎨 (Re)painting the brand Wilet (formerly Flax Home) took the leap into the abyss by crafting a brand name out of thin air… literally, the word Wilet didn’t exist! But… the plot thickens. The daring band of co-founders ventured to visually encapsulate this brand-new term, and, 🥁drumroll🥁, they nailed it! The visual identity was the missing puzzle piece that bridged the gap between their swanky new name and the brand's soul. It was like watching a rom-com, where the protagonist finally realizes they're perfect for each other. 💞 For anyone wanting to craft a brand name that’s as unique as it is fitting, take a page out of Wilet’s book. It’s scary, but as Vivian says, trusting the process is key. 🚀 Influencer launchpad Vivian delved into the intriguing world of white labeling, where influencers play a starring role. This savvy strategy involves running your ads via influencers' accounts, effectively giving your brand a shot of adrenaline. But it’s not about randomly choosing an influencer with a mega-following; it's about finding the right influencer who vibes with your brand ethos. 💫 Sourcing an influencer is a meticulous process of aligning your brand with someone who echoes your values. You want to foster genuine connections, not just flash your logo. 💰 What Vivian would do with an extra $50K: She would double down on amplification through genuine influencer collaborations in the 'Rest' niche. Her goal? To organically cultivate a community that resonates with Wilet’s ethos of restful living, leveraging the authentic voices of influencers to showcase the tangible, high-value impact of Wilet’s luxury linens. 👉 Listen to the full episode with Vivian McCormick [here](! Sponsor This Report Might Change Your 2023 Marketing Plan. Read it Now. Are newspapers having a resurgence? Is Spotify still the king of music streaming? How is a potential TikTok ban affecting Americans' use of the platform? These questions could make or break your marketing plan in 2023, and you can find the answers (and more) in the [2023 US Media Consumption Report.]( In the report, you'll get insights pulled directly from US consumers, like: 📈 Which platforms are rising vs. declining 🔮 Overall trends affecting the future of media consumption in America 📊 Tips to help you use this data to successfully strategize and budget for media spend in 2023 – and beyond Q3 will be here before you know it... 👉 [Download the report for free now.]( Photoshop Generative Fill for Marketers 💪 Unlimited potential If you have limited time, budget, resources, or a Photoshop Pro on your team that’s just tired of the Content-Aware Fill 😒, you’ll want to check out Adobe’s new Generative Fill. When images need a little more flexibility to curate the perfect combination of copy, image, and design, Generative Fill saves the day in seconds. Generate your wildest ideas or simply add some space for copy to finalize your favorite drafts! Your creative process just became faster and more intuitive than ever, so let‘s get you set up with the tools to get the job done.👇 🤖 Generative fill 101 - Open Adobe Creative Cloud - Click Beta Apps > Install Photoshop (if you don’t have it already) - Open Photoshop with one of your image files Let’s keep it simple and add some extra space for copy to the side of your image. This process is only meant to illustrate the power and speed of Generative Fill, but once you’ve learned the ropes with us, what you do with this tool is up to you! - Make a copy of your image layer (CMD + J) - Rearrange the new layer as the background - Disable the background’s visibility - Select the top layer - Enable the crop tool (see fig 1) - Create an area to place your copy by dragging the crop tool’s selection out to the side of the image (fig.2; you should now have a blank canvas to the left or right of the image) 👇 - Enable the selection tool - Select the blank area - Select the Generative Fill button Hint: You can provide a text prompt to guide the generation process or allow the tool to create based on the contents of the image. - Click Generate There will be some variations for you to select from, so this isn’t a one-and-done deal. Talk about expediting the creative process and making you look good while doing it! 😉 🎉 Trick of the trade The tool can accurately match any generated elements to the lighting of your original image. It’s very difficult, if at all possible, for consumers to distinguish generated content from original content. Rest assured, this isn’t some lazily implemented feature to degrade the quality of your work. Try experimenting with modest to more outlandish creatives! The generated content is a separate layer, so it’s not destructive to your original file. 😏 No background, no problem! If you have the perfect product shot but no background to back it up, Photoshop has you covered: - Open your image file - Enable the selection tool - Select the product - Inverse the selection - Click Generative Fill - Provide a detailed text prompt to generate a background - Click Generate 🔎 A few small tweaks Go boast about your handiwork to your peers! This process opens the door to so many new possibilities for your images, but because it is such an expansive tool, it’s not always perfect. If you don’t get the results you’re looking for, try adjusting your text prompt or reselecting your content. If that doesn’t satisfy the artist in you, take these images as drafts for future creatives. Show us what you’ve been able to create in a reply. Your options are endless, and we know what you’re capable of, so keep the creatives comin’! We can’t wait to hear from you. 🙌 Sponsor The 5 Simple Techniques You Need To Unlock AI Marketing Magic You already know it. You should be using AI to improve your marketing game. 🦾 But with so much information online, it's hard to digest what will have the best impact. So Tresl [boiled it down]( to what you should be doing. They shifted through the noise, dug through the dirt, and conversed with the ChatGPT gods. (We can't guarantee that last point) To bring you the top 5 essential prompt techniques to make a significant impact. Complete with real-life examples so you know it works. 👏 👉 [Download the guide now and sprinkle some AI magic into your marketing.]( Amazon Dial in Your Competitor ASIN Campaigns ♻️ Low bids, high multipliers, you need it all! DTC called up the pros at [Pilothouse]( for a quick Amazon tip to round out our weekly Amazon series. The skinny this week is that you should be running low bids with high product page multipliers on competitor ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) campaigns. 🤯 This can get pretty technical but rest assured that Pilothouse has your back and guides you through what this means for your reach and competitiveness in a crowded market. Let’s get into it. 👇 😟 More than you bargained for One key thing to remember is that some brands don’t realize that when targeting an ASIN on Amazon, they won’t just display on that ASIN’s listing but will also display in Amazon search results for keywords that product is indexed for. ASIN listing + Amazon search results = Massive reach If this sounds messy, that's because it is. 👀 There’s very little control when these two areas are working together. 🏆 Win them over You’ve likely identified a competitor’s ASIN to target by certain attributes of their listing that make your listing look more valuable. You may have a better price point, more reviews, higher quality listing, or more product features but you may not be relevant or competitive in the rest of search placements for that same product. The main issue here is that when displaying in “rest of search” placements with a competitor ASIN campaign, you have no insight into what particular keywords you're converting on and no control over specific bids for those keywords. Ideally, you are hitting all your search placements via manual sponsored product campaigns where you have direct control over the bid. 🔑 Keep it low key To prevent competitor ASIN campaigns from displaying in search results, run low bids that are typically less than $1.00 with a high product page placement modifier upwards of 300%. This’ll ensure you’re only displaying on product pages! And means that when looking at performance stats, we can discern if we’re competing against that ASIN and make spend decisions based on that. To check if your competitor’s ASIN campaigns are displaying in “Rest of Search”, click the campaign name and select “Placements” from the left-hand side window within your campaign: 🚗 Take the wheel Knowledge and data put you in full control of who your competition is and how much spend is devoted to making sure your products come out on top with a stellar ASIN strategy. You can only compete when you know who’s in the game! Have you revisited your Amazon strategy in the last few weeks? What makes your strategy the best in the game? Let us and the [Pilothouse Amazon team]( know with a reply! Quick Hits 📈 Using Klaviyo or Meta? [Black Crow AI’s Smart ID]( turns your performance marketing into a profitability flywheel - even after iOS 14.5 and ITP. [See for yourself with a 30-day free trial.]( * 📺 [YouTube]( lowers the barriers to the Partner Program. Eligible creators must have 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3k watch hours or 3m Shorts views. 👽 [Reddit]( is facing protests from its communities over increased API pricing. Affected communities consist of 2.7b users, which could affect engagement levels on the platform. 🎵 [TikTok]( publishes the Creative Codes for success on the platform. These 6 insights offer further guidance to create appealing content and grow your following. 🐤 [Twitter](’s new restrictions for DMs aim to combat spam messaging. Most notably, Blue subscribers will be the only users able to request a DM thread with another user who doesn’t follow them. *Sponsored SHARE DTC NEWSLETTER Want to level up the marketing skills of your teammates and employees? Just grab your referral link below and you'll earn points toward cool gear for every new subscriber you bring to the DTC fam. Here's your unique referral link: [( [Share via facebook]( [Share via twitter]( [Share via whatsapp]( [Share via email](mailto:?subject=Check%20this%20out&body=%F0%9F%94%A5%20Signed%20up%20to%20this%20newsletter%20a%20couple%20of%20weeks%20ago%20and%20it's%20amazing%20for%20DTC%20marketers%20like%20you!+https%3A%2F%2Fsparklp.co%2F47c676d0%2F%3Futm_source%3Demail) [See how many referrals you have!]( Referal program is subject to [DTC Terms & Conditions.]( 🔊 Have you heard our latest podcasts? 📫 The Future of Direct Mail and Marketing with [PostPilot’s]( Drew Sanocki. 💭 Manifesting Your Dreams with Samantha from [Maniscripting](. 💚 "Enlightened Hospitality" and the Secret to Killer CX with Eli Weiss from [Jones Road Beauty](. 💄 ​​8-Figure Beauty Empire [Trinny London's]( Epic Organic Content. 🚗 The Road to 9-Figures with Cody Plofker from [Jones Road Beauty]( (Plus Cody’s YouTube and Meta Ads Funnel Breakdown). Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight](, [Kate Gullett]( and [Michael Venditti](. Edited by [Claire Beveridge]( and Eric Dyck. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. NEED MORE DTC? 🚀 [Advertise]( in DTC Newsletter. 💰Check out our course on [Facebook and Instagram]( ads! [Fueled by Pilothouse] [Share]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [LinkedIn]( [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( At Direct to Consumer, we are strongly committed to protecting your privacy and providing a safe & high-quality online experience for all visitors. We understand that you care about how the information you provide to us is used and shared. We have developed a Privacy Policy to inform you of our policies regarding collecting, using, and disclosing information we receive from our Website users. Federal Filing operates the Website. Our Privacy Policy, along with our Terms & Conditions, governs your use of this site. 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