📦 - BioSteel’s Unicorn-Sized Oopsie 🦄

Biosteel’s Cautionary Tale, Unlock 20% More Revenue on Black Friday, Elevate Your Discount Strategy, Data-Driven BFCM Tactics Thursday, September 21, 2023 Happy Thursday! Make sure to scroll to the end of this newsletter to see the terrifying output (plus an additional wholesome one) from our first installment of Mascot Mayhem. In this newsletter, you’ll find: - 📦 What to learn from BioSteel’s half-a-billy bankruptcy - 📦 Wrangle your discount strategy to increase revenue - 📦 Are your brand’s social posts flopping? Follow this data Let’s dive in: 👇 BANKRUPTCY 💰 BioSteel Owes More Than $439M — A Cautionary Tale BioSteel, a prominent Canadian sports drink brand (that DTC co-founder Eric is quite literally obsessed with) has taken a fall from grace. *Candid photo of Eric enjoying ⅓ of his daily BioSteel intake in our morning standup* They’ve turned a high-flying sports nutrition brand with multi-million dollar sponsorships into a company burning through $15 million a month and filing for creditor protection. Their swift decline epitomizes a colossal failure in business strategy and financial management. Here’s a synopsis of what led to their unraveling: 1️⃣ High operating expenses relative to revenue. In the first three months of 2023, BioSteel achieved $24M in sales, but faced overwhelming costs of $90M. Further, advertising alone cost them $114M, resulting in significant negative cash flow, signaling unsustainable operations. It was stated in recent days that, “BioSteel details [more than $439-million]( in amounts owed to a range of businesses including manufacturers, distributors and retailers.” 2️⃣ Overcommitment to sponsorship and marketing. BioSteel engaged in expensive sponsorships with major leagues like the NHL, NBA, and NFL, and partnered with renowned athletes. In just one quarter, their NHL-related promotional expenses surged by $12M. This heavy investment became a liability when a payment for the NHL deal was missed. 3️⃣ Ownership by Canopy Growth. After its 2019 acquisition by Canopy Growth, BioSteel was part of a cannabis company's diversification. However, when Canopy Growth ceased its funding, BioSteel's dependency on a parent with a different primary focus left it exposed and financially unstable. In DTC Co-founder Eric’s defense, the product is actually great, and he’s the most hydrated he’s ever been. The world is definitely ready to move on from corn syrup based Gatorade, but in this case, they got lost in the sauce electrolytes… For more on BioSteel’s financial mismanagement and regulatory issues and their hunt to secure a new buyer, [click here to read on](. REVENUE 📲 Unlock 20% more revenue this Black Friday with one super-app* Seven Days. Seven days is all it takes to get your head start on Black Friday [(and that sweet 20%+ revenue)]( with Black Crow's stack of AI-powered features. 🦾 With predictive intelligence, Black Crow AI supercharges your paid AND owned marketing by letting you recognize every user and convert them more easily. - Boost EMQ scores - see Facebook ROAS improve by 31%+ - Optimize welcome offer performance - increasing email and SMS list growth by 40%+. - Prospect and target audiences most likely to buy - reducing CPA by 25% Their no-code app installs in one click. [Start your free trial before October 9th]( - pay nothing until 2024. Stop outspending the competition - outsmart them and out-earn them. [Click here to get started!]( META 🤠 Wrangle Your Discount Strategy to Increase Revenue Meta and the paid ad space thrive on promos. 🤑 When shopping online, most people look for the best price and the best offer they can find. However, for businesses, there’s a fine line between: - Discounting so big and so often you hurt your margins - Discounting so little that you prevent more sales For example, if you offer 90% off all the time, you might see stellar conversions but terrible margins. But if you never discount, your margins might be great, but conversions may be low. So, where is the line, and how do you happily dance on it when scaling a successful brand? 🤔 It's more simple than some might think… The [Pilothouse Meta team]( broke it down into three buckets — We’ll give you the categories but you’ll have to [click to read for the full details](. 😉 - 1️⃣ Plan ahead - 2️⃣ Be strategic - 3️⃣ Don’t be scared to discount If you plan accordingly, utilize your historical data, understand seasonality and purchase intent, and are strategic about your offers and positioning, your next sales season could be your best yet. CX 📊 Elevating BFCM Customer Experience through Data-Driven Strategies.* Tis the season for sensational service! Join our Black Friday / Cyber Monday webinar and unwrap the secret to delivering unforgettable customer experiences. Harness the power of data to anticipate needs and resolve issues faster! Join our special guest from Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare to learn examples so the holiday rush doesn’t steal your cheer! [Secure your seat here.]( 👈 ⚡ Quick Hits ♾️ [Meta announced Meta Verified for businesses]( at a recent conference in Mumbai. The package is expected to cost $21.99 per month for each Instagram account or Facebook Page. 🎵 [TikTok rolls out official labels for AI-generated content.]( Labels can be applied to any content entirely or significantly generated by AI to showcase creators’ innovations with the technology. 🔎 [Google released automatically created assets]( (ACAs) for all advertisers. These are custom pieces of content, like headlines and descriptions, to enhance your existing creatives. 🪟 [Microsoft announced Video and CTV ads for its ad platform.]( Billions of data points can be leveraged for highly targeted advertising strategies. 📊 [Attribution Analytics are a set of new tools coming to TikTok.]( The first tool called Performance Comparison helps visualize and compare conversions over a set period of time. SOCIAL MEDIA 🤖 What Do Scrollers Actually Want to See From You In Their Social Feeds? Consumers love following their favorite brands on socials, but what are they actually looking for when they tap the “Follow” button on your page? 👀 Chances are, they’re already familiar with who your brand is, what you do, and your core product line offering. So what does the data say you should be posting to keep scrollers engaged? Here are some key insights from [a recent report](: - 68% of consumers were more interested in knowing what the newest products were compared to just 46% who were following brands on socials for exclusive offers and deals. - Only 21% of consumers follow brands on social media for content about company values or a mission statement. - 51% of consumers are looking for more “authentic, non-promotional” content. Curious about what your next step should be? 🤔 Focus on showcasing new products in a genuine and engaging manner — blending them seamlessly into organic content and be cautious about overly promotional or values-focused posts. P.S. A little bit of humor or reverse psychology goes a long way in connecting with your audience. Check out [this ad from Ridge Wallet](: MASCOT MAYHEM Yesterday’s prompt winner was *Mr. Peanut waltzing with the green M&M* We have to admit, this one is slightly terrifying so as a palate cleanser, here’s *A year 3000 futuristic version of Mickey Mouse in space*. What mascot inspired image should we make next? 👇 - [Ronald McDonald eating a BigMac inside a retro McDonalds inspired diner]( - [Pillsbury Doughboy wearing a cowboy hat on a ranch]( - [Mr. Clean trying to clean a landfill]( Want to submit your own prompt for Mascot Mayhem? Reply to this email! 👀 Banter If we had to guess, the percentage of people who haven’t done this is much less than the percentage of people who have. 😂 Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 💪 [AKNF 338](: Jogo's Retention Bootcamp - The First and Second Purchase Ecosystem (Part 3) - 😍 [Amanda Elam]( - Bloomreach: Personalized Customer Experiences on Every Channel - 💰 [Sean Frank]( - Ridge Wallet: How to be Hermes - 🎉 [AKNF 336](: Q4 Offer Testing Eleganza Extravaganza - 👀 [Charlie Grinnell]( - Right Metric: Deep Marketing Insights - 🌴 [AKNF 334](: The Ultimate Guide to Amazon Images 🤑 [Kevin Liu]( - Simplifying E-Commerce Sales Tax with Numeral Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) Got an awesome DTC brand story to tell? Calling all brand-side founders and team leaders! Fancy joining us on the DTC Podcast as a guest? [Tap the link to toss in your application](. DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight]( 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! Please note that items in this newsletter marked with an * contain sponsored content. [Direct To Consumer]( Pilothouse, 1011 Government St., V8W 1X6, Victoria, BC V8W 1X6, Canada [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](