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AI Deep Fakes, Supercharged ROAS, Amazon Sales Day Tips, Scaling, Going Global, Brand Love Thursday, October 5, 2023 In this newsletter, you’ll find: - 📦 AI deep fakes are getting better, know what to look for and don’t be fooled - 📦 Amazon main sales days strategy — Five things to be dialed in on to optimize performance - 📦 Want to take your DTC brand global? Logistics will be your new best friend Let’s dive in: 👇 SUPERCHARGED ROAS 🔥 Generate A 20%+ Uplift In Revenue With One Click * Been facing a performance dip due to browser privacy updates? You're not alone! Discover how DTC brand Bushbalm leveraged Black Crow AI to fill the data gaps and supercharged their ROAS in seven days! 🚀 Dive [into this case study]( and explore how Black Crow's AI platform helped boost performance across prospecting, retargeting, and welcome offers. By leveraging Black Crow's full stack of AI features, Bushbalm achieved: - 50% Better Facebook ROAS. - 61% Increased Revenue from Emails. - 117% Uplift in Retargeting Efficiency. Brodie Mazurek, VP of Growth @ Bushbalm, says, "The ROI with Black Crow is a no-brainer. One of the most impactful implementations this year!" [This case study]( holds tons of insight into transforming your marketing campaigns! [Discover More Wisdom!]( AI 🤖 Mr.Beast, Is That You?! TikTok's been caught up in a wild scam featuring an AI-generated deepfake of Mr. Beast. The fake ad showcased MrBeast promoting a bonkers deal - iPhone 15s for just $2 as part of a 10k phone giveaway! The ad had both his logo and a blue check mark, but some users who were served the ad noticed something was off – like voice was different and the mouth movements were odd. One user joked, "Only boomers would fall for this," while another sassily called out TikTok for its ad moderation. Mr.Beast was quick to confirm it wasn’t him and raised concerns about the rise of AI deep fakes in ads. TikTok took action, removing the ad and the shady account. They reaffirmed their stand against "synthetic media" in ads, emphasizing advertiser responsibility as per [TikTok’s Advertising Policies](. This isn’t a one-off. Celebs like Tom Hanks, Elon Musk, and Leo DiCaprio have faced similar AI deep fake ad issues. As AI gets better, these problems could escalate. TikTok’s working on labeling tools for AI content, acknowledging both its creative potential and risks. Stay sharp! Deep Fake ads are on the rise, but transparency is key. Know the rules, play it straight, and protect your brand's rep! 🚀🔍 AMAZON 📈 The Ultimate Guide to Q4 Success on Amazon — Main Sales Day Strategy Yesterday we dove into the top three promo strategies you should be using this Q4 on Amazon. Missed it? No worries, [click here](. Today, we’re back with part two of the Amazon series — Main sales day strategy. Whether it’s your first Q4 on Amazon or you’re a seasoned pro, take these tips from the [Pilothouse Amazon team]( to optimize your performance this year. - Increase bids a day before: Boost your bids a day prior based on the expected Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) and Conversion Rate (CVR) increase. This prepares your campaigns for the surge in traffic and potential sales. - Use historical data: Refer to historical promo CVR data to make informed bidding choices. Past data can provide insights into potential CVR increases, helping to optimize bids. - Avoid budget caps: Ensure your campaigns are not budget-capped a day before the sale and monitor spend throughout the sale day. This prevents your campaigns from being halted due to budget limits, ensuring continuous visibility and potential sales. - Control spend via bids: Manage your spend through bids rather than budgets. Ensure your placement percentages and negative keywords are well-adjusted. This approach provides more control over your ad spend and campaign performance. - Monitor campaigns late in the day: Pay special attention to your campaigns later in the day. Many competitors hit their budget caps later in the evening, leading to increased performance opportunities for your campaigns. Ensuring your campaigns continue to spend throughout the whole day allows you to capture additional sales that others might miss. Don’t worry, there’s more where this came from. Catch ya soon with Amazon Q4 advertising and creative strategy tips. 🫡 PARTNERSHIP 🤯 Don’t want to scale your brand? Skip this section… In 2023, scaling DTC brands is more difficult than ever. CPMs have risen year after year, and customers are becoming more and more conservative with their spending habits. If you don’t have deep pockets, major investors, and widespread brand awareness, it can seem nearly impossible to get a leg up. This is why Pilothouse (DTC’s sister company) created [Pilot Program](, an exclusive brand accelerator designed to help brands kick-start their growth and unlock their full potential. If your brand… - Feels like it’s plateaued and needs expert help to get to the next level - Has had success in the past but can’t seem to get back to those previous highs - Is starting to gain traction but is missing one last piece of the “scale-puzzle” …Pilot Program is for you. Joining Pilot Program can change the course of your brand forever. [Get in touch with the partnerships team for a free, no-obligation consultation](. GLOBAL EXPANSION 🏆 From Local to Global: Turning DTC Brands into International Icons Some of the biggest success stories we’ve seen at Pilothouse have been from brands opening up to more markets - your audience gets bigger, your ad costs go down, and you get to bring your brand to a whole new group of potential customers. But, global expansion is like climbing a towering mountain; it demands strategic planning, patience, tenacity, and an unyielding desire to reach the summit. It’s no easy feat, so let's break down this adventure into manageable stages and equip you with the right gear to ensure your climb to global success is as smooth as possible. ⛰️ We’ve broken it down into four steps: - 1️⃣ Mastering logistics and localization - 2️⃣ Establishing efficient supply chains - 3️⃣ Building relationships - 4️⃣ Popping the champagne For details on each stage, including what’s important to keep in mind and what you should avoid, [click here to read on](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE *Not able to view the image? [Click here](.* This is seriously cool. No more recipes, podcasts, or cool ideas slipping by. ❤️ BRAND LOVE 🌱 [Ingarden](: Live in a cold or unpredictable climate and want to be able to grow your own pesticide-free produce? Ingarden’s indoor microgreen garden may just be the answer you’re looking for. 🤤 [Chilli Bomba](: Sick of the same old candy flavors you’ve seen for years in your local grocery store? Chilli Bomba’s small-batch chamoy candies will dial up the heat (and flavor). Their website is pretty fun and we’re salivating just looking at them. 💗 [HEARTBEAT](: Imagine your typical glass of rosé, but spicy. HEARTBEAT’s fermented fresh pepper rosé is embracing the savory drink trend — Move over spicy margs, there’s a new spicy drink in down. 👀 Banter Lots of things floating around in the ol’ brain, just can’t recall a single one of them at the moment… Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🌱 [Moss Amigos & Chia Pet Legacy]( - Jared Olivia on Becoming America's New Favorite Class Pet - 📊 [AKNF 340](: Google Ads Q4 Psyche Up + GA4 Gut Check - 👕 [Jacob Rokeach]( - Fractional CMO: How to Build an Apparel Brand in 2023 - 💪 [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 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](, [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! Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * 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](