📦 - UGC, CGC, Now PGC

Stanley Cup (Not Hockey), Smart Recognition AI, Podcast Generated Content, World-Class SMS, Holiday Product Blunder Friday, November 17, 2023 In this newsletter, you’ll find: - 📦 Learn why sipping on a Stanley Cup tumbler is all the rage on TikTok - 📦 You’ve probably heard of UGC and CGC, but have you heard about PGC? - 📦 How DEUX turned a holiday product blunder into a marketing opp Let’s dive in: 👇 AI 🤯 Grow Your Email List Faster Than Any Other Method. * Did you know there's now a way to Identify the email addresses of your anonymous website traffic? DTC readers, you get early access to [Smart Recognition](, your new lead generation best friend. 👏 Smart Recognition's strategy guide will show you how easy you can use AI to: - Boost your lead generation efforts ✅ - Reduce your cost per lead ✅ - Increase your ROI by capturing your anonymous website visitors ✅ It couldn't be a better time to take advantage of the power of AI to generate more leads and get to ROI faster going into the Holiday buying frenzy. See the top 3 strategies ecommerce brands are using with this technology to 10x your growth with Smart AI tools. [Download the Guide with these strategies and more]( WHAT’S TRENDING 🔥 How the Stanley Cup (no, not that one hockey fans) became the hottest item this year The [Stanley Cup tumbler]( has become part of the ‘It Girl’ aesthetic for 2023. But its roots go wayyy back to 2016, when this water tumbler was first introduced and targeted outdoor enthusiasts. Can’t view the creative or want to see the whole video? [Click here](. So why is it trending? [With over 44 million views on TikTok for #stanleytumblercup](, the product has gained a feverish following with women. This is thanks to the Founders of [The Buy Guide](, who convinced the drinkware brand to market its Stanley Quencher cup to a broader audience (women aged 25 to 50) as an everyday item that can be used at home and for travel. Upon initial glace, it’s impossible to tell if Stanley paid to be positioned in this guide. However, lots of brands do and see success from doing so! Comparison/shopping guide sites with affiliate deals is a new way to get your brand in front of an already loyal consumer base. The results? Stanley is gaining market share [with a 275% YoY increase in Quencher sales](. Its meteoric rise has led to copycats from other brands like [Owala]( and [Simply Modern](. What we can learn: - Listened to feedback and found a new target audience: The century-old brand was able to thrive by transforming its brand image and appealing to a sought-after female demographic. - Authentic social media reviews translate into sales 📈: Partnering with a company like The Buy Guide gave Stanley authentic endorsements from influencers and [lots of UGC content to play with to demonstrate ease of use](. - They never let things get stale: The brand continues to generate excitement by releasing [new holiday colors]( and collectible drinkware options and accessories. - Product positioning is key: If you’re selling a luxury product and want to reach a non-traditional luxury audience (yes, we would consider a $60 water bottle a luxury product) angles, messaging, and how you talk to and approach customers are uber-important. SMS 👀 Is THIS The Most Important Marketing and Sales Channel of The Decade?* Trusted by more than 12,000 Shopify stores — like Brooklinen, Ruggable, Kopari, and True Classic — [Postscript]( gives your ecommerce brand the tools you need to run a world-class SMS marketing program. Within minutes, shops can: - Sync data ✅ - Start collecting subscribers compliantly ✅ - Have two-way conversations ✅ - Enable deeply targeted text marketing campaigns ✅ Postscript is on a mission to make SMS the number-one revenue channel for ecom merchants. How? By delivering an easy-to-use platform where brands can grow their subscriber list, develop and test their messaging strategy, deliver excellent customer service, and [drive sales]( and loyalty — all in one place. 😍 Postscript believes that SMS is the most important marketing and sales channel of the decade. [Click Here to Get Onboard]( PGC 🎙️ Meet PGC... A New Form of UGC to Capitalize On Chances are we’ve all heard of user-generated content (UGC), and some of us have heard of customer-generated content (CGC), but there’s a new contender in the mix: Podcast-generated content (PGC). 🤷 Where does PGC come into play? Since the pandemic, we’ve seen podcasts on the rise as a new format of content to consume. Some sources estimate that there's above [4 million unique podcast shows]( — truly a little something for everyone. With platforms like TikTok being an integral part of a lot of many brands' marketing strategies, showcasing podcast clips is an easy way to show trending topics to users in a shorter time frame. Plus, if you’re recording the podcast already, why not repurpose some clips to use on your socials! [Magic Mind](, a company that sells a brain-boosting drink, has used PGC to showcase its product in a conversational format. In one of their PGC videos, they invited a well-known biohacker to discuss the benefits of nootropics and included a subtle plug for their product. This approach has helped them connect with their audience on a deeper level while also organically promoting their product. You know who else uses podcast generated content? 👀 [Pilothouse and DTC](! We repurpose our podcast content to share as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn clips to further connect with and engage our current audience whilst also bringing in new viewers and page visitors. [Check this clip out as an example](! If you hadn’t heard of podcast generated content before, you have now! Use those clips to bring in new listeners, new leads, or new eyes to your social pages. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Vegan cookie dough brand DEUX has made a big holiday blunder. Or... is it a calculated marketing move? The brand sent out a message to their customer base about a product mishap and drew attention to their limited-edition festive cookie dough in an unconventional way. (Plus, shared a laugh with their audience.) Their irresistible email subject line: 'we f'ed up' is sure to garner opens and they also encourage anyone who ends up with the wrong product to take a photo and share on social media to receive a holiday gift. This is a brilliant way to increase social mentions and drive traffic back to their website. Well played, DEUX. SPONSOR DTC 📥 Promote your product to 160,000 digital marketing professionals DTC Newsletter + Podcast reaches a highly qualified audience of Shopify merchants, eCommerce founders, and digital marketers. [Talk to our team to learn more](. ⚡ QUICK HITS 👏 [Micro-influencers and UGC in one campaign? Yes, please](! Join brands like Plant People, Imperfect Foods, and Adore Me, and connect with the right creators on minisocial! * 🔍 [Google’s newest Notes feature will change the search landscape.]( The update allows you to leave ‘notes’ on top search results. Searchers can now express in real-time if top-ranking articles match their intended queries. 💰 [Increase profits by 95% by retaining 5% more customers.]( Do it easily this holiday season and skyrocket your LTV with these[six ready-to-use campaigns to keep customers coming back year-round](. * ⚡ [People are now logging onto TIkTok for breaking news updates.]( Share of users who consume news through TikTok has doubled since 2020. Guess Twitter isn’t what it used to be. 🏆 [And the best app award goes to…]( Apple just released their app store award finalists and language learning app Duolingo and fitness app All Trails lead the pack. Who will you be voting for? 👀 BANTER When it’s a Friday and you’re already thinking about the weekend. Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🎈 [CPG and the Art of Starting Small]( with Juliana Casale from Balloon - 📧 [AKNF 350:]( Q4 Email Marketing Survival guide with Will from Pilothouse - ⚖️ [Balancing Wellness & Nightlife](: Nishal Kumar of 'No Days Wasted' on DTC Strategy and Building Brand Communities. - 📚 [AKNF 348](: Unlock the Secrets of Profitable Meta Ads: Scale School Is Back! - 🌧️ [Owning the Weather and Scaling Through Nine Figures]( - Vessi's Tony Yu and Mikaella Go 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](, [Frances Du](, 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. Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content. [Direct To Consumer]( Pilothouse, 1011 Government St., Victoria, BC V8W 1X6, Canada [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](