📦 - Why ‘comfort creators’ are trending 🔥

Shipping Timelines, Raising CVR, Returnless Refunds, Comfort Creators, AI Creative Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Good morning! This is your call to resist the urge to “put a pin in it” until after the holidays. 📌 You’ve still got two weeks! Consume today’s DTC and learn: - Why returnless refunds are taking over the industry! - The complete guide to overcommunicating your brand’s shipping timelines - The rise of comfort creators, and how your brand can capitalize on comfiness You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Buddy & Lola, Public Spirit, Cotopaxi, and Purina! 👋 This newsletter is brought to you… IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GORGIAS 📈 Do You Want To Raise Your Conversion Rate By 15%? We’re letting you in on some exclusive news: Gorgias isn’t just a support platform anymore. 👀 Gorgias just launched [Convert](, an automated CRO chat feature aimed to reach customers at the right time with proactive and personalized campaigns. Gorgias’ Convert can help you tackle low conversion rates with: 🌟 Proactive Chat Campaigns: Push customers down the funnel at key moments onsite. 🛍️ Product Recommendations: Personalized chat suggestions. 💲 Exclusive Offers: Targeted discounts at the right moment. Convert is a game-changer for CX and marketing teams striving for higher sales. DTC beauty brand Glamnetic has seen some exceptional results: - +49% increase in sales from promoted products. - +12% boost in AOV with chat campaigns. - +18% more conversions from exit intent campaigns. [Turn window shoppers into loyal customers and drive more orders through personalized chat experiences with Gorgias' Convert](. 👇 [Click Here To Check It Out]( HANDLING RETURNS 📦 Why retailers are adopting a ‘keep it’ policy More retailers are telling customers to ‘just keep it.’ Rather than providing customers with free returns and a printable slip, brands are wising up to the fact that having a generous return policy just… isn’t worth it anymore. [This year 59% percent of retailers have adopted a ‘keep it’ policy](, issuing customers a refund if they are unsatisfied with their order without asking for them to return the items. (Source: Reuters) Especially in Q4 when BFCM and holiday orders are plentiful, managing returns can be a logistical nightmare. And when you also factor in the cost of processing returns, it doesn’t make financial sense especially if the value of the item is relatively small. A quick look at the return stats: 🛍️ U.S. shoppers are forecasted to return a mind-boggling $173 billion worth of holiday purchases this year 💰 Returns can cost retailers an average of $30 What this means for ecommerce brands: To keep operational costs down, consider revising your return policy, charging for returns, or offering store credit instead to mitigate losses. But before changing your return policy…ask yourself: how do we keep customer satisfaction high while keeping costs low? This way you’ll know if this cost-saving strategy works for your business during peak seasons. BROUGHT TO YOU BY TREAT 🤔 Generating and Iterating On Creative Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated… If you’re a brand that wants to: - Save money ✅ - Move faster ✅ - Boost your ad performance ✅ Then [Treat AI]( is for you. Top DTC brands like Four Sigmatic are using Treat's AI to generate high-res on-brand creative for a fraction of the cost (and time) of traditional product photo shoots. All you need to do is provide Treat's AI with a creative brief and your product images. In return, you get stunning creatives each month to help elevate your ad campaigns, product pages, emails, social posts, blog content, you name it! 👏 Treat's AI learns your brand and [equips your team with an endless stream of captivating creative]( that'll resonate with your audience. [Start Creating Today]( A COZY MENTAL RETREAT 🕯️Trending: Comfort Creators Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of rapid-fire content out there? For those who are suffering from being chronically online, luckily there is an online niche that can help. Comfort creators are on the rise. These social media influencers act as peaceful, online ‘companions’ as you navigate throughout your day, showing you their slow morning routines or letting your brain rest as you watch them tackle their weekly food prep. And this comfort creator trend is growing… - Last year [83% of Gen Z shared that they use video platforms like YouTube to watch soothing content while they go about their day](. - 69% of Gen Z admit they find themselves returning to creators or content that feels comforting to them. There’s no need to absorb and analyze new information when watching their content. It feels more like a cozy hang with your best friend that sets itself apart from all the obviously sponsored content out there. [Major TikTok food influencers like Emily Mariko]( rose to fame in the past few years for her cooking and food prep videos, utilizing no viral sounds, only some ASMR. And the biggest surprise hit this year…[Nanalan](, the nostalgic Canadian kid show went viral on TikTok last month as more users watched clips of the show to unwind, de-stress, and reconnect with their inner child. The takeaway? Exhausted online users are looking for content that promotes slow living over hustle culture. Audiences are actively searching for content that soothes the senses and allows them to relax when they feel overstimulated. What ecommerce brands can learn from this: - Create therapeutic videos: As we gear up for the holiday craze, help your audience unwind and relax with ‘quiet moment’ videos. These can add value and don’t require a big video production budget. - Partner with content creators: Build a cozy community of like-minded consumers and show off your products in a more organic way. - Position the brand as part of your customer’s self-care routine. Instead of emphasizing your product's functionality, allow potential buyers to imagine how your product or service can help them relax and reset. 💗 Have you tried creating comforting content? Tell us how it worked! [DTCNewsletter]( 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](. SHIPPING REMINDER 🎁 Be transparent about cut off dates The festive season has arrived, and the imminent deadlines for last-day shipping are rapidly approaching. Shoppers are prepared to make substantial purchases during this holiday season, yet numerous advertisers may encounter significant challenges due to shipping cutoffs and logistical complications. Observing trends in recent years, it's evident that final shipping dates have consistently moved nearer to mid-December, typically hovering around December 15th and 16th ([Source](). Communication is key. Don’t disappoint. It’s time to set clear expectations. Here’s a tip from the [Pilothouse team](: It’s better to over-communicate shipping deadlines rather than have customers confused about when their packages will arrive. Keeping your customers in the loop can also: 1️⃣ Move inventory faster by creating a sense of urgency 2️⃣ Make more customers perceive your brand as being transparent 3️⃣ Keeps your customer service team from getting burnt out from an influx of questions about packages and shipping times Here’s some golden copy for this time period: “Due to high demand, order today for items to arrive in 3-5 business days.” or “Get it in time for Christmas, order by X date.” If you want to spice up your ecommerce photos, why not take advantage of the selfie pose? These faux UGC photos are eye-catching and allow the consumer to imagine themselves using your product. Lastly, underpromise and overdeliver. Quote shipping dates longer than quoted from carriers so no one is disappointed. Focus on delighting customers by delivering packages on time or earlier than expected! 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE As Temu’s ecommerce presence continues to grow in the U.S, it may also cause your Meta Ads costs to go up as well. Diversifying your ad strategy will be key for 2024. ⚡ QUICK HITS 📈 Which channels are driving the strongest DTC marketing results? Digiday and Klaviyo’s new report highlights opportunities for revenue growth and improved customer lifetime value in 2024. [Get it now](. * 😲 Did Google fake their Gemini AI demo? [Viewers and even Google staff were outraged by the edited video]( that was edited to make the AI look faster and more capable than it actually was. 👀 It’s easier than ever to figure out what drives second purchases. Magic Dash’s new AI tool will be your new LTV BFF. [Try the tool for free today](! * 👀 Pinterest Predicts reveals what trends will take off in 2024 through its interactive scrapbook landing page. [Peek all the trends here](. 🛑 Could your UGC be hurting your brand? Paying influencers to act like they love your product is not UGC. Learn how to get authentic social proof from creators in this [in-depth guide](. * 🧆 IKEA wants you to keep them top of mind during the holidays by releasing a giant meatball (weighing 4.5kg) that is as big as a turkey and serves up to 25. [Learn how to win this supersized meatball here](. (only for those in the UK) 💯 25 DTC Leaders Reveal Their “One Thing” for 2024: End the year hearing straight from leaders at DTC’s biggest brands — like Ridge, HexClad, Kizik, ILIA, Durady, MASSION & more. [Join the brand panel on Dec 14th](! * 👀 BANTER Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 🤯 [Shocking the Gatekeepers]( – Auto Aftermarket goes DTC with Sean Reyes from Shock Surplus. - 🤫 [AKNF 360](: The Power of the Double Tap + The Secret Tool For Instant Email Scale (And How to Use it Safely) - 👏 [Breaking Barriers in Menstrual Health]( with Nadia Ladak CEO of Marlow - 💰 [AKNF 358:]( BFCM Results Breakdown with Pilothouse - 🌊 [Santevia Revolutionizes Water and Conquers Amazon]( with Matthew Gohl 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 [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](