📦 - See you in the group chat

Gen Z In The Group Chat, A Win For Everyone, AI Personalization Event, Top Performing Ad Creatives Monday, January 8, 2024 Good morning, It’s officially swiping season. Yesterday was Dating Sunday, the biggest day for dating apps, as singles look to get cuffed up for Valentine’s Day. This means it’s almost time to start rolling out your lovey-dovey messaging. We’ll be sharing some tips this week on how to create a great Valentine’s Day campaign so stay tuned! Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: - How brands can target Gen Z through group chat apps like Geneva. - A look back at 5 types of top-performing ad creatives in 2023 (with examples). - And…why these 2 C’s are so important when it comes to growing your business. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Little Fern Nappies, Fluent Trends, and Yellow Brick Deals 👋 This newsletter is brought to you… IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MINISOCIAL 🤔 Fill In The Blank: Working With ____ Is A Win For Your Whole Marketing Team If you said minisocial, you answered correctly! ✅ minisocial is the [fully-managed solution for DTC brands who want to drive results across platforms](. They partner your brand with high-quality micro influencer creators who produce fully licensed content AND share it with their followers! It’s the two-in-one solution you know you’re looking for this year. 👀 ⭐ Need your dose of social proof? Plant People, Native, Imperfect Foods, and Cocokind are using minsocial’s UGC to see: - A bump in organic engagement - An increase in ROAS - Ads performing in the top 1% on TikTok See what all the hype around minisocial is all about ➡️ [HERE]( 📰 NEWS - [U.S. customers spent $221.1 billion online from Nov to Dec 2023](, up 5% YoY. Cyber Monday was the best-selling day. - Peloton shares rise 14% after they announce [partnership with TikTok]( on co-branded content hub #FitnessTikTok Powered by Peloton. - [Starbucks will now allow customers to bring their reusable cups]( when placing orders. They aim to reduce waste by 50% by 2030. - AI-powered search engine [Perplexity AI raises $73.6 million](. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 💬 Targeting Gen Z Through Group Chats like Geneva Gen Z wields [a substantial $450 billion in spending power](, yet effectively reaching them online proves to be a challenging task. So, what makes targeting Gen Z so tricky? These individuals, often referred to as digital natives, have grown up navigating social media platforms throughout their lives. And are no strangers to ad fatigue or doom scrolling. In response to this, Gen Z has sought refuge in online spaces, particularly group chats, where they can enjoy a sense of security, privacy, and inclusivity. 💗 These chat platforms provide a haven for connecting with like-minded individuals without the incessant bombardment of promotional offers and brand messages. Where can you find Gen Z online? Platforms like Slack, Discord, and the newer [Geneva]( have emerged as go-to destinations for creating exclusive online communities centered around specific niches or shared interests and help facilitate real-life meetups. Brands such as Everyday Humans, Supergoop, and Ceremonia have successfully cultivated cozy online communities in Geneva. They actively engage with their members in this low-pressure environment by sharing playlists, personal stories, and celebrating individual achievements. Take Rare Beauty, a cosmetic brand, for example. They excel in connecting with their fans through their Geneva group chat, offering valuable mental health tips and resources. This approach aligns with their brand mission and their Rare Impact Fund, which aims to raise awareness and improve access to mental health services. So, what's the key takeaway here? Gen Z highly values secure and inclusive online communities, as well as meaningful two-way communication. Brands that foster such welcoming environments can establish profound emotional connections with their Gen Z audience and develop brand loyalty (and maybe get a piece of that purchasing power pie). In light of this, brands should explore diversifying their online channels to effectively engage with Gen Z. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLOOMREACH 🧠 2024 Isn’t Like The Other Years… 2024 will be a year of transformation; a year when AI emerges at the forefront of the customer experience. If you’re thinking, “cool, cool, cool… But how do I become a part of this?” No stress, Bloomreach has your back. 🤝 [Bloomreach’s two-day digital event]( was created to help marketers like you stay ahead of the curve. You’ll discover how to best utilize this powerful new asset to create customer experiences that both resonate and drive revenue. 📈 Register for the free event, February 27th and 28th, led by industry leaders and jam-packed with insightful sessions. AI isn’t slowing down, so let’s get your knowledge up to speed. 🏁 Step into the future with AI-driven personalization and discover a world of limitless possibilities. [Claim Your Spot]( AD PERFORMANCE 🚀 Top performing ad creatives to test Looking to revamp your ad creatives this year? Well, you’re in luck! The [Pilothouse]( ad team did a lot of testing last year and discovered that these were the top 5 performing creatives in 2023. If you’re looking for high returns, duplicate and scale these. An easy win to start the year. 🏆 Five high-performing ad creative types: 1️⃣ Greenscreen: A simple person overlay on either a product page or on top of a CGC video. You can use [the TikTok greenscreen tool]( to easily create this effect. 2️⃣ Emojis: Add some emojis specific to the product or promo and you got yourself a low CPC winner. For example, this bedding brand used the sleeping emoji to get the point across that their product will ensure a good night’s sleep. 😴 3️⃣ Repeat background: Duplicate the same copy behind a product. If an image alone doesn’t convey what your product is about, use this as an opportunity to state what your product is and avoid confusion. Badge GIF: Add simple USPs around a product and have them pop up one by one so they are easily distinguishable and give you a competitive edge. [This GIF for Kind of Wild Wines has colorful badges that grab your attention.] Monochromatic Backgrounds: Have a background that is in the same color family as the product itself for an aesthetically pleasing ad creative. For this Great Jones ad, the color scheme makes their informative copy stand out too. [Great Jones monochrome background matches their dutch oven pot] Whether it's utilizing greenscreens, emojis, repeat backgrounds, badge GIFs, or monochromatic backgrounds, duplicating and scaling these winning strategies offers a straightforward path to a successful start to the year. 🎉 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE As you start off the New Year, focus on these two simple things: clarity and consistency! Can't view the image? [Click here]( 👀 BANTER Can you see us? Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 📦 [Unboxing the Supply Chain]( with Ingredient Brothers’ Eran Mizrahi - 📧 [AKNF 365:]( Jogo Talks About Critical Gmail Changes for 2024 - 💵 Tiny Founder Andrew Wilkinson [Hero’s Journey From Barista to Empire Builder]( - 😎 [AKNF 364:]( The Secret to 5x Scale on Meta Ads - 💪 [Creating a $4 Million Dollar Modern Creatine Gummy Brand]( with Dan McCormick - 😆 [AKNF 362:]( Is CPC for Clowns? Meta Ads BFCM Recap Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight]( and [Frances Du](. 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](