Issue 177: 5 Strategies to Weather a Tough Year in DTC 🛠️

That face when you’re trying to work out exactly how much you need to grow to outpace the effects of the accelerating international trade war and spikes in tariffs.

| TWEET OF THE WEEK

🚨 How Smart Brands Will Win in 2025 (Despite Everything) 📉→📈

Consumer spending is down, growth is stalling, and easy wins are gone. But the strongest brands are about to get stronger. Cody Plofker reveals the playbook for turning challenges into advantages—mastering creative, leaner ops, strategic partnerships, and AI-driven efficiency. Don’t just survive; thrive.

Get the full article. 👉️ 

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Complete TROAS Guide

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| QUICK SHOTS

@eduardbeschea ⚠️ Must know: Shopify is secretly charging you an extra 0.35% per order

Anze Markovic Most marketers A/B test hooks randomly, while performance is predictable when you match hook type to buying psychology.

@heyitsalexP Remember: you can always NOT comp your growth.

Max Langlois There’s a massive overlap between the DTC brands that are best at paid media and the ones that know post-purchase surveys aren’t just an attribution tool.

@PrestonRuther10 CFO: What's our balance of brand vs performance spend?

Andra Baragan Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) isn’t just about giving customers flexibility—it’s about removing the last barrier to purchase. And for luxury brands, where higher price points naturally create hesitation, how you present BNPL options can make or break conversions.

| HERE FOR THE MEME

| AND IN OTHER NEWS…

| GET LINKED

Mike Rome

2 Steps to Become a Top 1% Meta Media Buyer by 5PM Today

If your reports don’t break out by:
1. Funnel
2. Audience type

You’re missing clarity.

Step 1: Funnel breakdown:
✅ Views
✅ Adds to cart
✅ Starts checkout
✅ Purchases

Step 2: Audience breakdown:
✅ New (cold traffic)
✅ Engaged (warm traffic)
✅ Existing (current customers)

A 4.3 ROAS means nothing unless you know this:
- New: 2.4 ROAS
- Engaged: 6.2 ROAS
- Existing: 12.1 ROAS

An $80 CAC is misleading. The real story:
- New: $140 CAC
- Engaged: $56 CAC
- Existing: $28 CAC

To improve, do this:
- Review the funnel.
- Compare to benchmarks.
- Fix the weakest link.

TLDR:
❌ Default reporting is garbage.
✅ Better reporting = better decisions.

Click for the full post

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| STAT ATTACK

| THE OUTRO

No time like the present, good people! We’re flying by the seats of our pants for at least the next 10 months.

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