Issue 191: How To Position Your Product As Luxury

+ Traditional influencer campaigns? Old news.

May 23, 2025

| THE INTRO

We’re definitely not the type to leave you hanging pre-weekend. Consider this your digital news-equivalent of a high five and fist pump. You did it! You made it through the week.

You know last week? OLD NEWS.

Next week? FUTURE NEWS.

Right now? THE NEWS.

Let’s get it folks! Just a few more hours until we sleep the sleep of the just. 😤 

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| TWEET OF THE WEEK

🧠 The Creator Strategy That’s Quietly Beating Traditional Influencer Campaigns

A breakdown of a creator strategy that’s quietly outperforming typical influencer campaigns. Instead of one-off posts, it focuses on longer-term, low-friction content partnerships that feel native—especially on TikTok.

📉 Pushes back on the usual “pay-per-post” model
📦 Emphasizes creative control, consistency, and brand alignment
📊 Backed by performance data from real campaigns
🔄 Works best when creators are given room to iterate, not just follow a brief

Less about reach, more about relevance—and why that shift is working.

| YOUTUBE UNIVERSITY

How To Position Your Product As Luxury

| TOGETHER WITH APPLOVIN

Hundreds of high growth brands like Ridge, True Classic, MaryRuth Organics, and Bombas are diversifying their digital marketing with AppLovin.

AppLovin ads are full screen video ads that run in a variety of mobile games, reaching over 150 million daily active users and driving measurable performance at scale:

  • Brands have scaled to $100K/day spend at their goals within 2 weeks.

  • 80%+ of conversions happen within 1 hour from click

  • 90%+ of conversions happen within 24 hours from click

AppLovin’s Ecommerce Beta is open to DTC brands with $10M+ annual run-rate GMV (gross merchandise value) based on U.S. sales. Once approved, advertisers receive a $10K ad credit.

| QUICK SHOTS

Cody Plofker What do you think will be the first effective “Vibe Marketing” job to be done?

Ryan Mckenzie Talked to a founder today. Her business was worth more than ridge.

Ryan Mckenzie I've watched countless DTC brands get caught in this pointless war between media buyers and creative agencies.

Josh Durham 🔋 Influencer Marketing It's all fun and games till your creator with 150k followers gets 100 views

Drew F. Ok so here’s an interesting stat for you: Couples-founded CPG brands have been acquired for $4.7B

| AND IN OTHER NEWS…

Dick’s Sporting Goods to Acquire Foot Locker in $2.5 Billion Deal - Retail TouchPoints

In an acquisition that provides Dick’s Sporting Goods with an international presence, the retailer will buy the 2,400-store Foot Locker chain.

Shoe brand Keen is opening a new US factory while still holding prices steady

Keen is stepping up its commitment to manufacturing in the U.S. amid the ongoing trade war, opening a new factory in Kentucky in June.

Crypto elite increasingly worried about their personal safety | TechCrunch

Cryptocurrency executives and other investors with significant wealth from crypto holdings are getting more serious about personal security, according to

X Implements New Measures to Detect Manipulation of Community Notes

X has added a new method to detect coordinated notes activity.

Walmart Prepares for a Future Where AI Shops for Consumers | PYMNTS.com

Walmart is gearing up for a shift in consumer behavior as artificial intelligence begins to take a more active role in how people shop. The retail giant

| GET LINKED

I've been working through a framework for trying to describe what replaced a large chunk of Direct Response Marketing. Stuff like old-school print / lists / paid search costs vs performance / paid social costs vs performance. The change in the composition of the customer file (loyal customers still there, everything else is gradually eroding).

| RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE & SERVICES

  • Sick of your influencer program being held up by duct-tape, spreadsheets and a prayer? If every part of your influencer program feels hard, make it easier with Modash, the influencer marketing platform built for Shopify stores. Run paid partnerships, gifting, and affiliates all in one place. Starts from $199/month. Try for free - no credit card required!

  • Are you a subscription business losing revenue to failed payments? Redux recovers what’s yours, purely on performance. Normally adding 3-8%+ in topline ARR growth. Redux’s ML/AI maximizes recovery, stopping churn from draining your ARR. Ready to stop the leaks? Let Redux handle the hard part while you enjoy the rewards. Learn more here.

  • You know your email flows aren’t performing like they should—maybe even leaking revenue in ways you can’t see. 😬 Most agencies charge for “upgrades” without proving they actually worked. We don’t guess. We test, measure, and optimize—because every email should earn its keep. 🚀 Learn about the Email Flow CRO method here.

  • BoxFort Commerce helps clothing & high-sku brands scale with efficient Shopify fulfillment. Unlike the Bobs & Monks of logistics, we ship hundreds of thousands of orders for 3 of our own clothing and jewelry brands, so it’s imperative that our processes are built around saving money & consistency. Learn more here.

  • Your bank wasn’t built for eCom. Highbeam is. Traditional banks offer clunky software, slow support, and zero return on idle cash. Highbeam is for brands doing $500k+ on Shopify, Amazon, and more. No account fees, no wire charges, automated cash tools, yield on idle cash, and smart credit. Everything you need to run a leaner eCom business. Explore Highbeam for Merchants.

| STAT ATTACK

| THE OUTRO

Deep breaths! We’re in the homestretch! Hug your loved ones and kick some ass.

Simultaneously if you’re an overachiever like we know you are.

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