How and why luxury fashion brands are focusing on sustainable alternatives

Luxury fashion has a problem. According to McKinsey, the industry is responsible for over $2 billion in greenhouse gas emissions every year. That’s roughly 4% of the world’s total output.

How legacy brands can market effectively with influencers

You’d be surprised. Influencer marketing isn’t always a strategy for borrowing name recognition from celebrities. Legacy brands have big budgets and decades of goodwill already working for them.

SEO for social media (Yes, social media)

According to Google SVP Prabhakar Raghavan, “something like almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search.” Instead, said Raghavan, they turn to “TikTok or Instagram.”

Ugly ads don’t mean bad ads: Try these expert tips for high-intent ads

Before you decide if you agree to disagree with avoiding “ugly content” for your brand, we want to introduce you to a friend specializing in ad campaigns for ecommerce brands.

Beauty brands are (Finally) turning to male influencers

As more brands aim to gain attention from Gen Z consumers, cosmetic brands are branching out and finally tapping into the appeal and audience of male beauty creators.

Does it still cost 5X more to acquire customers than to retain them in 2023?

The “5x rule” is a beloved stat, tracing its roots to sources at Bain Capital. But here’s the thing: the stat is…well, kind of old. We’re talking 2014. Possibly even earlier.

Creator success case study: Hyundai and Culture Brands

Creator marketing can be a big investment for many eCommerce and DTC brands. It often begs the question, “is it worth it?” This new case study series will evaluate different campaigns to give you a better idea of just how successful creator marketing campaigns can be. Let’s kick off the series with an awesome campaign from Hyundai and Culture Brands.

This year’s Super Bowl creator-marketing wins that brands should emulate for next year

Brands choosing to partner with America’s favorite celebrities is almost a bigger tradition than the Super Bowl itself. In the past, we’ve seen ads from Dolly Parton, Timothée Chalamet, and Will Ferrell. This year, like in previous years, there was no shortage of A-list celebrities placed front and center of the most coveted advertising slots. Celebrities ranged from Serena Williams, Alicia Silverstone, Melissa McCarthy, Bradley Cooper, and John Travolta.

Six creator couples share how they work together while in a relationship

Relationships, whether romantic, platonic, or familial, are essential for any human being to thrive. Even when these relationships are complicated or situational (see: situationships), they allow us to learn new things about ourselves, explore the parts of life outside our comfort zone, and ultimately help us evolve as individuals.

How creators and influencers over 40 are carving out a space on social media

Over the past couple of years, social media users have been explicit in asking for content from brands and creators that’s authentic, diverse, and inclusive. In short, social media users are begging for real.It makes sense why authenticity resonates well with social media users—especially those actively searching for new products. People want to see how products help people who look like themselves and reflect a similar lifestyle.

Amazon influencer program secrets: Why UGC creators need to get started now!

A look at how creators are making the most of Amazon's influencer program

HOORAE’s Tiana Harris on their partnership with Walmart

Black creators, despite their talent and often being the main drivers of social media trends, are often overlooked for partnership opportunities with brands. Naturally, this oversight has led to a gap in which Black creators have less access to paid opportunities or even visibility on social media and other creator platforms.

The rise of the LinkedIn influencer (and what it means for the creator economy)

Most people might not group LinkedIn with mega-creator platforms like YouTube and TikTok. TikTok is the exciting new kid on the block, rocket-blasting from $82 million in revenue in the third quarter of 2019 to $1,567 billion three years later. YouTube has been around longer, but its status as the world’s top video-sharing network makes it a titanic platform for any influencer.

What responsibilities do sustainable brands have to educate (without) alienating customers?

Striking a balance between creativity and appealing to customers is often a tenuous one for marketing teams.Add in the massive competition for traffic and sales, and you might find a brand or two swinging for the fences only to end up striking out spectacularly.

What is the future of the creator and influencer economies?

Combining niche marketing insights with powerful creators has been a boon to marketers. That’s why the creator economy reached over $100 billion in the middle of 2022. And now, 75% of marketers use it to one degree or another.

Short-form video: How influencers are tackling ever-decreasing attention spans

The average attention span is shrinking. In fact, a recent Microsoft study found that our attention span is down to about eight seconds or less. This extends to attention spans while browsing the web. And in the creator economy, those eight seconds are precious currency.There’s no doubt that in recent years, short-form video has either created this trend or capitalized on it. And it’s officially a trend creators can’t afford to ignore.

The role of creator marketing and influencers in the B2B world

Since creator marketing is so successful in the DTC world, it follows that marketers would wonder if the B2B world also lends itself well to success with creator marketing.

Content not performing? How to create platform-native content that drives results

You’ve seen it a million times in the DTC and B2B worlds. A company will take the same piece of content and plaster it across the brand’s various social media channels. The results? Lackluster. Maybe it will get engagement from the social media manager (SMM) who posted it—and, if they’re lucky, the SMM’s mom. (Provided they’re on Twitter, of course.)What’s wrong with this strategy? Aside from the fact that it never works, it’s rare to see brands—especially B2B companies—dive deep into every social media platform’s unique quirks. As a result, they rarely post creative content that engages their target audience.

Influencers are changing the niche fragrance game

Regardless of whether or not fragrance advertising makes sense, they are successful in two notable factors:They get attention, and consumers talk about it. Plus, because celebrities are often the face of legacy perfumes, they offer consumers a point of reference when recalling a brand. It might be daunting for niche or indie brands to go head-to-head with an established brand. But there’s good news: consumers want products that fit their needs individually.

How Nibble and its AI-powered chat is impacting eCommerce

It is uncommon to find an AI-powered chat experience that is willing to negotiate with customers, and do so with ... well ... with some personality. That's exactly what Nibble provides. Rosier Bailey, Nibble's president and CEO, chatted with the DTC Growth Show about Nibble and its potential uses across eCommerce.

What influencer trends should you follow in 2023?

Influencer marketing has become a key part of many brands' marketing strategies over the past few years. With the rise of social media platforms and the ability for individuals to gain large followings, influencers have become a valuable tool for businesses looking to reach new audiences and promote their products or services. As we start 2023, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest influencer trends to ensure that your brand is making the most of this marketing strategy.

Where are brands finding new talent? Hint: It’s not LinkedIn

There’s been talk about ‘Quiet Quitting’ and the ‘Great Resignation’ over the last two years, which means brands wanting to fill positions and needing employees have to take a good, hard look at what they’re offering how they’re reaching potential candidates.

Want to work with effective creators and influencers? Get them to opt-in

Content creators are worth their weight in gold when the relationship is authentic. And while you might get lucky reaching out to creators who are fans of the brand and willing to provide content for your different marketing channels, there’s a more effective way to get creators on board who will bring the excitement and authenticity you want (and need): getting them to opt-in.

Top influencer marketing trends for 2023

2022 was a successful year for influencer marketers, and things are looking up in 2023 as well. While influencer marketing and creator partnerships will help brands grow and capture more sales, it’s also essential to keep a pulse on marketing, influencer, and industry trends.

How marginalized creators are using “algospeak” to bypass the algorithms and reach wider audiences

It’s known as “algospeak,” and its premise is simple. Some online platforms use algorithms to censor or ban content by seeking out key phrases. Creators find sneaky ways of not saying those phrases while still getting their basic meaning across to their audience. Algorithms becomes Al Gore Rhythms. Dead becomes unalive. Sex becomes seggs. It’s not just a snarky way to avoid TikTok or Twitter dinging your content and sending you to the digital equivalent of a timeout. For some, it’s a necessity. One study examined how “social media work is not just materially concealed, but rendered socially invisible through its lack of … marginal status.”

Five examples of viral creator-brand ad collabs

Come launch time, brand and creator collaborations have a way of looking effortless. From product names to color palettes, it’s as if the brand and creator were made for each other. A look behind the scenes, however, shows that success is no accident.

Retail and eCommerce trends for 2023

Did you know that more than half of the world’s eCommerce transactions take place in China? Commerce trends largely have taken hold in Asia first and then slowly made their way west.

TikTok trends from A-Z for 2023

Well, TikTok is the “it girl,” right? And if there is anything an “it girl” knows, it’s trends. Brands that ride the wave of the TikTok trends get the most out of the platform and see positive results. Brands that don’t flounder in cyberspace.Lucky for you, I spend a healthy portion of my day researching TikTok trends, so you don’t have to. Here are the top 26 TikTok trends moving into 2023 from A to Z. (Let’s get cute about this…just like TikTok did.)

Joy Ofodu: From full-time Meta employee to full-time content creator

Since the pandemic, there seems to be a cultural shift in how the world views the overall idea of the full-time job. For many, there were water cooler chats, post-work team-building activities, meetings that really could have been an email, and many minutes spent commuting to and from the office. Now, time is more valuable than ever, and the desire to have a work-life balance, flexibility in schedule and environment, and the space to pursue creative passion projects outside of work is becoming more and more palatable.

What we can learn from China’s commerce trends

China’s leading tech innovation is a top reason for its place as a global commerce leader. Many of the world’s most popular social media and commerce platforms started in China first and then moved westward.

Dentist goes viral on TikTok, showing the fun side of oral health care

This week, BANKNOTES caught up with Dr. Suhail Mohiuddin, who has built a growing dental franchise across the Chicago area, and is bringing in 25% of his new customers through TikTok referrals

These top pickleball influencers are helping the sport’s growth in popularity

While it might seem like pickleball is a come-and-go trend, more akin to cold bucket challenges and “is it real or cake?” videos, pickleball is a trend with staying power. In the world of viral hits and short-lived fads, that’s unique to both sports and TikTok.

How to grow your TikTok following, as highlighted by Alex Friedman and her 77K followers

TikTok is one of the most powerful tools to build a rapid audience online. Anyone who’s signed up has experienced the initial “boost” that comes with your first couple of posts. TikTok’s algorithm often sets you up for success, hoping to hook you to the platform.But what happens next? You start to find out how competitive TikTok can be. After all, we’re talking about the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 billion global downloads. That’s great news if you’re looking to build an audience. But it’s also a high bar if you’re trying to stand out and build an audience.

How a dentist is rooting his new-patient strategy in TikTok

It’s not often you come across a dental office with a brand name. Usually, you’ll see “Dr. Mohiuddin Denistry,” “Queen Street Dentistry,” or “Chicago Dental.” There isn’t a lot of creativity, which was the first part of Dr. M’s plan to build a dental brand, not just another clinic. Hence the brand name, Dentologie.

Are creators the cheat code to a brand's social media voice?

This week we’ll dive into the cheat code for creating quality social media content that resonates with Gen Z (spoiler alert: it’s creators.)

ChatGPT's list of top eCommerce tactics

As the eCommerce industry continues to grow, businesses are looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition. To do this, they need to employ the best eCommerce tactics. Here are some of the top eCommerce tactics that businesses should consider:

Influencer marketing trends, as written by ChatGPT

We asked ChatGPT to summarize the latest influencer marketing trends for BANKNOTES

Why brands are hiring TikTok creators to run their social media

If you want to reach these active Gen Z buyers, it’s essential to understand what messages resonate with them and what kind of content encourages their engagement. For Gen Z, that’s humorous and authentic content.

How to maintain customer loyalty as the inflation spikes the cost of goods

Sure, Black Friday saw an all-time high in eCommerce sales. But if you’ve been to any grocery, retail, or marketplace in the last year, you’ve likely felt the effects of inflation. Everything is more expensive right now. For example, prices for food increased by 10.4% in 2022 (the biggest increase since 1981), and energy prices have risen 41.6% over the last year (the largest since 1980).

Faux 'website outage' emails flood Black Friday inboxes

Do brands lie? Of course they do! But you may be surprised how many brands used a deceptive and false email marketing tactic this past Black Friday weekend—and customers started to catch on.

UGC: Tips for hunting and gathering

Welcome to this week's BANKNOTES newsletter. We hope you enjoyed your holiday, and that this note finds its way through the clutter of endless sales emails. (No seriously the sale ends today!)Speaking of holiday shopping, this week we dive into how best for brands to gather user generated content that can be used across social media and other channels.

Top ways brands can obtain quality UGC and connect with influencers and creators

Well, social media is officially the new word of mouth. Social media allows consumers to share your brand, and it helps you connect with consumers, build trust, and develop a community. And, now there’s a way you can leverage the power of digital word of mouth marketing to also produce more impactful content at a reduced cost. Enter user generated content (UGC).

How Awful Cloth grew a mindset brand through organic creator relationships

Fact: Everyone likes to wear hoodies. Fact: Everyone wore hoodies during the pandemic. Fact: We all love expressing ourselves in different ways. Fact: Everyone can do with a little positivity in their day-to-day lives. Combine all these attributes, put them into a wishing well, and what do you get? An optimistic brand that sells positivity-focused clothing, writes Monday motivation quotes, and sells really bright and happy hoodies.

Successful creators know how to focus and tap into their competitive advantage

Think back to the first time you decided to take your creator career seriously. You face a sea of decisions that can feel paralyzing. It’s no surprise then that one question keeps getting brought up when I talk to creators: How do you break through in a sea of distractions, choices and competition?

Creator campaigns aren't just for apparel and CPG brands: INFINITI launches campaign driven by creators

Welcome to this week's BANKNOTES newsletter.Before you slip into a tryptophan-induced slumber, we wanted to stuff (see what we did there) your inbox with some insights from this week in eCommerce and creator marketing.

Erica Werber, CEO of Literie Candles, on the explosion of the candle industry

Literie was originally launched as a pandemic hobby and love letter to NYC. With help sampling scent profiles with her kids as they were learning remotely and with an order of 2000 candles, founder Erica Werber thought she would just sell the candles mostly to friends, and then return to her normal career.

INFINITI launches marketing campaign driven by creators

INFINITI, the luxury division of Nissan, has launched a new creator-powered campaign called Capture INFINITI. According to the agency leading the campaign, INFINITI is looking for ways to differentiate itself within the growing competitive luxury vehicle space, which is why it teamed up with seven creators to launch a one-of-a-kind creator-led campaign. The campaign showcases INFINITI’s QX series.

Nibble brings an AI-powered negotiator bot to eCommerce

Nibble is a new eCommerce technology company that’s trying to disrupt eCommerce product pricing. The technology brings customer and merchant negotiation into the online shopping experience for Shopify stores.

TikTok is paving a new path for online search: Are you ready?

Is TikTok going head-to-head with Google search? According to a recent writeup from Ashley Cummings for BANKNOTES this isn't too far fetched. 😲 In fact, 40% of young people say they go directly to TikTok or Instagram now instead of Google. 😲

Options for paying creators: Affiliate commissions vs. contracts vs. full-time

The question isn’t whether or not there’s value in hiring creators—even over celebrities—to promote your brand. There is. The question is: what’s the best way to compensate creators so you can secure more mutually-beneficial partnerships and grow your brand?

Tuft and Paw's Jackson Cunningham on developing thoughtful furniture for cats

From a cat tree that looks like it should be in a museum, to the perfect litter box: Tuft and Paw's Jackson Cunningham on developing thoughtful furniture for cats

Bolt one-click checkout sustains another round of layoffs

So-called one-click checkout company Bolt underwent another round of sweeping layoffs this week, according to posts from several former employees across Linkedin.

Death to DTC Twitter? Elon Musk’s direction causes fight or flight response amongst community

While it’s still early on in the acquisition, folks are complaining on Twitter about Musk, his “sh*tposting” (for a lack of a better term), and these new changes (mostly the pay-for-verification issue.) One community that’s specifically concerned is the Direct-to-Consumer one—a small subset of Twitter where founders, marketers, and operators of eCommerce technology and brands came together and built strong connections over the past several years.

Banknotes’ 2022 holiday DTC gift guide (and giveaway)

Check out the coolest DTC gifts and enter for a chance to win $500 to spend on yourself and some friends

Nisha Godfrey: The woman behind TikTok’s viral chicken salad sound

“It’s a chicken salad.”If this phrase sounds familiar, it’s likely because you’ve heard it used as a trending sound in thousands of videos on TikTok and Instagram over the past several weeks. The entire sound features an exchange between frequent deli goer Nisha Godfrey and owner Wael Herbawi at East 81st Street Deli in Cleveland, Ohio.

FlavorCloud's Mike Sanchez on the business of leading

As the Chief Revenue Officer at FlavorCloud, Mike Sanchez has had 17 years of experience driving partner, sales, and customer success.

Not all creators need to foster community

Building audiences has always been a lucrative endeavor. It’s the reason why the amount brands spend on influencer marketing keeps rising. Community is powerful on its own, too. Conferences and online memberships are thriving businesses. This begs the question, do all creators need to build community?

Hollister uses Share2Pay to help young shoppers share their carts with guardians

After an internal study of sales data, executives at Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch found that brands targeted toward teens were losing sales. Part of this was due to inflation and the rising cost of living, but they found the key pain point was an age-old reality: most teens simply don’t have much purchasing power. After researching today’s Gen Alpha (teen) consumers, Hollister created the Share2Pay app to tackle this problem.

#paid named an official TikTok marketing partner

#paid, a multi-channel creator marketing platform that empowers creators to partner with brands and build their businesses, today announced that it has become an official TikTok Marketing Partner. As a badged partner, #paid will bring more great opportunities to their engaged network of content creators and marketers.

Holiday 2022 shopping predictions: Creativity is key if you're going to survive

It seems for the third consecutive year now we're saying the same thing: This holiday shopping season will be unlike any we've ever seen before. With the eCommerce boom regressing significantly in the shadow of an economic downturn, brands are having to be creative with how they attract people to their websites and brick-and-mortar locations.

TikTok is paving a new path for online search

@Colesflow summarizes a hot, new consumer trend in one, short sentence: “I don’t Google anymore—I TikTok. ”While it seems funny at first, stats show TikTok is more than an entertainment and social commerce platform—it’s a search engine. For many consumers, especially younger ones, TikTok is edging out Google as the preferred search engine.

TikTok success: Value longevity over the momentary peak

As humans, we all need time to develop. We need time to experience new things, make mistakes, and build our own perspectives. Going through this development period helps us make more informed decisions that align better with our skillset. TikTok doesn’t give us time to develop. Post a video today and in 24 hours you can be ‘famous.’ You then go fight a mental battle: Should I keep doing this because of the fame or should I keep doing this because it is fulfilling?

Changes to Meta’s API impacts some influencer marketing platforms

Grin, a popular creator management platform used by DTC brands like SKIMS, Warby Parker, and Allbirds, was dealt a hard blow last month due to Meta’s new API and service guidelines. Most Meta-related features have been wiped from the platform, including Instagram creator search. And that’s barely scratching the surface. The platform removed unauthenticated Instagram creators along with the campaigns and content they’ve made for partner brands in the past.

Boarderie brings DTC cheese and charcuterie to Shark Tank

Boarderie has spent the past two years sending artisan charcuterie and cheese boards directly to people's homes. Their boards don't require the recipients to unpack them and put them together, they're not baskets. These go straight from the box to your table and are ready to eat.

Gen Z thinks your marketing is bad: Here’s what you can do about it

According to a 2022 Knit Report, Gen Z makes up 40% of the global consumer population and has $600 billion in spending power. The report also states that 72% of Gen Zers think brands need to do a much better job marketing to them—especially if they want to win their loyalty.

Creators all want long-term deals, but are they willing to play the long game?

We all agree that creators should be fairly paid. The time and energy effective creators put into their craft can’t be understated and should be met with equitable compensation.

Product photography at scale: Today’s eCommerce brands are outsourcing

Unless a shopper can picture him or herself using a product, it’s difficult to validate a buying decision. This is especially true within the eCommerce environment, as shoppers face the hurdle of not being able to touch/feel/try on an item before buying. So why, then, are so many eCommerce brands still utilizing plain product images on a flat, white background?

How the ledidi berry, AKA Nature’s Wild Berry, changed a life

Nature's Wild Berry's goal is to raise awareness about the non-gmo organic ledidi berry that they now call Nature’s Wild Berry. They aim to help people cut sugar and processed foods and increase their love of vegetables and whole foods using ledidi berries.

Ways eCommerce brands can grow sales the remainder of 2022

While the overall attitude regarding the current economy is lackluster, NRF reports that retail sales will still grow between 6% and 8% to more than the $4.86 trillion recorded in 2022.Even if consumers are upset by inflation and the current state of the economy, the good news is they are still spending—especially during the upcoming holiday season. In fact, 30% of all retail sales typically happen between BFCM and Christmas.

🚩 If they tell you how to gather UGC without paying for posts

Pay creators for their time, not their conversion rate

Social media endorsements: Brands and DTC influencers play hide and seek with disclosures

Over the past month, Parker has engaged with a number of micro-influencers on Twitter to promote its credit card and official launch party (which happened on Sept. 29), generating FOMO on behalf of the brand.Some of the influencers have disclosed they’ve been paid, adding a #sponsored hashtag to their post or some other indication of a professional relationship. Others, though gushing about the credit card and its party, have not indicated sponsorship.

General Mills' DTC-CPG strategy and its chief, Carter Jensen

Carter Jensen is senior manager of Global Commerce | Innovation & Emerging Channels at General Mills (in short he runs their DTC team) and while he may be one of the cool kids internally, he understands that to the rest of the CPG world he may be perceived as being part of legacy brands and systems.

Marfa Stance is transforming activewear one modular garment at a time

The popularity of activewear has been on a steady rise over the last five decades.From wearing velour tracksuits and leotards in the 70s and 80s to bike shorts and yoga pants in the 90s and 00s, there’s a theme: people want to dress comfortably. One problem is how do you dress for an active (or leisurely) lifestyle and still look polished?

BANKNOTES readers: We want to hear from you

In an effort to provide the best and most useful content across eCommerce, retail and the creator economy we'd like to hear from you, our readers.

10 marketing experiments that worked: 10 unconventional use cases that paid off in 2022

The world of eCommerce marketing is like a jungle, densely packed with mainstream content for as far as the eye can see. You need an appetite for experimentation to survive this saturated eCommerce space and create a standout brand name. With strategically designed marketing experiments, you can create mind-blowing campaigns to deliver a great customer experience that gives consumers a reason to hit the “buy” button. It’s a great way to test your risk tolerance, go beyond generic marketing tactics, and discover new solutions to maximize your marketing ROI.

Is the Metaverse the future of fashion?

During the Drapers Future of Fashion conference in June 2022, Hilsum, the senior director of product innovation for the luxury fashion global platform Farfetch, took it a step further and shared that the metaverse (along with developing technology) will be “the next stage of luxury shopping.”

Abtin Masseratagah on the importance of retention marketing

Abtin Masseratagah is a digital marketing consultant and founder of Northn Mo., a Toronto-based digital and social media marketing firm.

Chipotle’s Neiv Toledano on their partnership with ‘Corn Kid’

How Chipotle partnered with the 'Corn Kid' to produce a short-form video for their social media channels, which is now their highest-performing social media content.

Bolt checkout goes live on Fanatics ... sort of

So-called one-click checkout company Bolt scored a win today, going live on the Fanatics website. Fanatics is one of the largest websites to join the Bolt network, and it comes at a time when the SaaS has been fighting an uphill battle against lawsuits, layoffs and struggling to raise.

Creator-brand partnerships: What brands need to know

All creator content isn’t created equal. Consumers don’t want brands to simply throw money around and hire famous faces to promote their products. They want authenticity and content that is synergistic to both the brand and the famous face being used as a spokesperson.

How Dog Child is helping serve up healthy options for picky pets

Sure we all have friends who are picky eaters: But what about our pets? Nicole Marchand, CEO and founder of Dog Child, has always loved animals, and she started to wonder why she was always feeding them the same thing."You can't just feed them the same thing every day," she said. "You think about the way we don't want to be eating the same thing every day, you're eventually going to get bored."

Is UGC oversaturated? Not even close.

The popularity of UGC has grown exponentially over the last few years. However, as with all things, there’s an abundance of UGC creators working to connect with brands and provide a service.

Why storytelling is critical for DTC success

It’s clear that consumers are selective about where they spend their money, and brands that share specific beliefs and values have won the hearts of the modern-day consumer over brands that slap a logo on their product that’s made in the same factory as thousands of others.

Triple Whale: How an enterprise SaaS found a highly relatable voice on social media

If you want to be successful in B2B marketing, make your efforts look more like DTC marketing. At least that’s the emerging train of thought, and strategy being following by Triple Whale, a marketing analytics and attribution SaaS.

Is there still a playbook for DTC success? Eric Bandholz on how Beardbrand is weathering the storm

Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how eCommerce founders are feeling after what’s been considered a “belt-tightening year” by many.Despite a successful 2019 through 2021 for eCommerce, we’re now in a DTC downturn where investments are drying up, stock is dropping rapidly, and layoffs seem to be happening every day.

How Pura sells the sense of smell, even across digital platforms

Brands that sell fully sensory products, especially senses that don’t translate well in a digital setting—taste and smell—have a unique marketing challenge. It’s not an easy task, but some brands, like Pura, are still somehow knocking their eCommerce sales out of the park.

Furniture retailers see decline in sales, layoffs since height of COVID boom

A cushy new sofa or mattress isn’t always enough to pad the discomfort of inflation and a down economy, and furniture sales are now slowing.

What’s your sign? How brands are using astrology to start a conversation

Gone are the days you’d only find a generic horoscope at the back of a gossip magazine. Now, you can shop for candles that speak to your zodiac sign or even order a fast food meal that aligns with your vIbEz. In other words, astrology is undergoing a marketing makeover.

FFUPs and how Sam Tichnor is trying to create the next iconic snack brand

What do you do after spending several years as a business analyst for Capital One and then helping lead strategy for Harry's and Harry's Labs? Well you go launch a puffs brand of course.

Meet Vantana: Digital creator, artist, Twitch streamer, and online Yoga instructor

Vantana is an artist who abandoned traditional work during the pandemic to focus on his creative digital projects.

Kristi Knowles on transforming RawFoodz to Mother Raw

Kristi Knowles spoke to the DTC Growth Show team about how her 25-plus years in food/CPG led to spearheading a successful rebrand and expansion of Kopman’s beloved RawFoodz.

Today in brief: Industry West launches bath line; Bolt backs out of Crypto deal

DTC furniture brand Industry West has announced the launch of a new luxury bath line, diversifying the company's online offerings in what is its largest product launch since its inception in 2015.

Trevor Merchant: The content creator watching TikToks so you don't have to

Trevor Merchant, also known as @timesaver9000, condenses other people’s often clickbaity or unnecessarily long videos so you won’t have to waste time watching them—hence the username.

Market research in the world of COVID and eCommerce

In a lot of ways market research is a legacy tactic, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored by brands big and small. In fact, market research as come a long way from the focus groups of the past. While formal studies and surveys are still on the table, the host of potential market research channels now open to marketers has grown exponentially.

Should brands hire creators over agencies to produce high-fidelity content?

If creator content is so effective across social media, should brands be turning to creators for all kinds of high-fidelity content as well? And, is there a benefit to hiring creators directly instead of going the traditional route and hiring an agency?

Influencer and publisher whitelisting is all the rage: And it works!

Always looking for emerging marketing techniques, operators are backing a new tactic referred to as whitelisting, creator licensing, or creator listing.

Chris Meade and how CROSSNET is creating a new sports category

Chris Meade is not only marketing a product, he's creating a new sport!Through CROSSNET he's brought 'foursquare' to volleyball, soccer and pickleball; and he's done it all without raising venture money.

Hispanic and Latinx creators making their mark In 2022

Meet eight creators and influencers carving their own path in the creator economy. From beauty and lifestyle content to activism and entrepreneurship, these Latinx creators are making their mark and doing it for the culture… or por la cultura.

Marketing lessons that can be learned from the rise and fall of AND1

If you were a teen or 20-something in the mid-’90s, early 2000s chances are you were a fan of AND1.AND1 is a basketball apparel brand that hit its peak in the late 1990s. The brand was focussed on bringing the street back to streetball through apparel focussed on ‘trash talk,’ hype sneaker designs and—of course— the AND1 Mixtape.

DTC brands turn to crowdfunding investments as recession looms

The uncertainty in the current eCommerce environment along with the pullback from VCs has led to tougher sledding for brands looking to raise capital rounds. But it’s not all doom and gloom.Over the past month, a group of community-driven DTC brands has turned to crowdfunding as a means to fuel growth. Obvi, CROSSNET, and Wunderkeks publicly launched investment rounds targeting different audiences—from customers, friends, and family to DTC founders and angels.

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