Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

In this episode of All Killer No Filler, Abby & Henry from Pilothouse break down what it means to build real strategy for DTC brand growth. They explain how many brands today are stuck optimizing what already worked — rather than asking who the right audience is, what their pain points are, and how to speak to them.

What we cover:

• Defining real audiences & personas — how to move away from “Meta placing you” to targeting who truly values your product.

• Lifetime value, product curation, NCAC & AOV — choosing what to push, upsell, or abandon.

• Creative & messaging that connect across funnel stages — why the same creative at every stage fails.

• Strategy informing all channels — landing pages, email, ads, CRO & more.

“The game in 2020 was easy — now you're paying for a strategy that works.”

Whether you have a growing DTC brand or are scaling, this episode gives you concrete frameworks to sharpen your strategy, escape the spin cycle, and unlock long‑term performance gains.

Timestamps

00:00 Strategy vs. Easy Growth in DTC

02:45 The Role of an Account Strategist

05:30 Integrating with Brand Teams Across Channels

07:50 Unlocking New Audiences with Strategic Shifts

11:20 Why Lifetime Value Should Shape Your Strategy

15:30 Escaping the Tactical Spin Cycle

18:00 Building Effective Top-of-Funnel Creative

20:00 What a Strategic Audit Looks Like

22:00 The True Meaning of “Better” Creative

25:20 Why Deep Audience Research Drives Long-Term Growth

26:40 The Future of Media Buying and Creative Strategy

Hashtags

#DTCMarketing #EcommerceStrategy #MediaBuying #AdStrategy #GrowthMarketing #CustomerAcquisition #DigitalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #MarketingPodcast #Pilothouse

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Rod Morris, co‑founder of Lovevery, to dig into how they turned a single product idea into a global early‑learning brand with over 150 SKUs, presence in 34 markets, and a sustainable subscription model.

What you’ll learn:

• How Lovevery validated its premium product idea with the PlayGem and used early feedback to build credibility.
• The tactics that drove retention: mission‑aligned design, app features, quality materials.
• How unbundling the subscription and adding new SKUs (and retail partnerships) widened their customer base.
• Their strategy for profitable growth: optimizing supply chain, being more efficient, and adjusting to tariff pressures without compromising core experience.
• How circularity and resale aren’t just ethical branding—they’re catalytic for brand trust, lowering purchase friction, and increasing lifetime value.

Roderick Morris is Cofounder and President of Lovevery, the global early childhood brand known for transforming the way families play and learn. Recognized for its award-winning, stage-based Play Kits program and the companion Lovevery App, the company provides science-backed tools that empower parents with confidence and nurture children’s development from birth. Founded in 2015, Lovevery has since expanded to early literacy with The Early Reader Club subscription and The Reading Skill Set—a proven, screen-free, learn-to-read program. Today, Lovevery continues to lead in early childhood innovation across more than 30 global markets.

Timestamps

00:00 Serving parents and children with premium products

02:00 The origins of Lovevery and first product launch

04:00 Cracking the market with the Play Gym

07:00 Building credibility through influencers and early adopters

10:00 Scaling the subscription program and retention learnings

14:00 Product quality, durability, and material choices

17:00 Unbundling subscription kits to expand access

19:00 Growth during COVID and path to profitability

23:00 International expansion strategy and new markets

26:00 Walmart partnership and retail rollout

27:00 Launching the circularity marketplace for secondhand play kits

30:00 Mobile app evolution and impact on retention

33:00 Managing tariffs and business sustainability

35:00 Future growth levers and expanding into new skills

Hashtags

#DTCPodcast #Lovevery #RodMorris #Ecommerce #SubscriptionBusiness #ParentingProducts #DTC #ConsumerBrands #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, Eric speaks with Dougie, lead of the Google team at Pilothouse, about what happens when DTC brands try to scale on Google Ads and hit a ceiling. The conversation digs into impression share limits, ad rank, new customer acquisition, product mix, and how demand generation must be part of the strategy—not just search & shopping.

Why you’ll want to listen:

• Learn when you’re maxed out on impression share and what to do about it.
• How to use Google’s new customer acquisition settings & prioritize hero SKUs to improve incrementality.
• When & how to build upper funnel demand (YouTube, content, ingredient‑based content) to feed your capture channels.

This episode is essential for growth‑stage DTC marketers and eCommerce owners who want to scale Google Ads profitably without just increasing budget and sacrificing efficiency.

Timestamps

00:00 Scaling on Google Ads and hitting ceilings

02:00 Understanding impression share and ad rank

04:30 Creating demand through content and upper funnel tactics

07:00 Avoiding bidding mistakes and ensuring incrementality

09:00 Product distribution misalignment and hero product strategy

12:00 Shopping campaigns vs Performance Max for new customer growth

14:00 Using search terms and AI insights for keyword strategy

16:00 Preparing Google Ads accounts for Black Friday and Q4

18:00 How Pilothouse runs audits and identifies growth opportunities

Hashtags

#GoogleAds #DTC #Pilothouse #AdStrategy #DigitalMarketing #EcommerceGrowth #PerformanceMax #ScalingAds #MarketingPodcast #PPCStrategy

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - ⁠https://dtcnews.link/signup⁠In this third appearance on the DTC Podcast, Constantine Yurevich, founder of SegmentStream, delivers the most comprehensive breakdown of the marketing measurement landscape we've ever recorded.This isn’t theory. It’s a raw, truth-filled look at what works, what’s broken, and how DTC brands can actually understand what’s driving growth.Forget the vendor noise. This episode will reset your measurement mindset.Visit SegmentStream website: https://segmentstream.com/ Follow Constantine Yurevich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurevichcv/Key Insights and Takeaways:The 3 measurement models in DTC: empirical attribution, statistical modeling (MMM), and causal testing (geo-holdouts)—and why only one is truly useful for most brands.Why MMM is mostly theater: assumptions-driven, biased by design, and rarely accurate for DTC brands under $100M in spend.The myth of incrementality measurement: how geo-holdouts and lift tests produce confidence intervals too wide to act on.How to build a trustworthy attribution stack:First-click attribution (and why it’s ignored by platforms)Identity graph stitching across devices/usersSelf-reported attribution + re-attribution logic to uncover dark-funnel sources (YouTube, podcasts, etc.)Why first-click attribution is the best tool for understanding new customer acquisition.How self-reporting + re-attribution can show you where brand awareness is really coming from.The fatal flaw in measuring “incrementality” via platform lift studies.How to use marginal analytics to reallocate budget before returns diminish.Why platforms are killing first-click visibility—and what that tells you about their incentives.This episode is for DTC operators who are tired of overpaying for last-click conversions that would’ve happened anyway, want clear signals from upper-funnel and brand channels, and are hungry for real insight.Timestamps00:00 Intro and the state of marketing measurement02:15 Why most models are disconnected from reality05:00 Three main categories of marketing measurement08:10 The limits of MMM and mathematical models12:00 The rise of new-gen MMM and confirmation bias17:00 Geo holdout testing and its flaws24:00 Why true incrementality is nearly impossible to measure31:00 First click vs last click attribution37:00 Using identity graphs and self-reported attribution44:00 Why attribution still matters after 20 years52:00 Where SegmentStream fits in and key takeawaysHashtags#DTC #Ecommerce #MarketingMeasurement #Attribution #MMM #DigitalMarketing #BrandGrowth #MarketingData #Incrementality #AdTechSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

When we first spoke to Michael Fisher, Rotten had just launched a single product online. Now, the brand is stocked in 1,000+ retail locations including Zumiez, Safeway, Sprouts, and Hy‑Vee. In this follow-up episode, we unpack exactly how Rotten scaled while preserving product quality, unique branding, and a lean team.

This episode dives into:

• Building a better-for-you candy that actually tastes great (60% less sugar, no synthetic dyes)
• How Rotten validated demand and used Kickstarter as a test lab
• What Michael learned about launching in retail through shippers and “in‑and‑out” placements
• Why brand IP and world-building (Dr. Rotten, Frankie Freak) is key to long-term value
• Real talk on packaging sustainability, operational scaling, and team-building

You’ll learn tactical insights on:

• How to evaluate retail partners and assert boundaries
• What content drives impulse candy purchases on TikTok Shop
• Using surveys to prove incremental retail value without buying expensive syndicated data
• Balancing DTC bleed-in and retail velocity
• Creating a brand that stops people in the aisle and online

Rotten’s growth is a masterclass in starting lean, staying weird, and scaling smart. Don’t miss it.

Timestamps

00:00 Rotten’s Growth Journey and TikTok Shop Strategy

02:00 Launching Gummy Crunchies and Multi-Texture Candy Trends

04:00 Retail Expansion: From Zumiez to Hy-Vee

06:00 Shippers, In-and-Outs, and Driving Off-Shelf Sales

08:00 Better-for-You Candy Positioning and Merch Strategy

10:00 Building the Rotten Brand World and Characters

12:00 Halloween Marketing and Seasonal Retail Momentum

14:00 Setting Boundaries with Retailers and Sampling Strategy

16:00 TikTok Shop Flywheel and Content That Converts

18:00 Measuring Retail Pickup and The Digital Bleed Effect

20:00 Using DTC Data to Win Retail Buyers

22:00 Scaling Challenges, Team Growth, and Culture

24:00 Aggressive Growth Goals, Profitability, and New Doors

Hashtags

#DTC #Podcast #Ecommerce #CPG #CandyBrand #TikTokShop #RetailStrategy #ScalingBrands #MarketingPodcast #ConsumerBrands

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

On this episode of All Killer No Filler (the DTC Podcast from Pilothouse), Eric and Debbie dive into TikTok’s Symphony suite, a growing toolkit of AI‑powered creative solutions that streamline ideation, ad creation, and brief generation. Debbie shares how Pilothouse is using Symphony to write better creative briefs fast, pairing that with affiliate creators to build consistent, scalable TikTok campaign performance.

Why Listen

• Learn how TikTok’s AI tools can accelerate creative ideation and asset refreshes
• See how affiliate creators act like virtual sales associates for TikTok Shop campaigns
• Discover how a simple tracking change dropped CPAs from $350 to $50

Key Moments

• AI Generated Creative: Debbie describes the “uncanny” experience of reviewing AI‑generated TikToks and the balance between excitement and authenticity
• Affiliate Strategy: Explanation of targeting L3 creators and how they drive predictable sales—even when viral moments fade
• Performance Pivot: Story of resetting a Pixel and dramatically lowering ad costs

Timestamps:

00:00 What is TikTok Symphony

02:00 TikTok Shop vs Off-Platform Strategy

04:00 Brand Hesitations with AI Content

06:00 From Viral Moments to Consistent Sales

08:00 Finding and Working with TikTok Affiliates

10:00 Measuring Affiliate Performance and KPIs

12:00 Bundling Products on TikTok Shop

14:00 Fixing High CPCs and CPAs with Fresh Pixels

15:00 TikTok’s Role in the Full Funnel

16:00 Final Advice on Using Symphony

Hashtags:

#TikTokMarketing #TikTokAds #TikTokShop #EcommerceGrowth #AffiliateMarketing #AIMarketing #CreativeStrategy #DTCBrands #DigitalMarketing #GrowthMarketing

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Drew Marconi, Co-founder and CEO of Intelligems, to dig into the real way brands should be thinking about testing in 2025.

Forget just optimizing for conversion rate or AOV. The smartest brands are now optimizing every site change—pricing, shipping, offers, content—for one thing: profit per visitor.

Drew shares how Intelligems helps brands move beyond surface-level CRO and into truly strategic decision-making by treating pricing, shipping, and discounts as testable business levers.

Stop guessing, start knowing. Install Intelligems for free: https://apps.shopify.com/intelligems

Key Insights:

• Why profit per visitor is more than conversion rate or revenue
• It’s the only metric that balances AOV, margin, and conversion—and captures true business impact.
• What most brands get wrong about pricing
• Many haven't touched prices in years or are afraid to test them. Drew explains how to approach price testing without backlash.
• The roadmap to build a culture of experimentation
• From VP-level buy-in to weekly testing meetings, learn how the best teams are structured for consistent optimization.
• How to test pricing, offers, and shipping intelligently
• Get the real-world tactics behind straddle tests, dynamic discounts, and testing offer mechanisms.
• Agentic AI is coming to testing
• Drew breaks down how automated agents will soon handle ideation, test execution, analysis, and rollout—without human bottlenecks.

If you’re still optimizing for revenue or conversion alone, this episode will change how you think about growth. It’s not just about what wins the test—it’s about what drives profit.

Timestamps

00:00 – The state of A/B testing and pricing strategies

02:15 – Drew’s journey from McKinsey to founding Intelligems

04:30 – Why pricing needs to be broader than just the list price

07:10 – Dynamic pricing fears and consumer perception

09:20 – Building effective testing roadmaps for DTC brands

12:05 – Running price elasticity tests for better profit per visitor

14:30 – Personalization strategies based on traffic sources

16:45 – Optimizing Black Friday & holiday offers through testing

19:30 – Creating a culture of experimentation inside your brand

22:40 – How high-performing teams structure ongoing testing cycles

25:10 – Statistical significance, confidence intervals & testing duration

28:20 – Measuring profit per visitor vs. focusing on conversion rate

30:15 – The agentic AI future of A/B testing & infinite experimentation

Hashtags

#ABTesting #PricingStrategy #EcommerceGrowth #DTCBrands #ConversionOptimization #Personalization #ProfitPerVisitor #BlackFridayStrategy #AIAutomation #MarketingAnalytics

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

If you’re still sending Meta traffic to a single product page—you’re leaving revenue on the table.

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, Eric reconnects with global growth strategist Chris Erthel, whose playbook for Meta ads, landing page optimization, and strategic A/B testing has helped eCommerce brands scale from $30M to $100M+ and exit at nine-figure valuations.

Chris shares real-world insights from helping 142+ DTC brands and breaks down exactly why collection pages consistently outperform product pages, how to use humor and pattern interruption in the first second of your ad, and why the right discount depth can actually save you money.

We also get into:

✅ The one change that boosted ROAS and AOV by 20%

✅ Why 40% discounts outperform 30% (and reduce ad costs)

✅ The 5 ad hook formats that stop scrolls without looking like ads

✅ How to pre-seed comments for maximum social proof

✅ A roadmap to expand your DTC brand into the Nordics and Poland

✅ The real cost of SaaS bloat—and why tools like Omnisend and WeeVee are better bets

✅ A 30-second breathwork tool to calm your nervous system before big decisions

Whether you're running media, building funnels, or growing a global brand, this episode is a tactical masterclass on eCommerce growth, international expansion, and creative excellence.

Timestamps:

00:00 Cold open and common ecom mistakes

00:02 Chris’s origin story and early wins

00:07 Creative focus and the “send to collections” landing page test

00:12 First-second hooks that work now

00:18 Comment strategy that boosts ROAS

00:23 Building a testing culture across the funnel

00:25 Creator partnerships driving outsized revenue

00:27 Scaling to exit and stronger offers for BFCM

00:34 Smart international expansion playbook

00:38 AI creative toolchain in one canvas

00:41 Email ROI and tool cost comparisons

00:46 Big goals, happiness, and breathwork

00:53 20 connected breaths demo

00:57 Final advice for founders

Hashtags:

#DTC #Ecommerce #MetaAds #FacebookAds #CreativeStrategy #ABTesting #UGC #BlackFriday #InternationalExpansion #EmailMarketing #Omnisend #Klaviyo #AIinMarketing #RetentionMarketing #LandingPages #CreatorEconomy #ROAS #Podcast

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

In this episode of All Killer No Filler, host Eric Dyck brings on Aves from Pilothouse and Ad‑Venturous to unpack how Halloween creatively primes brands for Q4 success.

Key insights you'll get:

• How subtle seasonal signals—like leaves, emojis, earthy color palettes—increase ad engagement across categories
• Why Halloween campaigns serve as strategic rehearsal for holiday launches and promo roadmapping
• When to dial back on heavy weekend sales in favor of lead‑in drops ahead of Q4
• The difference between taste and discernment when using AI in creative strategy

Timestamps

00:00 – Halloween shopping trends and early product drops

02:10 – Boo baskets, nostalgia, and making products feel seasonal

04:20 – Using colors, emojis, and small tweaks to boost click-through rates

07:05 – Leveraging Halloween promos to prep for Q4 campaigns

10:30 – Pricing strategies and early Black Friday deal positioning

13:20 – Using AI in creative strategy and maintaining critical thinking skills

15:40 – Taste vs. discernment: where humans win over AI in marketing

Hashtags

#DTCMarketing #SpookySeason2025 #HalloweenMarketing #EcommerceStrategy #AdCreative #BlackFridayPrep #MarketingPodcast #DigitalMarketing #CreativeStrategy #AllKillerNoFiller

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Alex Schultz, the CMO and VP of Analytics at Meta, to unpack nearly two decades of hard-earned marketing insights from inside one of the most influential tech companies on the planet.

From his scrappy beginnings as an affiliate marketer trying to pay for college, Alex rose through the ranks at Facebook—helping launch self-serve ads, custom audiences, and building the company’s analytics function from the ground up.

Now, as CMO, he shares how he thinks about brand vs. performance, why incrementality measurement is non-negotiable, and what it really took to lead the rebrand from Facebook to Meta in under seven months.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How affiliate thinking creates real marketers
• Why starting with performance-driven urgency creates marketers who understand what actually drives growth
• The self-serve ad platform strategy that unlocked small business scale
• Alex shares how linking product and marketing—from in-product CTAs to retargeting drop-offs—became Meta’s growth engine
• Why incrementality is the foundation of modern marketing
• Forget last-click—true marketers use lift tests, holdouts, and on/off testing to see what really works
• How to build brands on performance platforms
• Yes, you can build a brand on Meta—but only if you measure it right
• The inside story of the Meta rebrand
• Including a midnight WhatsApp from Zuckerberg and a literal house fire
• Why creative strategy—not media buying—is the future in an AI world
• Agencies will evolve, but those who control the data + creative inputs will control outcomes
• How Alex is using creator marketing, email, and retargeting to market his new book, Click Here
• The modern playbook Meta uses… now applied to books

Visit Hachette Book Group for information on how to purchase Click Here: The Art and Science of Digital Marketing and Advertising, out on October 7th.

And you can check out an audio book version on Spotify here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5hsoMSkbpEboe0M4aGqNgZ

Timestamps

00:00 - From Affiliate Marketer to CMO of Meta

02:00 - Building Facebook’s Growth Engine and Analytics Team

06:00 - Lessons From the Affiliate Mindset

08:00 - Launching Self-Serve Ads and the First Custom Audiences

11:00 - Rebranding Facebook to Meta: Inside the Strategy

15:00 - Building Brands with Direct Response vs. Top-of-Funnel Marketing

18:00 - How WhatsApp’s Brand Story Shifted Perception

20:00 - Why Alex Wrote "Click Here" and Its Core Principles

24:00 - The Future of Agencies and AI in Advertising

28:00 - Marketing the Book Using Meta Strategies

Hashtags

#DTCpodcast #Meta #AlexSchultz #DigitalMarketing #BrandStrategy #AffiliateMarketing #Rebranding #MarketingBook #GrowthMarketing #AdvertisingStrategy #MarketingTips #SocialMediaMarketing #BusinessGrowth #CMOInsights #MarketingPodcast

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signup

Advertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertise

Work with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouse

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

Watch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video