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This week on the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Jake Bailey, Head of Industry at Meta, and Scott Kramer, VP of Growth at AS Beauty, to explore the evolving dynamics of holiday performance marketing in 2025.

Jake leads Meta’s work with its exclusive Disruptors program, partnering with fast-moving, high-growth brands to push the boundaries of performance marketing. AS Beauty is one such brand — and Scott walks us through how they’ve used that collaboration to build one of their strongest Q4 playbooks yet.

Together, they break down how creators, AI-native tools, and smarter campaign structures are shaping more resilient and scalable customer acquisition strategies.

You’ll learn:

How Meta’s Advantage+ and Partnership Ads are driving real DR performance

Why AS Beauty prioritizes incrementality over traditional ROAS

What creative diversification means in the age of AI and how to structure tests

How creator content is now integrated throughout the funnel — not just for awareness

Tactical insights on budget pacing, exclusions, creative testing, and campaign simplification

Whether you’re navigating Cyber 5 or building a long-term performance engine, this episode is packed with the playbook and proof points from two powerhouses in the space.

Timestamps

00:00 – Meta’s partnership with AS Beauty and the Disruptors team

02:00 – How AS Beauty drives growth across DTC, Amazon, and retail

04:00 – Testing, innovation, and Meta’s two-way learning loop

06:00 – Holiday 2024 challenges: uncertainty, tariffs, and consumer sentiment

09:00 – The “lipstick effect” and how beauty brands thrive in downturns

10:30 – Meta’s push toward value optimization and incrementality

13:00 – Practical ways to measure incrementality and track new customers

16:00 – Evolving partnership ads and creative diversification

19:00 – Holiday creative strategy and combining catalog + creator content

21:00 – Creators’ role across the funnel and authentic storytelling

23:00 – Modern campaign structures, retargeting, and consolidation

29:00 – Scaling spend safely during Cyber Week

32:00 – AI-generated creative: performance, ethics, and practical use

36:00 – Blending data with creativity for high-performing ads

38:00 – Inside Meta’s exclusive Disruptors program

Hashtags

#DTCpodcast #MetaAds #ASBeauty #DigitalMarketing #EcommerceGrowth #HolidayMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #AdStrategy #CreativeTesting #PartnershipAds #AIMarketing #Incrementality #FacebookAds #ReelsAds #MarketingPodcast #BlackFriday2024 #CyberMonday2024 #BeautyBrands #MarketingInnovation #DirectToConsumer

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To Subscribe to DTC Newsletter – https://dtcnews.link/signupAngus Rittenburg, cofounder of WYNK, didn’t start with a brand. He started with a problem: how do you legally and profitably distribute THC beverages in the fragmented U.S. cannabis market?In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we unpack how WYNK solved that problem through mechanical engineering, regulatory foresight, and operational creativity—from mobile production trailers to in-state dosing machines to navigating Meta ad bans.Try WYNK: https://drinkwynk.shopWhat you’ll learn:- Why mobile canning systems gave WYNK early market access- How hemp-derived THC opened retail and liquor store distribution- Ad strategies for cannabis brands under platform restrictions- Connecting QR-based sampling to retail conversion- DTC learnings that fueled retail expansionKey Topics:- Engineering compliance into your ops- THC vs Alcohol margins- Retailer education + event-based marketing- What Big Alcohol thinks about THC drinks- What success looks like in a future where alcohol and THC share shelves#DTC #Ecommerce #CPG #BeverageIndustry #AlcoholAlternative #BetterForYou #LowDose #Seltzer #RetailDistribution #Wholesale #GoToMarket #GrowthStrategy #DigitalAdvertising #FirstPartyData #EmailMarketing #RetailMedia #Rebates #FieldMarketing #BrandBuilding #FounderStory #EngineeringLeadership

0:00 — Introduction 00:51 — Tesla → THC & the Origin of Wink 03:15 — The 53-ft Mobile Canning Line 10:30 — Minnesota Unlocks Hemp-THC Distribution 14:52 — Why Beverages ‘Feel’ Like Beer 25:24 — The Age-Gate Ad Workaround 33:34 — The $13.5B OpportunitySubscribe to DTC Newsletter – https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC – https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse – https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter – @dtcnewsletter

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In this special edition of the DTC Podcast, we break down Crown Affair’s ad strategy, creative execution, and landing page experience. Hosted by Eric Dyck and joined by Aves, this teardown focuses on how the brand has scaled through a hero SKU, clean branding, and a ritual-based narrative that resonates with a premium beauty audience.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How Crown Affair uses a dry shampoo hero product to drive acquisition

Why the “ritual” brand positioning allows flexibility in product education and bundling

The importance of top-of-funnel clarity — and where their website messaging could improve

What makes their ad creative mix so effective (UGC, press badges, branded visuals)

Why they run retail-focused ads (Sephora) alongside DTC

How Instagram lifestyle content supports their ritual narrative

Tactical insights on bundle builders vs. in-cart upsells

Best Moments in the Episode

Why It Matters for DTC Operators

Crown Affair shows how premium brands can scale with clarity + ritual. By focusing on fewer SKUs, tighter messaging, and a flexible customer ritual, they’ve found a formula that blends high aesthetic with real-world traction. If you’re running a beauty, wellness, or ritual-based brand — this episode will show you where strategy meets execution.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Crown Affair Live Brand Breakdown

02:00 – Why You Should Listen to Adventurous

04:00 – Website Audit: What’s a Three-Course Ritual for Hair?

08:00 – Ad Library Review: UGC vs. Branded Content

12:00 – Founder-Led Storytelling & The “Ritual” Concept

15:00 – The Glossier Comparison and Brand Persona

17:00 – Bundle Builders, AOV Strategy, and Upsells

18:00 – Instagram Strategy: Rituals Beyond Aesthetics

20:00 – Final Thoughts and Call for Brand Suggestions

Hashtags

#DTCPodcast #AKNF #CrownAffair #AdLibrary #BeautyMarketing #BrandBreakdown #HaircareBrand #EcommerceStrategy #AdCreative #DTCBrands

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In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we break out of pure DTC and dive into the future of retail with Shopify’s VP of Retail, Ray Reddy. We explore how Shopify is transforming POS from a mere checkout tool into a full commerce operating system, unifying online and offline, unlocking customer data in-store, and embedding AI automation in the merchant workflow.

What You’ll Learn:

Why treating POS as an operating system (not just a terminal) opens new growth levers

How Shopify enables 50–60% customer identification in physical stores (via Live Lookup)

What technical challenges (tax, permissions, compliance) matter most in unified retail

How Shopify is integrating AI to automate catalog, imagery, and advisory tasks

The importance of choosing a commerce partner for the next 5–10 years

Best Moments / Key Themes:

Evolving POS from add-on to core product

The “unified data model” philosophy versus stitched integrations

Role of AI in freeing up founders to focus on growth

The customer experience transformation in stores

The migration trade-offs and how Shopify approaches them

Whether you’re a DTC brand exploring brick‑and‑mortar or a retail brand scaling omnichannel, this episode is full of tactical thinking about infrastructure, identity, and future proofing.

Timestamps:

00:00 Shopify POS as an operating system

04:00 How Shopify’s POS evolved beyond an add-on

08:00 Why offline retail remains a massive opportunity

12:00 Unified commerce and eliminating system complexity

17:00 Unlocking customer data and personalized retail experiences

24:00 Building with platform primitives and enabling innovation

25:00 How AI is transforming Shopify’s POS and merchant support

31:00 Preparing for the next major tech shift in commerce

Hashtags:

#Shopify #POS #RetailTech #UnifiedCommerce #EcommerceStrategy #Omnichannel #RetailInnovation #AIFuture #ShopifyPOS #DTCpodcast #DirectToConsumer #RetailTransformation #AIinRetail #CommerceTrends #ShopifyTips

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To Subscribe to DTC Newsletter – https://dtcnews.link/signupHello, and welcome to the All Killer No Filler DTC Podcast. In this episode, we dive deep into what’s different this year heading into Q4 — from platform changes on Meta to how creative strategy and campaign structure must evolve.We welcome Jocelyn K, senior media buyer at Pilothouse, and Jocelyn H, senior strategist at Pilothouse. Both veterans of multiple Q4s, they walk us through the new levers, pitfalls, and playbooks for scaling DTC brands in a shifting landscape.In this episode you’ll learn:Why momentum (not late sporadic launches) should be your central strategy this Q4How to adjust your campaign structure and creative workflows amid Meta’s changes (Advantage Plus, phasing out shop checkout, etc.)Concrete tactics around creative velocity, offer structure, and funnel building to harvest maximum scaleTune in to get tactical, platform‑aware strategies you can put into action now — before the holiday rush.Timestamps00:00 What’s Different About Q4 This Year02:00 Advantage Plus Shopping Campaigns and Meta Changes04:00 Creative Strategies and the Trojan Horse Approach08:00 Offers, Discounts, and Consumer Psychology14:00 Momentum, Simplicity, and Funnel Optimization18:00 Lead Generation Strategies Ahead of Black Friday21:00 Creative Testing and Meta’s New Priorities23:00 How AI Is (and Isn’t) Changing Creative StrategyHashtags#DTC #Q4Strategy #MetaAds #BlackFridayMarketing #EcommerceTips #DigitalAdvertising #CreativeStrategy #PaidSocial #AdBuying #MarketingPodcast Subscribe to DTC Newsletter – https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC – https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse – https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF548Follow us on Instagram & Twitter – @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube – https://dtcnews.link/video

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On this episode, we speak with Boone & Ben, co‑founders of Highland Style Co., a clean‑ingredient men’s grooming brand that grew from kitchen‑experiments to eight figures in revenue. We dig into their growth journey: how they built performance products, retained customers, and scaled unit economics without losing the values that launched them.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Timestamps

00:00 The origins of Highland and solving a personal problem

02:00 Early product development and validation with barbershops

07:00 Bootstrapping, fundraising, and focus on profitability

10:00 Building strong unit economics and targeting 80% margins

12:00 Meta ads and founder-led storytelling that drove growth

15:00 Evolving content strategy and leveraging industry experts

18:00 Scaling to eight figures with only two SKUs

21:00 Staying lean with a four-person team and efficient operations

25:00 Merging marketing with finance and building a payback workbook

28:00 Retention tactics and post-purchase experience

31:00 Expanding to Amazon and why it was a growth unlock

32:00 Scrappy press tactics and winning grooming awards

35:00 Building relationships with creators and affiliate partners

36:00 Future goals, brand vision, and plans for expansion

Hashtags

#DTCpodcast #HighlandHair #EcommerceGrowth #Bootstrapping #StartupStory #UnitEconomics #FounderJourney #ContentStrategy #RetentionMarketing #AmazonGrowth #HaircareBrand #DigitalMarketing #BrandBuilding #BusinessPodcast #ScalingBrands

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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

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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:

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

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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:

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

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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

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