What does it really take to retain customers in a category where no one needs your product?

In episode #22 of the Retention Edge, John Roman, CEO of BattlBox, unpacks how they grew a $20M+ subscription business by leading with content, community, and customer experience. No loyalty gimmicks. No endless discounts. Just consistent value that makes people want to stay.

We stripped this episode down to just the highlights of our discussion with John - and it’s still a trove of first-hand information from a hugely successful business.

From being featured on Netflix to building surprise-and-delight moments like $25K golden ticket competitions, John shares the practical playbook that keeps customers engaged, even when their product is more want than need.

We dive deep into:

- Why most loyalty programs no longer move the needle

- How BattlBox uses cohort data to identify and fix churn inflection points

- What actually works for increasing LTV without hurting CX

- Why app users churn less (and how they proved it)

- The ROI of handwritten letters, surprise gifts, and physical events

- How BattlBox tracks retention without relying on black-and-white attribution

If you're a DTC operator, subscription founder, or retention leader looking to go beyond the usual playbook, this episode is packed with real-world insights you won’t find in typical marketing talks. Because the brands that win are the ones customers choose to stay with, again and again.

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Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roman/