DTC1035: Axon by AppLovin and Fix Email Deliverability

Good morning,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:

1️⃣ The Creative Audit Guide for Ecommerce Brands
2️⃣ How Axon by AppLovin is the secret weapon helping major brands scale
3️⃣ Why high open rates to your emails are not always a good sign

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: HOT BOYS CRY, Roblox, and Starbucks. 👋

‍⚠️ Meta Doesn’t See Your Ads The Way You Do

Most DTC teams are missing this key change to ad algorithms… and it’s costing them.

You’re launching more ads, testing faster, and iterating constantly... but performance doesn’t improve.

Why? Because platforms like Meta now evaluate the content, context, and intent of your creative to determine distribution. Small tweaks—new hooks, headlines, backgrounds—often don’t register as new creative at all.

So what looks like iteration to you looks like redundancy to the algorithm.

The result: wasted spend, rising CPMs, and fatigue that sets in long before you notice it. 😬

📊 That’s why top DTC brands turn to Triple Whale, which was recently ranked #1 in marketing measurement based on business spend data from Ramp.

📘 Triple Whale’s new Creative Audit Guide for Ecommerce Brands breaks down what’s actually working now and gives you a system to detect fatigue early and build real creative differentiation.

‍🎮 Beyond Mobile Games: How Axon by AppLovin Is Entering Ecommerce

Get ahead of the curve and tap into Axon by AppLovin to drive incremental revenue through PPC.

For years, AppLovin was the “secret weapon” behind some of the world’s top mobile games.

With the rollout of Axon, its proprietary AI engine, the platform has evolved into a serious contender, now competing with Meta and Google for ecommerce ad dollars.

Whether you're looking to acquire new customers or unlock new scale, Pilothouse shares why Axon is gaining attention across performance marketing.

1. The Engine: Axon 2.0

At its core, Axon is a deep-learning system processing over 2 million ad auctions per second.

Instead of bidding on broad audiences, Axon uses real-time reinforcement learning to evaluate the value of each individual impression.

The result? Higher precision, better targeting, and more efficient spend.

Some partners have reported up to a 70% increase in net revenue per install.

2. Expansion Into Ecommerce

Axon is no longer limited to gaming.

It’s quickly gaining traction across ecommerce and retail, with big brands like Wayfair and Dr. Squatch already scaling on the platform.

• Shopify integration: Sync your product catalog and launch dynamic product ads with minimal setup.
• New audience supply: AppLovin reaches over 1 billion daily active users, many of whom aren’t saturated by traditional Meta auctions.

For brands hitting diminishing returns on Meta, this is a meaningful new channel to test.

3. Creative That Holds Attention

One of Axon’s biggest advantages is its ad experience.

Instead of fighting for milliseconds in a feed, AppLovin ads (especially video and interactive end cards) can hold attention for up to 35 seconds.

That creates more time to communicate value and drive action.

On top of that, built-in AI tools generate and test multiple creative variations automatically, helping combat ad fatigue without heavy design lift.

4. Early Results

Pilothouse has started rolling out Axon across select brands and are seeing an average 20–30% incremental revenue lift across Wellness (20M+), Home goods (30M+), and Jewelry (5M+).

While it’s still early, these are promising results.

The takeaway?

Axon by AppLovin is no longer a niche gaming tool. It’s an AI-driven growth channel built for scale.

Massive reach. Smarter bidding. Stronger creative.

For ecommerce brands looking beyond Meta and Google, this is one to watch and test.

‍Inside Deliverability: An Email Guy’s Email Guy

If your email revenue is stalling or your open rates don’t make sense, this episode is the reality check you need.

Pierre Pignault, founder of MailSoar, breaks down how deliverability actually works in 2026: what signals matter, why your tools can mislead you, and how brands misread their own email performance

You’ll learn:

• Why “high open rates” can actually mean you’re going to spam
• The 3-signal framework to diagnose deliverability (and stop guessing)
• How segmentation directly controls inbox placement
• Why unengaged users are hurting you more than helping
• What spam filters actually optimize for (hint: it’s not your metrics)
• Why sending to unengaged users hurts deliverability (and eventually revenue)

▶️ Watch on YouTube | 🎧 Listen on Spotify

‍AI shopping is here. Shopify merchants can now sell to ChatGPT users using Agentic Storefronts. Read more →

TikTok’s paying up. The app will split the cost of return shipping with sellers starting on April 8th. Read more →

Alix Earle launches Reale Actives. The Gen Z TikTok influencer releases a skincare line targeting acne-prone skin. Read more →

‍📥 Got a B2B Biz?

Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 150k brand leaders and founders this year. Talk to our team to learn more.

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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content.