DTC833: Marketing Stunts, Hestan’s Retention Strategies, and Manifest Dream Life

Good morning,

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

🤪 This Feels Unhinged…
How brands go viral with these types of campaigns. 

🍳 Hestan’s Retention Strategies
Improve your repeat purchase rate with content. 

📦 Daily Tariff Update
U.S. and China begin trade talks in London. 

🌟 Manifest Your Dream Life
Do these two things to reach your goals. 

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Mr. Gift Wrap, Bizzabo, and Adapt Outdoors. 👋

🌡️ The Heat Is On. Enjoy A Summer of Effortless Marketing Results With 30% Off At Omnisend

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🤪 Marketing Stunts: Pit Diapers and Bathwater 

Liquid Death is no stranger to unhinged collaborations.

In the past two years, they've partnered with e.l.f. Cosmetics on a Corpse Pain makeup palette and with Depends on a Pit Diaper.

Over the summer, their partnership with ice cream brand Van Leeuwen on a Hot Fudge Sundae Sparkling Water promptly sold out online.

Whether you think these partnerships are genius or grotesque, all of them have gone viral, increasing the brand's visibility.

So what's the secret sauce when it comes to pulling off a fun marketing stunt?

Misha Brunelli, Liquid Death's VP of Merchandise, explains that with these licensing deals, they try to "treat partnerships like a form of entertainment, not just product expansions.”

Entertainment and comedy are two levers a brand can pull to make new drops feel more fun.

It’s shocking. It’s memorable. And highly shareable.

It has also made audiences see Liquid Death as much more than a water brand, but instead, a company that's creative and crosses boundaries to deliver shareable entertainment. 

A lot of absurd marketing stunts lately have followed this formula, like Dr. Squatch shilling Sydney Sweeney’s bath water which promptly sold out in seconds. (Still not completely sold on this one…), but it's a reminder for brands to be daring and explore new opportunities when crafting their marketing campaigns.

The takeaway?

Brands driving online discussions are the ones that tend to go viral.

These partnerships do a great job of shocking audiences and eliciting strong emotions.

🫣 What Happens If Your Facebook ROAS Drops 30% Next Quarter?

You know that sinking feeling? You're crushing it on Meta ads, then boom — iOS updates, algorithm changes, or your CPMs just randomly spike. 😬

🚨 Most DTC brands are one algorithm change away from panic mode. 

👉 But the smartest ones are building something algorithms can't affect: their own network of loyal influencers.

While competitors burn through ad budgets fighting for the same eyeballs, you could have dozens of authentic voices talking about your brand to audiences that actually trust them. 💁‍♀️

200+ brands on SARAL have built social proof engines through loyal influencer armies that drive real sales month after month. 📈

It’s simple. Find influencers who align with your brand, manage relationships at scale, and track real ROI. 💵

Ready to stop being at the mercy of the algorithm?

📦 Your Daily Tariff Check-In

Whether it’s a minor tweak or a major shift, we’ll keep you posted on the latest tariff changes—so you’re always in the know. 

June 9, 2025 update:

• U.S. and China Start Trade Talks in London
  
  
  • U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s lead trade negotiator, to resolve the ongoing trade dispute this week.
    
  • This development follows a positive phone call between President Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping. 

• China Exports Growth Missed Expectations in May
  
  • China's exports to the U.S. plunged 34.5% from last year, marking the sharpest drop since February 2020, when COVID-10 disrupted trade.
    

🎧 How Hestan Built a 40% Repeat Purchase Engine With Content 

How does a luxury cookware brand maintain a 40% repeat purchase rate?

In this TWBERP episode, Christina Chonody, Senior Director of Marketing at Hestan, shares the high-performance tactics behind their content-led retention strategy. 

“Retention is now our second biggest channel—just behind paid ads.”

From culinary storytelling and chef partnerships to plain-text emails that outperform flashy designs, Hestan proves that real value drives repeat purchases.

In this episode, we dive into:

• The Power of HTML emails: Why plain text outperforms design-heavy emails.
  
  
• Target Messaging: Learn how Hestan aligns paid ads and retention messaging across the funnel.
  
  
• Impactful Storytelling: How chef-driven content drives trust and brand loyalty.
  
  
• Being strategic about content: Learn what type of content fails in acquisition but thrives in lifecycle marketing. 

👉 Listen to the full episode with Christina here.

Want to manifest your dream life? 

Oren John shares how being intentional with your goals and acting consistently will get you closer to the life you want. 

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💍 Traditional tracking methods left gaps in Holden’s re-engagement strategy. As a growing NYC jewelry brand, they needed a smarter solution. With Instant, they recovered $34K in additional revenue within 30 days. Explore how they did it. *

🥴 Is your customer loyalty program giving situationship vibes? Dotdigital surveyed 3,000 consumers and found out exactly what they want from a loyalty program. Download this report to find out. *

🚨How are you feeling about Q4 planning amidst this years uncertainty? Take our quick two-minute survey to have your voice heard and to see how other brands are responding. Take the anonymous survey here.