DTC858: Chamberlain Coffee Ad, Three Ships Beauty, and Q4 2025 DTC Survey

Good morning, 

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

🚨 Results From Our Q4 2025 DTC Survey
How 600+ operators plan under tariff pressure.

🌊 Inside Chamberlain Coffee’s Nautical Ad
How the ‘fisherman aesthetic’ hooks viewers.

🚀 Scaling A Skincare Brand
Three Ships share why transparency is key. 

📦 Daily Tariff Update
New tariffs on the EU, Mexico, and Russia. 

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Solar Insure, Grass Sticks, and Good Feet. 👋

🚨 SURVEY RESULTS: Inside Q4: What DTC Operators Are Seeing, Saying, and Planning (600+ Responses)

By mid-year, most DTC brands are usually charging full speed into Q4 planning. But this year feels… different.

Tariffs, margin pressure, and growing demand uncertainty. Need we say more?

We ran a survey with the goal of getting a clearer picture of how teams are handling and planning through 2025’s chaos.

On the just-published results page, we broke down insights from over 600 responses — what brands are thinking, how they’re adapting, and where they’re heading next.

The honest truth? If you’re feeling the pressure, these survey results will truly show you that you’re not alone. 

Here’s a glimpse at the type of insights our survey uncovered: 

• 🔒 Only 15.41% of brands say their Q4 plan is locked and ready to go.
• 💰 Nearly half of brands say their pricing strategy and margins are the most vulnerable heading into Q4.
• ✂️ When it comes to margin-preserving strategies, most brands are still evaluating. However, among those taking action, cost-cutting is the go-to move.
• 😬 Less than 7% of brands said that they’re highly confident in their Q4 forecasts.
• 💡 This Q4, most teams are prioritizing predictability over experimentation.
• ♥️ 13.51% of brand respondents are just wanting to make it through Q4 without major losses.

Whether you're locked, lagging, or somewhere in between, the data makes one thing clear: there’s no universal playbook for Q4 this year. 

Brands are reacting in real time, adapting fast, and trying to stay sharp in an unpredictable environment.

This report isn’t just numbers, it’s a shared snapshot of where the DTC landscape stands right now. 

👇 Read the full breakdown (it’s free and ungated).

Big thanks to Keen for partnering with us on this report and helping brands plan with confidence through uncertainty.

👉Want to explore how Keen can help you scenario plan for Q4 and beyond? Learn more here. *

* This editorial piece was created in collaboration with Keen.

🪝 Chamberlain Coffee x Pinterest’s Nautical Ad

This Chamberlain Coffee x Pinterest Meta ad leans heavily on emotional storytelling and aesthetic cues to promote a limited-time product rather than listing ingredients or product benefits.

Let’s break it down:

The visual leans into Pinterest’s “Fisherman Aesthetic” trend: a coastal, nostalgic vibe that’s trending with Gen Z consumers.

Emma Chamberlain is pictured in a calm dockside setting, reinforcing that this coffee is about a moment, not just a morning routine.

The blend is positioned as a Pinterest-board-turned-product, making the coffee itself feel like an extension of a lifestyle choice.

Why this works:

• Emotionally driven creative connects with consumers faster than product specs.
• The fisherman trend tie-in makes the product feel timely and culturally relevant.
• Using a creator’s aesthetic as inspiration personalizes the brand while enhancing authenticity.
• The limited-time offer CTA adds just enough urgency to nudge conversion.

If you’re launching a product tied to a vibe, a season, or a collaboration:Don’t just show the product. Sell the feeling.

🤔 Consumers Have A New Shopping Buddy, And It’s Telling Them What To Buy. Here’s How To Win It Over

🛍️ “To buy or not to buy?” 

That’s the question shoppers are asking AI. ❓

Shoppers don’t just browse anymore, they ask. Nearly half now turn to AI (like ChatGPT) to compare options, summarize reviews, and decide what’s worth buying. 📊

👀 Yotpo’s 2025 AI Shopper Behavior Report dives deep into reviews, AI, and what drives trust and purchase confidence in this new era. 

⭐ Backed by 50,000+ data points and spanning across 3 global markets, this report reveals:

• What convinces today’s shoppers to click “buy” (and what sends them running)
• How brands can stay trusted by humans and machines 

🛒 If you sell online, this is your AI-era shopper playbook.

If you have winning ads, duplicate them using the Site/Shop destination. 

This lets you target audiences more likely to purchase via Facebook or Instagram Shops while still driving site traffic. 

Use Post IDs to maintain social proof across both versions—preserving comments, likes, and shares that build trust. ✅

‍Looking for an omnichannel agency to help scale your brand? Click here.

📦 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. 

July 15, 2025 update:

• President Trump Threatens 30% Tariff on EU and Mexico
  
  • Trump announces a 30% tariff on imports from the EU and Mexico, scheduled for August 1.
    
  • In response, The EU finalized a list targeting €72 billion of U.S. goods to be included in retaliatory tariffs.

• Trump Threatens 100% Secondary Tariffs on Russia Traders
  
  • President Trump issued an ultimatum to Russia and its trade partners: impose a 50-day ceasefire in Ukraine or face 100% tariffs on exported goods by countries continuing business with Moscow.
    
  • Senators have even called for tariffs up to 500% on partners like China and India.

🎧 How Three Ships Scaled Green Skincare in Retail with Transparency 

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, Laura and Connie, the co-founders of Three Ships Beauty, speak candidly about how they started a skincare brand with just $4K in a condo kitchen and have now scaled into a major retail success. 

Now in over 1,000 retail doors, Three Ships shares how transparency builds trust and how trust drives growth. 

In this episode, we dive into:

• Defining natural vs. clean beauty: How transparency earned consumer trust.‍

“Clean beauty just means you use synthetics and natural… that list could be three ingredients… or 300.”

• Retail playbook: Landing shelf space is just step one—sales support and in‑store education are mission‑critical.
• Major influencer mistakes: The results from investing in macro-influencers v.s. micro influencers. ‍

“We spent $750k on macro‑influencers and made only $30k in sales.”

• Creative strategy: Batch filming, repurposing UGC and press assets, and optimizing creative across channels.
• Fundraising timing: Align rounds with milestones, pitch with professional decks, and nurture a warm investor funnel.

👉 Listen to the full episode with Laura and Connie here.

🧘 June 21: National Selfie Day, International Yoga Day, National Smoothie Day, National Peaches and Cream Day, World Music Day 

💋June 22: National Kissing Day, National Chocolate Eclair Day, National Onion Ring Day 

🚿 June 23: National Pink Day, Let It Go Day, National Family Owned & Operated Businesses Day, National Hydration Day 

🧚 June 24: International Fairy Day, Farmer Day, Upcycling Day

🎄 June 25: Half Christmas, National Strawberry Parfait Day, Please Take My Children To Work Day, National Catfish Day 

🛶 June 26: National Canoe Day, World Refrigeration Day, National Chocolate Pudding Day 

😎 June 27: Sunglasses Day, National Handshake Day, National Ice Cream Cake Day

📈 Pilothouse took a brand from $10M to $20M in one year on Amazon. Want to get your brand connected with the team behind the scale? Reach out here.

📥 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.

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.