DTC871: AI Productivity Hack, The Lipstick Effect, and Ad Creative Tip

Good morning,

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

🫨 Feeling Scatterbrained?
Test out this easy AI productivity hack. 

💄 The Lipstick Effect
Buying habits during recessions.

🚨 Daily Tariff Tracker
China and U.S. trade deal update.

‍📈 Hoard Your Creatives and…
Do this with your top-performing ads. 

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Alexander Hotels, Havenly, and Papparazzi Skirts. 👋

🤯 1+1=3. That's Not A Typo—It’s The Ultimate Growth Opportunity

When every piece of your strategy works in harmony, the outcome is greater than the sum of its parts. 🧘

Campaign restructures. Ad tweaks. New channels. Brands keep adding parts, but the car never moves faster. Why? Because disconnected tactics cannot deliver sustainable growth. 😵‍💫

Ready to break the cycle? 💥

When you partner with Pilothouse, your brand gets supercharged with our Scaling Growth System. 

⛓️ It’s a fully integrated framework where strategic direction informs creative and media at every step. 

• Strategy guides the system with clarity and adaptability
• Creative is designed to test, learn, and evolve from real consumer signals
• Media is optimized using creative performance and strategic pivot

Every element plugs into the same engine. When new insights emerge, they ripple across the system, not in weeks but in hours.

Instead of isolated parts, you get a high-performance growth engine. 🏎️

🏁 Ready to rev things up? 🏁

🫨 Turn Your Voice Notes into a Smart To-Do List

If your to-do list feels endless and your productivity is all over the place, you're not alone.

Here’s the good news: there's a simple AI productivity hack that can help you stay focused and organized even if you’re brand new to AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini.

Instead of juggling sticky notes, scattered reminders, or complex project management apps, you can use this beginner-friendly workflow to offload your mental clutter and let AI build your to-do list for you.

Pilothouse shares this simple three-step process to improve your workflow. 

Step 1: Talk It Out with AI

Skip the typing. Open ChatGPT or Gemini, tap the mic, and start speaking.

Brain dump everything—client work, errands, random reminders. Don’t worry about structure.

Then simply ask: “Can you turn this into a prioritized to-do list?”

AI will organize your thoughts into a clean, structured format almost instantly.

Step 2: Prioritize with Purpose

Record another short note to help AI sort your list by:

• Deadlines
• Impact
• Urgency

Ask yourself: “What’s most important?” and “What can I delegate or delay?”

This is a small but necessary step that leads to much smarter planning.

Step 3: Keep It Dynamic

Your AI to-do list isn’t static. As things change throughout the day, you can say:

• “Mark X as complete”
• “Add Y to the list”
• “Z is now top priority”

AI keeps it updated for you, so you’re never stuck reorganizing.

The Result?

✅ Clear priorities
✅ Less mental fatigue
✅ A to-do list that evolves as you do

This AI productivity hack helps you work smarter without adding complexity. 

Whether you're a freelancer, founder, or just someone who wants to feel more in control of their day, using AI for your to-do list is one of the easiest wins out there.

📦 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 31, 2025 update:

• U.S. and China's Tariff Pause Discussions
  
  • U.S. and Chinese officials held "constructive" talks in Stockholm and agreed to work toward extending the current tariff pause beyond the August 12, 2025 deadline.
    
  • However, any final extension depends on approval from President Trump. Existing tariff rates (30% on Chinese exports, 10% on U.S. goods) remain in effect for now.

Keep in mind: These details are current as of writing but could change before this reaches your inbox.

🎧  What the Lipstick Effect Gets Right and Where It Falls Short

In this episode of Ad-venturous, Aves explores the enduring allure and outdated framing of ✨ the Lipstick Effect. ✨

Traditionally used to explain why people buy small luxuries during recessions, the concept still holds merit, but it’s overdue for a modern refresh.

In this episode, we dive into:

What is the Lipstick Effect? Why consumers reach for small luxuries during uncertain times to get a sense of control, pleasure, or indulgence—without breaking the bank.

"It’s the biggest duh of all time—but we still forget to use it strategically."

The Rise of ‘little treat culture’: Driven by TikTok, Instagram, and aspirational culture, little treats serve the same psychological need but are more about identity and belonging than just affordability.

"Little treats are how people access luxury in a world where everything feels expensive."

Structure your product tiers like an acquisition funnel: From first-touch entry points to higher-ticket hero products, Aves walks through how to align product tiers with emotional buying behavior.

"Tier 1 is your treat. Tier 2 builds trust. Tier 3 is where loyalty lives."

Diptyque ‘Little Treat’ Playbook: A low-cost fragrance discovery set led Aves to become a high-value repeat customer, thanks to beautiful branding and smart tiering.

"I wouldn’t have bought a $250 candle, but I did buy that $80 sample set and then I bought three candles."

Why this tactic matters now more than ever: With ad costs up and consumer confidence down, brands that lean into “joy-per-dollar” purchases and strategic product tiering will win.

"We’re in an era where product and psychology need to talk to each other."

👉 Listen to the full episode with Aves here.

[Screenshot via @alexgoughcooper / X]

If you’re a creative strategist, start hoarding top-performing ads now.

The real value over the next 12–24 months won’t be in making ads, but in knowing exactly what to make.

Pattern recognition beats production.

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📥 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.

Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• 💰 TWBERP 44: Stock The Pond, Fill The Funnel, Make Money
• 🩳 Thigh Society’s Lean Growth Story: Chub Rub to 2M+ Units Sold
• 🔑 AKNF 528: Cracking TikTok Shops: The GMV Max Revolution 
• 🦸 Ad-venturous 12: Predict Relevance To Create Resonance 
• 🎨 TWBERP 43: Campaign Emails That Inspire, Not Blend In 
• 🍷 Maker Wne’s Strategy: How The Canned Wine Brand Grew

Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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.