DTC885: Vice Golf’s Brand Breakdown

Good morning,

Vice Golf has come a long way since launching in 2012. 

With a bold mission to deliver tour-level golf balls direct to consumers (at a fraction of the price), Vice quickly carved out a cult following. 

The brand has since expanded its product lineup and grown DTC revenue.

Part of that success stems from sleek product design and a clear understanding of their niche audience.

Even the strongest brands can unlock more growth through smart optimization. Scroll down to view Pilothouse’s recommendations for Vice’s email growth strategy. 

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

⛳ A Swing with Room to Soar
We analyze Vice Golf’s welcome and abandoned cart emails. 

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⛳ Vice Golf Email Strategy: A Swing with Room to Soar

Vice Golf’s email welcome series is a great example: while the intent and structure are sound, refining the messaging and sequence could significantly increase first-purchase conversion.

Here’s how Pilothouse would fine-tune Vice Golf’s welcome and abandon cart flows to build deeper brand affinity and drive more revenue.

📧 Welcome Email 1: 

This email welcomes new subscribers with a lifestyle image and introduces an offer for free shipping on their first order, valid for only 2 hours. 

It also sets a friendly tone with the heading “Welcome to Vice Golf.”

That said, the email leads with an incentive but could strengthen connection by first highlighting Vice’s unique brand story and product benefits, which would help first-time buyers connect more quickly and confidently.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Lead With Brand Value: Before jumping into an offer, remind users why they signed up. Reinforce what makes Vice special. Is it premium quality, unbeatable price, slick design? First impressions matter!

✅ Extend the Timer: A 2-hour countdown may work for low-AOV impulse buys, but higher-ticket items like custom golf balls often require more deliberation. Test a longer promotion window to reduce friction.

✅ Add a Testimonial or Trust Badge: Featuring a customer review or PGA-verified trust badge could strengthen trust and motivate purchase.

📧 Welcome Email 2: 

The second email promotes a different offer that encourages bulk purchasing. 

The hero image features golf balls with bold “3 + 1” text, and further down the email links directly to popular products.

This is a great offer, but the “3 + 1” framing may cause slight initial confusion for new subscribers unfamiliar with the offer structure. 

Users might misinterpret it as buy 3 dozen, get 1 dozen rather than buy 4 dozen, get 1 dozen free.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Clarify the Offer in Headline Text: Use plain language like “Buy 4, Get 1 Free” as the headline. Save clever phrasing for supporting copy.

✅ Educate Before Selling: Don’t assume new users know your product yet. Consider adding a short comparison chart of Vice balls vs. other competing brands.

✅ Create Exclusivity: Since this offer is also visible sitewide, consider giving email subscribers a unique twist, like early access to limited-edition colorways or accessories.

📧 Welcome Email 3: 

This third email adopts a personal, plain-text format from a “Vice Golf Support” rep. 

It reminds customers of the free shipping offer and extends the deadline to 48 hours. 

The tone is casual and conversational, reinforcing the brand’s voice.

This is a smart way to re-engage subscribers who haven’t purchased yet, especially those who may have felt rushed by the initial 2-hour window.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Sequence Optimization: This plain-text message could flow even better if positioned right after Email 1, once the initial 2-hour window expires.

✅ Introduce Product Education Here: Now that customers have had time to consider, this is the perfect spot to share a quick overview of your top-selling balls or accessories with links to learn more.

‍Keep scrolling for abandoned cart emails! 👇

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📧 Abandon Cart Email #1: 

This email triggers a day after a customer abandons their cart. 

It opens with beautiful high-resolution images of the exact product left behind in the cart, a smart tactic that brings the item back to life and reminds users what they’re missing. 

There’s also a strong trust badge from Golf Digest’s Hot List, which adds instant credibility. 👏

Midway through the email, there’s a dynamic block recommending other products, but it could be even more persuasive if supported with top-tier customer reviews or testimonials.

At the very bottom, a line of copy quietly reinforces trust by mentioning: 

“Since 2012, hundreds of golfers have trusted golf balls, clubs, and other products from Vice Golf.”

This strong trust signal deserves more visibility higher in the email.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Move the ‘Since 2012’ Trust Signal Higher Up: That’s a powerful longevity claim. Consider moving this further up to immediately establish credibility.

✅ Add Social Proof In The Email: Don’t make users click through to the site to read reviews. Include 2–3 glowing, short reviews directly in the email to build trust and reduce hesitation.

✅ Trigger Sooner: Waiting 24 hours before sending this email risks losing the buyer’s attention. Test shorter triggers to see which drives the most recovery.

✅ Highlight Scarcity: If the product is popular or low in stock, reinforce that. Using urgency messaging (e.g., "This color sells out fast!") can be a powerful CRO lever.

📧 Abandon Cart Email #2:

Visually, this email maintains brand consistency, but it doesn’t yet introduce fresh motivation to purchase.

The product image and trust badge appear again, but there’s little added additional value for the user, especially if they didn’t convert after the first email.

This is the point in the abandoned cart journey where a gentle nudge turns into a chance to build further momentum with new reasons to buy.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Introduce an Incentive: At this stage, test adding a limited-time offer. (E.g. free express shipping, a small discount, or a bonus sleeve of balls.) 

✅ Reinforce Product Benefits: Remind users what makes Vice balls great. A short bullet list can do this quickly and powerfully.

✅ Test CTA Variation: If the first CTA was “Click here to get back to your cart,” try something like “Lock In Your Gear” or “Finish Checking Out” to refresh user interest.

✨ Conclusion 

Vice Golf is doing many things right, but when it comes to converting both first-time subscribers and cart abandoners, there’s still meaningful opportunities to build on that foundation.

Whether it's a welcome email or an abandoned cart sequence, every interaction is a moment to build trust, deepen connection, and move the customer closer to purchase. 

Strong creative and on-brand design are essential, but what tips the scale is sending the right message at the right time, with the right incentive.

Vice has the product, the brand, and the audience; these small tweaks can help make every email a driver of both trust and long-term customer value.

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

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