DTC891: TikTok Algo, Audio in Ads, and Taco Bell Upselling Copy

Good morning,

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

🎙️ Why Audio Is Your Secret Weapon
Using satisfying sounds in ads. 

⚡ TikTok Virality, Unlocked
3 tips to game the algorithm.

🤖 Using AI in 2025
Make smarter and faster decisions for your brand. 

🚨 Daily Tariff Tracker
Highlights from last week.

🌮 Taco Bell’s Upsell Play
A clever tactic worth stealing.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Eight Saints, Golfbreaks, and Office Freedom. 👋

🎧 Sound Unforgettable: The Impact of Audio

In this episode of Ad‑venturous, Aves from Pilothouse breaks down how the audio in your ads (not just the visuals) can drastically impact performance across Meta, TikTok, and beyond.

From script writing to trending sounds and even ASMR-style audio, this episode is a masterclass in building ads that are not just seen but heard and remembered.

In this episode, we explore:

Why Audio Can No Longer Be an Afterthought: The shift to sound-on content consumption means marketers must prioritize what people hear just as much as what they see.

“We are trained to digest short-form content with the sound on… ignoring audio is a huge miss.”

Writing Voiceovers That Actually Convert: Forget the tired “stop scrolling” hook. Learn how to use persona-driven language to craft hooks that feel native and perform better.

“Start with the hook, then build the rest of the script around it. And for the love of ads, stop saying ‘You need to see this viral product!’”

How to Speak Your Customer’s Language: Aves walks through her process for researching how target personas talk and why using that language in ads builds trust and connection fast.

“Keep a running list of words your customers use. That’s the language your ads should speak.”

When to Use and Avoid Trending Audio: Trending sounds can spike performance short-term, but relying on them too heavily leaves your brand exposed.

“Trendy audio works… until it doesn’t. And when it doesn’t, you have no foundation.”

👉 Listen to the full episode with Aves here.

💰 Three Ways To Increase Your Chances of Going Viral 

When Kim Gamez, founder of Soberish, first started posting TikTok product reviews with her mom, she never set out to be an influencer. 

The videos were casual, relatable, and quickly gained traction. So much so that brands began sending them products to test.

But Kim noticed something bigger: they were driving serious sales for these brands. 

Leveraging her tech background, she built a landing page to track conversions and discovered they had generated $60K in a single month.

That’s when it clicked: this wasn’t just an influencer side project, it was a business. 

Kim’s goal for Soberish was $100K in sales the first year. Instead, they surpassed $1M in revenue before year’s end.

So, how do you crack TikTok’s algorithm like Kim?

Here are three tips for going viral: 

• Be relatable: Unpolished content often performs better. Lead with a quick hook: Kim’s “pyramid pour” video hit 15M+ on TikTok because it teased the payoff up front.
  
• Lean into mistakes: One viral video gained traction simply because Kim sang a song wrong. The “mistake” sparked comments and debate, signaling the algorithm to amplify reach.
  
• Make it shareable: Ask yourself, would I send this to a friend, my mom, or my kids? If the answer is no, it may not have strong viral potential.
  

The takeaway?

Virality isn’t about polished perfection. It’s about sparking engagement. 

Use humor, embrace mistakes, and design your content to be shared. 

Start with the payoff, invite discussion, and let relatability do the heavy lifting.

📦 Weekly Tariff Highlights 

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. 

August 28, 2025 update:

• More Trump Tariff Threats
  
  • President Trump threatened new tariffs on France, Italy, and Spain over digital tax disputes.
    
• U.S. Hikes Tariffs on India
  
  • The U.S. raised tariffs on Indian imports to 50%, targeting India’s Russian oil trade; impact could cut GDP by 1% and slash exports by 70%.
    
• Global Trade Disruptions
  
  • The end of the de minimis exemption brings new tariffs (10–50% or $80–$200 flat fees), fueling higher consumer prices.

🎧 Got AI Anxiety? Learn How 875 Brands Are Using AI: DTC x Triple Whale’s State of AI Report

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, Anthony DelPizzo, Director of Product Marketing at Triple Whale, shares how brands are using AI to make smarter, faster, and more strategic decisions across every part of their business. 💡

He dives deep into the findings of DTC and Triple Whale’s survey of 875 DTC operators, uncovering how brands are actually using AI in 2025.

In this episode, we explore: 👇

• How Brands Are Really Using AI Today: Anthony reveals that 93.5% of DTC operators are already leveraging AI, with creative and copy generation as the most common entry points.
  
• From Creative to Strategy: How Larger Brands Use AI Differently: Anthony breaks down the shift: smaller brands lean on creative iteration, while $10M+ brands use AI for forecasting, budgeting, and marketing-mix optimization.
  
• Why Trust Is the Biggest Barrier: Nearly half of survey respondents said they hesitate to use AI because they don’t trust the outputs. Anthony explains how Triple Whale solves this by grounding models in real-time, first-party data.
  
• The Future of “Human + Agent” Teams: Instead of replacing marketers, AI agents are reshaping org charts. “One global apparel brand replaced five analyst hires with one senior analyst who manages Moby agents.”

👉 Listen to the full episode with Anthony here.

Want to learn more about how DTC operators are using AI? Download the State of AI in DTC Marketing Report.

*In Partnership with Triple Whale

[Screenshot via @dailycopywriter / X]

Testing upsell copy? 

Look at how Taco Bell nails it with this clever headline: “One More Won’t Hurt.”

It hits right at checkout, when customers are primed to add just a little extra.

Food delivery brands consistently crush upsells because their copy speaks directly to impulse and timing.

Ecommerce brands can steal this play: short, playful headlines that lower resistance and make the add-on feel natural.

Can't view the image? Click 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.

Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• 👖 TWBERP 48: AE v.s. Everlane Who Wins The Inbox? 
• ⚾ How Dugout Mugs Scaled to $55+ with Authentic Branding 
• 📧 AKNF 536: The Only Browse Abandon Email You’ll Need
• 🏆 Ad-venturous 16: Labor Day Creative Wins to Carry into Q4
• 💡 TWBERP 47: Retention Bootcamp: Master Your Welcome Flow!
• ✅ How Obvi Fixed Meta Pixel Poisoning & Recovered Performance 

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.