DTC893: Pela Email Pop-up, Proov, and Taylor Swift’s Engagement Trend

Good morning,

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

📱 Pela’s Email Pop-Up
Why the promise of “free” can be a double-edged sword.

🧠 Educating a New Market
Proov’s playbook for women’s hormonal health.

🚨 Daily Tariff Update
Will most tariffs be removed in October?

💍 Taylor’s Engaged—Are Your Followers?
How brands are joining the proposal buzz on Instagram.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Yard Property, Annabel Trends, and Whisker Seeker. 👋

💰 The Promise of Free When Generating Leads: Too Good To Be True?

Looking to grow your list size ahead of Q4? We’ll be analyzing some email pop-ups the next few weeks and share what’s working and what isn’t.

In this pop-up example, Pela offers an irresistible incentive.

The headline reads:  “Want a FREE case?” with the word ‘free’ in all capital letters.

Why this works:

Strong Hook: The message is clear, simple, and has a high perceived value. (Plus, this pop-up takes up the full screen, so it’s impossible to ignore.)

It’s Interactive: Pela uses smart segmentation in its pop-up by asking a single question: Team iPhone or Team Android?

The first step doesn’t even ask for an email yet. Just for users to answer a simple question, pulling visitors into a micro-engagement.

👉 This also allows Pela to immediately learn the user’s preferred device type which is an important detail to know for personalizing follow-up emails and future recommendations.

Clean Visual of Incentive: The clean backdrop makes the phone case images stand out. The product looks fun and colorful. And most importantly, shows there are many styles to choose from which makes the offer even more appealing.

That being said… some visitors may be skeptical about the hook.

Potential Doubts: Some users may see the word ‘free’ and feel like there’s a catch.

Users may ask: Is it really free or is it a BOGO?

Are there only a few select phone cases that are free or does the ‘free’ item require a minimum purchase?

👉 To quell doubts, add a clarifying sentence to reduce drop-offs or distrust.

Limited Long-Term Value: The whole pitch is the free phone case. But once redeemed, what’s the reason to stay subscribed?

A pop-up like this works even harder when the email list is framed as a source for:

• Early access to new designs and collections
• VIP offers

Generic CTA Button: The next step, asking for visitors' phone numbers, could carry more emotional punch with a more personalized CTA like “Claim My Free iPhone Case.”

Lack of Urgency Messaging: While ‘free’ sounds appealing, there’s no sense of urgency attached to the copy.

People might think, “I’ll come back later.” Adding urgency messaging like ‘this week only’ or ‘limited stock available’ could lift conversions.

The takeaway?

Using the word “free” can be a double-edged sword. It grabs attention, but clarity, urgency, and long-term value are what turn a quick win into lasting growth.

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📦 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.

September 2, 2025 update:

• Federal Appeals Court Rules Most of Trump’s Tariffs Illegal
  • A U.S. appeals court declared that the majority of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are unlawful.
  • However, the tariffs remain in effect until October 14, as the administration prepares an appeal to the Supreme Court.
  • U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shares that he is confident the Supreme Court will uphold Trump's use of a 1977 emergency powers law to impose sweeping tariffs, and the administration has a backup plan if it does not.
• India and U.S. Trade Deal Negotiations Continue
  • Trump calls his relationship with India as "very one-sided" and states that India has offered to reduce tariffs on U.S. goods to zero.
  • The U.S. was India's largest trading partner and the 50% tariffs sparked concerns about exports and the growth of the world's fifth largest economy.

🎧 How Proov Turned Hormone Testing into a Scalable DTC Platform

In this DTC Podcast episode, Dr. Amy Beckley, the founder of Proov, shares how she turned her personal fertility journey into an FDA-cleared, at-home hormone testing platform.

We discuss how Proov empowers women with hormone insights, the challenges of educating consumers, and the lessons learned scaling from crowdfunding to Amazon to a fully owned digital health platform.

In this episode, we dive into:

Proov’s Origin Story: Amy shares how her personal journey and scientific background led to Proov’s innovation in progesterone metabolite (PdG) testing.

Educating a New Market: Most consumers have not heard of PdG or how it impacts fertility and perimenopause.

Scaling a Regulated Health Brand: Proov moved from Indiegogo to Amazon to building an internal tech team and app-first funnel to reclaim customer ownership.

“You have to launch when it’s not 100%. If you wait for perfection, you’ll miss the market.”

Expanding Beyond Fertility: Proov is moving into perimenopause care, supplements, and telehealth prescriptions, aiming to be the proactive solution in women’s hormonal health.

👉 Listen to the full episode with Dr. Amy Beckley here.

Want to share your growth story with 150,000+ DTC operators? Apply to be a guest on the DTC Podcast.

Taylor Swift’s engagement announcement broke the internet last week, sparking a wave of brand posts online.

From playful recreations of her engagement photos to witty product tie-ins, brands didn’t waste time tapping into the viral moment.

Here are a few of our favs:

• Scrub Daddy used the same engagement backdrop and Photoshopped in its iconic “mommy” and “daddy” sponges as a newly engaged couple—tying the moment back to their best-selling SKUs.

[Screenshot via @scrubdaddy / Instagram]

• SAUZ used a photo of the couple embracing and replaced Kelce with a life sized version of their new limited-edition marinara sauce, giving the product launch some extra visibility.

[Screenshot via @getsauz / Instagram]

• Old Navy used Taylor’s own caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” as a hook for outfit inspo content.

[Screenshot via @oldnavy / Instagram]

Big moments like these show how cultural relevance can be a powerful lever for reach and engagement. 📈

So how is your brand celebrating the news?

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🖍️ Sept 14: Coloring Day, Sober Day, Food is Medicine Day

💗 Sept 15: Wife Appreciation Day, World Afro Day, Online Learning Day

🥑 Sept 16: Play-doh Day, Guacamole Day, World Barber Day

🪕 Sept 17: International Country Music Day, IT Professionals Day

🎒 Sept 18: School Backpack Awareness Day, Cheeseburger Day

🦜 Sept 19: Get Ready Day, Talk Like a Pirate Day, Punch Day

🍕 Sept 20: National Queso Day, String Cheese Day, Pepperoni Pizza Day

📥 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.