DTC895: DedCool Brand Breakdown

Good morning,

How is it already September???

The seasons may be changing, but our Brand Breakdowns are here to stay. This week we’re spotlighting DedCool.

This fragrance brand began in 2016 as a passion project by L.A.-based perfumer Carina Chaz, with a vision to create a gender-neutral, vegan, and non-toxic fragrance brand.

The brand’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and personalization is clear: inviting customers to layer unique scents like Milk, Xtra Milk, and Mochi Milk as an extension of self-expression.

Since then, DedCool has built a loyal following and expanded its offering to hand soap, candles, and laundry detergent.

But how does this multimillion-dollar brand translate its identity online?

We asked Pilothouse to review DedCool’s website experience and share opportunities to optimize for performance, engagement, and conversions.

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

🌼 Inside DedCool’s Site UX
Opportunities to boost conversions.

🚨 Daily Tariff Update
Trump vs. The Supreme Court

❤️ Beats x Jennie Collab
A new bold colorway and custom features.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Specsavers, RP Parfums, and Arksen. 👋

🤖 Want To Know Where AI Stands Now In DTC Marketing? This Survey Reveals How 875+ Operators Are Putting It To Work.

🤔 AI is on everyone’s mind, as it’s become a part of, well, nearly everything in DTC operations.

🎯 But wouldn’t it be nice to know the specifics? Answers to key questions like:

• ➡️ How are brands using AI today? And, where is it having the biggest performance impact?
• ➡️ Who “owns” AI in most companies? And how important is ownership, anyway?
• ➡️ How do marketers really feel about AI? And what’s next to come?

Find the real-world answers in this new report from DTC, with additional insights from Triple Whale.

👉 It breaks down how 875+ operators are actually using AI, from the measurable impacts to how they’re feeling about where it’s at and where it’s going next.

💡 Get your answers.

💰 Diving Into DedCool’s Modern and Minimal Site

Site Performance

First, let’s look at their website speed.

DedCool is experiencing slow loading times. At the time of testing, the brand’s Google PageSpeed score was 44 on mobile and 58 on desktop.

These slow load times can increase bounce rates and can negatively impact conversions for DedCool.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Prioritize improving site speed: Over 55% of users abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Addressing performance should be a top priority to keep visitors engaged and shopping.

Research shows that faster mobile sites can significantly boost conversion rates.

Product Pages

DedCool’s sleek, minimal design is visually appealing and aligns well with its brand ethos.

There’s ample white space and the pops of orange work well as visual cues or as CTA buttons.

However, several adjustments could strengthen product page performance.

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Add Trust Signals Above the Fold: Adding awards, badges, or customer testimonials up front can reassure first-time visitors.

✅ Product Imagery: Currently, images are buried below the fold. High-resolution visuals and videos at the top of the page would better showcase DedCool’s fragrances.

Including videos that show models spritzing fragrances on their skin or into the air can bring DedCool’s sensory experience to life.

✅ Reviews & FAQs: DedCool has a ton of positive five star reviews. Featuring these prominently above the fold, along with FAQs, could improve purchase confidence and nudge visitors to buy.

✅ CTA Hierarchy: Multiple competing calls-to-action may cause decision fatigue and cognitive overload for visitors.

Testing simplified, prioritized CTAs could improve click-through rates.

Keep scrolling for more information on DedCool’s site experience. 👇

🧘 What’s Lululemon Hiding In Their Catalog? Here's How To Put Your Competitors’ Data To Work For You

Your competitors are launching products, shifting prices, and chasing new trends every week. The real question is: do you see it? 👀

🔍 Particl’s AI Analyst lets you dig beneath the surface. For example:

• 👕 How many products did Lululemon add this month?
• 📈 Are leggings trending up or down in the last 6 months?
• 💥 Which keywords are exploding across activewear right now?

📊 The answers are already in the data. Your competitors might wait weeks to find them. You don’t have to.

💡 Be the first to know. Be the first to act.

Customer Engagement Quiz

DedCool’s fragrance quiz is a strong lead-generation tool. It gets to know the customers' scent preferences, sense of style, and the mood they want to evoke through fragrance.

At eight questions with a 15% discount incentive, it’s a clever way to educate and capture emails.

💡 Pilothouse Tip:

✅ Test out different quiz lengths: Shorter versions of the quiz to reduce drop-off while a longer quiz can add more personalization. Personalize quiz results further to deepen customer trust in their recommendations.

The Checkout Experience

DedCool’s checkout flow is clean but misses opportunities to increase average order value (AOV) and maximize the checkout completion rate (CCR).

💡 Pilothouse Tips:

✅ Include dynamic upsell modules: Add these to the checkout flow and increase AOV. Featuring complementary products like dryer sheets or travel sprays at checkout could easily increase basket size.

✅ Enhance Trust: Consider adding visual elements such as icons with information reminding of the free-return guarantee, and time of shipping, as well as number of reviews and rating.

✅ Footer Optimization: Reducing footer length and adding payment trust logos here can help streamline the experience and reassure customers, especially first-time buyers.

✅ Add More Personalization Elements: DedCool’s quiz is great but there’s an opportunity here to add in more personalization features.

Recommend products that layer well together and certain scents based on a user’s shopping intent during the buyer’s journey.

✨ Conclusion

DedCool’s site reflects its modern, innovative brand but leaves room for optimization, particularly in mobile performance, product page hierarchy, and upsell opportunities.

By surfacing social proof earlier, streamlining CTAs, and enhancing speed, DedCool can deliver a smoother, more trustworthy journey from discovery to checkout.

Reviewing Shopify analytics against the customer journey will highlight exactly where improvements can be made.

The result?

A site experience as layered and memorable as DedCool’s fragrances.

📦 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 4, 2025 update:

• Will The Supreme Court Save Tariffs?
  • On Wednesday, Trump filed a petition and asked for a review of last week's federal appeals court ruling, which found his 'Liberation Day' tariffs illegal.
  • The Supreme Court is now expected to review the case. The administration asked for the decision to be made by September 10th.

[Photo courtesy of Beats by Dre]

Beats by Dre partners with pop star Jennie again on a new design collaboration.

The brand revealed a special-edition ruby red version of its Solo 4 headphones with two attachable red bows that draw inspiration from the artist's debut studio album’s aesthetic.

The product is available online starting today.

📥 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.