Good morning,
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
👀 An Eye-Popping Discount
We analyze Grüns email sign-up flow.
⏰ Master The First Second
How to hook attention in Meta Ads
🚨 Daily Tariff Update
Brazil fights back against U.S. tariffs.
🏆 IG Story Ads That Outperform
Tested tactics worth stealing.
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Clearwater, Cloré Beauty, and The Nappy Collective. 👋
💰 Is Grüns' Big Email Discount A Bold Hook?
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.
This email pop-up stopped us in our tracks!
Instead of offering the standard 10-15% incentive, Grüns leads with a massive 52% discount.
That number is impossible to ignore.
It hooks visitors instantly and creates urgency, especially in a category where shoppers are used to seeing predictable offers like 10%, 20%, or 30% off.
What else is working:
✅ Interactive quiz flow: The two-step process starts with a quiz about the customer’s goals.
This makes the sign-up feel personalized and gives Grüns valuable data to segment future emails.
✅ Clean design: The bold green brand color stands out, and including a product shot grounds the discount in something tangible.
✅ Pattern interrupt: The unusual 52% offer breaks the monotony of standard discounts and commands attention.
But there is a risk that comes with offering a big discount…
⚠️ Balancing urgency with brand value: A discount this steep can feel overly transactional in a crowded supplement market.
Grüns could reframe it as:
This maintains urgency without diluting brand equity.
⚠️ Opportunity to show ongoing value: The pop-up sells the first purchase but doesn’t hint at why someone should stay subscribed.
Adding copy about early access to BFCM deals, personalized supplement recs, or subscriber-only drops could help subscribers stay engaged.
⚠️ Room to test stronger CTAs: ‘Continue’ works, but options like ‘Unlock My Discount’ or ‘Get My Code’ tie the action directly to the reward and could be worth testing.
The takeaway?
Grüns is already ahead of many supplement brands with an interactive, segmentation-first pop-up.
The next step is protecting brand value while scaling impact by reframing the discount, layering in subscriber benefits and testing stronger CTAs.
Done right, this pop-up could drive both immediate conversions and long-term retention.
🔓 Yotpo Unlocked: The Next Era In Reviews & Loyalty—See What's Here and What's Next
Yotpo is going all in on Reviews, Loyalty, and AI with powerful new features built to boost growth.
Here’s a quick look at what’s new:
And that’s just the beginning… think smarter integrations and more on the horizon. 👇
* sponsored
📦 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 9, 2025 update:
🎧 Mastering The First Second: How Chris Erthel Hooks Attention in Meta Ads
In this DTC Podcast episode, Eric reunites with Chris Erthel, a creative strategist and performance marketing expert who speaks candidly about his ecommerce journey.
Chris shares how early failures (from launching a selfie app to selling shoes) taught him the value of experimentation and resilience, especially when it comes to mastering high-impact ad strategies.
His turning point? Helping brands like Wild Impact scale from €30M to €107M, learning the importance of equity and ownership along the way.
In this episode, we dive into:
The Crucial First Second: What makes an ad hook successful in today’s crowded feeds.
“For a fashion brand, we start with a double backflip to get attention… then show the clothes.”
Using Comments as Social Proof: Chris outlines his engagement strategy on social media.
International Expansion Strategy: Chris shares how U.S. DTC brands can gain traction overseas without translating copy by targeting English-speaking European hubs.
“Start with the Nordics and Poland… all have English TV, euro currency, and buy online.”
A/B Testing Everything: Chris shares they test 40+ A/Bs weekly including swapping content creators to find standout performers. One creator drove over $6 million for a skincare client.
“Four underperform, one overperforms, and proves itself worth the investment.”
Transitioning to Wellness: Chris shares how The Happiness Podcast guides listeners through breathwork to center energy and calm the mind.
👉 Listen to the full episode with Chris here.
[Screenshot via @oliverwhudson / X]
This creative style is outperforming some other formats right now.
Across different product categories, this IG story-style ad is winning because it feels authentic and not overly polished.
The winning formula?
– Product in hand, selfie-style
– Native IG font, minimal design
– Conversational tone (“I was gifted this, but now I subscribe”)
– Pain point + social proof in plain language
– 1 review × 5 static angles = repeatable
Before sinking your budget into highly produced video, test native Story-style statics with bold copy and a single image.
They’re cheap, fast, and are crushing performance. 🚀
Can't view the image? Click here
🔥 NexGrill, an outdoor cooking and heating brand, joined Walmart Marketplace in 2022. With access to millions of customers, zero monthly fees, and powerful ecommerce tools, they grew from a small startup to a global brand in just two years. Join now. *
* sponsored
🍏 Sept 21: Gratitude Day, Dance Day, Eat an Apple Day, Chai Day
☀️ Sept 22: Business Women’s Day, Ice Cream Cone Day, Temperature Control Day
🧑🦰 Sept 23: Redhead Appreciation Day, Go With Your Gut Day, Apple Cider Vinegar Day
👁️ Sept 24: Lash Stylist Day, Horchata Day, National Punctuation Day
🦞 Sept 25: Beach Therapy Day, Comic Book Day, Lobster Day
🌍 Sept 26: Alpaca Day, Dumpling Day, World Environmental Health Day
🧣 Sept 27: Google’s Birthday, Crush a Can Day, Scarf Day, Chocolate Milk 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.
Have you heard our latest podcasts?
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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.
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