DTC917: Kitsch’s Spin To Win Pop up, Ray Reddy from Shopify, and Killer Black Friday Promo Strategy

Good morning,

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

🎡 Kitsch’s Spin to Win Pop-Up
How gamification helps generate more leads.

🫵 Reimagining POS Systems
How Shopify is creating a single source of truth.

💸 Black Friday Tactics
How to create a killer promo.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Neat Method, AF Drinks, and Cali's Books. 👋

📈 Want To Skyrocket Your ROAS By 300%+? Cut Your CAC By Nearly Half? Here’s Your New Growth Playbook

Ecommerce growth is harder than ever. 😥 Rising ad costs, stricter privacy rules, and shrinking margins leave little room for guesswork.

That’s why some of the fastest-growing brands are turning to Connected TV (CTV) as a performance channel, not just for awareness. 👀

💥 Vibe.co’s Strategic Ecommerce Playbook for CTV Performance breaks down exactly how to unlock scale, efficiency, and measurable ROI with CTV.

Inside, you’ll find:

• ✅ Step-by-step campaign frameworks for Shopify + Klaviyo
• ✅ Creative best practices that boost ROAS without inflating costs
• ✅ Proven attribution models that show full-funnel impact
• ✅ Case studies from brands driving double-digit ROAS with Vibe.co

From reducing CAC by 47% to achieving 300%+ ROAS, these are strategies you can apply today.

Plus, use code DTC2025 for a $1,500 ad credit. 💸

👉 Discover how CTV can fuel your next stage of growth.

💰 Kitsch’s Smart Gamification Tactic

Who wouldn’t want to win a prize?

Kitsch uses a Spin-to-Win wheel in their pop-up, an increasingly common email tactic.

Why? Because gamification taps into curiosity and drives engagement.

Shoppers don’t want to miss out, and the chance to “win” a big discount keeps them hooked.

Studies have shown that Spin-to-Win formats typically outperform static discount boxes for opt-ins, thanks to the added interactivity.

What also works well:

✅ On-brand design: Kitsch’s playful pastel wheel fits perfectly with their aesthetic, making email sign-up feel like part of the online shopping experience.

✅ Instant reward psychology: Shoppers feel they’ve earned the discount, which increases their likelihood of using it and completing checkout.

✅ The 28% discount trick: The uneven number feels more unique than a standard 20% or 30%.

It also protects margins. 28% feels nearly as generous as 30% while saving 2%. Especially during Q4, this adds up.

✅ Color perception trick: At first glance, it almost seems like customers have a 75% chance of winning a top or mid-tier prize due to the color choices. With those fantastic odds, more visitors will opt to click to spin.

If your pop-up already checks these boxes, here are a few tests worth trying:

🧪 Add SMS capture: After revealing the prize, offer to “Text me my code so I don’t lose it,” to help with conversions.

🧪 Experiment with top prize: Keep 28% for everyday use, but test higher discounts like “Spin for 30% this weekend only” during peak sales events.

🧪 Segment follow-up: Use the “won” discount tier in emails for personalized messaging (“Your lucky 15% code is waiting!”).

The takeaway?

Kitsch’s Spin-to-Win is a clever, on-brand list growth play.

The unusual 28% discount doubles as a psychological hook and a margin-protection strategy.

To maximize Q4, consider combining your pop-up with urgency and strong retention messaging to keep subscribers engaged beyond the first purchase.

💥 CTV is Delivering Results. Get Started With This Playbook and $1,500 in Ad Credit

😬 Social ad costs keep climbing while performance... isn't.

Average CPMs on paid social platforms are rising year over year, squeezing margins. Privacy changes limit targeting and attribution, making ROI harder to prove.

Could it be time for something new? ✨

Consumer attention has shifted. Streaming now accounts for 40% of total TV time in the U.S., with ad-supported options growing fast. 👀

CTV isn't just for building awareness; it delivers measurable results. 📊

👉 Brands optimizing CTV campaigns have cut CAC by up to 47% and achieved 3–4x ROAS. 🚀

Curious to dig into the Strategy and Activation guide for ecommerce brands interested in CTV?

Plus, use code DTC2025 for $1,500 in ad credit.

🎧 The Future of Unified Commerce with Shopify’s Head of Retail, Ray Reddy

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, Ray Reddy, VP of Retail at Shopify, explains how Shopify is transforming POS from a simple checkout tool into a full commerce operating system that unifies online and offline retail.

Ray breaks down the shift from “POS as a terminal” to “POS as infrastructure,” how AI is becoming table stakes for retailers, and why a unified data model is critical for future-proof commerce.

Here’s what we cover:

• From Add-On to Core Product: How Shopify reframed POS as a platform-level product, not just a checkout tool.
• A Single Source of Truth: Why Shopify built one data model across online, in-store, and B2B to eliminate integrations that are prone to break.
• AI as Table Stakes: How AI is automating photo editing, data entry, and other tasks so merchants can focus on growth.
• Migration Challenges: Why moving off legacy systems is painful and why the long-term value outweighs the friction.
• Build vs. Partner: The decision framework Shopify uses to build “most of what most merchants need most of the time,” while integrating in complex verticals like tax, payments, and compliance.
• Future-Proofing Commerce: Why infrastructure choices are 5–10 year decisions, and how AI is accelerating retail change.

👉 Listen to the full episode with Ray here.

CRO expert Fraser Cottrell shares how brands can create a killer Black Friday promo.

Because this shopping day isn’t just about discounts. It’s about timing.

Top brands like Gymshark win every year by going all in on a one-day sale. They build hype, collect emails, and focus on a single countdown moment.

The key is commitment: choose between a one-day blitz or a week-long rollout. Mixing both dilutes urgency and kills momentum.

Your creative won’t save you if your timing strategy is confused.

💸 Oct 12: National Savings Day, Gumbo Day

🧠 Oct 13: Train Your Brain Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Day, Yorkshire Pudding Day

💕 Oct 14: Dessert Day, I Love You Day

👋 Oct 15: Global Handwashing Day, Lemon Bar Day, Pug Day, Mushroom Day

📚 Oct 16: World Food Day, Dictionary Day, World Allergy Awareness Day

💰 Oct 17: Wear Something Gaudy Day, Get Smart About Credit Day

👔 Oct 18: Legging Day, Necktie Day, and Menopause Day

🤯 CAC is rising and social ads are stalling. Ecommerce leaders are turning to scaling with CTV. Get Vibe.co's DTC playbook to target, measure, and win where social can’t. Read it 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?

• 📐 Ad-venturous 22: The Try-Angle Method for Smarter Brands
• 👚 TWBERP 53: Examining Urban Outfitters’ Email Machine
• 🚀 Highland’s $10M Playbook and CAC Payback
• 💡 AKNF 546: Pilothouse’s Strategy Team Transforms Ad Accounts
• ⛰️ Ad-venturous 21: Cringe Mountain and Why fearless Brands Win
• 😨 TWBERP 52: Don’t Let This Tactic Tank Q4

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.