SPONSOREDĀ BY:
Good morning,
Hereās what youāll find in todayās DTC:
Youāre reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Gandys, Kulani Kinis, and Le Creuset. š
āšØ Sales Tax Gets Complicated Fast. This Guide for Shopify Stores Keeps It Simple
š§¾ If you're not sure who's supposed to be paying attention to Shopify's sales tax notificationsā¦ it's probably you.
Early on, sales tax is simple:
A few filings a year in your home state.
Cross $1M in revenue, and it changes fast.
Now youāre looking at 40+ filings across the U.S.
(Based on Anrokās analysis of thousands of growing Shopify brands.)
ā”ļø Shopify Tax handles calculation and collection.
Registration and filing? Thatās still on you.
Anrokās guide breaks down what Shopify covers, what you own, and when itās time to automate.
Think you have this covered? Use the guide to be sure.
*Ā sponsored
āā„ļø You Donāt Need Flowers or Jewelry To Run V Day Creativeā¦
Valentineās Day is a high-intent buying moment that can drive meaningful incremental sales.
Pilothouse shares brands that show up early with the right messaging can capture attention, affinity, and conversion.
And while flowers and jewelry still are the most popular categories, you donāt need to sell those items to tap into this high-intent gifting moment.
Here are creative angles that can work using Solawave, a DTC brand that sells at-home red light therapy devices, as an example.
3 Valentineās Creative Angles To Test
š Self-Gifting
Why it works:
Self-care purchases spike over Valentineās, especially in categories like beauty, wellness, and food.
According to a survey, 60% of Gen Z respondents say they are likely to buy themselves a gift so tap into that treat yourself mindset!
š” Ad Idea:
A cozy video of someone setting up the perfect evening in with Solawave: ordering takeout, binge-watching Netflix, or getting cozy with a book about two rival hockey players.
Headline:
āThis Over a Box of Bad Chocolate and Grocery Store Flowers.ā
Layer in product benefits and day-to-day appeal throughout the clip.
š Valentineās Day
Why it works:
Roughly 30% of Valentineās day spending is on platonic relationships (e.g., friends, co-workers, pets) rather than romantic partners.
š” Ad Idea:
Static image of a small friend group wearing lounge wear and chatting while using Solawave light therapy devices.
Copy:
Headline: Glow Up This Valentineās Day
Subheader: Because friends donāt judge you in a red-light mask
This angle leans into community, humor, and everyday relatability.
š· Date Night Preparedness
Why it works:
Beauty brands that lean into confidence and readiness tap into emotional desire more effectively than straight product demos.
š” Ad Idea (UGC Style):
A āget ready with meā clip where a creator says: āMy secret isnāt botoxā¦ itās red light therapy.ā
Then show Solawave as part of a Valentineās evening prep routine.
This positions the product as a confidence booster, not just another device.
Other Valentineās Ad Tips
1ļøā£ Start Early!
Consumers start browsing weeks before February 14 and your campaign needs time to learn and optimize for conversions.
2ļøā£ Use Shipping Cutoffs to Drive Urgency
Copy ideas:
These lines create urgency without relying on discounting.
3ļøā£ Simple Creative Updates Can Work
Valentineās updates donāt require a full overhaul. Even minor tweaks to top-performing ads like adding pink/red backgrounds or romantic headlines can signal relevance and improve engagement.
The takeaway?
Valentineās theme doesnāt have to revolve around āromantic gifts.ā
Instead, tap into rituals and emotions your category naturally supports (e.g. self-care, friendships) and reflect them early in your calendar.
āš§ The Personal Rebrand Era (And What Brands Should Know About It)
This episode of Ad-venturous closes out our three-part rebrand mini-series with a turn toward culture.
(Go back and listen to Part 1 and Part 2 if you need a recap!)
Aves breaks down the rise of āpersonal rebrands,ā why theyāve replaced New Yearās resolutions, and what this shift means for DTC brands trying to drive subscription growth, routine adoption, and long-term retention.
Instead of chasing one-time purchases, brands now have an opening to position themselves as rituals, identity markers, and part of how customers see themselves year-round.
What we cover:
ā¶ļø Watch the full episode on YouTube.
š§ Or listen here on Spotify.
āAre discounts a must-have?
Brand owner James Lee shares how replacing a 10% opt-in incentive with a message about an existing site-wide offer caused AOV to jump.
While conversion dipped slightly, the net result was an extra $50K in annual profit.
A great reminder to test so you donāt give away margin if you donāt need to.
āš„ 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?
Donāt forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (āļøāļøāļøāļøāļø)
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.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
