SPONSOREDÂ BY:
Good morning,
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Really Grape, Amara Mushrooms, and WelleCo. 👋
‍📊 New Benchmarks Reveal Big Opportunities For 2026
Ready to sharpen your marketing strategy for the year ahead?
Learn how with Klaviyo’s 2026 Omnichannel Benchmark Report, based on the latest data from 183,000+ brands.
💡 It’s packed with fresh insights and metrics that put your brand’s performance in context, plus practical ideas to guide your next moves.
Download the guide now, and gain instant insight into:
It’s an instant cheat sheet to ensure your marketing hits the mark.
*Â sponsored
‍🎤 Liquid I.V. Makes Big Game Debut With EJAE
Liquid I.V. makes a big splash with its first-ever Big Game campaign, starring EJAE, the breakout voice behind K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Rumi.
The spot opens with EJAE sounding faint and drained.
After a sip of Liquid I.V.’s electrolyte mix, she steps up to a bathroom mirror and effortlessly belts out Phil Collins’ 1984 classic “Against All Odds”.
The contrast is immediate and unmistakable: hydration fuels performance.
As Liquid I.V. CMO Stacey Andrade-Wells puts it:
“On the biggest stage in American sports, we’re reminding the world that hydration isn’t optional. It’s essential.”
Why This Works:
A timely cultural figure: K-Pop Demon Hunters shattered Netflix’s streaming records last year, turning EJAE into an overnight star.
Message and medium align: “Against All Odds” mirrors both the Super Bowl’s high-stakes energy and EJAE’s inspirational story from rejected K-pop trainee to chart-topping songwriter and performer.
Authenticity over polish: EJAE’s vulnerability grounds the campaign. The bathroom setting reinforces the idea that performance starts with everyday habits, not just big stages.
Built-in virality: Pairing a nostalgic song with a rising cultural icon increases replays. Liquid I.V. plans to release extended cuts and the full song on social platforms, inviting organic sharing and UGC.
The takeaway?
Celebrity partnerships work best when the story feels earned. Liquid I.V. didn’t just borrow EJAE’s fame. They tied her personal narrative directly to the product’s core benefit.
The result is a Big Game debut that feels culturally sharp, emotionally resonant, and built to sustain far beyond Feb 8.
‍⚡ Outpace Andromeda With 100+ New Ads A Month
Scale your creative production with Darbyon, trusted by leading global brands, including LVMH, Estée Lauder, Mercedes, Chopard, and L’Oréal.
They deliver 100+ on-brand creatives every month for ambitious DTC brands, moving beyond the creative bottleneck.
✨ Darbyon leads a new creative model built on AI Scale and French Taste, combining elite creative talent, custom AI models, and a thoughtful creative strategy.
With turnaround times designed for scale, they’re helping brands unlock bold creative possibilities beyond traditional statics and videos.
From static and video to paid ads, social content, and website assets. Brands choose the mix. Darbyon delivers at scale.
Discover the subscription plans behind 100+ ads a month. During your white-glove onboarding, mention “DTC26” and enjoy a free trial.
*Â sponsored
‍🎧 Diagnosing A Drop in Email Revenue
Is your email revenue down? Â
Before you panic or crank ad spend, you need to understand what’s actually causing the drop.
In this episode, Jordan from Pilothouse breaks down a clear framework for diagnosing email revenue declines. Starting with the two real drivers: send volume and revenue per send.
This episode walks through the mechanics behind list size, segment mix, inboxing, attribution, and why “platform revenue” can fall even when your retention engine is improving.
What we cover:
▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube.
🎧 Or listen here on Spotify.
‍Believable urgency works because it taps into loss aversion.
The key though is credibility. Fake countdowns, or endless “ends tonight” sales erode trust and hurt long-term conversion.
The highest-performing brands use evergreen but honest urgency, like rotating seasonal offers that actually end or social proof tied to genuine demand.
When urgency reflects real limits, customers learn to trust your offers.
‍🤖 OpenAI Says ChatGPT Ads Will Cost A Premium Price
OpenAI has confirmed that ChatGPT will begin advertisements in the U.S. in February under a CPM model.
Reported CPMs start at $60+.
The company justifies the premium pricing (roughly 3x Meta's) based on strong user intent.
Do you think advertising on ChatGPT is worth the cost?
‍📥 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.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
