Good morning,
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
🚀 Reformation Enters the Space Chat
How the brand made a cultural moment count.
❗ Launching Soon? Read This
How data can make or break your brand launch.
📦 Daily Tariff Tracker
12 states sue the Trump administration over tariff policy.
💀 De Minimis Is Dead
What the end of the small package loophole means for sellers.
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Zaftig Brewing, Ritual, and Muria Foods. 👋
👀 Your Marketing System Should Power Your Growth. Does It?
Now is the time for brands to be hyper-focused on marketing efficiency.
But here's the truth: growth stalls when your system doesn’t scale.
At Pilothouse, we build scalable systems, not just an omnichannel strategy.
Why? Because 1+1=3 when your cross-platform strategy, creative, and execution actually work together.
✅ Cross-functional teams, not silos
✅ Insights that compound, not conflict
✅ Built to scale, not just survive
If your growth has stalled, your team is stuck in maintenance mode, or your creative isn’t converting—it’s the system.
Wondering what it could look like if your system started working together?
💡 Analyzing Reformation’s Rocket Science Email
A recent Reformation email campaign poked fun at pop star Katy Perry’s 11-minute space flight, which was heavily criticized online for being ‘out of touch’ and ‘a waste of resources.’
The fashion brand decided to use this topic to promote its spring collection and remind subscribers that its clothing is responsibly made, positioning itself as a sustainable brand.
The cheeky message reads:
’Why go to space for 11 minutes when you can be down here looking at these responsibly made clothes?’
Why this tactic works:
Reformation’s design and layout break up the messaging so subscribers feel compelled to keep scrolling to the end.
The catchy hook gets subscribers to keep scrolling to see the punchline.
And…while the brand shares a laugh with its subscribers, it also directs traffic to their bestsellers page and new trending items to improve click-through rates and conversions.
The takeaway?
Reformation’s culturally relevant email pokes fun at the high-profile space expedition while positioning its products as responsibly made through fun storytelling.
This type of messaging is especially relevant since Earth Day and sustainability initiatives are top of mind in April.
📦 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.
April 24, 2025 update:
🛍️ Leveraging Data For Brand Launches
Looking to launch a brand?
Think about how you can leverage your data.
Pilothouse shares that this is a strategy the Fortune 500 companies have been doing for years – using data points to determine new product launches via focus groups and surveys.
These methods cost quite a bit of upfront investment, but the cost was nothing to the profit made down the line.
However, with the accessibility of paid media, finding the direction to launch a new brand affordably and efficiently has never been easier.
Here's how:
Just look at Kettle & Fire.
They turned a fake product (with a $500 upfront investment) and became a 100 million dollar company. 📈
While Justin Mares was at a CrossFit class, his friends at the gym told him about the benefits of bone broth.
Justin couldn't find this product anywhere, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Seeing a major business opportunity, he set up a landing page selling a fake bone broth product for $30 and spent $500 on ads.
The result? He sold over $2,000 of this fake product.
Once he realized there was high demand, Justin created a real product to match and found distribution.
A year later, Kettle & Fire made $2.8 million in sales.
Data matters. Paid media can help the trajectory of a DTC brand completely.
Leveraging information like what products to make, brand style to choose, new collections to invest in, and even influencers to partner with.
Paid media allows us to work smarter, not harder when scaling and unlocking success.
🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE
The De Minimis exemption ends next week.
Shipments under $800 will be subject to tariffs based on their value (or a per postal item fee of about $100 starting May 2).
Mail carriers will also be required to provide information about the package to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Small businesses like Australian brand SYLK SWIM are already feeling the impact of these changes, and pausing orders to the U.S. temporarily.
Expect a massive customs backlog as enforcement catches up.
📅 EVENTS
Config - A developer-focused conference exploring the future of design and development. Attendees can expect insightful sessions on topics such as collaborative workflows, design systems, and innovative Figma plugins.
📅 May 6-8, 📍 San Francisco, CA 💰 Free - $399
EmTech AI - MIT Technology Review’s signature AI leadership event, bringing together top business and tech leaders to explore the real-world impact of AI breakthroughs.
With exclusive, in-person discussions and immersive experiences, the event features leading AI experts and provides an opportunity to shape the future of generative AI.
📅 May 5-7, 📍 Cambridge, MA 💰 $900
📰 NEWS
📥 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?
Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.
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