Good morning,
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
⚡ New Year, Same You. Three disruptive New Year campaigns that replace ‘new me’ messaging with more realistic expectations.
💡 How Amazon sellers can boost visibility for new products. We discuss launch strategy tactics you can implement to rank more highly on the platform.🍋 And… Lemon8 is getting popular. TikTok’s sister app is seeing a sharp rise in downloads, but will it get banned too?
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Adidas, Pride Mountain Vineyards, and CVS Health. 👋
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⚡ These New Year Campaigns Challenge Unrealistic Goal Setting
This month, we’re seeing some brands forgo the ‘New Year, New You’ messaging in favor of something more… realistic.
Because let’s be honest, how many of us actually stick with our New Year goals? 🙃
Apparently not many.
75% of Americans who make New Year resolutions usually fail to commit after 30 days.
Some brands are using this data to create more relatable campaigns.
Here are three examples of disruptive New Year campaigns that caught our eye this week.
1️⃣ RXBar kicks off the new year with its bold “B.S. Blocker” campaign.
The protein snack brand challenges unrealistic ‘New Year, New You’ messaging with humor, calling B.S. on those who feel pressured to change.
The campaign focuses on celebrating self-acceptance and blocking out the noise.
RXBar is inviting its followers this month to comment on their IG post about ‘what B.S. they are rejecting in the New Year’ and share the post on their IG Stories.
In exchange, participants will receive a discount code they can use on RXBar.com.
2️⃣ Merit’s social media campaign ‘New Year, Same You’ embraces being yourself on a day we are told to reinvent ourselves.
Their Instagram post reads:
Every January 1st, we’re told to become new versions of ourselves. And while we might have tried in the past, this year, we’re sticking with what we do best.
Tomorrow — Flush Balm returns with new shades (and some old favorites) at meritbeauty.com.
Merit uses the start of the New Year to promote the release of its new blush shades that feature the same formula customers know and love.
3️⃣ Dove announced their #NewYearsUnresolution campaign to promote body confidence and self-esteem
The brand cites that 1 in 2 women’s New Year resolutions revolve around being dissatisfied with their bodies.
To combat toxic beauty pressures, Dove encourages customers to let go of ‘the pursuit of perfection.’
The beauty brand set up an online learning platform on Dove.com to reject harmful beauty ideals.
Why this New Year messaging works:
New year, new you messaging can feel repetitive since this is the go-to tagline for many businesses in January.
Brands that use humor and honesty in their ad campaigns will stand out more and feel more relatable to consumers resistant to change.
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🧑⚖️ TikTok vs. Supreme Court
Last week, the Supreme Court heard over two hours of oral arguments from TikTok, its creators, and the government.
Creators argued that the ban “promotes the suppression of ideas.” TikTok questioned why TikTok was being singled out when other sites like Temu and Shein put American data at risk.
However, the U.S. Solicitor General doubled down on how TikTok was a “grave threat” to national security and could “weaponize” the app at any time to harm the U.S.
So, will the ban be implemented?
As of now, a majority of the Supreme Court appeared likely to uphold the U.S. TikTok ban over concerns about its ties to China.
The Supreme Court’s decision will shape the next steps for TikTok, so stay tuned for updates as the situation continues to unfold in the coming days.
💡 Insights Into Amazon’s Ranking Algorithm: The Cold Start Problem
Is there such a thing as a 'honeymoon period' for new products on Amazon?
Pilothouse shares that some Amazon sellers believe there's a period where new products have an increased ability to gain traction and visibility on the platform.
But does it actually exist, and how do you take advantage of it?
Short answer: Yes and no.
✅ Yes, in the sense that sellers have a big opportunity at launch to make outsized gains to performance on Amazon.
❌ No, in the sense that the honeymoon period is not a predetermined amount of time where products receive increased visibility.
The explanation here comes down to how ranking algorithms are designed to treat new products, also known as the Cold Start Problem.
If ranking was purely based on historical performance, then breaking into that algorithm with any new product would be incredibly difficult.
So, what Amazon does instead is assign a predicted rank using initial data to adjust that rank.
Because of this, having a successful launch is crucial. Build an optimized listing and drive as many positive interactions as early as possible into the launch.
This includes nice listing images, SEO-optimized bullets, and feeding Amazon as much data as possible. As part of your checklist, ensure the listing is optimized for SEO, CTR, and CVR.
The goal?
Give the algorithm all the information it needs to make a good initial decision.
Amazon will base its decision on data as quickly as possible. However, it is unclear just how quick that is.
Remember: Amazon is invested in driving a positive customer experience, so sellers should prioritize driving relevant traffic that is likely to convert (from both on and off Amazon).
The takeaway?
Some say that the above data points to the fact that there is no honeymoon period; however, we would say there is to an extent.
Starting with a clean slate, we have the opportunity to show Amazon an immediate and plentiful onslaught of positive interactions.
A poorly executed launch that feeds Amazon negative interactions (low CVR, low sales volume) would have to be overcome later down the line, making it more difficult to climb the ranks.
🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE
The social platform Lemon8 is seeing a huge increase in downloads the past few weeks as TikTok users migrate to the sister app in case of a U.S. ban.
However, since Lemon8, along with the video editing CapCut, is also owned by ByteDance it’s possible those apps may be in jeopardy as well.
Which app are you pivoting to if the TikTok ban goes through?
Instagram
YouTube
Sticking with TikTok
Not sure yet
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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.
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