DTC691: Filson on the Power of Visual Storytelling

We bet you couldn’t guess OpenAI’s newest partnership… 🤔

Data? Nope! Tech? Nope! Beauty? Ding ding ding.

OpenAI is partnering with 78-year-old beauty company Estée Lauder to build custom GPTs to deploy across their brands.

Check out more on this newly announced partnership in the news section below!

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

🛍️ In part one of our four-part TikTok Shop Success series, we share why this is the perfect time to include the platform in your marketing strategy.
📸 Learn how Filson shows off product quality with the power of visual storytelling in their PDPs.
📦 We share surprising stats about the effectiveness of using warehouse ad creatives in Q4.
💡 And…test out this ‘low effort high impact’ scribble ad during Black Friday to stop the scroll.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Stellar Fitness, Slumberkins, and Wag’n Tails. 👋

⭐ Launching A Successful TikTok Shop*

Welcome to our Part 1 of 4 series on TikTok Shops! We will be sharing tips, tricks, and data over the next few weeks on how to get the most out of this growing platform.

It's hard to believe that TikTok Shop has only been around in the U.S. since September 2023.

In just one year, the platform has become wildly influential and an amazing way for sellers to diversify their revenue channels.

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Let's look at the numbers 👇

Face it: people love spending time on TikTok. Users spend more time on TikTok than any other platform by a long shot.

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And although it's known for being a much-loved app for those under 35, it's quickly growing in popularity for older generations as well.

And this attention is translating into sales for sellers.

This past summer, TikTok Shop USA generated $1.5 billion in total sales.

Those are HUGE numbers.

Some of the top-selling product categories include: Beauty & Personal Care ($340M), Womenswear & Underwear ($221M), Health ($143M), Sports & Fitness ($111M), and Phones & Electronics ($98M).

And the best part is… the platform is not saturated yet.

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While Health products are the third highest revenue earner, there's only 1K TikTok Shops out there that sell those products.

Meaning? Health and wellness brands can still enter the market and face low competition.

Adding TikTok Shop into your marketing strategy can contribute greatly to your Q4 success and beyond if implemented correctly.

Next week, we'll talk about the three major keys to TikTok Shop success

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Can't wait? Click to read the full RightMetric x DTC report here.

🤯 BFCM Chaos Is Here… What If You Had a Little Help?

We’re in the thick of things now. It’s peak season and you're working all day, every day. You’re taking care of business (like a boss!), but who’s taking care of you? 🫣

Yotpo and Shopify want to give you the help you actually need right now.

What does that mean? ✨

They’re offering marketers practical support during the busiest season by giving away credit for services that make life easier. Your calendar is full enough. 🗓️

🧺 Let them handle dinner, groceries, or laundry while you handle the holiday rush.

Yes, really. They’re at your service.

📸 A Close Look at Filson’s Impactful Product Shots

Outdoor clothing and accessories brand Filson does a great job of visual storytelling on their PDP pages.

Along with their incredibly evocative lifestyle shots, their other images also tell a story while showing off their product's unique features.

While product descriptions can convince some customers to purchase, images are just as powerful in selling, so don't overlook using creative product shots in your PDP image carousels.

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Here are three strategic creative image shots they use to persuade customers to purchase:

1️⃣ Detail shots: These close-up images show off their products' texture, color, and stitching. This is a great way to show off the quality of craftsmanship and make their materials easier to see for those viewing on mobile.

2️⃣ 360 Product View shots: Along with showing the exterior of the bag, Filson also includes images of the interior, which often has a different colorway and is a unique selling point compared to other bags on the market.

Enter their holiday collection page, and they use the same trick to show off the front and back of their apparel to add visual interest and increase click-through rates.

3️⃣ Scale shots: Along with images of an empty pristine bag, they also include a shot of an open bag filled with everyday items a customer may pack while traveling.

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In their duffle bag PDP, they've included an image of an open bag with clothes, a hat, and a deck of cards so customers can imagine themselves using it. This shot also does a great job of showing how spacious their bags are.

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The takeaway?

Filson uses a variety of creative product shots to address any concerns customers might have when it comes to the product's design and durability.

📦 Don’t Miss The Warehouse Creative Train This Q4

Did you know a simple photo of a stack of boxes in a warehouse can generate thousands in revenue?

It’s true.

Last November, the Pilothouse Meta team scaled a simple warehouse static featuring a stack of boxes for one brand, which drove over a ¼ million in revenue with a ROAS of 2.21.

If your warehouse is easily accessible, the Pilothouse Meta team highly recommends taking static and video content to test in your ad account.
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‍Here are a few ideas of what to capture:

• Stack of boxes from a distance (try to show a stack that’s over 10ft high)
• Team members packing boxes
• Boxes being loaded on a truck
• Birds eye view of the warehouse showing the size and tons of boxes
• Photo of the team standing in front of boxes

There’s countless iterations that can be made with organic warehouse content. Text overlays, grids, GIFs, carousels. Literally endless options.

Plus, warehouse content can work well on landing pages to show behind-the-scenes content and the founders' story.

Give this a try in your ad account this Q4, and let us know how it goes!

⚡ QUICK HITS

📊 Want to drive up to 600% incremental ROAS for Q4? Direct mail with Poplar gets you free creative design, $500 credit, and a FREE 1 MONTH TRIAL of their Pro plan. Book a demo here. *

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🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE

Here’s an easy way to improve your ad’s watch time.

Add a scribble text overlay and help customers do the math on how much they would save by purchasing your product during BFCM.

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📥 Got a B2B Biz?

Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 160k brand leaders and founders this year. Talk to our team to learn more.

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Have you heard our latest podcasts?

• 🏆 TWBERP 7: Email Like A Top Brand: Fresh, Flawless, Simple
• 🌟 Building Culturally Relevant Brands with Eugene Healey
• 🌚 AKNF 454: Amazon’s Cold Start Problem and Honeymoon Phase
• 📧 TWBERP 6: The Inbox Has Changed - 2024 BFCM Game Plan
• 👡 Scaling Custom Footwear at Crocs and Customer Personalization
• ❌ AKNF 452: Q4 Google Campaign Media Buyer ‘Don’ts’

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Don’t forget to rate the DTC Podcast on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.

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Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * may contain sponsored or affiliate content.