DTC678: Ghost’s Billion Dollar Acquisition

Good morning,

We are officially less than one month away from Black Friday! ⏰

Trying to hit a record-breaking sales goal?

Expert BFCM advice is coming your way. For the next few weeks we’ll be breaking down all the tips and tactics you’ll need for a successful Q4.

‍

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

👻 We discuss how Ghost grew into a billion-dollar brand in just four years using these clever branding tactics.
🥣 This bone broth company shares the secrets behind scaling a food company.  
🕷️ And…Dunkin’s unhinged meme ad campaign is causing quite a stir.

You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Vitale Heart Health, Nourish'd, and Fueling Brains. 👋

Keurig Dr. Pepper recently acquired a 60% stake in the energy brand Ghost for nearly a billion dollars, with plans to purchase the rest of the company by 2028.

Keurig explains that they see Ghost’s potential and want to turn it into a ‘100 year’ brand.

The stats are impressive. Since 2020, Ghost has quadrupled its sales.

But how did Ghost create such a strong brand identity and loyal following in such a short amount of time?

Here’s how this lifestyle sports nutrition brand won over customers and is now bringing in over an estimated $1.9 million in monthly sales through its DTC site alone.

‍

Five ways Ghost differentiates their brand from competitors

1️⃣ Healthy formula: Ghost stands out for being a healthy alternative in the energy drink space. They promise sugar-free drinks and authentic flavors to appeal to their target audience.

‍

2️⃣ Unique packaging design: The colorful packaging and bold font style definitely stands out on shelves along with their signature ghost icon.

‍

3️⃣ Big licensing Plays: The brand was able to grow quickly by making smart licensing plays.

By partnering with well-known candy brands like Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish, they created fun and nostalgic flavors that would attract a wide demographic.

‍

4️⃣ Partnering with fitness creators and athletes: They spotlight all of their partners on their site on the page Meet The Family to show off recognizable faces customers know and trust and build social proof.

‍

‍

5️⃣ Transforming into a lifestyle brand: Not only do they sell supplements and energy drinks, Ghost also does an excellent job of creating a curated experience with branded merch and apparel, from hats to candles and shaker bottles.

‍

The takeaway?

Ghost did an excellent job of standing out in a highly competitive market by leveraging licensing deals, bold packaging, and unique messaging.

The high-profile acquisition shows that energy drinks are gaining popularity as coffee brands experience a decline in revenue.

💥 Founders Deserve Better Than Secret SaaS Deals. It’s Time For Transparency, Inclusivity, and Maybe Even a $1,000 Commission

For years, a small group of influential individuals has quietly profited from endorsing ecommerce software. 🫢

Founders, unbeknownst to these behind-closed-doors deals, make big decisions based on these endorsements.

Today, Yotpo is changing that. They’re bringing transparency and inclusivity to the table with their Commission Board. 👀

They have a list of brands they dream of working with and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.

If you know anyone on their list and are open to making an above-board, transparent intro, you can make $1,000 once they take a demo. 💸

🎧 Building A DTC Bone Broth Empire: Brodo's Marco Canora on Scaling Quality and Tradition

In this episode of the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Marco Canora, founder of Brodo, a leading bone broth brand.

Marco shares how he took his passion for cooking and transformed a small window serving broth in New York City into a thriving direct-to-consumer bone broth business.

As a celebrated chef with over 30 years of culinary experience, Marco reveals the secrets behind scaling a food business without compromising the quality of the broth.

He dives deep into the importance of storytelling, product education, and maintaining traditional cooking methods in the competitive bone broth category.

‍

In this podcast, we cover:

• Challenges of entering DTC: How Marco transitioned from a brick-and-mortar restaurant to an online broth business.
• Investing in product quality: Why maintaining traditional broth-making techniques is key to Brodo’s success.
• Leveraging authentic storytelling: Marco openly shares his journey of building a business to build customer loyalty and drive online broth sales.

👉 You can listen to the full episode with Marco here.