Good morning,
Uh oh, Google is in hot water.
A federal judge ruled this week that Google violated US antitrust law by maintaining its search monopoly through exclusive contracts with key mobile ecosystem players, such as Apple.
The ruling also mentioned Google is able to charge such high ad prices due to its monopoly power.
More on this breaking story below.
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
👀 We spotted three water brands who are ‘strongly inspired’ by Liquid Death’s packaging.
💰 Learn how Montana Knife Company doubled revenue by leveraging a drop model to create scarcity and excitement.
✉️ And…Apple’s iOS 18 update means major changes for email marketing.
You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Duffle&Co, Pebble & Pine, and Boho Beach Hut. 👋
😰 Lack Of Clarity Is Causing DTC and Retail Brands To Bleed Cash
When was the last time you looked at your cash flow and felt 100% confident it was updated and accurate?
What was your store’s net income last week?
Or contribution margin?
Not sure? Neither are most DTC and retail brands. And they bleed cash because of it.
With Finaloop, the only ecommerce accounting software with native inventory management and expert service, brands like Duradry, The Magic Brand, and Tabs stopped the bleeding and started optimizing their profitability with confidence.
Download Finaloop’s guide to learn how you, too, can start navigating ecommerce accounting, bookkeeping, and even taxes. 😱
Written by ecommerce accountant expert Rayla Rappaport and DTC thought leader Aaron Orendorff, it has all the actionable templates, definitions, and tips needed to move from chaos to clarity. ✅
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☠️ Three Brands Inspired By Liquid Death’s Packaging
Liquid Death is known for its eye-catching packaging and disruptive content marketing campaigns, so it's no surprise that many other brands try to follow the billion-dollar brand's disruptive playbook to stand out in the canned water space.
Here are three influenced brands we’ve spotted: 👇
Thirst Trap: This Australian sparkling water beverage launched last year and social media users immediately noticed how the packaging’s bold font and gold accents resembled Liquid Death’s design.
However, rather than highlighting a customer pain point, they focus on a benefit instead. Their bottles are ‘Sustainable A.F’, and they hope to target a Gen Z audience by presenting themselves as a sustainable brand.
Not Beer: This brand takes a page from Liquid Death’s playbook by injecting humor into its website copy. Although its color palette veers away from Liquid Death’s aesthetic, it’s also adopted that cheeky fun tone that surprises and delights customers.
Plus, going back to Liquid Death’s roots, the beer can bottle makes it easier for non-alcoholic drinkers to blend in at a party with the tagline ‘Never a Bad Time.’
Bloody Water: This brand’s product follows a similar color scheme to Liquid Death. They also use an irreverent tagline to get customer’s attention. But instead of telling customers to ‘Murder Their Thirst’ the German brand’s irreverent tagline is ‘Drink or Die!’ which seems a tad more aggressive.
When your business achieves wide success, there are bound to be a few copycat brands that are ‘strongly inspired’ by your marketing playbook.
🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE
Agencies and brands must pay attention to Apple's major iOS 18 update.
With the update, users will see an AI-generated summary of each email, so make sure to do some preview tests!
⚡ QUICK HITS
🤑 Get ready to sell more with your influencer partnerships! SARAL helps you find perfect creators, manage campaigns, and track ROI effortlessly. Join 100s of brands already crushing their campaigns. Try SARAL free for 7 days. *
😣 How many final versions did your latest asset go through? That’s what we thought. Paige by Air takes the intuitive user-friendly experience from smartphones straight to your content management system. Join their design program here. *
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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.
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