Playing for Keeps

In the words of founder and CEO Jordan Gal, CartHook is “expanding the canvas on which a brand can operate.” That means a customizable checkout for better customer experiences all the way through the journey. CartHook has evolved alongside the DTC market, and this conversation is loaded with tips for community-building, upselling, creating great landing pages, and more.

Blue light filtering glasses are one of those long-term products that we don't usually think of in terms of retention. On this episode of Playing for Keeps, Ryan Fisher, Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Felix Gray, talks Kristen through the ways that the brand is working to build a base of lifelong customers.

Customer loyalty is so much bigger than repeat purchases- it’s about creating passionate brand advocates that connect with you on a range of levels. It’s about providing genuine value as the basis of an ongoing relationship. On this episode of Playing for Keeps, Fiona and Kristen dig into creative ways for brands to re-approach their loyalty programs.

ShipBob provides Amazon-level logistics to DTC brands- basically, evening the playing field in one of the toughest areas for smaller businesses to compete. Casey Armstrong is an expert in marketing, fulfillment, and the eComm space as a whole, and his conversation with Kristen is all about the details. They dig into the different steps that brands can take to cut costs, increase revenue, and focus where it counts.

As a brand that sells a long-lasting product, retention might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Tortuga Backpacks. Thing is, they're working hard to find innovative ways to build customer loyalty- especially when it comes to content. They’re a fascinating example of a business that’s taken a slow and steady approach to bootstrapped growth. Fred and Kristen dig into the ways that Tortuga is increasing AOV and creating meaningful customer relationships, plus their unique method of sequentially bundling products.

Advertising costs are rising, and a lot of brands are taking a long, hard look at the ROI for their paid ads. That means really understanding the lifetime value of their customers. An expert in digital advertising, Savannah Sanchez works with businesses to improve the customer journey from the beginning. This episode of Playing for Keeps is all about loyalty from the very first touchpoint with customers. So how can your brand create a great experience within your advertising? Savannah has some amazing tips, tricks, tactics, and advice.

As COO of Recharge, Chathri Ali works at the frontlines of DTC, helping the industry prepare for and respond to shifts in commerce in the 21st century. This conversation digs into in-depth examples from a ton of top brands, from FourSigmatic to Atlas Coffee to StitchFix. Kristen and Chathri talk about tracking ROI, building a better CX platform, figuring out shipping cadence, subscription vs membership, and so much more.

Sanjay Jenkins has brought grit, determination, and a love of the game to his work in eCommerce, and it's really paid off. As Director of eCommerce at Buff City Soap, he’s had tons of opportunities to explore and experiment in the digital space. In this episode of Playing for Keeps, Sanjay talks through his process of building out an SMS channel, bridging a physical location and a digital store, and how Buff City works to improve the day-to-day lives of their customers. Bonus: Kristen reveals her enneagram number.

Operations aren't really sexy. It’s a side of most businesses that doesn't respond to flashy moves or easy hacks. It’s also one of the key areas for creating great customer experiences. Done right, your business can really live out your brand promises. SoundCommerce opens up an enormous range of data for smoother operations and better customer experiences. This week on PFK, founder and CEO Eric Best shares his playbook for optimizing every step of the journey.

Email, popups, and SMS are some of the most powerful tools out there for relationship-building, and Privy is a major leader in the space. Kristen’s conversation with founder and CEO Ben Jabbawy digs into the ways that these different channels can work together to create the maximum level of connection with customers. This episode is full of foundational tips for a stronger communication platform, higher conversion rates, and a more streamlined, effective brand narrative.

It’s more expensive than ever to acquire customers online, and in an increasingly competitive market, it takes a lot of grit and focus to stand out. Thing is, your acquisition funnel will only go so far without leaning into those customer relationships long-term. ADMission experts Adrianne and Grant are leaders in the DTC space when it comes to increasing ROAS, but they’re also educators that help operators take charge of their paid advertising. This episode is all about connecting your acquisition and retention efforts for a stronger overall business. So let’s talk about LTVs.

Codeless eComm platform Elliot is creating a lot of buzz in the eCommerce world right now, and with good reason. Co-founder and Head of Marketing, Marco Marandiz, is a veteran of the consumer tech space, and he’s all about using that experience to push the market into exciting, unexplored territory. This conversation digs into the ways that commerce is revolutionizing right now. Kristen and Marco go deep on multichannel marketing, brand building, entering a vertical with really established competition, using social media channels natively, and so much more.

John Roman didn’t expect to become a key member of the Battlbox team. As an initial investor, it was really the astounding growth of the business that brought him into the fold as a full-time leader in the business. John talks about discovering demand, testing new products with your community, and getting infected by the enthusiasm of your customers. Battlbox has amazingly invested fans and it all comes down to a top-notch brand experience and fantastic products. Plus: how a Reddit-style forum can build up the conversation around the brand.

Kristen and Helena covered a lot of ground in their two-part conversation, and that means Kris and Val have their work cut out for them parsing through it all. This special digest caps off a three-episode run, exploring everything from customer personas to developing markets; branding trends to organic growth strategies. If you’re still working through everything you’ve heard in the last couple episodes, this digest is everything you need to tie it all together.

Last episode we dug really deeply into the ways that Haus built out their space in the liquor market. This time, Kristen and Helena talk about one of the biggest strengths of Haus: retention and customer loyalty. From their new subscription component to their in-person community events, it's a conversation loaded with tactics, tips, and storytelling.

Haus is one of the most exciting brands in the DTC space right now. Combining a product steeped in cultural tradition with a cutting edge 21st century approach to eCommerce, they’re working to reshape the ways that Americans consume alcohol. Kristen’s conversation with founder Helena Price Hambrecht is all about the ways that Haus has both built their own market and disrupted a broader industry. Part two coming soon.

We’re all struggling to figure out how COVID-19 is going to impact our businesses and our lives moving forward. There are no easy answers, but there are a lot of steps you can take to strengthen your brand in the long run. This week’s PFK episode is all about navigating the crisis with a playbook from one of DTC’s best and brightest. From messaging to conversion optimization to increasing AOV, Allen and Kristen dig deep into the tactics that top brands are using to stay strong under pressure.

Personal touches, incredible experiences, following through on promises, and keeping things interesting: that’s the formula that Scratch Pet Food has used to disrupt their industry. The results have been pretty amazing. Changing your dog’s food is a huge step, and trusting a new brand isn’t easy, but Scratch works hard to help their customers transition with confidence. Kristen and co-founder Mike Halligan dig deep into relationship-building this episode, with a particular focus on the techniques businesses can use to really understand their customers.

As Strategic Partnership Manager at Shopify, Brian Peters is all about using 21st century technology to help merchants get to the next level. That said, at heart, his focus is still 100% on the people. Brian talks to Kristen about VC funding and bootstrapping, building out a retention plan as acquisition costs grow, and navigating the rise of SMS in the DTC space. This week’s episode is all about long-term, sustainable growth and making plays that can pay off in the long run.

Blume’s focus on customer education goes way beyond their products. They’re all about helping teens and their parents navigate a really difficult time, and that makes for super engaged fans of the brand. Thing is, they’ve built up a dedicated following among millennial customers as well. Blume is a brand that knows their ideal audience, but crafts amazing experiences that go way beyond a demographic. Kristen and Blume's Head of Growth, Kristin Eberth, talk about the things that set Blume apart- from their incredible community work to their new loyalty program, Blumetopia.

Eric Bandholz bootstrapped Beardbrand from the very beginning all the way to their current place at the top of the male styling market. How? Well, for one thing, by creating a brand that focuses on storytelling and individual connections. Kristen and Eric dig deep into BB’s new SMS channel, how they've built word of mouth to nearly one fifth of acquisitions, and some amazing customer stories.

Val and Kristen are exploring the questions that we’re all asking right now. How can DTC brands handle the current crisis? Should we communicate more? Less? How do we approach selling with tact and delicacy in tough times? It’s a pretty wide-ranging conversation, with examples and advice pulled from great operators in the community. Obviously, no one has the answers right now. This episode is a chance to talk through, explore, and knowledge-share while we collectively take stock and figure out our approach moving forward. Check out the show notes for more resources.

Glossier is a monolith in the online beauty business, and they’ve gotten there by building incredibly personalized connections with their customers. This episode of Playing for Keeps is all about the ways that brands can scale authentic relationships over time. Erin Miller, head of customer experience at Glossier, talks about great micro-interactions, taking a customer’s perspective in communication channels, and the connection between employee retention and customer retention. Plus: how to keep personalization from getting creepy.

What does long-term growth look like for DTC brands? How can businesses focus on profitability beyond the initial sale and into the next 3, 6, or even 9 months? It’s not always easy for cash-hungry startups, but it’s vital for sustainable scaling. Kohlman Verheyen’s work with Bambu Earth is a great case study for combining metrics with genuine customer connections. Kohlman digs into their founder-first approach, the success they’ve had with product bundles, and the communication plan they use to grow their base of fanatical brand loyalists.

As a managing partner at Common Thread Collective, Taylor Holiday builds and consults for a huge range of successful brands. CTC has figured out a game-changing equation to help brands manage their cash flow. This week’s episode is loaded with hard-hitting tactics from one of the top agencies in the DTC space. It’s a deep dive on the metrics that brands can use to better understand and serve their customers. Kristen and Taylor talk sustainable growth, parsing data, maximizing ad returns, and a data-driven approach to the customer journey.

The first thing most people notice about Manscaped is the brand’s amazing sense of humor. It didn’t come out of nowhere. They’ve built their business by making taboo topics feel comfortable and approachable, with some pretty astounding results. They’re also a fantastic example of subscription eCommerce done right. Kristen talks to Senior VP of Growth, Ben Acott, about the strategies they use to grow and sustain a subscription-first model. They also explore exclusivity as a sales driver, product iteration, and talk a whole lot about balls.

Eco-conscious business is a hot topic right now, but what does that really mean for DTC brands? How do businesses adopt sustainable practices and remain competitive in the market? As a writer and researcher for BigCommerce, Corinne Watson is all about understanding the ways that brands build sustainability into their processes. She and Kristen talk about the larger cultural and economic trends shaping the conversation right now, as well as simple, actionable steps brands can take to lower their footprint. Bonus: what changing demographics mean for the DTC space.

The supplement market is a bustling space, with players ranging from enormous corporations to smaller DTC brands. Form Nutrition has found their place by putting the mission dead center: helping customers realize the greatest version of themselves while being mindful of others. This mission is built into every aspect of the business and it has a ton of implications for customer relationships and retention. Kristen talks with co-founder Damian Soong about everything from marketing attribution to turning customers with a bad initial impression of the product into ambassadors for the brand.

Growing a brand is about more than just great products. It’s about finding your customers and building your business around their needs and hopes and individual stories. It’s about genuinely caring more than the store in the next tab over. So how do you make community priority #1 online? Kristen talks about building connections with influencers, harnessing email for retention, and a lot more with Karen Young from Oui the People. Bonus: how to survive a massive rebranding.

Season 2 of Playing for Keeps is officially here! Join Kristen as she tells the story of Playing for Keeps, how we got here, what it means to her, and where this season is headed. Big announcement enclosed-- you don't want to miss this one.

Before we move on to a new season, new guests, and some exciting new tips and tricks, let’s take a look back at everything we learned in season 1. Kristen runs through some of the standout moments from Playing for Keeps so far and how they set the stage for 2020’s year of retention. It’s bite-sized, it’s sharp, and it’s loaded with some of the best advice you’ll get all year.

Throughout season 1 of Playing for Keeps, we've talked a lot about the importance of upholding brand standards across different channel of communication. This can be really tricky for growing DTC businesses already- imagine doing it across two different markets simultaneously. This has been a huge focus for the Ugly Drinks team as they expand from the UK into the US. In this episode, Hugh Thomas, Co-Founder of Ugly, explains how his team is divided between markets, and how they bridge the two to create a brand that can speak globally AND locally. Glocally, if you will.

Kristen goes deep with writer and DTC expert Kaleigh Moore, a veteran of the Churn Buster blog, not to mention Forbes, AdWeek, and more. This week on PFK is a little different. With the recent explosion of brands entering the DTC space, Kris and Kaleigh look at some of the most exciting players and workshop ways that they could grow with a subscription model. From Outdoor Voices to Casper and Allbirds, this conversation digs into product discovery, working with an engaged community, and the future of the DTC space in 2020.

What does it mean to really understand your customers and craft your business around their wants and needs? That’s what retention is all about, right? This week Kristen goes deep with Asher Hunt, co-founder and COO of Bite Toothpaste Bits, to talk about starting a business from passion, what authenticity really looks like in business, and how to grow and scale in the wake of a viral video. Plus, they get into the cadence of a delivery schedule and how a customer-focus can drive brand loyalty.

Brand loyalty is a coveted metric in the game of retention. But, what does brand loyalty actually mean? And how do modern DTC brands begin to build deeper connections with customers to encourage repeat purchases and extended LTVs? Kristen and Aaron Orendorff, founder of iConicontent and previously editor in chief at Shopify Plus, go on a super deep dive into this uber important, yet elusive metric. Tune in to hear Aaron's top tactics for actively driving customer loyalty through storytelling, brand aesthetics, loyalty programs, and content with examples from companies like Tracksmith and Pura Vida. Plus, learn who is the Most Handsome Man in Portland (hint: It's not a human).

Why is retention so hard for DTC brands to focus on, despite knowing how powerful it is? I've been pounding my head against the desk asking this question again and again. Data proves it's one of the biggest growth levers, CAC is too high to keep chasing, and yet, ecommerce brands still aren't shifting enough focus and effort to this side of the equation. I couldn't figure it out, so I tapped the experts for this one. Hear from Web Smith, Reza Khadjavi, Jarid Lukin (KIND Snacks), Kaitlin Holliday (Four Sigmatic), Val Geisler, Jordan Gal, Aaron Orendorff, Taylor Holiday, Brandon Doyle, Matt Goldman, Ken Johnson (previously Manpacks) and more. Learn what's holding YOU back, and what you can do about it, b/c the brands brave enough to shift perspective will be the ones thriving in 3-5 years.

The world of wine is a $70 billion industry, with ship-to-home programs taking a bigger piece of the pie every day. While other brands are zeroing in on millennials, DRINKS is marketing to all wine enthusiasts, ages 21 - 91. Kristen sits down with Louis Amoroso, president of DTC for DRINKS to discuss how Wine Insiders uses deep personalization, feedback loops, and customer relations to be the powerhouse it is today. Plus, Kristen questions the impact Louis' childhood had on his business endeavor and explores the importance of retail experience in today's landscape.

Retention is the name of the game for subscribe and save programs, but measuring the impacts of your promotions on LTV isn't always an easy task. This week, Kristen chats with Jeff Schnepple, the Director of Marketing Technology at Ancient Nutrition, to learn how they conduct deep data analysis to uncover the offers that lead to the longest (and most profitable) LTVs (like free frothers).

Without looking, could you remember the brand and flavor of the toothpaste sitting on your counter? When's the last time you actually looked forward to brushing your teeth? These are the questions that brothers Cody and Julian Levine, alongside Lenny Kravitz set out to answer with Twice toothpaste. From beautiful packaging, to a completely new concept, and a deep charitable mission, Twice is making waves in the oral care industry. On this episode, Kristen sits down with Co-Founder and CEO, Julian Levine, to hear how the brand idea was born, what they've learned in their first year of business, what it's like working with Lenny Kravitz is, and what the future looks like for this inspiring brand.

Increasing MRR should be every eCommerce brand's focus. But, it’s a complicated machine of moving parts. As Wilson puts it, “anything that’s complicated can be simplified and broken down into its individual inputs”. Tune in as Wilson breaks down his model for increasing MRR at Kettle & Fire in a simple, strategic manner.

This week is a Playing for Keeps first, we have two guests on one episode! Box of Style is a quarterly luxury clothing and lifestyle subscription curated by Rachel Zoe. Tune in as Kristen sits down with Yana Moser, Director of Digital Strategy AND Jessica-Rose Garcia, Head of Member Experience, to learn how the team approaches retention with this lengthy break between shipments. Plus, learn how Box of Style is approaching the holiday season with a strategic, and customer-centric approach.

Many eCommerce brands are offering both subscriptions and ala carte items to their customers. While both streams of revenue are great, for many brands, getting customers into a subscription is a top priority. On this episode, tune in for a deep dive into this topic with Allen Burt of Blue Stout agency. Allen's clients include Inc. Magazine Top 500 brands, Shark Tank Success stories, Forbes 30 Under 30 founders, and more. From basic conversion tips to a thorough look at segmentation, Allen share's his top tips for boosting your subscription programs. Get your pens ready, you're about to walk away with an entire new set of tools.

There are over 11 million butts in the world covered by MeUndies, and their success is just beginning. In the past year, MeUndies shifted their subscription program to include a membership layer on top. Hear first hand from TJ Stein, VP of Customer Experience at MeUndies, why and how they implemented this membership (and how it's impacted retention).

Analyzing all the touch points a customer has with your brand is a start, but it still leaves out 95% of the buying story. Buyer journeys begin way before your customer actually comes in contact with your brand. Understanding these passive buying triggers has allowed companies like Casper to get ahead of the competition. In this episode, Kristen sits down with Katelyn Bourgoin, 4x founder and customer research expert, for a deep dive into customer research, buying triggers, and building brand loyalty from day 1.

For replenishment subscriptions in particular, building customer habits is key to retaining customers and preventing the "too much volume" churn. From personalization to app development, Ritual has a strong focus on this particular area of retention. Tune into this episode with Laura Brodie, Director of Retention at Ritual, learn how Ritual helps their customers build healthy habits.

Imagine seeing your hero product on Amazon's best seller list for an entire year. That's exactly how Kopari Beauty made a splash in the natural beauty industry. Since selling out 5x on Amazon, Kopari has built a massive subscription program centered around their deoderant. Now, the team is working hard to increase average order value of those loyal subscribers. In this episode, Lanie Depasquale, Head of Retention at Kopari Beauty, digs into the nitty gritty on how they've leveraged personalization and education to increase average order value across the business.

It's so much easier to retain customers when you have a raving community built around your products. But how do you create content that drives that community excitement? In this episode of Playing for Keeps, Kristen sits down with Kaitlin Holliday, head of eCommerce + Data at Four Sigmatic to discuss their membership tactics, content development, and community-focused mindset.