A few weeks ago while Travis and I were cooking dinner, he asked me if I had seen this tweet:

Kristen LaFrance @kdlafrance My husband (a muggle consumer) said: “Everything I would want has already been made ‘healthy’ and I still prefer the OG. Why does everything have to be HEALTHIER not just BETTER?!” I’ll just leave this here for you, CPG 🙌 twitter.com/fascination_th… The Fascination 👀 @fascination_the Favorite childhood snack you want to see re-created in healthier, dtc form; go 👇 March 23rd 2022 2 Retweets 6 Likes

Even though my Twitter feed is about 30% Kristen LaFrance tweets, I'd somehow missed this one.

But Travis knew this was right up my alley. I've lived the anti-diet life for the last 5ish years so the trend of "healthifying" snacks has been a little bit 🙄

For a lot of people, this tweet would be scandalous. "Of course we need to make things healthy!"

But for the right people (me, and I guess Kristen and her husband!), it's a refreshing alternative.

Because that's how it should work, right?

If a brand shares their true message (and not just the one that dozens of other brands are sharing), they attract the people who desperately need to hear what they're saying.

So I set out to find some brands that are bucking the trends and pulling the right buyers into their orbit.

Link Diving

Speaking to the underserved and underappreciated

When you're in the early stages of growing a brand, you have a unique opportunity to target your messaging to the exact needs of your customers.

That's what happened for Molly Garraway, Head of CX for false lashes brand Loveseen.

Molly was one of Loveseen's first hires (yep - before any marketing hires!) and it's been her job to figure out exactly what customers need to hear about the brand's products.

If you're like me, fake lashes might make you think of red carpets, weddings, or big events. And if you look at the current market for false lashes, you'll mostly find dramatic, high-volume products.

But Loveseen tried a different approach and focused on selling more natural looking fake lashes.

The decision was equal parts founder story and customer input. (A winning combo, btw!)

The founder of Loveseen was born without eyelashes. Which means all those other brands saying, "Our fake lashes will enhance your already great lashes!" didn't resonate.

But still...

Wouldn't most customers expect to receive a jet-black set of runway-ready fake lashes?

Nope! After talking to lots of early buyers over email, reading reviews, and analyzing the data from their Product Quiz, it was clear that Loveseen buyers wanted a natural look.

Loveseen was even able to cater some of their messaging to people who don't have eyelashes.

As a guest on the DTC Podcast, Molly explained that most brands reach for the easy audience: customers who want the high-fashion false lash look that's popular on shows like Euphoria.

And while that approach may be good for revenue, it leaves a whole segment of the market underserved and underappreciated.

Check out this episode to see how Molly and her team make sure that their customers feel seen when shopping for fake lashes.

🎙Listen now: DTC Podcast > Molly Garraway, Head of CX at Loveseen ​

. . .

Find your brand's Black Hole

Has your brand built out its own universe yet?

According to Andrea Hernandez, product oracle over at Snaxshot, it's the key to standing out from the blands.

Andrea also makes a case for universe building vs trend following:

Read the full issue (and subscribe if you're snax curious) to see some great examples of universe-building from brands like Ruby, Liquid Death, and Ghia.

📰 Read it here: Edible Cogitations: Process of Creation​

Delight Discovery

Let's celebrate brands that are doing things right, raising the ecommerce bar, and delighting their customers. This week’s Delight Discovery comes from FFUPs (it's Puffs backward).

I first learned about this brand from Andrea Hernandez on Twitter. She noted that their messaging was in line with her predictions that "we've crossed the 'better for you' chasm" to focus on serving people who crave indulgence.

This is a snippet from the FAQs on the FFUPs website. They are fully owning that they're not one of the millions of brands who are making "healthy" versions of your favorite snack foods (you know, the ones that actually taste good).

They're clear here that they're not healthier, they're just better.

Here's a Facebook ad that I fell in love with. I'm not convinced that Jason's a real reviewer (which is fine by me in a funny ad), but this review-themed approach really works.

FFUPs (and, uh, "Jason") are taking a direct shot at allll of the healthy brands (literally all of them) who insist that Pronounceable Ingredients = Health.

But sometimes those same brands are so busy stuffing in adaptogens, fiber boosters, and sweeteners, that their ingredients list is a hell of a lot longer than the "unhealthy" original snack.

I don't know if I'll buy FFUPs, but I'm thrilled to see brands taking a risk with their messaging.

Buried Treasure

When we listen to customers, we find buried treasure. Here’s this week’s featured product review that’s full of swipe-worthy customer language.

I decided to take a look at Loveseen's reviews to see if there really was a market for low-drama lashes...

This review is a great sign that the brand's messaging is working. Here we have a customer who was scared of using fake lashes (same, Amanda. same.). But thanks to Loveseen's approachable marketing, Amanda gave it a shot and is a buyer for life.

I also found this not-quite review on the brand's Facebook page. Here's an outlier (let's face it, 46 year-olds aren't the target of any beauty marketing except for anti-aging products) who really resonated with Loveseen's content.

CX Twitter

I'm working to find the best of CX Twitter. Here are a few recent(ish) Tweets that caught my eye this week.

Eli Weiss @eliweisss Serious question 🙋 Why do you think so many startups outsource CX to the Philippines for $3-$5 an hour but don’t outsource marketing, strategy, ops, or anything else? March 31st 2022 1 Retweets 73 Likes

Here's a trend worth changing. Pay fair wages, prioritize your customers over your bottom line, and fully integrate CX into your brand. If you need actionable examples, listen to Molly's podcast episode 👆

Monica Grohne @MonicaGrohne You asked the viewer: Want 10% off your first purchase? yes/no Would you rather receive via SMS or Email. & let them choose, instead of choosing for them. Has anyone tried this? Monica Grohne @MonicaGrohne Personally not a huge fan of SMS as an acquisition channel and kind of hate pop ups that ask for email, then SMS but what if… March 8th 2022 0 Retweets 4 Likes

Love this slight twist on the Email vs SMS debate. What if we let our customers choose? 🤔

Danavir Sarria | Ecommerce Email & SMS Marketing @danavirsarria The best testimonial emails are the ones that answer an objection. For this client, they sell nail/gel polish wraps that help women get picture-perfect manicures WITHOUT going to the salon. It's a low awareness market, so highlighting the salon objection is important. pic.twitter.com/wpNs9lOQDh April 3rd 2022 1 Retweets 11 Likes

Here's a great example of integrating CX (and Voice of Customer) into your marketing. When you're featuring reviews in your email marketing (which you're doing...right?), pick ones that match each segment's level of awareness.

Let me know what kind of CX, marketing, and customer-focused curiosities you've been exploring lately. I'd love to hear what you've discovered.

- Megan