Q4
First off, tons of new faces here, we've added thousands of people to the list in the last few weeks! If you've looking for last week's newsletter with corporate merch links (and plenty of other gems) you can grab that here.
Now...
It's that time of year... when I am completely and utterly obsessing about Q4.
Last year I had Q4 off... for the first time in a decade none of my projects had some massive sprint to the finish line, and nothing was going for a massive push on retail or ecom.
No longer, this year it's gearing up for the full court press.
I look at August like the end of the offseason in basketball. Some star players will play themselves back into shape once the season starts (looking at you Luca, James), some have been deep in the gym and are coming back with new moves in their arsenal.
What's on my mind (and if you have a brand, should be on your mind too).
Influencer strategy
- 10xing down on free gifting (video on this soon) for 25-150k follower influencers
- establishing a narrative with paid influencers - 3 posts and more stories over the course of the leadup and holiday to establish audience interest then push to convert. NO MORE ONE OFF POSTS
Media mix (deep dives on some of these below)
- testing new avenues - I am evaluating TikTok Shop and Shopify Audiences, neither of which I've used, plus Linear TV 15s which I haven't used in a while
- evaluating old avenues - I am watching Amazon change rapidly, and preparing to adapt a 8 figure AMZ business to its new reality
Creative
- If you want your social media to have an impact for q4 and its now where it should be right now, YOU NEED TO HAVE STARTED BY SEPT 1.
- Better systems for turning out and evaluating far more creative in ad testing and on content
- Locking in a strategy for BFCM (black friday, cyber monday) that involves existing customer early access
- Looking at exclusive email list only product drops
- Upping velocity to 2-3x a week from Nov through end of year
- Upping aggression on abandoned cart
- Tailored post-holiday campaigns
The time to get better... is now.
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πΌ ART DIRECTION πΌ
I saw this platform popup a few weeks ago, asked Instagram for an invite code, got access and are making some content with their team, and I have to say I'm impressed! If youβre a brand or agency who takes art direction seriouslyβdefinitely take a look at Stills.
A video of why I like the platform: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwAkcrytI5m/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==β
Some of my favorite features
- Advanced search by color, number of people, and camera angles
- Vault images with limited useage so you know youβre not using saturated images
- Team shared boards and collaboration tools
Get an invite HEREβ
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TELL US WHY
If I could recommend something to any store selling someone else's products online (also if you're selling your own), it's to take the time to explain WHY you carry a brand or style, to explain what changed, to turn your product lineup into a narrative that is interactive and exciting.
VIDEO: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvxKJ6XNrGH/β
PS: Ssense, I am ready when you are and will do this for store credit.
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ππ»ββοΈ ATHLETICWEAR ππ»ββοΈ
One of the most common requests I get is for low order quantity manufacturers for athletic wear. I think this mostly comes from a BIG influencer opportunity.
Fitness/wellness content is by far the easiest niche to grow in... wide audience, tons of proven strategies to grow, high value.
But it is also very hard to monetize... few sponsors, not much money for them, huge field of competition.
There's an endless stream of courses and supplement affiliate links, and some mediocre merch at best.
When I believe any of these influencers (especially 2-4 banded in a group) could take time and nail a few activewear clothing items that complete with at least the mid-tier of activewear brands out there.
Do it.
This is the low MOQ factory from the video:
βhttps://shenzhenaola.en.alibaba.com/company_profile.html?β
PRO TIP: With ANY apparel factory (or any overseas product really) if you want quality, remember you need to ASK FOR IT. Most vendors assume people want the cheapest thing possible because that is what most people that reach out to them for the first time ask for. Tell them you want the highest quality options they have.
If you want to go deep on this niche and actually make products, I have a deep dive Report with 20+ factories, info on materials trends etc for sale that is a massive value for $100: https://hyperstudios.gumroad.com/l/runningreport?β
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π TIKTOK SHOP π
If you have products sold on the internet haven't heard about what's happening with TikTok shop... you should probably be more online. We are in process of setting up TikTok Shop to link to our Shopify at my primary project, and it is a bit of a pain... but that's all the more reason to start now, get it done, and feature products in all your TikToks. Open it up to affiliates too while you're at it. Lots of small fun brands are crushing with it.
Jade breaks down how it worked for her business here (great overview): https://www.tiktok.com/@jadebeguelin/video/7264782022655085866?lang=enβ
Starting guide: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/set-up-tiktok-storefront-partner-platform?lang=enβ
Jimmy breaks down the products doing numbers
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AMAZON
Amazon is seeing growth in their ads business (2x ads growth to sales), which means profits will fall for those of us selling on Amazon.
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That's not the end of the story however... To concentrate on that business, they may be pulling back on private label, which opens up immediate room for brands to play in established categories.
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π½ KITCHEN SINK π½
Yeti and their color planning:
βhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CvmyruotcRE/β
Speaking of color as a marketing weapon:
βhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CvhXZdttF_M/β
Brands are taking lore to another level, from toys to clothing and back again:
βhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CvpaV6Btojg/β
Surreal advertising:
βhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CvfDZmPN2b2/β
An excellent example of a design to IRL reel:
βhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CtiyG8auIpw/β
A legendary design:
βhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CvYEccGvSyn/β
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I can't wait to see what you create!
β Oren β
JEWELRY CREATION COURSE IS HEREβ
ACTIVEWEAR CREATION COURSE IS HEREβ
THE TREND REPORT ON TENNIS IS HEREβ
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BRAND PARTNERSHIPS & SPONSORSHIPS
Contact: oren@delucamediagroup.com
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P.S.
Check out 2 newsletters from my best friends James & Colin
NanoFlips - Learn the art of buying, growing and selling websites: https://www.nanoflips.com/β
Landforce list - A golf??? newsletter by Colin Landforce: https://landforce.coβ
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Oren John | Product People
THE INTERNET'S CREATIVE DIRECTOR
www,productworld.xyz
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