A quick note:

Hello DTC Pod! As we sail through summer, it's time for another dose of the hottest DTC insights.

Inside, find valuable knowledge nuggets from this week's guest, Jordan West, exciting DTC news and a tweet that caught our eye.

Stay tuned, stay informed and as always, let's chat on Twitter or e-mail us at [email protected].

- Blaine, Ramon, & the DTC POD team ✌️

This Week's DTC Pod Guest

#283 - Jordan West - Ads & Marketing 101

Jordan West is a successful entrepreneur, owner of multiple brands, agency owner at upGrowth Commerce, and host of fellow e-commerce podcast Secrets To Scaling Your E-commerce Brand . With his expertise in digital advertising and e-commerce, Jordan has a background in growing brands, navigating advertising platforms, and understanding customer psychology.

📰 DTC & eCommerce News

Shopify Revolutionizes Merchant Support with AI Assistant - Shopify is set to introduce an innovative AI assistant called "Sidekick" for its platform's merchants. This cutting-edge feature, as demonstrated by CEO Tobi Lutke in a Twitter video, will provide real-time answers to merchant inquiries, including insights on sales trends. Sidekick will even assist entrepreneurs in updating their Shopify stores, enabling functions like applying discounts across their entire inventory. Stay tuned for the official launch date of this game-changing feature.

More Barbie Fever - Mattel's Barbie isn't just set for the big screen this July; she's been having a major moment in retail too. Over 100 brands, including Gap, Aldo, Forever 21, Primark, and DTC brands like Béis and MeUndies, have released limited-edition Barbie-themed collections. Beverages aren't far behind, with Swoon merchandising Barbie pink lemonade at Target. This frenzy even extends to home fragrances with Glasshouse's Barbie Dreamhouse Strawberry & Dream Candle. Mattel's franchise investment led to a sales increase of 20% last year, making these partnerships more valuable than ever. Read the full Modern Retail article here.

Bobbie's Big Step - Infant formula brand Bobbie acquired pediatric nutrition firm Nature's One, tripling its operations and gaining control over formula manufacturing. The move aligns with Bobbie's $100M commitment to enhance domestic access to the infant formula industry. Bobbie also closed a $70M Series C funding round, led by PowerPlant Partners, to finance the acquisition. Bobbie co-founder Laura Modi highlights this move as critical for industry resilience. The acquisition sets Bobbie as the third-largest fully integrated brand in the U.S. Read the full TechCrunch article here.

Pickleball Partnerships Popping Up - DTC beverage brands Sanzo and Poppi are serving up exciting partnerships with professional pickleball leagues. In June, Sanzo claimed the title of Official Sparkling Water Sponsor for the Professional Pickleball Association, while Poppi fizzed up as the Miami Pickleball Club’s official beverage. Pickleball, a rapidly growing sport with player numbers jumping 159% in three years, offers a low-entry sponsorship arena for startups. Beyond exposure, these partnerships allow for creative marketing strategies. For instance, Sanzo has plans to release pickleball-inspired paddles, and Poppi is developing a special Miami Pickleball Club soda flavor for next year. Get the full story at Modern Retail.

Tweet of The Week

Sean Frank (@SeanEcom) shares a refreshing take on bankruptcy: it's not failure, it's a new beginning. We're all risk-takers in this game. Remember, each round offers a chance for a comeback. Keep rolling the dice and working hard!

Interested in being a guest? Sharing a cool event? Suggestions on how to improve the pod? Email us at [email protected]