Pitstop with Sarah Levinger – Details, episodes & analysis

Pitstop is presented by Triple Whale. Check out their new product, Fin Hub.

Want more? Sarah shares how buyer based Psychology- Based Creative is changing the DTC space.

In this episode your host Sarah Levinger and Paul Rafaelson break down key DTC trends from the perspective of a creative strategist.

Pitstop is hosted by Sarah Levinger. Find her on Twitter, or get in touch at HG Performance Creative.

Pitstop is presented by Triple Whale. Check out their new product, Fin Hub.

Want more? Sarah shares how buyer based Psychology- Based Creative is changing the DTC space.

In this episode your host Sarah Levinger and Paul Rafaelson break down key DTC trends from the perspective of a creative strategist.

Pitstop is hosted by Sarah Levinger. Find her on Twitter, or get in touch at HG Performance Creative.

Pitstop is presented by Triple Whale. Check out their new product, Fin Hub.

Want more? Sarah shares how buyer based Psychology- Based Creative is changing the DTC space.

Sarah Levinger breaks down static image ads and the creative choices in simple but high converting ads.

Pitstop is hosted by Sarah Levinger. Find her on Twitter, or get in touch at HG Performance Creative.

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

Pitstop is presented by Triple Whale. Check out their new product, Fin Hub.

Want more? Sarah shares how buyer based Psychology- Based Creative is changing the DTC space.

• 1:01 Before asking for a review, a post purchase email that asks for content first, then a review. This strengthens the relationship by building a community first asking for a photo or video, then this can be used to post and tag the customer on social media, and then ask for a review. This helps both Camskns, and their photographer clients.
• 2:58 Use UGC for new launches. One of the biggest thing Colin has learned is all the benefits of nurturing your customers post sale. They bring all kinds of value including getting you product photos and videos you can use on your site and in your ads.
• 3:45 Show your customers first. One of Camskns biggest issues was customers who weren't able to get their install right. One day after purchase, Colin sends a video, of him, showing what is needed before the install so customers have time to get it. He also explains how to contact support, and sends the video again 10 days after purchase.
• 6:35 Making interactions more human. One of the ways to reduce the number of low reviews is to show customers how to succeed, in this case, with installs. Whatever your post purchase is from your customers, ask yourself how you can improve it.

Pitstop is proudly sponsored by:

Try Triple Whale

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

Pitstop is presented by Triple Whale. Check out their new product, Fin Hub.

Want more? Sarah shares how buyer based Psychology- Based Creative is changing the DTC space.

Key moments in this episode of Pitstop.

• 1:30 Getting started with just a couple of samples and a solid, local manufacturer, Colin  was able to go live with a variety of options for Sony cameras. They quickly expanded, and dropped the Sony from the name, rebranding as Camskns. There were other camera skins out there, but they were all dark and overly masculine.
• 4:46 Expanding smart. When it came time to add new brands of cameras they supported, it helped that Colin was already a member of the photography community. This saved headaches and money by not making products for cameras that aren't popular. This is also the value of a community, even on Instagram, where you can solicit feedback from your members and followers.
• 5:31 First sales came from building an organic Instagram audience. They posted three times a day, various photos and videos, of cameras and the product which led to sales and UGC content. The bigger the community, the more organic sales and creative they would have for their ads. It makes sense that
• 8:08 Social proof seen around the world is easily created from customers. It shows that people do buy the product, they ship to you, and capture the product actually being used, in ways that you wouldn't be able to demonstrate.

Pitstop is proudly sponsored by:

Try Triple Whale

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

Operations and logistics are hard and only getting harder with each day counting down to BFCM. Leonie Lynch is back to share some of her struggles with setting up logistics for a perishable product, so you don't have to struggle.

• 2:00 Give your product as much shelf life as possible. The first product was a ready to drink product that needed to be chilled in storage. It also had a 30 day shelf life. After this, they reformulated the drink to a powder. Now they can ship around the world.
• 4:22 By partnering with Shipbob, they're able to expand to other countries  and grow in marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart.
• 7:02  What does a modern 3PL look like? A dashboard showing all your orders in one place, and offering better customer experiences.
• 9:01 If you're switching between categories like food or food supplements, you may have to blend how you're perceived. This can impact packaging requirements and taxes. It's much cheaper to decide before you do a large packaging run.

Pitstop is proudly sponsored by:

Omnisend - ShipBob - Gorgias

P.S. If you're wondering how Leonie was able to get back 50% of her time, check out this case study from Shipbob.

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

Juspy founder, Leonie Lynch shares how her background, including a PHD in visual marketing helped her come up with her packaging. 

• 1:30 Juspy wants consumers to be able to have their cake and eat it too. Because it's a product that's good for you, and tastes good, it needs to be visually appealing too.
• 2:45 Before starting Juspy, Leonie did a PHD in visual marketing. Her children joke that she's not a real doctor, but a brain doctor. This comes through in the product through communicating with visual literacy. While the packaging isn't the same giant abstract canvas she's uses what she learned in visual literacy to communicate with her customers.
• 5:30 In crowded markets, you need a differentiator to stand out and connect with your customers. For Juspy, this meant creating a visual brand customers identified with.
• 8:35 After listening to their customers, they started creating Spotify playlists for their customers who were reading the blog. It gives insight into the founder, and helps customers use more product. It also is a way to connect with influencers and match music at festivals or events. It's also a way to connect with customers without trying to sell someone to something.

Pitstop is proudly sponsored by:

Omnisend - ShipBob - Gorgias

P.S. If you're wondering how Leonie was able to get back 50% of her time, check out this case study from Shipbob.

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

In this episode of Pitstop, Juspy Cofounder Leonie Lynch shares her experiencing with Amazon Launchpad. 

Key moments in this episode:

• 1:30 Getting started with launchpad  used to be invite only, but if you're a small seller with less than $5M in revenue, you can apply. It's an easy way to own your Amazon listing, without going through a reseller or distributor.
• 2:30 Keeping track of the Amazon process with a good old fashioned notebook, and the headaches caused by bad ASIN management. If you have the same product in different market places, using different ASIN's can be a big issue.
• 4:30 One of the biggest benefits of being a part of the Launchpad program was the access to premium seller support, especially when something goes wrong, like moving categories.
• 6:00 Amazon has tough requirements in place, but they don't always tell you about them. While relisting a product that was already live, Leonie had to provide just about every piece of evidence you're a real brand imaginable. Including photos of you with the product.
• 7:00 Nothing is a quick fix with Amazon. It took weeks to get their product relisted. Ultimately it's on you to learn Amazon as best as you can, including finding a coach who has done it before. They can help you navigate things like contacting support to reduce your wait times. Always have them send you a transcript.
• 11:00 A+ plus content are additional areas to make your Amazon listing feel like yours. You can use it to bust objections, tell your story, and sell more products.

Pitstop is proudly sponsored by:

Omnisend - ShipBob - Gorgias

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

Biggest levers to increase conversion

• Delivery speed, use WFS or 3PL if you cannot fulfil 2 day
  • Large brands may be able to do this
  
  
• Content: listing quality must be 95% or better; Pro Seller Badge
• Price

Large brands: household names already being searched for and may be in store (PUT/SFS opportunities)

• Pick up in store

Small brands: private label - need to get to the first page, have strong content, good reviews, and good prices. The premium brands don’t always jive on walmart.

• Get on Walmart - either you’ll sell your products or some 3rd party will. First mover advantage

Our Sponsors

Omnisend - ShipBob - Gorgias

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail

Delivery:

• Amazon has over 110 active fulfillment centers in USA
• Walmart Fulfillment Service has 20 thus far

Membership:

• Amazon Prime has over 100 million prime members
• Walmart Plus has around 8 million members ($98 per year)
  • Benefits are Free shipping, free deliver from stores, etc
  
  

Brick and Mortar

• Still massive: 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store
• Walmart redesigning over 1,000 stores to improve shopping experience (eventually with more tech = digitally enabled shopping experiences)
• Amazon just entering B&M

Our Sponsors

Omnisend - ShipBob - Gorgias

Mentioned in this episode:

Triple Whale - Whale Mail