Ep 624: How Cove Soda Builds an Email and SMS List With No DTC, Trading Full Cans for Signups at Events
DTC Podcast · with Zoe Kahn · June 29, 2026 · 46 min
Summary
This episode reveals how Cove Soda, a retail-first beverage brand with no DTC presence, ingeniously builds its email and SMS lists. By exchanging full cans for sign-ups at in-person events, they're creating a direct customer channel. This strategy is critical for retail and omnichannel operators looking to foster direct customer relationships outside of traditional e-commerce funnels.
Key takeaways
Implement an ' IRL for email' strategy by offering product samples in exchange for email/SMS opt-ins at events, effectively bypassing the need for an e-commerce site for list building.
Segment email and SMS lists geographically to deliver hyper-relevant content to customers based on their location (e.g., US news to US fans, Canadian news to Canadian fans).
Strategically select in-person sampling events by evaluating demographic fit of attendees and considering the leverage of existing marketing assets in a given state.
Utilize Amazon attribution links to test creative and copy, providing valuable A/B testing insights even without a dedicated DTC website.
Don't be deterred by saturated product categories; instead, focus on unique, direct-to-consumer engagement strategies that differentiate your brand.
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupMost list-growth advice assumes you have a website people visit. Cove Soda doesn't. They sell zero sugar soda in roughly 7,000 retail doors with no real DTC store, which means no site traffic, no purchase pop-ups, and no easy email capture.Zoe Kahn runs marketing for Cove as interim VP. In this episode she breaks down how a retail-first brand still builds a direct, owned channel, why she treats in-person events as the acquisition surface, and how she competes in a soda aisle that already has Olipop and Poppi running Super Bowl ads.What you'll get:The event tactic that grows an email and SMS list without DTC: trade a full can for an opt-inHow to segment by geography so US news goes to US fans and Canadian news goes to Canadian fansHow she picks which events to sample at, and why marketing assets in a state change the mathUsing Amazon attribution links to test creative and copy when you have no DTCA clear take on why an oversaturated category is not a reason to quitThe early-career mistake that shipped roughly 700 wrong orders, and what it taught herWho this is for: retail-first and omnichannel operators, beverage and CPG founders, retention and lifecycle marketers, and anyone who has been told they can't build a list without DTC.What to steal: the can-for-email swap at events, geographic list segmentation, and an event-selection checklist built on demographic fit and asset location.0:00 Intro3:16 Building a Canadian Brand in the US7:55 How Cove Soda Stands Out in a Crowded Market10:09 Using QR Codes to Grow Email and SMS Lists17:50 Practical AI Workflows for Marketing TeamsSubscribe to DTC Newsletter -
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Implement an ' IRL for email' strategy by offering product samples in exchange for email/SMS opt-ins at events, effectively bypassing the need for an e-commerce site for list building.
What does this episode say about email & sms?
Segment email and SMS lists geographically to deliver hyper-relevant content to customers based on their location (e.g., US news to US fans, Canadian news to Canadian fans).
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Strategically select in-person sampling events by evaluating demographic fit of attendees and considering the leverage of existing marketing assets in a given state.
What does this episode say about customer retention?
Utilize Amazon attribution links to test creative and copy, providing valuable A/B testing insights even without a dedicated DTC website.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Don't be deterred by saturated product categories; instead, focus on unique, direct-to-consumer engagement strategies that differentiate your brand.
