"No Money. No Sales. No Customers. Start From Absolute Zero." (feat. Megan Whitman, CDO @ Kopari Beauty)
Future Commerce · with Megan Whitman · November 8, 2019 · 57 min
Summary
Megan Whitman, CDO at Kopari Beauty, shares how to build and scale a digital-first brand from the ground up, even with no initial capital. Learn how Kopari prioritized direct-to-consumer and customer relationships, navigated rapid growth in a competitive beauty market, and evolved their metrics beyond just sales to capture customer loyalty and brand resonance.
Key takeaways
Focus on direct-to-consumer relationships, even when expanding to retail. Kopari prioritizes their DTC site to foster genuine connections and gather customer feedback, which informs product development and marketing.
Rapid execution and 'on-the-fly' adjustments are crucial for modern brands. While strategic planning is important, being agile and testing different approaches allows brands to adapt quickly to customer preferences and market changes.
Beyond sales, experiment with qualitative KPIs to measure brand awareness and message resonance. Kopari tested showing specific ad stories to new audiences to understand which narratives best introduce them to the brand and capture attention.
Leverage collaborations with complementary brands to access new customer segments. Kopari's success with Drybar demonstrates how partnering can expand reach and introduce your brand to relevant, but not identical, audiences.
Master channel-specific messaging. With numerous channels, tailor your brand's story for each platform and customer segment to ensure the right message reaches the right person at the right time.
Brian bought 5 different mattresses and lives to tell the story. Phillip reviews DTC candle brands. Yes, really. ALSO: the guys sit down for an amazing interview with Megan Whitman, the Chief Digital Officer at Kopari Beauty, who joined us to talk about her experience growing the digital channel from "absolute zero". Kopari today is available everywhere from sample boxes to Ulta and is partnering with the likes of Drybar to reach even more customers.
Focus on direct-to-consumer relationships, even when expanding to retail. Kopari prioritizes their DTC site to foster genuine connections and gather customer feedback, which informs product development and marketing.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Rapid execution and 'on-the-fly' adjustments are crucial for modern brands. While strategic planning is important, being agile and testing different approaches allows brands to adapt quickly to customer preferences and market changes.
What does this episode say about customer retention?
Beyond sales, experiment with qualitative KPIs to measure brand awareness and message resonance. Kopari tested showing specific ad stories to new audiences to understand which narratives best introduce them to the brand and capture attention.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Leverage collaborations with complementary brands to access new customer segments. Kopari's success with Drybar demonstrates how partnering can expand reach and introduce your brand to relevant, but not identical, audiences.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Master channel-specific messaging. With numerous channels, tailor your brand's story for each platform and customer segment to ensure the right message reaches the right person at the right time.
