DTC Podcast

• Ep 556: Fix These YouTube Targeting Mistakes to Stop Wasting Money Building Top of Funnel Awareness

  Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode of the DTC Podcast, host Eric Dyck sits down with Dougie, Head of the Google team at Pilothouse, to unpack how DTC brands can and should use YouTube advertising more strategically — especially when trying to build awareness and capture new demand before peak periods such as BFCM.Key moments & actionable insightsWhy YouTube upper‑funnel campaigns often fail: mis‑targeted audiences, automated overrides, and device‑versus‑user mismatch.How to set up placement, topic and keyword exclusions to avoid low‑quality traffic (e.g., gaming, ASMR, children’s content).The importance of checking the actual served demographics in your audience reporting and comparing to your true converter demographics.How optimising for new customer conversions (instead of all conversions) can yield significant gains (e.g., +50% new customers, +15% share of new customers via Google).Why narrow geo‑targeting for awareness campaigns can improve measurability of incremental lift.Why brand‑lift studies may not be the most reliable metric and what alternatives to use (brand search lift, remarketing behaviour, time‑on‑site post‑click).Distinguishing between YouTube for pure awareness vs YouTube driving demand capture, and how budgets and measurement should differ accordingly.Whether you’re a performance marketer at a growing DTC brand, or scaling marketing budgets and looking to break through awareness ceilings, this episode gives you tactical controls, audit steps and measurement frameworks to make your YouTube spend work harder.Timestamps00:00 – Why most advertisers are targeting the wrong audiences02:10 – How misaligned content (like kids’ or gaming videos) wastes budget05:00 – The sneaky Demand Gen setting sabotaging your audience08:00 – How to force Google to find new customers only11:40 – Using Audience Insights to audit your actual converters14:00 – The evolution of YouTube as a top-of-funnel growth channel17:00 – Why Brand Lift studies can’t be trusted and what to measure instead18:40 – Narrower geo-targeting for better awareness results20:00 – Step-by-step audit to fix your top-of-funnel YouTube campaignsHashtags#YouTubeAds #GoogleAds #YouTubeMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #DTC #Pilothouse #MarketingPodcast #AdStrategy #DemandGen #DigitalAdvertising Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF556Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

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• Bonus: How to Prove What’s Actually Working in Your Ad Spend — The Incrementality Mentality with Stella's Brenden Delarua

  Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupHello and welcome to the DTC Podcast. Today’s guest is Brenden  Delarua, co‑founder of Stella, the measurement SaaS helping DTC brands convert media spend into real business growth through incrementality testing and media‑mix modelling (at a much lower price than a lot of other platforms).https://stellaheystella.comFollow Brenden on TikTok Why this matters for DTC marketers & media buyers:You’re under pressure to justify ad spend with profit, but your on‑platform ROAS doesn’t tell the full story.Brenden walks us through how to build and run incremental testing (hold‑out studies) + media‑mix models so you allocate budget to channels that drive real growth.We also dig into his view on channel incrementality: why CTV/YouTube often win, why branded search and retargeting may be traps, and how creative diversity and scaling methodology matter.Key moments in this episode:Why Brenden built Stella (the anxiety of hitting ROAS goals but not seeing P&L growth.)How to set up hold‑out incrementality studies: picking regions, measuring revenue lift, ignoring on‑platform vanity metrics.The “Always On Incrementality” concept: daily causal analysis across campaigns.Creative diversity review: three‑word heuristic to test if your ads are too similar.Campaign structure advice for Meta: testing vs scaling in two campaigns.Hot take on measurement: many brands over‑complicate it (and overpay) without actionable clarity.Future of media buying & AI: creative + measurement convergence.If you’re a DTC brand owner, media buyer or marketing leader trying to squeeze more profit from your ad dollars, this conversation will give you a grounded, tactical framework to start measuring and scaling smarter.Timestamps00:00 – Why ROAS doesn’t mean ROI and the rise of incrementality02:00 – How Stella helps DTC brands test true ad impact06:00 – The myth of high ROAS campaigns and what’s really incremental10:00 – Always-on incrementality and Stella’s AI dashboard14:00 – Media mix modeling and improving accuracy for marketers18:00 – Pricing transparency and making incrementality affordable22:00 – Which ad platforms are actually incremental26:00 – Why most marketers overcomplicate incrementality27:00 – Brenden’s TikTok growth and its impact on Stella30:00 – Meta’s Andromeda update and how creative drives results36:00 – The future of AI and media buyingHashtags#dtcpodcast #incrementality #mediabuying #marketingstrategy #adspend #stella #digitalmarketing #ecommercegrowth #brandstrategy #advertisinganalytics #d2cbrands #metaads #googleads #tiktokmarketing #marketingmeasurement #roas #growthmarketingSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

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• Ep 555: How Outway Got Back to Profitable 8-Figure Growth: Channels, Margins, & the Brand Moat Ahead

  Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupRob Fraser, founder of performance sock brand Outway, returns to the DTC Podcast to share how his business rebounded from flat growth to profitable eight-figure scale. Rob reveals exactly how Outway added Amazon, wholesale, and U.S. distribution, and why 2026 is all about community and brand.This is a must-listen for brand owners scaling past $5M and trying to professionalize ops, expand markets, and stay profitable while doing it.🔑 In this episode: • How Outway treated the U.S. like a separate business unit — and why you should too • Their 3-prong expansion strategy: Amazon, wholesale, and 3PL logistics • The margin unlock that let them outspend competitors and return to profitability • How Rob plans to build brand and community in the running space • What changes when you hit 8-figures: cash flow, inventory planning, and team complexity • Rob’s hot take on brand as the last defensible moat in DTCIf you're building a real business, not just chasing growth hacks, this episode is for you.Timestamps00:00 The future of brand and community building02:40 Outway’s U.S. expansion and logistics challenges05:30 Overcoming slow growth and finding new sales channels09:10 Amazon vs DTC strategy and merchandising lessons12:20 Profit focus, tariffs, and efficiency improvements15:00 Scaling pains: hiring, inventory, and cash flow18:00 Founder evolution and professionalizing the business20:00 Building a Canadian brand and competing with U.S. giants23:00 The return of brand and the power of community in 202629:00 Outway’s 2025–26 brand and running club strategy33:00 Expanding in the U.S. and adapting creative for new markets34:30 Balancing entrepreneurship and personal health37:00 Living brand values through team culture38:00 Rebranding from Endur to Outway and lessons learned41:00 Founders, equity mistakes, and long-term thinking43:00 Q4 readiness, demand signals, and Prime Day insights46:00 Using AI tools like Sora for creative production47:30 Future of streaming ads and creative reinvention49:00 Closing thoughts on creativity and growth mindsetHashtags#dtcpodcast #outway #robfraser #ecommerce #brandstrategy #d2c #marketing #entrepreneurship #communitybuilding #scalingbrands #runningcommunity #founderstory #directtoconsumer Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

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• Ep 554: Q4 Meta Strategy in the Andromeda Era: What’s Changed and How Smart Brands Are Adapting

  Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupHello and welcome to the DTC Podcast. Today we’re joined by Taylor and Jacob from Pilothouse to break down how Meta’s Andromeda engine is reshaping DTC paid advertising.In this episode you’ll learn:Why creative now is targeting — and how high‑performing DTC brands are shifting their media buying accordingly.The 3‑3‑3 framework for testing ads in an Andromeda‑driven environment (three funnel stages × three distinct angle concepts × three formats).How to restructure your ad account: fewer campaigns/ad sets, more ad‑level variation, and faster creative refreshes — plus what this means for your Q4 plan.What this means specifically for subscription or newsletter models with short consideration cycles — how to leverage persona messaging and feed the machine.Why old targeting hacks and incremental tweaks won’t cut it anymore — and what you should stop doing.Whether you’re running e‑commerce, subscription, or service‑based DTC marketing, this episode gives you actionable frameworks and change‑management steps to align your creative and account structure with the latest Meta delivery technology.Timestamps00:00 – What is Andromeda and how Meta’s new retrieval engine works04:00 – The role of Gem, Lattice, and sequence learning in Meta’s ad delivery06:00 – How Andromeda is changing creative strategy for Q4 campaigns08:00 – Why ad variety now matters more than small creative tweaks10:00 – How to test and structure creatives effectively under Andromeda12:00 – Simplifying campaign structure and letting AI optimize at the ad level15:00 – Old vs. new media buying tactics and how performance patterns have shifted17:00 – Why broader creative diversity leads to more winners in Andromeda19:00 – Early Q4 insights and what brands should expect20:00 – Framework for distinct angles and creative refresh cadence23:00 – The evolution toward true marketing strategy over media-buying hacksHashtags#MetaAds #AndromedaUpdate #PerformanceMarketing #DigitalAdvertising #MediaBuying #FacebookAds #CreativeStrategy #Q4Marketing #AdOptimization #MarketingPodcast Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF554Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

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• Bonus: CTV for DTC: How Cantrip Drives Measurable Growth with Vibe.co’s Audience‑First Strategy

  Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode, Arthur Querou, founder of Vibe.co, and Adam Terry, CEO and co-founder of Cantrip Seltzer, unpack how Cantrip (a hemp/THC beverage brand) uses Vibe.co to turn streaming TV into a performance acquisition channel — not just branding. They dig into targeting, creative strategy, measurement, and scaling in a regulated vertical.What you’ll hear:Why CTV is more than just prestige — how hyper‑targeted performance TV delivers ROASHow Vibe.co’s identity-first model differs from inventory-first CTV platformsCreative strategies that work (and decay) in this new channelLessons in scaling — starting with retargeting, measuring incrementality, managing creative fatigueThe future: AI + hyper-personalization in TV adsKey moments to listen for:Adam’s early success in 3–4× ROAS within weeks of testing CTVArthur’s view that “Vibe buys identity first” as a core differentiatorTheir predictions on AI-generated individualized adsIf you're a performance marketer or DTC founder curious about how streaming TV can actually move the needle — especially in restricted verticals — this is a must-listen.Learn more about Vibe.co here: http://vibe.co/Timestamps00:00 - How Vibe Differs from Other CTV Platforms02:00 - Why Cannabis Brands Thrive on Vibe04:00 - Measuring ROAS and Performance on Vibe07:00 - Hyper Targeting and Buyer Profiles Explained10:00 - How Cantrip Uses Data for Smart Targeting12:00 - Scaling CTV Campaigns vs. Meta Ads15:00 - Why TV Ads Build Trust and Prestige17:00 - Buying Identity vs. Inventory in CTV20:00 - Cantrip’s Path to Profitable CTV Ads23:00 - Using AI Tools to Create Effective CTV Ads25:00 - What Type of Creatives Work Best on CTV27:00 - The Future of AI-Generated Ads on TV29:00 - How Vibe Uses Household-Level Data for Targeting32:00 - Hyper-Personalized Ads and The Future of Targeting33:00 - Vibe’s Growth Story and CTV Momentum35:00 - Incrementality, MMM, and Measuring CTV Success36:00 - Cantrip’s Q4 Plans and the Rise of AI Creators37:00 - How to Get Started with Vibe.coHashtags#CTV #StreamingAds #PerformanceMarketing #DTC #AdTech #VibeCo #Cantrip #ConnectedTV #AIAds #MediaBuying #Programmatic #DigitalAdvertising #MarketingStrategy #BrandGrowth #AdPerformance Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

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