Thursday, Nov 21

🚨 In today’s newsletter 🚨

• Graphic apparel is reigniting E-Commerce growth

• 10 simple editing techniques that outperform high-production meta ads

• Mobile-first optimization tips for BFCM: quick fixes you can make this weekend

• How to nail product-market fit for your DTC brand

• Get a free OOH advertising plan

• Latest News: Google Lens tailors in-store search results, top brands are using AI in holiday ads, and Meta’s AI search engine could revolutionize online advertising.

Let's dive into it! 👇

#1

How Graphic Apparel is Dominating E-commerce: Key Trends and Insights

Over the past 18 months, graphic apparel—particularly t-shirts, crewneck sweatshirts, hats, and select accessories—has experienced a notable resurgence in e-commerce and retail. This revival is largely driven by celebrity influences, such as Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, and Gen Z's affinity for nostalgic designs.

This renewal of popularity is largely driven by licensed products and strategic collaborations that evoke a “vintage” aesthetic, appealing to nostalgia and cultural affiliations.

Key Insights:

1. Increased Product Listings: The Particl database shows a notable rise in products labeled with "graphic" in their titles or keywords, indicating heightened consumer interest.

2. Top Performing Brands: Brands like Tilly's, Abercrombie & Fitch, and J.Crew are leading this trend, offering a variety of graphic apparel that appeals to diverse consumer preferences.

Brand Strategies:

• Tilly's: Capitalizes on youth culture by offering bold, colorful graphics that resonate with Gen Z and millennials. Seasonal drops and collaborations with artists create excitement and drive sales.

• Abercrombie & Fitch: Combines vintage-inspired designs with modern aesthetics, featuring collegiate and nostalgic motifs that appeal to a broad demographic. Their NFL-licensed retro crewnecks have been particularly successful.

• J.Crew: Offers minimalist graphic apparel with artistic and seasonal themes, aligning with their brand ethos of elegance and simplicity. Their seasonal offerings and artistic prints cater to consumers seeking unique yet sophisticated options.

The current boom in graphic apparel represents a cyclical resurgence rather than a permanent shift in consumer preferences. Brands that tie their graphics to licensed or seasonal elements, such as NFL partnerships or holiday collections, have the potential to establish strong recurring revenue streams. By aligning designs with cultural and nostalgic touchpoints, these companies can capitalize on the enduring appeal of graphic apparel.

For more detailed insights and data, visit Particl's full report on the graphic apparel renaissance.

#2

10 Simple Editing Techniques That Outperform High-Production Meta Ads

Ash is known to run a lot of testing when it comes to creatives to avoid ad fatigue, among other reasons.

#3

Mobile-First Optimization Tips for BFCM: Quick Fixes You Can Make This Weekend

With over 70% of BFCM shoppers using mobile devices, ensuring your store is mobile-ready is non-negotiable.

But “mobile optimization” isn’t just about making your site responsive—it’s about creating a seamless, fast, and friction-free shopping experience.

Here are actionable tips to get your store BFCM-ready:

1. Reduce Load Times to Under 2 Seconds 🚀

Every second of delay decreases conversions by 7%. Your site needs to load lightning-fast.

Actionable Fix: Compress large images without sacrificing quality using tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel.

Minimize Scripts: Remove unused CSS and JavaScript with tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights.

Implement Lazy Loading: Ensure images load only when a user scrolls to them to save bandwidth and speed up initial page load.

Pro Tip: Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) like Cloudflare to serve your site faster worldwide.

2. Make CTAs Thumb-Friendly 👍

Your call-to-action (CTA) buttons should be easy to tap, even on smaller screens.

Actionable Fix: Design buttons that are at least 48px by 48px for easy tapping, following Google’s mobile usability guidelines.

Strategic Placement: Place CTAs like “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” within thumb reach in the lower third of the screen.

Contrast Matters: Use high-contrast colors for buttons to make them stand out against your background.

Pro Tip: Test your buttons in real-world scenarios—on different devices and under different lighting conditions.

3. Streamline the Checkout Process 💳

Cart abandonment skyrockets on mobile if checkout is clunky. Simplify it.

Actionable Fix: Enable autofill for fields like name, email, and address to speed up form filling.

Use Guest Checkout: Avoid forcing account creation before purchase—it’s a conversion killer.

Offer Mobile Payment Options: Add Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal for one-click payments.

Pro Tip: Add a progress indicator at checkout to show how many steps remain, reducing drop-offs.

4. Optimize for One-Hand Navigation 📱

Most users navigate mobile sites with their thumb. Design your site accordingly.

Actionable Fix: Keep key elements like navigation menus, CTAs, and search bars within thumb-friendly zones (the bottom half of the screen).

Sticky Navigation: Add a sticky menu or “Add to Cart” button that follows users as they scroll, ensuring actions are always accessible.

Pro Tip: Use heatmap tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to track user behavior and adjust placement.

5. Test, Test, and Test Again 🔍

Optimization without testing is guesswork. Ensure your mobile site works perfectly across devices and networks.

Actionable Fix: Test your site’s usability on different devices (iPhone, Android, tablets) and screen sizes.

Real-World Testing: Check performance under slower network speeds (e.g., 3G or 4G) to simulate real-world conditions.

Tools to Use: Use BrowserStack or Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to catch errors.

Pro Tip: Get feedback from a small focus group of real users to uncover usability issues you might miss.

6. Prioritize Mobile-First Content Design 📝

Mobile shoppers scan quickly—optimize your content for easy digestion.

Actionable Fix: Write short, concise headlines and make key information (price, discount, delivery) visible above the fold.

Bullet Points Work: Break product features into bite-sized bullet points instead of long paragraphs.

Optimize Fonts: Use larger font sizes (16px minimum) for readability on smaller screens.

Pro Tip: Avoid pop-ups that cover the entire screen—they frustrate users and can hurt your SEO.

7. Enhance Visuals Without Sacrificing Speed 🌟

Mobile shoppers rely heavily on visuals to make purchase decisions.

Actionable Fix: Use high-quality product images that zoom without pixelating.

Add Video Demos: Short product demo videos (10-15 seconds) increase engagement and reduce bounce rates.

ALT Text: Include descriptive ALT text for visuals to improve SEO and accessibility.

Pro Tip: Test visuals for how they appear in both light and dark modes on mobile devices.

By implementing these mobile-first optimizations, you can create a seamless shopping experience that converts mobile visitors into loyal customers during BFCM.

Don’t wait—make these changes today and get ready for a record-breaking BFCM! 🚀

#4

How to nail product-market fit for your DTC brand

If your product isn’t clicking with the market, no amount of marketing will save it. The blog breaks down the signs you’ve got it right, how to measure customer love, and what to do if your product isn’t flying off the shelves.

Why this matters: Product-market fit isn’t just a fancy term—it’s the backbone of any successful DTC brand. Skip it, and you’re basically burning cash on marketing a product no one really wants.

What you can do right now:

• Talk to your customers: What are they saying about your product? Surveys, reviews, and direct feedback will show if your product is solving real problems

• Track retention and referrals: If customers are coming back and telling their friends, you’re on the right track. If not, tweak your offering

• Test and iterate: Launch small, learn fast, and adapt. The faster you figure out what works, the better you can align your product with market demand

#5

OneScreen

Select, purchase, and measure out-of-home advertising the way performance marketers expect

You need new ideas to stand out on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Out-of-home advertising (OOH) could be your missing marketing piece. OOH complements digital ads with real-life, measurable ads planned with buyer data.

At OneScreen, we help DTC brands quickly plan, execute, and measure effective OOH campaigns that deliver ROI for Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing.

Get a free OOH Plan to see how your DTC brand can benefit by adding real-life OOH ads to your BFCM promotional mix.

📰IN THE NEWS

Google Lens can now tailor search results to the store you’re in:
Google Lens now provides tailored search results when shoppers photograph items in-store, offering product details, reviews, and price comparisons. This emphasizes the importance of integrating online and offline shopping experiences.

Holiday 2024 Marketing Campaigns from Top Brands:
Top brands are blending traditional advertising with apps, social media, and AI-driven content in their holiday campaigns. This highlights the need for innovative marketing strategies that engage customers across multiple channels.

Potential Meta AI Search Engine Could Disrupt Online Ad Market:
Meta is developing an AI-powered search engine that could disrupt the online ad market by delivering hyper-targeted ads. As an e-commerce founder, this could change how you approach advertising, so it’s important to keep an eye on this development and prepare for potentially more precise and premium ad opportunities.

B2B Advertisment Opportunity

If your tool/service can help 51,187 DTC brands grow then you can reach out to them here: Learn more

Have any questions that you need help with?

Ask here - and look out for Fridays Issue where Ibrahim will answer them.