How to Reduce Your Dependence on Promotions

Your weekly dose of growth marketing news & tactics for DTC brands.

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The DTC Insider
February 05, 2025

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Welcome to this issue of The DTC Insider newsletter. 👋

We strive to deliver the latest growth marketing news and trends in the DTC space straight to your inbox every Wednesday.

Topics we'll cover today:

💠 Tariffs, Uncertainty, and the Ad Market’s Need for Flexibility
💠 How to Reduce Your Dependence on Promotions
💠 Growing a Brand Through Partnerships

Did your brand grow in 2024?

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Tariffs, Uncertainty, and the Ad Market’s Need for Flexibility

Tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China were supposed to take effect yesterday (February 4th).

Then, at the last minute, most were put on hold.

Marketers spent weeks bracing for price hikes. Now, they’re stuck in limbo.

Will tariffs resurface next week? Next month? Or disappear altogether? No one knows.

What a start to 2025, right?
⤷ First, the TikTok ban in limbo
⤷ Now, tariffs are in limbo too

For marketers, that means one thing: flexibility is everything.

From COVID to inflation to geopolitical crises, marketers have had to stay agile for years.

Tariffs are just the latest disruption. Another could pop up next week.

But that doesn’t mean ad budgets are shrinking.
⤷ Global ad spend is set to top $1 trillion for the first time in 2025
⤷ 75% of that money is flowing into digital advertising (source: eMarketer)

It’s not about spending less. It’s about spending smarter.

Programmatic budgets are up 20-30% for 2025, says Alex Block of Jellyfish.

Why?
⤷ Advertisers are shifting money away from social platforms like TikTok
⤷ CTV is growing as brands blend performance with brand-building
⤷ Retail media is surging

As linear TV loses its grip on live sports, CTV is becoming the centerpiece.

It’s all part of a larger shift:
⤷ Addressable ads
⤷ Measurable outcomes
⤷ Performance-driven marketing

In uncertain times, brands can’t afford to sit still.

They’re moving budgets where they work hardest.

Because in a market like this, agility wins.

--
Follow me on LinkedIn for more growth marketing content in the e-commerce space.

Want to Make 2025 Your Brand’s Best Year Yet?

In 2024, we audited over 120 brands, and we found that many of them have been stuck in a revenue plateau for 2, and even 3 years.

So, the question is: will you stay in the same place for yet another year, or will you draw a line in the sand and start a new chapter for your brand?

At BSR Digital, we have just 1 spot left for brands that want to unlock the next level of growth.

Will you be one of them?

How to Reduce Your Dependence on Promotions

In January, 3 brands came to a discovery call with this exact challenge.

In 2024, brands realized they needed:
⤷ A healthy bottom line
⤷ Not just top-line revenue

Brands that used to rely on promotions are currently seeing a decline in sales.

And it makes sense, right?

Promotions can attract quick wins, but they often lead to price-sensitive customers who don't stick around.

When the discounts stop, so does the demand.

Here’s the truth:

Building long-term success is about creating value beyond the offer. Focus on:
⤷ Building relationships with your customers
⤷ Creating a unique brand experience
⤷ Improving retention

In 2025, it’s all about creating meaningful, consistent growth that doesn’t depend on a discount.

--
If you're looking for a growth partner that helps you make 2025 your best year yet, let's chat.

Growing a Brand Through Partnerships

2025 = Channel diversification

If you're out of ideas, listen to what this brand is doing:

I had a blast interviewing Karina Moises, founder of Beautology Lab, on The DTC Insider podcast.

Check it out 👇

We discussed:

👉 Key challenges and strategic pivots in 2024.
👉 The role of strategic partnerships in brand growth.
👉 Identifying the right partnerships for your brand.
👉 The importance of diversifying revenue streams.
👉 How bootstrapping fosters scrappiness and resourcefulness.
👉 Customer acquisition strategies for long-term success.
👉 Investing in relationships for sustained growth.
👉 The benefits of raising capital early.
👉 Meta’s continued impact on customer acquisition.
👉 Why diversification is essential for reducing business risks.

Tune in:

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🎙️ Spotify
🌐 Website

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