Newsletter No 3
This newsletter was sent out to our subscribers in July, 2023.
The case for good content
In this edition we emphasize the paramount role of content in e-commerce growth. It's the fuel for the algorithms that drive online visibility. The brands that win have mastered content game down to an art, consistently crafting resonant narratives. We will explore these champions' strategies, outlines new e-commerce trends, and suggests steps for elevating your content game. Stay tuned to stoke your growth and sustain your feeds.
Webinar recap | Mastering omnichannel strategy in e-commerce
Our series of webinars is a great way to share knowledge and break up our methodology into digestible pieces. The objective is to deliver one webinar per month, so here are the key takeaways of webinar number one. Full recording also in the link.
Aurelija (one of our consultants) also wrote an interesting article on why you should not write off brick-and-morter in the digital age. As we often say, elevate the benefits per channel.
Conway's Brand radar
We rank, rate and review modern consumer brands to provide you with a list for inspiration.
Opal C1
A beautiful 4K webcam that delivers DSLR quality in webcam size. This could have been designed by Apple...
Bennett & Winch
A collection of bags that feel quality & craftmanship from beginning to the end.
Italic
A luxury brand without the branding. Defined by quality, not the size of the logo.
Tools & Tactics
We select helpful tools and useful new ways of working. Find a signal in the noise of software. This time, we highlight tools that will help you structure and prepare quality content for faster deployment.
01 Octopus.do
A free visual sitemap builder with lo-fi wireframes for prototyping website architecture & structure.
02 Death to Stock
Gain access to 9,000+ photos and videos, and 300+ fresh assets added monthly.
03 Hemingway app
A writing tool designed to improve the clarity and readability of your writing
Trend → All retailers are becoming publishers and all publishers want to become retailers
We see two worlds coming together. They used to have a relationship via advertising, but the business models now seem to be blending. Consumer brands need a constant stream of content to stay top of mind and publishers have mastered that game. The 3C flywheel (see visual above) aligns your value proposition around the customer. Content keeps people engaged and informed, Commerce makes you money and Community connects your customers around the online campfire.
Here are three of our favourite examples; Monocle (publisher → retailer), Mr Porter (retailer → publisher), Highsnobiety + Zalando (retailer acquires publisher).
The visual above is from our first webinar; Mastering omnichannel.
Join our second webinar on how to execute
The theory is simple, but the execution is hard. How to create a flywheel for long-term growth. In this edition, we will share how to create flywheel that funds its own growth by putting the one that pays you money at the heart of everything you do.
The simple purpose of a growth engine is the ability to acquire customers for less than their lifetime value to the company. Also known as the ‘LTV:CAC ratio’. Doing this successfully creates a flywheel that funds its growth via a payback model of the margin generated, which can be reinvested into growth.
Good evergreen content
Most brands over-invest in campaigns and under-invest in the 'evergreen' content of their catalogue. Content like pack shots, head shots, product videos, animations, infographics, ad creatives, etc. This type of content is used for months or years, campaigns just days or weeks.
Conversion is about helping people make purchase decisions. Evergreen is where the functional meets the aspirational.Â
A shirt with all questions answered
Apparel brands need to show their collection in a way that makes you buy, because online you can’t feel or wear the product. Barrons combines clean pack shots with high quality detail shots and model videos to give you a feel for the fit.Â
A radio that says take my money
The UX of this site is nothing special, but the content provides a beautiful experience that is hard to resist. Bringing together a smooth scroll with autoplay video and animations. A magic radio that adds to your interior as a piece of art versus breaking the aesthetic.
A bag that screams built to last
You just feel that this brand puts the same kind of love for quality and attention to details into their products as well as the content that sells them. A collection of fine accessoires that get more attractive by using them.
Visually appealing
When building without screws. Wood joinery mastered across centuries in Japan. Follow The Joinery for more satisfying animations.
