Winning the Inbox War

Howdy readers 🥰

TGIF (for real).

In this newsletter, you’ll find:

📩 The Email Timing Playbook for DTC Brands: Winning the Inbox War

🚀 Google’s Latest Ad & AI Updates: What You Need to Know

⏳ Ad of the Day

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Together with Smart Recognition

🤯 New AI Lead Gen Tool Identifies Email Address of Your Visitors

What if we told you that you can Identify the email addresses of your anonymous website traffic?

A new AI-powered tool, Smart Recognition, has created the next evolution in lead generation. 

Rather than getting only 5% of your traffic via an opt-in form, you can now target and email most of your website traffic, growing your email list and revenue faster!

Here are just some examples of how you can use this:

• Capture the email addresses of up to 40% of your anonymous website Traffic. 
• Email an irresistible offer to prospects browsing your site.
• Send abandoned cart emails to people who don't complete checkout.
• Add those email addresses to Meta remarketing audiences.

Curious to see how much of your anonymous website traffic you can identify? Book a free demo & Get Started with Smart Recognition!

📩 The Email Timing Playbook for DTC Brands: Winning the Inbox War

DTC brands live and die by email. With rising CACs and ad platform volatility, email is the one channel you truly own. But if your emails hit inboxes at the same predictable times as every other brand, you’re fighting a losing battle.

Most email “experts” will tell you to send at 9 AM or 3 PM for the best open rates. Sounds smart—until you realize that’s exactly when every other DTC brand is flooding inboxes. Your email becomes just another marketing message lost in the pile.

So how do you hack inbox visibility and get your emails opened?

Timing Isn’t About Best Practices—It’s About White Space

The key to winning in DTC email marketing isn’t just about sending at the right time—it’s about sending when your competitors aren’t.

Here’s how:

 1. The “Late-Night Lure” (9 PM - 12 AM)

Why it works: People are in bed, mindlessly scrolling. They’re done with work, in a buying mindset, and more likely to shop impulsively.

• Best for: Limited-time offers, exclusive drops, and abandoned cart reminders
• Insider tip: Try a “Just Before Midnight” reminder for time-sensitive sales.

 2. The Weekend Window (Saturday & Sunday Mornings)

Why it works: Marketers avoid weekends, assuming open rates dip. But shoppers? They have time. No meetings, no stress—just casual scrolling and shopping.

• Best for: Product launches, loyalty rewards, weekend-only deals
• Insider tip: Frame it as a “Lazy Sunday Shopping Spree” or a “Saturday Treat Yourself” sale.

 3. The Offbeat Hours Strategy (Weird, Unexpected Times)

Why it works: If your email arrives at exactly 9:00 AM or 12:00 PM, it’s landing with hundreds of others. Instead, send at odd times: 11:12 AM, 7:43 PM, 2:57 PM. These micro-adjustments help your email stand alone in an otherwise quiet inbox.

• Best for: Product education emails, community-driven content, early-access drops
• Insider tip: Test sending 5-10 minutes before the hour mark to break out of the algorithmic wave.

 4. The Reverse Commute Play (6 AM & 6 PM Sends)

Why it works: Most brands avoid sending during commute hours, thinking people aren’t engaged. But what are commuters doing? Doomscrolling their inbox while on the train, bus, or in traffic. Your email might be the distraction they didn’t know they needed.

• Best for: Teasers, storytelling-driven emails, influencer collaborations
• Insider tip: Test short, highly visual emails—people skim while in transit.

The Takeaway? Stop Playing It Safe.

The inbox is a battlefield, and playing by “best practice” rules means blending in. Instead, send emails when inboxes are quiet, shoppers are relaxed, and competitors are asleep at the wheel.

DTC brands that dominate email don’t just send emails—they engineer attention.What unconventional send time has worked for you? Drop me a note—I’d love to compare strategies. 

🚀 Google’s Latest Ad & AI Updates: What You Need to Know
Insights from SEJ and SEL

Google has rolled out three major updates, impacting advertisers, AI video creation, and data privacy. These include a Performance Max Usefulness Indicator, stricter Customer Match data rules, and Veo 2-powered AI video generation for YouTube Shorts.

The Breakdown:

• Performance Max Boosts Budget Optimization - Google’s Performance Max Usefulness Indicator helps advertisers assess whether search themes generate new traffic or overlap with existing signals. This helps advertisers refine their strategies and allocate budgets more effectively, but they still lack full control over exact search queries.
  
• Stricter Customer Match Rules Impact Targeting - Starting April 7, 2025, Google will automatically update Customer Match lists exceeding the new 540-day limit, ensuring compliance with privacy-focused policies. However, list sizes will shrink over time, potentially pausing campaigns if targeting segments become too small.
  
• AI Video Generation Expands with Veo 2 - Google upgraded Dream Screen on YouTube Shorts with Veo 2 AI, enabling faster, high-quality AI video creation.
  
  ✔ Generate AI-powered video backgrounds by selecting Dream Screen and entering a text prompt.
  ✔ Create standalone clips via the Shorts camera, choosing a format, adjusting duration, and adding it to their video.

Google’s focus on AI-driven ad automation and privacy compliance is reshaping digital marketing. Advertisers must adjust targeting strategies, optimize budgets, and leverage AI tools like Veo 2 to stay ahead in an evolving ad landscape.

🎥 Ad of the Day

What Works:

The ad seamlessly integrates the Valentine’s Day theme with hair care, using red and pink tones, heart-shaped elements, and a wrapped gift. It visually signals that these products make for thoughtful self-care or gifting options.

"From bold moments to quiet nights, love your HUE." This tagline cleverly plays on the brand name while reinforcing personal expression and versatility. It speaks to both those who love experimenting with their look and those who prefer subtle care.

What Could Be Better:

The plain pink background, while clean, feels a bit too safe for a Valentine’s Day theme. A richer, more textured setting—perhaps a soft, romantic gradient, scattered rose petals, or a more luxe backdrop—could have elevated the festive appeal and made the ad pop visually.

Broader Insights:

The ad prioritizes a feeling over features, which works well for a beauty brand. People don’t just buy hair care; they buy the confidence and experience that come with it.

By visually placing the products alongside a wrapped gift, dpHUE positions them as a premium yet accessible option for Valentine’s Day. This subtle nudge encourages last-minute shoppers.

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