Episode Details

How do brands create retention strategies centered around content to keep their customers consistently purchasing? Emily Singer, the founder of consumer brand-focused newsletter Chips + Dip, joins the show to talk trends, brand analysis and how modern brands are using storytelling to create rich, immersive experiences for their customers.

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Main Takeaways:

• Emily Singer, Marketing Manager at Alma and the Founder of the Chips + Dips newsletter, joins Brian and Philip on today's episode.

• Brands are trending towards developing unique voices that automatically identify their target customers. 

• How do smaller brands compete with the widespread voice of larger brands?

• Phillip and Emily have visited Showfields, but did it live up to the hype?

Chips + Dips: The Story Behind the Content (And The Author): 

• Emily gives us a walkthrough of a typical issue of Chips + Dips as well as what she prefers to cover in her writing. (Spoiler: there are dip recipes with every edition.)

• Phillip asks Emily to give us a brief history of how Chips + Dips came about and to give us the "Emily Singer Story".

• Early in her career, Emily wanted to work in media, and Chips + Dips came about because she wanted an outlet where she could write the stories that she wanted to write.

• No one was creating a casual analysis of news and trends that focused on the brand stories instead of looking at numbers and revenue, so Emily created Chips + Dips to fill that void. 

Untangling the Threads: Discovering Brand Trends:

• Brian asks Emily to explain a bit how she untangles the threads she discovers in the world of brands and marketing. 

• By latching onto things that may seem insignificant or small, Emily can use her unique mind to piece together the bigger picture amidst several publications.

• Emily blows Phillip's mind by letting him know that she has a separate Instagram account that just follows brands so it doesn't disrupt the flow of her interests on her main account. (Phillip also brings up how he doesn't let Brian choose music on his Spotify account.)

Bridging the Gap: Insights from a Direct to Consumer Insider:

• Emily talks about her first direct to consumer experience with JackThreads (which was acquired by Thrillist) and what she did when working with the brand. 

• Most recently, Emily worked at Daily Harvest, and how the subscription service company differed from her other direct to consumer experience. 

• Phillip brings up how there are brands (such as JackThreads and Gilt Groupe) that harken back to a certain "era" of eCommerce and how these brands change with the times. 

• People are more thoughtful and intentional consumers nowadays which has caused brands to shift their focus to customer retention as opposed to flash sales.

Retail and Direct-To-Consumer: Competing For Your Attention:

• Brian asks Emily to talk a bit more about content and the role that content plays in retail and brands. 

• In the retail space, brands are spreading their wings and trying to cast a wider net and provide customers with more ways to engage, and content is a simple and logical way to do that. 

• Outdoor Voices sells workout gear, but they also have a very robust Instagram story approach that all