D2C Diaries

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What will winning ecom brands look like in 2025?
In this episode, we break down the biggest trends shaping DTC brands this year: what’s working, what’s not, and where the best operators are focusing their efforts.

Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or media buyer, these insights will help you stay ahead of the competition.

Olly’s predictions:
Profitability is king. Brands that optimise first-order profit, maximise LTV, and keep a strong LTV to CAC ratio will outspend and outcompete. Lean, AI-driven operations will be the norm.
Creative volume is king. Growth now depends on a constant flow of high-quality creative. Workflows need to be centred on rapid testing and iteration.
Brands choosing an Omnichannel approach to acquisition are expanding both their category markets and their routes to market.

While Loukas sees a shift toward:
Authenticity over AI: Founder-led and employee-generated content (EGC) will thrive as consumers crave real connections. We’ll also be seeing a rise of fake OOH campaigns, think AI generated billboards and CGI.
Storytelling & long-form content: YouTube and deeper brand narratives will be key growth drivers for brands.

Creator and Founder led brands will dominate. Think Logan Paul and Mr Beast.
2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for DTC ecommerce. If you're serious about growing a DTC brand this year, this is a must-listen.

Follow Loukas on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B
Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi
Follow Olly on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO
Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries
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In this episode of The D2C Diaries, we sit down with Jack, co-founder of D.Louise, a UK founder led jewellery brand.
Jack shares the inspiring journey behind D.Louise, from its humble beginnings to becoming an 8-figure powerhouse driven by a relentless focus on founder-led content and storytelling.
We dive into:
1. The role of founder-led content in driving organic and paid growth and the early impact of making Olivia the face of the brand.
2. D.Louise’s growth trajectory and key strategies that drove consistent growth without a "silver bullet" breakthrough.
3. How their organic content fuels paid advertising success.
4. Lessons learned from consulting with former Gymshark executives.
5. Jack’s initial success with reselling PlayStations during lockdown and transitioning to jewellery.
Whether you’re an early-stage founder or scaling your DTC brand, this episode is packed with insights on leveraging your unique story to fuel growth and build lasting connections with your audience.
Tune in for practical tips, powerful lessons, and the behind-the-scenes story of how D.Louise is reshaping the jewellery space.
📺Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ueGgpCDmr5c
Follow Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-z-7b4466145/
https://www.dlouise.co.uk/
Follow Loukas on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B
Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi
Follow Olly on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO
Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson
Follow D2C Diaries on socials
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

In this episode of D2C Diaries, Loukas and Olly dive deep into the exact research blueprint that drives our high-performing ad campaigns. If you want to unlock better creative performance and make the most of your existing assets, this is a must-watch.
Episode Focus: Our Exact Research Blueprint for Crafting Winning Ads
Here’s what we cover:
1. Turning Reddit threads and social listening into actionable insights
2. How to mine customer reviews and comments for winning hooks
3. Breaking down the steps to optimise your creative strategy
4. Why ongoing research is the key to staying ahead in D2C
5. Practical tools and frameworks you can use today
This episode is packed with insights to help you better understand your audience, refine your creative, and unlock bigger results.
Don’t miss this deep dive - tune in now to get a behind-the-scenes look at the research process that powers our most successful campaigns!
🎧 Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@d2cdiaries
Follow Loukas on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B
Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi
Follow Olly on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO
Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson
Follow D2C Diaries on socials
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@d2c.diaries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d2c_diaries/

In this episode, we discuss:
- How out_on_a_lim went from 65 followers to over 2 million in less than 2 weeks
- Tiktok Shop strategy that's making $55k a day
- Steven Barlett and his ASA ban across Huel and Zoe
- How to optimise your performance creative by isolating soft metrics
Kind Penguin Video:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGecVMvhT/
Watch on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@d2cdiaries
Welcome to D2C Diaries, brought to you by Soar and Hambi Media! With Loukas & Olly's combined expertise in managing over £150M in ad spend on Meta and TikTok, and scaling over 200 brands through creative and performance, we’re here to share a blend of performance insights, operational strategies, and creative wisdom. 🚀
Powered by Hambi Media & Soar With Us
Need help with performance creative? ➡️ https://www.hambimedia.com/
Need help with paid performance? ➡️ https://www.soarwithus.co/
Follow Olly on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO
Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson
Follow Loukas on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B
Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi

Today we're joined by Simon John Philips who arguably has one of the craziest stories we've ever heard in the world of e-commerce.. From making millions from his D2C brand, to losing everything, to getting in trouble with law, to building a global 3PL and marketing agency.. There's not much he hasn't done. Buckle up. This one's juicy.
Welcome to D2C Diaries, brought to you by Soar and Hambi Media! With Loukas & Olly's combined expertise in managing over £150M in ad spend on Meta and TikTok, and scaling over 200 brands through creative and performance, we’re here to share a blend of performance insights, operational strategies, and creative wisdom. 🚀
Simon's links: https://linktr.ee/Simonjohnphillips
Powered by Hambi Media & Soar With Us
Need help with performance creative? ➡️ https://www.hambimedia.com/
Need help with paid performance? ➡️ https://www.soarwithus.co/
Follow Loukas on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/TRI8B
Twitter: https://x.com/LoukasHambi
Follow Olly on socials:
LinkedIn: https://shorturl.at/kPrqO
Twitter: https://x.com/oliverwhudson