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'Loser' subject line still made $1,263

Author

Crys A.
April 11, 2025

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In today’s newsletter 

  • A vs. B: Why the 'loser' subject line still made us $1,263

  • Amazon’s not broken. But your mix might be

  • The Overlooked Key To A Successful Scale-Up

  • Join DTC leaders at the 2025 CommerceNext Growth Show on June 24-26 in NYC

  • Turn Ideas into Reality: Find Customizable Products Instantly!


    Let's dive into it!👇

Need FREE Strategy advice?

A vs. B: Why the 'loser' subject line still made us $1,263

Happy Friday!

You know, a lot of folks in the retention space talk about which subject line won the A/B test. But sometimes the one with the lower open rates teaches you more.

Here’s what we tested for a DTC tea brand a while ago:

A. “You left something steamy behind” B. “Is your kettle still hot?”

Subject A won with a 33% open rate vs. 27% for B. But Subject B drove more clicks inside the email. And it triggered more responses, like “lol this is clever.”

So we made B the permanent subject for our reply-to-campaigns, knowing it triggered more engagement and felt more human.

Some ideas for your next A/B test:

  • Track more than open rate. Measure clicks and conversions.

  • Check reply rates if you allow direct responses.

  • Use the subject line with fewer opens in different contexts (like SMS or replies).

And this is actually not the only time I’ve seen this happen. Back in 2021, when I used to work with a retention marketing agency, I used to see this happen quite a lot often!

Alright folks, that’s it for today. Have a great weekend!

-Ibrahim

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The Overlooked Key To A Successful Scale-Up

I just came across this interesting article by Harvard Business Review titled “The Overlooked Key To A Successful Scale-Up” which basically talks about the secret stage between Start-up and Scale-up aka extrapolation and it really got me thinking.

Here are a few highlights:

Three Essential Growth Phases: The piece breaks down a start-up’s journey into three stages—exploration, extrapolation, and exploitation. At first, you experiment and test your ideas. Next, you shift gears by moving from testing to building a solid foundation. Finally, you're all set to scale the business.

Smart Growth Over Hypergrowth: Instead of chasing rapid, unsustainable growth that can burn through cash, the extrapolation stage focuses on proving growth by making sure every new customer truly adds value. This balanced approach helps maintain fiscal health while expanding.

The Risk of Skipping a Critical Stage: Bypassing the extrapolation phase can lead to serious issues later on, such as poor customer retention or inefficient operations. The article emphasizes that building robust processes during this phase is key to long-term success.

It also dives into the four key strengths companies need during this stage—like having a proven monetization model and a solid go-to-market strategy—details that are definitely worth exploring.

Join DTC leaders at the 2025 CommerceNext Growth Show on June 24-26 in NYC

If you're leading growth at a DTC brand, this is an event you can't afford to miss. CommerceNext is the place for brands ready to scale smarter, grow faster and build lasting relationships.

Whether you're an ecommerce, marketing or tech leader, you'll get front-row access to actionable insights, emerging technologies and industry-shaping trends built to help you scale smarter and grow faster.

What can you expect at the Growth Show?

  • Networking with leaders from brands such as Target, Tapestry, L’Oréal, Sephora and other iconic brands.

  • Game-changing insights from powerhouse speakers at American Eagle, Sam’s Club, Wayfair, Foot Locker and many more.

  • Sessions with actionable takeaways focused on digital marketing, AI, customer acquisition, retention, loyalty, omnichannel strategies & more

  • Access to the Discovery Lounge with the latest ecommerce solutions from innovative tech companies

You’ll leave with fresh ideas, valuable partnerships and the tools to take your brand to the next level. No matter where you are in your growth journey, CommerceNext is the place to shape and sharpen your 2025 strategy.

Plus, take advantage of the most generous travel program in the industry.

Qualified retailers can receive up to $1,200 in travel reimbursement by participating in curated 1:1 sponsor meetings. Spots are limited—apply now to secure your spot.

Ready to accelerate your growth?

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Join over 5 million smart buyers using Alibaba Lens to create high-margin, custom products and build stronger brands. Start customizing today—add Alibaba Lens to your browser for free!

Have any questions that you need help with?

Ask here - look out for Friday’s issue where Ibrahim will answer them.