#16 - Consumer Research & Finding Your Brand’s Key Differentiator to Deliver an Optimal Shopping Experience w/ Rick West

#24 - Building a Brand from the Ground Up: How Stryx Cosmetics Leveraged TikTok to Grow a Passionate Community of Fans w/ Jon Shanahan

It all started with one question: Why is there no brand that is destigmatizing and normalizing self-care for men? 

This is the question that co-founders Jon Shanahan and Devir Kahan seeked to answer with Stryx - a discreet men’s cosmetic and skin care brand aiming to help guys look and feel their best with ease & comfort. A radical problem needed creative solutions and Jon’s background as the founder & creator of The Kavalier, a menswear review site, came in handy when he discovered TikTok. 

Now backed by over 200k fans on TikTok, Jon joins Scott to share his insights on this popular platform. Jon believes in TikTok’s power to educate audiences, so tune in as he details what makes this trending app so different from other apps. Plus, you’ll discover Stryx’s journey from defining their ideal customers to how they now have loyal fans and endless inspiration for exciting product ideas. 

Scott & Jon also get into a very illuminating discussion about tried and tested tips of effective content creation, how TikTok embraces a constant testing mindset, as well as how brand founders can use TikTok to their advantage. 

As TikTok continues to expand its reach across the globe, Jon believes that the sky’s the limit and that the platform hasn’t hit its tipping point yet so listen in and learn how to reach new audiences for your brand through harnessing the power of TikTok!

For real-time updates, connect with Jon & Stryx: 

• Jon Shanahan on LinkedIn
• Jon Shanahan on Twitter
• Stryx on TikTok
• Stryx Instagram
• Stryx Twitter

Platforms referenced in this episode: 

• TikTok Creator Marketplace

    If you enjoyed this episode, connect with us and share your feedback:

• Right Hook Digital on Facebook 
• Right Hook Digital on Instagram
• Right Hook Digital on LinkedIn
• Watch videos on our YouTube channel

Join our Growth & Greatness eCommerce group and connect with fellow business owners & digital marketers alike: Growth & Greatness eCommerce on Facebook 

If you want to learn more about us and what we do at Right Hook, visit our website: Right Hook Digital

Full episode transcript & chapter markers for this episode are available on the Growth & Greatness eCommerce Podcast Buzzsprout page!

#23 - How do you build a loyal fanbase for your brand? RetroKid Co-Founder shares how they grew their brand by putting product quality & community over everything w/ Steve Gaskin

When some entrepreneurs embark on the journey to scale their brand from 0 to 100, they tend to forget that two key ingredients include cultivating a deep, meaningful relationship with their customer base and understanding that product quality & excellent customer service trumps everything else. These elements are exactly what RetroKid, a Canadian clothing brand specializing in officially-licensed apparel that celebrates nostalgia with sought-after designs, included in their journey that helped make them a 7-figure brand (and still growing). 

In this episode, Ray is joined by Right Hook’s Head of Performance (US side), Billy Bambao to chat with Steve Gaskin, Co-Founder of RetroKid, about the growth journey of their brand, why RetroKid believes in PRODUCT over profits, and the marketing fundamentals entrepreneurs must ALWAYS remember when trying to reach their core audience and new prospects. 

Listen in as Steve shares his honest reflections about RetroKid’s product-first philosophy, numerous insights that Steve and his co-founder Eric Bauza have gained from ideating new product launches & collections, and RetroKid’s secret sauce in keeping close relationships with celebrities, influencers, and their loyal fanbase alike.

We also reveal the biggest misconceptions Steve had before running paid ads and how his leap of faith in working with Right Hook showcased the massive potential to scale RetroKid to new heights. Tune in to find out how you can prepare your brand for long-term success putting product and people first before profitability.

For real-time updates, connect with Steve & RetroKid:

• Steve Gaskin on LinkedIn
• RetroKid Website
• RetroKid Instagram
• RetroKid TikTok
• Complex’s 12 Canadian Streetwear Brands that Made Waves in 2021 

For real-time updates, connect with Billy: 

• Billy Bambao on LinkedIn
• Billy Bambao on Instagram 

If you enjoyed this episode, connect with us and share your feedback:

• Right Hook Digital on Facebook 
• Right Hook Digital on Instagram
• Right Hook Digital on LinkedIn
• Watch videos on our YouTube channel

Join our Growth & Greatness eCommerce group and connect with fellow business owners & digital marketers alike: Growth & Greatness eCommerce on Facebook 

If you want to learn more about us and what we do at Right Hook, visit our website: Right Hook Digital

Full episode transcript & chapter markers for this episode are available on the Growth & Greatness eCommerce Podcast Buzzsprout page!

#22 - Decoding Generation Z: How Zoomers will Redefine the Future of eCommerce & Digital Shopping w/ Will Weeks

For a generational cohort that’s been talked, tweeted, and debated about, there is still a lot to discuss and uncover about Gen Z, what matters to them, and who they really are. Considering this cohort has a disposable income of $360 billion in the US alone, it’s imperative for eCom brand owners to understand this generation’s views on eCommerce & how they shop online. 

In this episode, Scott & Ray chat with Will Weeks, Head of Brand and Communications at Student Beans, to really get to know Gen Z, what makes them tick, what makes them likely to convert from cart to purchase, and how much they’ll affect the future of eCommerce and online shopping (hint: this thrifty generation holds A LOT of power). 

Will breaks down all the hot trends Gen Z are raving (or concerned) about - like the Buy Now, Pay Later model and how it’s affecting their budget and financial situations, social commerce & live shopathons, and the rise of hustle culture among their peers. This episode also explores why, contrary to popular belief, Gen Z are still interested in physical retail and interacting with storefronts. So find out how to integrate the best of eCom with the best of the mall into one experience! 

If you’re still unsure how to spark interest & convert Gen Z, tune in to this enlightening episode. You’ll understand what compels Gen Z to trust and fall in love with a brand and how you can connect with them by understanding and offering solutions to their everyday struggles.

For real-time updates, connect with Will: 

• Will Weeks on LinkedIn 
• Student Beans LinkedIn
• Student Beans Twitter

To learn more about Student Beans, check out these links: 

• Download the new Gen Z and the Future of eCommerce Report
• Speak to a student marketing expert
• Browse more Student Beans insights and resources
• Book a demo of Student Beans’ student marketing technology

If you enjoyed this episode, connect with us and share your feedback:

• Right Hook Digital on Facebook 
• Right Hook Digital on Instagram
• Right Hook Digital on LinkedIn
• Watch videos on our YouTube channel

Join our Growth & Greatness eCommerce group and connect with fellow business owners & digital marketers alike: Growth & Greatness eCommerce on Facebook 

If you want to learn more about us and what we do at Right Hook, visit our website: Right Hook Digital

#21 - Scaling to 8-figures: Aussie clothing brand Threadheads shares the strategy that skyrocketed their success w/ Co-Founder Ace Reunis & Senior Strategist Brett Leggett

What does it take to create an 8-figure business? When it comes to brand growth, most of us tend to focus on the massive wins. But what was the journey? What processes and risks were taken to get there? 

In this episode, Scott & Ray are joined by Threadheads Co-Founder, Ace Reunis, to detail how they went from printing custom T-shirts on just 2 printers to becoming a powerhouse, 8-figure DTC clothing brand in 2021. Right Hook Senior eCom Strategist Brett Leggett also joins the chat to share how he helped scale the account from $500K to consistent 6-figure months in 2021.

This jam-packed episode details how Threadheads bet big on their idea and played offense to continuously scale their brand, while also sharing the often unspoken tribulations of being brand founders. The conversation also delves deep on the right mindset needed to scale an eCommerce brand, how moving fast but retaining the brand's overall vision is part & parcel of scaling to the moon, and when to worry about ROI, performance, branding, and when to best combine them all. 

You also don’t want to miss Ace & Brett’s unfiltered deep dive on the tools & processes that skillfully blended Threadheads' calibrated workflow & strategy with Right Hook’s help and expertise. 

To cap it all off, Ace gets real about the culture and growth opportunities Threadheads provides its employees & team members and what the future of the brand looks like beyond 2022. 

This is a must-listen for brands who want to scale large, maintain a strong brand vision, and determine if it’s the right time to partner up with an agency. So sit back, grab your notepad, and listen in - we’ve got an EPIC new episode in store for you!

For real-time updates, connect with Ace: 

• Ace Reunis on LinkedIn
• Ace Reunis on Twitter
• Ace Reunis on Instagram
• Threadheads Website
• Threadheads Facebook
• Threadheads Instagram
• Threadheads Linktree

For real-time updates, connect with Brett:

• Brett Leggett on LinkedIn 

If you enjoyed this episode, connect with us and share your feedback:

• Right Hook Digital on Facebook 
• Right Hook Digital on Instagram
• Right Hook Digital on LinkedIn
• Watch videos on our YouTube channel

Join our Growth & Greatness eCommerce group and connect with fellow business owners & digital marketers alike: Growth & Greatness eCommerce on Facebook 

If you want to learn more about us and what we do at Right Hook, visit our website: Right Hook Digital

Full episode transcript & chapter markers for this episode are available on the Growth & Greatness eCommerce Podcast Buzzsprout page!

#20 - Amplify Your Customer’s Brand Experience using Augmented Reality w/ Rich Watson

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and the constant evolution of technology. When it comes to business, if you’re not across the latter two, you’re likely headed for trouble. The past year brought many upheavals to the paid advertising game, with iOS14 prompt and attribution issues leaving many eCom brand owners clambering for answers and ways to pivot. Now, savvy entrepreneurs are actively looking for ideal solutions to tell their brand story in a powerful manner that engages both prospects and loyalists alike. 

Enter Augmented Reality (AR). Join Scott & Ray in this episode as they chat with Rich Watson, Founder of Augmented Hype, and find out why augmented reality presents a new way of reaching and inciting fanfare among your customers. 

As an avid fan of AR and a believer of building relationships with audiences, Rich dishes on the industry verticals that have been successful in integrating AR campaigns into their marketing strategy as well as the technical aspects needed to start your brand's AR initiatives. This conversation also gets real on the public adoption of AR technology and the steps needed to measure the impact and reach of AR campaigns. 

Plus, you don’t don't want to miss Rich's outlook on the Metaverse, how AR technology will bridge the gap between the present & the future, and the next steps you'll need to take to ride in on the augmented reality marketing wave.

For real-time updates, connect with Rich: 

• Rich Watson on LinkedIn
• Rich Watson on Facebook
• Rich Watson on Instagram
• Augmented Hype Website
• Augmented Hype on LinkedIn
• Augmented Hype on Facebook

Join Rich’s AR Ads Strategies Facebook group for updates, tips & examples of AR ads from Rich, and get first dibs on news from Augmented Hype and the AR world! 

Platforms & websites referenced in this episode:

• Spark AR Studio
• Project Aria
• AR Insider

If you enjoyed this episode, connect with us and share your feedback:

• Right Hook Digital on Facebook 
• Right Hook Digital on Instagram
• Right Hook Digital on LinkedIn
• Watch videos on our YouTube channel

Join our Growth & Greatness eCommerce group and connect with fellow business owners & digital marketers alike: Growth & Greatness eCommerce on Facebook 

If you want to learn more about us and what we do at Right Hook, visit our website: Right Hook Digital

Full episode transcript & chapter markers for this episode are available on the Growth & Greatness eCommerce Podcast Buzzsprout page!