How to Launch New DTC Products

Most brands treat product drops like a one-day event: you build the product, flip the switch, send an email, and hope it works.

That’s not how great brands do it.

Start Before It’s Ready

A skincare brand sends 3 or more emails before every launch. Even before the creative is finished.

Why? To build intent early and prime the list.

They start with curiosity ("Something new is coming..."), then introduce the problem ("Your skin deserves better"), and finally reveal the product in the third send.

Visitors who land on teaser pages convert 2-3x better at launch.

Some teams run paid lead-gen campaigns weeks in advance, building opt-in lists segmented by interest so launch day messaging feels 1:1, not spray and pray.

Map Every Launch

Map every product launch to one of these three growth goals:

• AOV builders: High-margin add-ons that customers buy with core SKUs (like accessories or bundles)

• LTV drivers: Products customers return for, again and again. Think refills, consumables, or seasonal re-ups

• Acquisition unlocks: Entirely new categories that speak to different personas than your hero SKUs

A kitchen brand recently launched a countertop appliance, not because it was “on brand” but because it tapped into a totally different buyer.

It now drives 40% of new customer revenue.

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Give The Drop a Narrative Arc

Stop treating launch day like the finish line. Best teams break it into phases:

• Tease: Seed curiosity and early traffic

• Launch: Go wide with email, SMS, and paid

• Sustain: Reuse assets in flows, site banners, and evergreen creative to keep selling after the hype fades

One brand added a simple banner promoting their new product to the bottom of every lifecycle email.

It became their #2 revenue driver across post-purchase flows, no extra emails needed.

Not Every Product Deserves Paid Media

It sounds obvious, but it’s often missed.

Just because a product is new doesn’t mean it should get its own acquisition funnel.

Savvier teams set internal “tiers” for each launch based on margin, target CPA, and forecasted LTV.

Tier 1 launches get full funnel investment. Tier 3 products? Maybe just an email and PDP update.

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