How To Build Superfans

Hi Friends!

This newsie comes to you from the JW Marriott in sunny and warm Palm Springs. I’ve been here for the week at eTail, soaking up time with ecom folks. And it’s been great—really. 

But if I’m being real, I’ve had more social interaction this week than I’d want for myself in a full quarter, and I am ready to climb back into the cocoon and sit tight (for a good week… until I get yanked out again).

Now, onto something that actually gives me energy—brands that break the script.

Last week, I ordered some matcha online. Nothing crazy. Just a standard purchase. But then something unexpected happened.

I got an email from a real person (not some generic, automated ‘Thanks for your order’ email). They asked if I wanted to try another flavor and threw in a free whisk to elevate the experience. For no reason other than… because they could.

And it made me stop. Because in an industry obsessed with scaling, here was a brand choosing to do something that doesn’t scale.

And I loved it.

You can just do things.

You don’t have to follow the same playbook as everyone else. You can just… do things. Surprise a customer. Make a moment. Break the cycle of transactional, robotic DTC experiences.

This isn’t just about matcha. It’s about breaking the script and making a moment. And I’ve got another story from a restaurant in Philly that did exactly that—plus a few easy ways your brand can do it too (without blowing your budget).

Let’s get into it.

Before we kick off, would love to share an incredible mission trip to Israel this May that my good friend Dov Quint is leading, with participation from the President of Hexclad and many more. Learn more here. 

This week’s newsie is brought to you by Tapcart—the platform helping brands crush mobile commerce and set the stage for stronger CX and retention in 2025.

How Retention Pros are Beating Rising CAC in 2025:

As customer acquisition costs (CAC) continue to climb, savvy retention marketers know that the key to thriving in 2025 lies in maximizing customer lifetime value (LTV). With digital ad costs skyrocketing and traditional channels like SMS and email delivering diminishing returns, a new retention strategy is gaining traction: mobile apps.

Mobile apps provide a powerful, owned channel where brands can connect with customers directly and cost-effectively. Push notifications, for instance, boast engagement rates up to 7x higher than email, enabling brands to stay top of mind without added costs.

Oh Polly has fully embraced this approach. “We sent 400 million push notifications last year. If that was SMS, that would have cost us a fortune,” said Lauren Muir, Product Owner at Oh Polly. Leveraging this strategy, Oh Polly now generates 40% of its total revenue directly from its app—a clear testament to the value of mobile engagement.

BrüMate, a leader in the CPG space, reports 43% higher conversion rates (CVR) on their app versus their website. As Hans Harris, Director of Growth at BrüMate, puts it:

"Having the app lets me be more aggressive on acquisition because it’s a reliable and efficient sales channel that increases our MER. It's a huge safety blanket when it comes to scaling the most expensive channels."

The takeaway for retention pros is clear: In a high-CAC environment, mobile apps aren’t just another channel—they’re a secret weapon for reducing churn, boosting engagement, and building a loyal customer base.

👉 Want to learn how to supercharge your retention strategy?

Explore Tapcart’s solutions and see how mobile apps can transform your brand’s approach to customer loyalty.

1. The Matcha Surprise: Breaking the DTC Script

So many brand operators get on the podcast circuit to talk about surprise and delight, but as a customer, it is so increasingly rare for any brand to get out of AI slop territory and actually do something that makes you double-take. 

I recently discovered Matcha Made from Shop app and got excited about the Shop offer they had running. Caffeine is a problem in my life, so I decided to take a shot with them. 

When I placed an order, Julie from Matcha Made hit me with:

I had ordered one single container of matcha, and they are offering me a second one in an alternate flavor, as well as a whisk??

I replied instantly, hyped that a brand was actually doing something different. Julie responded just as fast:

As one does, I hopped into social and shared it.

Discerning voices on X piped up about it possibly being automated, which completely misses the point here:

THEY ARE OFFERING TO DOUBLE MY ORDER SIZE + ACCESSORY FOR FREE? WHO CARES IF THE INITIAL OUTREACH IS AUTOMATED??

The question I had was:

Am I special? Or do they do this for every new customer?

Eventually, the founder dropped into the comments on my LinkedIn post.

Turns out, a little of both. They do surprise customers sometimes. But more importantly, they actually pay attention.

It made me stop and think. In an industry obsessed with scaling, here was a brand choosing to do something that doesn’t scale.

And I loved it.

You can just do things.

Not everything needs to be a highly orchestrated retention strategy. Sometimes, you can just make a customer feel seen. No big scaled upsell approach, no complex customer journey mapping—just a human moment that makes people want to come back (and tell others about it).

And here’s the thing: this wasn’t the only time I’ve seen this work. A few weeks ago, a restaurant in Philly did something similar—and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

2. The Philly Restaurant That Actually Paid Attention

A few months ago, I went to a restaurant we often frequent in Philly. For some reason, I had to wait a while to be seated. It wasn’t a disaster, but I wasn’t thrilled either. My son was cranky, and it was super cold outside with not much indoor space to wait. Still, I liked the place enough to give it another shot.

When I came back a few weeks later, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. At check-in, they said, "Welcome back," but I didn’t think much of it.

Then, I ordered malawach.

The waiter shook his head. "That was a special last week—we don’t have it anymore."

No big deal. I moved on.

Fifteen minutes later, he came back with a freshly made plate of malawach—just for us, on the house.

I was already floored. Then came the bill.

Completely comped. The entire meal.

I looked up at the waiter, confused. "What happened here, sir?"

He smiled. "We actually like you guys and want you to know that."

I’ve not stopped thinking about that moment since.

No expensive CRM. No fancy retention software. No VIP status. Just a restaurant that noticed, remembered, and made a moment out of it.

And that’s the thing—this wasn’t about getting a free meal. It was about feeling like someone actually cared.

Again, not always super scalable. But absolutely worth it.

3. Easy, Low-Cost Ways to Create ‘Wow’ Moments

Most brands overthink this. They assume creating memorable moments means big budgets, over-the-top gifting, or an entire retention team mapping out “customer delight journeys.”

Nope.

The best moments are usually small, thoughtful, and completely unexpected. Here are a few ways to break the script and make a lasting impression—without burning through your marketing budget:

•  Actually reply to customers like a human. No templated “We’re sorry for your experience” nonsense. Just real, genuine replies.

• Surprise someone with an unexpected upgrade or freebie. It doesn’t have to be a full comp—just something that feels like a thoughtful extra. It can be “at-random,” but it really does not have to be.

• Remember details about your customers. Did someone have an issue last time? Acknowledge it. Does someone always buy the same thing? Offer a small bonus they’d actually enjoy. If you are using a consolidated approach on a tech stack (like Yotpo), this is actually pretty easy to automate.

• Follow up like a friend, not a marketer. Instead of “We miss you” emails, try “Hey, how’s that [product] working out for you?” Plain text emails work great for this.

• Make a first purchase feel like an experience, not a transaction. The best brands make customers feel like insiders from day one. A small, personalized touch in first-order (handwritten note, bonus sample, a quick ‘welcome’ email from a real person) goes a long way.

• Fix the actual experience before throwing discounts at the problem. If customers aren’t coming back, it’s rarely because you didn’t send enough promo codes. Figure out why first.

• Break the script. Do something that makes people stop and go, “Wait, that was different.” That’s what sticks.

Some of these are not easy to scale.

And that’s exactly why they works.

That’s it for this week!

Cheers, 

Eli 💛

P.S. Looking for inspo on your next email/sms campaign?

I know you will love this.