Hey friends,

2025 is already well into the swing of things so we wanted to bring you a highly skimmable, light read on what we're up to, a few bits of valuable intel, and shared successes. As always, your comments and feedback are welcome.

Why your ads aren’t working like they used to

Last July, we published an opinion piece on Shop Eat Surf about the need for a renewed focus on brand building, as opposed to over-relying on performance marketing as a core driver of brand growth.

We’ve finally reached an inflection point, seemingly evolving on from our obsession with and reliance on performance advertising and its inherent focus on short-term ROI, to a place where in order to stand out, a renewed investment in awareness tactics to generate brand heat is needed more than ever.

Now a year later, our POV still holds true, particularly seeing how things have played out with the broader economic picture and the rollercoaster of macro headwinds that have had implications on brands, which seem to change from one day to the next.

Tactically, the way this comes to life is by creating a balanced investment in non-purchase digital and experiential strategies that help build a resilient baseline of organic, owned, and direct traffic.A potential customer may not be in-market today to purchase what you have – the goal is to be top of mind when they are at a later date.

One thing to watch out for however, particularly as brands begin thinking about how they're going to make their numbers this year and planning budgets for the next, is that by investing more into brand building (aka the activities that help build up a base of direct, referral, and organic traffic), it shouldn't mean simply moving budget from paid media over to creating video content.

This doesn’t mean the end of performance marketing. Far from it. Meta is still very good at new customer prospecting. After all, they are sitting on two decades of customer data by this point.If anything, leverage channels like Meta, Google, and High-Impact Display to bolster your story-telling and brand awareness programs with more product-focused messaging as customers warm up to the brand. Dial spend up and down based on seasonality and brand impact moments.

Building a strong brand takes time and consistency. But above all it starts with a great product.

As you're creating all the great stories to talk about what makes you special, make sure you are considering what it feasibly will take to make sure people find out about it.

Duct Tape Theory: Mental Health & Surfing

We’re longtime fans of the podcast Duct Tape Theory. As an organization rooted in the importance of a healthy balance between work and everything else, this new episode really struck a chord with us:

Chapter 5 rips open the veneer of pro surfing to expose the mental battles waged beneath. Kassia Meador ditches her sponsors and the limelight, realizing success isn't measured by contract figures. Beyrick de Vries doesn't sugarcoat his spiral into addiction or the strength it took to claw his way out. Shaun Tomson, facing every parent's worst nightmare, shows us how to keep moving when life serves up its heaviest. And Mark Hanley, the founder of the Fallen Watermen's Foundation, tells us that sometimes, all it takes is one hand reaching out to help someone stay afloat when life tries to pull them under.

Listen for yourself here.

This book changed our perception on what it means to run an agency

Last Summer, a couple of us picked up a copy of Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality and haven't been able to stop talking about it ever since.

Not just because it's a great book, but because we read it and absorbed it through the perspective of running an agency, which completely reframed our philosophy on how to effectively service and retain a client.

"Black and white" means you’re doing your job with competence and efficiency; "color" means you make people feel great about the job you’re doing for them. Getting the right plate to the right person at the right table is service. But genuinely engaging with the person you’re serving, so you can make an authentic connection—that’s hospitality."

So what does this mean in practice? After all, at a restaurant you service new people every day, but at an agency a relationship with a client can last years.

It comes down to being highly in-tune with what each individual stakeholder's needs are. The manager who works with our client service team day to day is going to have different wants and desires from the CFO, so we need to change our approach accordingly.

We're constantly working on it, trying to find ways to weave in nuanced ways to exceed expectations on working with an agency day to day. Our team have regular internal meetings to bring to the table ways to make every interaction we have with a client extraordinary—from emails, weekly calls, and in-person meetings to remembering their anniversary or kid's birthday.

Intention means every decision, from the most obviously significant to the seemingly mundane, matters. Fads fade and cycle, but the human desire to be taken care of never goes away.

We now buy copies of this book for every new team member and gifted it to countless clients. Grab a copy and transform how you run your business.

Buy it here.

Stephanie Gilmore on how to surf crowded waves

Many of us at the agency live a stone's throw from Trestles, a world-class wave here in Southern California. However, the dreamy cobblestone points generally come with packed crowds, particularly on the best days.

In Stab’s series “Cheat Codes”, 6x World Champ Stephanie Gilmore makes navigating the masses seem easy:

I’m not really the sort of person that sits way out on the top of the peak and waits for the bombs, that’s not really my vibe. And I’m not really a scrappy surfer, so I guess I’m just a basic bitch in the middle.

Watch the episode here.

Most brands are still asleep on TikTok

TikTok isn't going away any time soon. We have been getting asked a lot lately about our approach so we put together a value-packed, comprehensive overview of how brands can win at TikTok in 2025.

20% of TikTok users aren’t on IG, and 50% of Facebook users aren't on TikTok. If your strategy is Instagram-only, you’re missing out.

The fastest-growing TikTok user demographic? 45-54. The “TikTok is just for Gen Z” myth is now outdated.

TikTok users spend 54 minutes each day scrolling, nearly the equivalent of a feature length movie. But many brands are still hesitant to invest the time, resources, and budget into a potentially lucrative channel.

It could be because users tend to purchase lower AOV items, particularly products priced under $100, but it remains a lucrative and highly effective platform for brand discovery for higher AOV and luxury brands as well.

But this isn't even the most eye-opening stat. Consider that in the past year alone, consumer search habits have drastically changed. No longer is Google the first place someone goes to find a product or service. It's Amazon, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Pinterest, and yes, TikTok.

57% of TikTok users engage with the search feature, and 23% search within 30 seconds of opening the app.

One of the key opportunities with TikTok is that it offers a suite of tools to successfully tap into and monetize its ecosystem. And not just for viral protein powder brands.

The real growth potential is orchestrating each component—TikTok Shop, affiliate relationships with creators, paid amplification, and organic brand content.

Grab a free download of the guide here.