Where We Are
Complete creative refresh delivered. Foundation is built. Now entering the approval, build, and launch cycle.
A complete creative refresh of the Shepherd Boy Farms lifecycle system has been delivered. 9 flows redesigned with fresh templates and copy, sent to client for review April 17. Blast campaign briefs delivered. The foundation is built. We are now in the approval, build, and launch cycle.
What's been delivered:
- Full lifecycle audit (1,818 DTC orders analyzed)
- Customer segmentation strategy (6 segments defined)
- 12 flows designed with complete copy (38 total emails)
- All flow creative redesigned with fresh templates
- Creative sent to client for review (4/17 via Air links)
- Blast campaign briefs (21 campaigns)
- Lifecycle brief with design system
- Klaviyo account upgraded and ready for sending
Key Business Numbers
Product and Geographic Insights
- Top product: Classic Topper/Blend ($21.7K revenue, 639 orders)
- Revenue pattern: Clear Q4/Q1 peaks, spring/summer dips
- Top states: California 12.4%, Texas 6.4%, Florida 6.2%
- 1,818 orders across the DTC channel since July 2024
- Subscription opportunity: Only 23 active subscriptions represents massive growth potential for a consumable pet food product
The opportunity: Pet food DTC brands with mature Klaviyo implementations attribute 25-40% of revenue to email. At SBF's ~$9K/mo DTC run rate, that represents $2.3K-$3.6K/mo in email-attributed revenue once all flows are live and optimized.
Week 1: Approvals + First Builds + First Blasts
April 21-25 · Get creative approved, build first flows, send first blasts.
Client action needed: Review and approve flow creative. Priority order matters. P1 flows have the biggest immediate revenue impact.
Approval Priority Order
| Priority | Flows | Why First |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | Welcome Series, Cart Abandon, Browse Abandon | Biggest immediate revenue impact. These capture active traffic and convert it. |
| P2 | Replenishment, Subscription Nurture, Post-Purchase, Cross-Sell | Retention and repeat purchase drivers. Close the 25.3% repeat rate gap. |
| P3 | VIP Series, Review Request | VIP Series is a POC for loyalty evaluation. Review Request builds social proof. |
Creative Review Links (Air)
- Flow Creative Set 1
- Flow Creative Set 2
- Flow Creative Set 3
- Flow Creative Set 4
- Flow Creative Set 5
- Flow Creative Set 6
- Flow Creative Set 7
- Flow Creative Set 8
- Flow Creative Set 9
Co-Pilot Actions
- As P1 flows are approved: drop designs into Klaviyo, QA triggers/personalization/links, flip to Live
- Brief designer (Rose) on first 2 blast campaigns:
- Target: first 2 blasts designed, built, and sent by end of Week 1
- Create Notion tasks for all Week 1 items
- Start daily Slack updates
- P1 flow creative approved
- First P1 flows built in Klaviyo
- 2 blast campaigns designed, built, and sent
- Notion task board populated
- Daily Slack cadence established
Week 2: P1 Flows Live + Blast Cadence
April 28 - May 2 · P1 flows sending, blast rhythm established.
- P1 flows live: Welcome Series, Cart Abandon, Browse Abandon should be live and sending
- Blast 3: B03 Staff Pick: Classic Topper
- Blast 4: B04 Novel Proteins
- Begin P2 flow builds as approvals come in
- Weekly performance report #1 (first flow data)
- Welcome Series, Cart Abandon, Browse Abandon live in Klaviyo
- Blasts 3-4 designed, built, and sent
- Weekly performance report #1
Week 3: P2 Flows + Blast Cadence
May 5-9 · Retention flows go live, blast cadence continues.
- Build and launch P2 flows: Replenishment, Subscription Nurture, Post-Purchase, Cross-Sell
- Blast 5: B05 National Puppy Day
- Blast 6: B06 Spring Coat Season
- Weekly performance report #2
- Replenishment, Subscription Nurture, Post-Purchase, Cross-Sell live
- Blasts 5-6 sent
- Weekly performance report #2
Week 4: P3 Flows + Month 1 Report
May 12-16 · Final flow launches, first comprehensive performance review.
- Build and launch P3 flows: VIP Series, Review Request
- Blast 7: B07 Subscribe & Save
- Blast 8: B08 Real Results Social Proof
- Month 1 performance report: all flow metrics + blast results + recommendations
- A/B testing launched on Welcome Series subject lines
- Weekly performance report #3
- VIP Series and Review Request live
- Blasts 7-8 sent
- Month 1 comprehensive performance report
- Weekly performance report #3
- A/B testing initiated
Phase 1 Summary
Optimize Based on 30 Days of Data
Use real performance data to improve what's working and fix what isn't.
Flow Optimization
- Which flows are converting? Which emails are underperforming?
- Welcome Series: Test subject lines, incentive amounts, product recommendations
- Cart Abandon: Test timing (1hr vs 4hr vs 24hr first email), incentive in E3
- Replenishment: Validate consumption timing estimates against actual reorder data
Build Remaining Flows
| Flow | Emails | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Sample Follow-Up | 3 | Convert DTC sample buyers to full-size purchases |
| New Customer Education | 3 | Brand story, feeding FAQ, community building |
| Subscription Nurture Optimization | Existing | 23 active subs is far too low. This flow drives recurring revenue. |
Blast Cadence Continues (2/week)
B09-B16 from the campaign calendar. Each blast links to its full brief at shepherd-boy-farms-blast-briefs.vercel.app.
- B09 Complete the Bowl, B10 FAQ Your Questions Answered
- B11 National Pet Day, B12 Cat Parents
- B13 Earth Day Real Ingredients, B14 Treat Spotlight
- B15 VIP Exclusive, B16 Winback We Miss You
SMS Evaluation
- Assess SMS opportunity: does the Klaviyo plan include SMS?
- If yes: design cart abandon SMS, welcome SMS, shipping notification
- SMS is a Phase 2 initiative, not Phase 1
A/B Testing Program
- Welcome Series: Test with vs without discount offer
- Cart Abandon: Test timing sequences
- Subject lines across blasts: Education vs product vs urgency hooks
- All 12 flows live and optimized
- 16+ total blasts sent
- SMS launched (if applicable)
- A/B test results with winners implemented
- Month 2 performance report
Close the Repeat Purchase Gap
The core business goal: move repeat purchase rate from 25.3% toward the 40-50% pet food DTC benchmark.
Retention Focus
- Analyze which flows are driving repeat purchases
- Optimize replenishment timing based on actual reorder data
- Scale subscription nurture: target 50+ active subscribers (up from 23)
- VIP program evaluation: does the POC VIP Series justify a broader loyalty program?
Advanced Segmentation
- Dog vs Cat: Product recommendations tailored to pet type
- Multi-pet households: Identification and cross-sell opportunities
- Geographic: California moisture content, Texas heat content, etc.
- High-value customers: Identification and differentiated treatment
Content Expansion
- Seasonal content for summer (hydration, travel, outdoor feeding)
- UGC/review content integration into flows
- Ashton/founder story content in brand emails
Blast Calendar Continues
- B17-B21: Summer Prep, Subscribe Summer, Mother's Day Pet Moms, Alligator Deep Dive, Every Treat
- Scale to 3/week if engagement data supports it
- 12 flows optimized with 60+ days of data
- 20+ total blasts sent
- Repeat purchase rate improvement measured
- Subscription growth tracked
- VIP/loyalty program recommendation
- 90-day comprehensive report
- Q3 roadmap
Flow Architecture
12 flows, 38 emails. Priority-sequenced for maximum impact.
| Priority | Flow | Emails | Trigger | Target Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Welcome Series | 5 | List signup | Week 1 |
| P1 | Abandoned Cart | 3 | Checkout started | Week 1 |
| P1 | Browse Abandonment | 2 | Viewed product, no ATC | Week 1 |
| P2 | Replenishment Reminder | 2 | Time-based consumption | Week 3 |
| P2 | Subscription Nurture | 3 | 2+ purchases same product | Week 3 |
| P2 | Post-Purchase Education | 4 | First purchase | Week 3 |
| P2 | Cross-Sell Series | 1 | Category purchase | Week 3 |
| P3 | VIP Recognition | 2 | $500+ lifetime spend | Week 4 |
| P3 | Review Request | 2 | Order delivered + 5 days | Week 4 |
| Phase 2 | Sample Follow-Up | 3 | Sample ordered (DTC only) | Week 5-6 |
| Phase 2 | New Customer Education | 3 | Any first purchase | Week 5-6 |
Blast Campaign Calendar
2 sends per week. Full briefs with copy, subject lines, segments, and design direction available at shepherd-boy-farms-blast-briefs.vercel.app.
| Week | Blast | Theme | Brief Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B01 | Spring Reset | View Brief |
| 1 | B02 | Why Freeze-Dried Raw? | View Brief |
| 2 | B03 | Staff Pick: Classic Topper | View Brief |
| 2 | B04 | Novel Proteins | View Brief |
| 3 | B05 | National Puppy Day | View Brief |
| 3 | B06 | Spring Coat Season | View Brief |
| 4 | B07 | Subscribe & Save | View Brief |
| 4 | B08 | Real Results Social Proof | View Brief |
| 5 | B09 | Complete the Bowl | View Brief |
| 5 | B10 | FAQ Your Questions Answered | View Brief |
| 6 | B11 | National Pet Day | View Brief |
| 6 | B12 | Cat Parents | View Brief |
| 7 | B13 | Earth Day Real Ingredients | View Brief |
| 7 | B14 | Treat Spotlight | View Brief |
| 8 | B15 | VIP Exclusive | View Brief |
| 8 | B16 | Winback We Miss You | View Brief |
Customer Segments
6 segments defined from the lifecycle audit. Each maps to specific flows and communication strategies.
| Segment | Definition | Est. Size | Primary Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Subscribers | Email opt-in, no purchase | ~1,500 | Welcome Series |
| First-Time Buyers | 1 order | ~838 | Post-Purchase + Cross-Sell |
| Repeat Buyers | 2-3 orders | ~202 | Replenishment + Subscription |
| Loyal Customers | 4+ orders (7.3%) | ~82 | VIP Recognition |
| At-Risk | 90+ days since last order | ~510 | Winback |
| DTC Sample Buyers | Ordered sample via website | TBD | Sample Follow-Up |
Reference Docs
Key documents and resources for the lifecycle program.
| Document | URL |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle Brief + Design System | sbf-lifecycle-brief.vercel.app |
| Blast Briefs (all 21 campaigns) | shepherd-boy-farms-blast-briefs.vercel.app |
| Status Doc | sbf-lifecycle-status.vercel.app |
Success Metrics
Baseline measurements and targets across the 90-day engagement.
| Metric | Baseline | Day 30 | Day 60 | Day 90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flows live | 0 | 9 | 12 | 12 (optimized) |
| Blasts sent | 0 | 8 | 16 | 21+ |
| Email-attributed revenue | $0/mo | $1,500/mo | $2,500/mo | $3,500/mo |
| Repeat purchase rate | 25.3% | 28% | 33% | 38% |
| Active subscriptions | 23 | 30 | 45 | 60 |
| Welcome Series conversion | 0% | 3-5% | 5-7% | 7-10% |
| Cart recovery rate | 0% | 5-8% | 8-12% | 10-15% |
Revenue opportunity: Pet food DTC brands with mature Klaviyo implementations attribute 25-40% of revenue to email. At SBF's ~$9K/mo DTC run rate, that represents $2.3K-$3.6K/mo in email-attributed revenue once all flows are live and optimized.
What We Need From You, Ashton
Three things that keep the pipeline moving.
1. Review and approve flow creative (sent 4/17). Priority: Welcome, Cart Abandon, Browse Abandon first. The sooner P1 flows are approved, the sooner they're live and generating revenue.
2. Feedback on blast designs as they come through from Rose. 48-hour turnaround keeps the 2/week cadence on track.
3. Heads up on changes. New products, seasonal promotions, or anything that should be reflected in upcoming campaigns. The earlier we know, the better we can plan.
How We Keep You in the Loop
Consistent communication so you always know where things stand.
- Daily Slack updates: What was delivered, what's in progress, what's blocked, what we need from you
- Weekly performance reports: Flow metrics, blast metrics, A/B test results, recommendations
- Regular calls for strategy alignment
- Proactive communication on blockers and timeline adjustments
- Notetaker on all calls, action items tracked
- Dedicated lifecycle operator managing your account day-to-day