Hey it’s Chase and Jimmy here!

Can a values driven launch convert as hard as it inspires?

Most don't. The mission gets the love, the flow leaves the sale on the table.

Today we’re diving inthe three execution moves that turn purpose into purchases: with Krave Beauty's lip balm relaunch as the case study.

Also inside:
✔️ Allan: why your email program is still running 2010 plays
✔️ Omnisend's 2026 report: where 37% of email sales actually come from (it's not where you think)
✔️ A meme that's a little too real

Now let's get into the good stuff.

When you send to 50,000 people, you're showing 49,999 of them the wrong email.

You spent two weeks on that flow. You argued about the subject line. You picked the hero. You hit send. 

One version. To everyone. 

Meanwhile your paid media team tested dozens of creatives and let the algorithm sort it out. They solved this fifteen years ago, meanwhile email is still running 2010 plays.

What if email worked like ads? That's Allan. 

✔️ Trigger = ad set.

✔️ Block variation = ad.

✔️ Allan = the delivery algorithm. 

You upload the copy and creative. Allan assembles the highest-converting email for every subscriber, block by block.

Every subscriber gets their winning variant. It’s that easy.

→ Start free at getallan.com 

*Sponsored

Krave Beauty Lip Barrier Relief launch: When purpose-driven marketing meets product innovation

Krave Beauty made its name by telling people what their skin doesn't need. So when they revive a discontinued product, reformulate it, and tie the whole thing to fighting food waste?

Yeah, this isn't just a lip balm drop.

Across seven emails, they pull off a tricky balance: hype without the ick, social impact without the lecture, urgency without the pressure. Founder vulnerability meets customer hype meets ingredient deep dives and somehow it all hangs together. The launch reads less like marketing and more like the brand pulling you into the conversation.

Here's what Krave nails, where it could hit harder, and what clean beauty brands can steal from this values-first playbook.

1. Lip Barrier Relief Is Coming Soon!

Focus: Teaser with early access waitlist and social impact preview

Why This Works:

• "Back by popular demand—now upgraded. Made only once, from once a waste." immediately establishes scarcity and sustainability positioning

• "20 winners!" contest angle creates gamification around early access

• Donation partner reveal (Farmlink Project) introduces social impact before product benefits

• "Limited run, lasting impact" + "50% of proceeds" commitment builds trust through specificity

• Fun fact about ingredient rescue (one can saves 17 pounds of produce) makes sustainability tangible

• Clean visual hierarchy guides eye from product to cause to action

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Product benefits barely mentioned; teaser assumes audience already wants the product

• Contest mechanics unclear (how to enter, when winners announced, what early access includes)

• No indication of what "upgraded" means or why it matters

• Missing testimonials or social proof about original version

2. "I'm going to be upset when I finish this..."

Focus: Social proof through customer testimonials with waitlist reminder

Why This Works:

• Subject line uses actual customer quote to create curiosity and relatability

• "Worth the Wait" positioning validates scarcity while building anticipation

• Three distinct testimonials highlight different benefits (super moisturizing, great for winter, hard to finish because you love it)

• Each testimonial includes customer name for authenticity

• "You don't want to miss this limited launch" creates FOMO without aggressive urgency

• Lifestyle imagery throughout maintains aspirational brand positioning

Opportunities for Improvement:

• "Upgraded" product claim still not explained; what's different from original?

• Testimonials reference old formula, not new upgraded version

• No waitlist size or demand signals to validate scarcity

• Missing specific launch date or timeline

• Product grid at bottom feels disconnected from testimonial-focused content

3. Lip Barrier Relief is HERE!

Focus: Launch announcement with early access positioning and donation reminder

Why This Works:

• Emoji in subject line creates excitement without being overly promotional

• "You got early access" makes purchasers feel special

• "New + Limited!" clearly communicates both upgrade and scarcity

• "Made only once, from once a waste" tagline reinforces sustainability consistently

• "Give Back With Every Swipe" section with specific donation commitment (50% to Farmlink Project) keeps social impact front and center

• Clean lifestyle photography maintains premium brand aesthetic

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Still no explanation of what makes it "new" or how it was upgraded

• Early access framing feels misleading if product is broadly available

• No indication of quantity limits or how long stock will last

• Donation messaging repeats from earlier emails without new depth

• Missing urgency signals despite "limited" positioning

4. New + Limited! Lip Barrier Relief is HERE

Focus: Formula education with sustainability storytelling

Why This Works:

• Product shot with almond shells shows upcycled ingredient visually

• "Powered by upcycled almond shell extract" makes sustainability specific and tangible

• "Give Back With Every Swipe" consistency reinforces dual-purpose purchase

• Clean, minimal design maintains brand aesthetic

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Email is nearly identical to previous launch email, creating redundancy

• No new information for subscribers who already saw launch announcement

• Feels like unnecessary send that could dilute campaign impact

• Missing education about almond shell benefits or formula improvements

5. What Happens to What The Harvest Doesn't Take?

Focus: Deep-dive sustainability education and upcycled ingredient storytelling

Why This Works:

• "Waste Not the Farm" narrative creates emotional connection to ingredient sourcing

• Almond shells and hulls explanation makes upcycling process concrete

• "Made Only Once, From Once A Waste" section explains limited production run rationale

• Field notes inclusion adds authenticity and transparency

• Three-part education (ingredient source, sustainability mission, product application) creates comprehensive story

• Visual storytelling with lifestyle imagery makes abstract concept tangible

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Email is extremely long for mobile reading without clear visual breaks

• Product benefits still secondary to sustainability story

• No clear CTA or next step for engaged readers

• Missing customer results or before-and-after validation

• Sustainability education could be condensed for better scan-ability

6. Why We Brought Lip Barrier Relief Back (& Made It Better)

Focus: Founder letter explaining product decision and formula upgrades

Why This Works:

• Personal, vulnerable founder voice ("I wasn't sure we could pull it off the way I imagined it")

• Honest explanation of why original was discontinued (gift-with-purchase didn't fit long-term strategy)

• Lip skin anatomy education (naturally thinner, no oil glands) creates problem awareness

• Specific formula improvements listed (omega fatty acids, non-sticky texture, keychain hole, upcycled almond shell extract)

• Farmlink Project connection explained with personal context (SNAP benefits cuts, food insecurity in NYC)

• "50% of proceeds will be donated" commitment repeated with clear cause tie-in

• "New everyday staple" positioning creates routine integration vs occasional use

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Long-form letter format may lose readers on mobile

• Formula improvements buried in middle rather than highlighted upfront

• No visual comparison or side-by-side with original formula

• Missing customer testimonials for new formula

• Social impact section feels slightly disconnected from product story

7. A Comeback

Focus: Upcycled ingredient education and sustainability library

Why This Works:

• "Rethinking Waste, One Ingredient at a Time" positions brand as sustainability innovator

• "The Sustainability Insider Issue 12" framing creates content series value

• "Second-Life Library" concept showcasing multiple upcycled ingredients (24 Carrot Retinol, Makeup Re-Wined, Plumptuous Lip Jelly) demonstrates commitment beyond single product

• Each ingredient gets benefit explanation and sustainability story

• "Why Upcycling Matters" education (skin-benefiting nutrients, conserves resources, supports circular economy) makes impact tangible

• Clean, colorful design makes information digestible

Opportunities for Improvement:

• Email shifts from product launch to brand education, potentially confusing campaign flow

• No direct CTA to purchase Lip Barrier Relief despite being part of launch sequence

• Multiple product mentions dilute focus on hero launch product

• Could feel like distraction from main campaign rather than supporting content

What Krave Beauty gets right

Purpose-Driven Product Story: Every email connects product to larger mission (upcycling, food waste, community support), creating emotional purchase justification beyond function.

Founder Transparency: Liah's vulnerable, honest voice builds trust and differentiates from corporate beauty brands.

Consistent Sustainability Messaging: "Made only once, from once a waste" tagline appears in every email, reinforcing scarcity and values simultaneously.

Social Impact Specificity: 50% donation commitment with named partner (Farmlink Project) and concrete outcomes makes impact tangible.

Educational Content: Deep-dive emails on ingredient sourcing and upcycling create value beyond product promotion.

Where execution could sharpen

Upgraded Formula Details Arrive Late: Specific improvements don't appear until email 6, missing opportunity to build excitement earlier.

Scarcity Signals Lack Evidence: "Limited run" messaging isn't supported with quantity numbers, sell-out warnings, or demand indicators.

Email Redundancy: Multiple emails repeat same information without new angles or added value.

Product Benefits Buried: So much focus on sustainability that functional benefits (moisture, non-sticky, long-lasting) barely surface.

Final takeaway: When mission and product are truly integrated

Krave proves purpose-driven marketing actually works, when the values aren't slapped on top, but baked into the product itself. Upcycled ingredients, a limited run, 50% donated: it all lines up because sustainability is the reason this thing exists, not a tagline.

That said, the execution could be sharper. Earlier formula education, stronger scarcity proof, and a tighter email sequence would turn more curiosity into "add to cart."

Steal this playbook:

• Lead with purpose only when it's real - built into the product, not bolted on

• Let the founder be human (vulnerability = trust)

• Make sustainability claims specific: 50% donated, upcycled, limited run

• Tease the formula upgrade early, don't bury the lede

• Back up scarcity with receipts (quantities, sell-out signals, demand)

• Cut the filler emails

• Pair mission with the actual "why you'll love it"

Where most email sales actually come from in 2026

Here's a stat we keep coming back to: automated emails are doing 37% of all email sales from just 2% of email volume.

That's not a margin. That's a 16x return on the same send.

Omnisend just dropped their 2026 Ecommerce Marketing Report, and it's the kind of read that makes you rethink where your team is spending its time.

A few that jumped out:

→ Click-to-conversion jumped 53% YoY (from 5.9% to 9%)
→ Back-in-stock automations are running 6.46% conversion (the highest of any flow they tested)
→ Birthday emails are averaging $744 AOV (4x typical)
→ BFCM 2024 alone moved $112.6B in revenue

If you're still spending most of your week on one off campaigns, this is the report that'll change what you build next.

Read the full report →

*Sponsored

Meme Drop:

Annnnd that’s a wrap for this edition! 

Thanks for hanging with us, it’s always a pleasure to have you here.

If you found this newsletter helpful (or even just a little fun), don’t keep it to yourself! Share ecomemailmarketer.com with your favorite DTC marketer. Let’s get them on board so they don’t miss next week’s drops.

Remember: Do shit you love.

🤘 Jimmy Kim & Chase Dimond

PS - Your next best customer might be reading this right now. Want in? Email Jimmy to sponsor this newsletter and more.

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