Alessandro Di Trapani is the co-founder and CEO of Grub Club, an insect-based dog food brand. Alessandro reflects on his journey in building the startup and the importance of customer retention and community building.  He highlights the company's focus on brand messaging, effective communication, and finding the optimal mix between customer need and shipping frequency in a subscription business.  Alessandro also emphasises the use of cohort analysis in understanding customer behaviour and improving marketing and acquisition strategies.  In this episode we discuss: Why you need to be investing in brand and messaging toneHow do you communicate effectively and resonate with people?Analysing cohorts to evaluate marketing strategiesHow real-world interactions, such as consumer shows, helped the business grow… and the unique benefits of using insect protein in dog food!  Dive In [04:32] How the pandemic sparked a boom in the pet industry [09:21] The brand strives to be the obvious choice for customers by educating about the benefits of products and ingredients. [14:21] Persistence and understanding are key for success. [18:02] Tracking customer retention and lifetime value [21:46] Maximise team performance through freedom, experimentation, and positive mindset. [26:13] Optimise packaging, frequency, and customer needs. Apply to join Chloe's Free eCommerce Club! >> https://ecmp.info/club Checkout AppSumo >> https://ecmp.info/appsumo Get all the links and resources we mention & join our email list at https://ecmp.info Love the show? Chloe would love your feedback - leave a review here: https://ecmp.info/review or reply to the episode Q&A on Spotify. Interested in being a Sponsor? go here: https://ecmp.info/sponsor This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy