The LTV Problem Most Brands Ignore

And how to fix it

Author

Brenden Tartaglia
June 16, 2025

The LTV Problem Most Brands Ignore 

Estimated 5 Minute Read

What's up everyone,

In this newsletter, I'm diving into the LTV problem that's killing most e-commerce brands (even the ones doing "good" at email), sharing actionable tips that actually move the needle, and breaking down real case studies from brands we've helped scale.

And much, much more.

💡 Actionable Tip of the Day

Stop celebrating vanity metrics.

"Our attributed revenue is at 23%... we're doing good at email 🤓👆"

Okay sweet… what's your LTV? Is it increasing? Are your customers coming back and buying again?

If the answer's no, rut row.

Here's what you should actually be tracking:

  • Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

  • Repeat purchase rate

  • Time between orders

  • Cohort retention rates

Your 23% attribution means nothing if customers buy once and disappear forever.

🎯 Deep Dive: The Real Reason Your Email Revenue Isn't Growing

Let me tell you about a spicy CPG brand we just onboarded.

They came to us frustrated. "We're sending emails, we're getting opens, but revenue isn't growing."

Sound familiar?

Here's what we found:

The Problem: They were treating email like a one-night stand instead of a long-term relationship.

Sure, they were getting that initial 20-25% attribution from email. But their customers? Buy once, ghost forever.

The Solution: We shifted focus from attribution to LTV.

Here's exactly what we did:

Step 1: Deep Dive Research

We spent 2 weeks studying their customers. Not just demographics - actual behavior patterns. When do they buy? What triggers repeat purchases? What language resonates?

Step 2: Language Replication

We found their customers used specific phrases when talking about the product. We literally copied how THEY spoke and used it in our emails.

Step 3: Core Flow Creation

  • Welcome Series (8 emails, not 3)

  • Abandoned Cart (5 emails with psychology-based messaging)

  • Post-Purchase (focused on education, not immediate upsells)

Step 4: Strategic Campaign Calendar

3-4 emails per week. But here's the key - we segmented based on customer lifecycle stage.

The Results: 1897% increase in email revenue in 46 days.

But more importantly? Their LTV increased by 340%.

The 5 LTV Boosters We Implemented:

  1. Cross-sell flow based off product ordered - If they bought Product A, we educated them on why Product B solves a related problem.

  2. Winback flow based off churn - When someone hasn't bought in X days (varies by product type), we re-engage with value, not discounts.

  3. Retargeted up-sell campaigns to past customers - Existing customers get different messaging than new prospects.

  4. Replenishment flow - For consumable products, we remind them before they run out.

  5. Gifting recommendations to past orders - "Hey, your friend would love this too."

The truth? Most brands focus on getting NEW customers through email instead of maximizing the value of EXISTING ones.

Big mistake.

Your existing customers are 5x more likely to buy again than a new prospect is to buy for the first time.

Yet most email strategies treat them the same.

🚀 How I Can Help You

Want to see if your email strategy has untapped LTV potential?

I'm offering 10 free email audits this month. I'll review your current flows, identify LTV gaps, and show you exactly where you're leaving money on the table.

Ready to implement a full LTV-focused email strategy?

Our agency has generated over $7M in email revenue for brands in the last 18 months. We focus on sustainable growth, not vanity metrics.

Want my AIBDA copy framework?

The same framework used by every major brand you can think of. I created an AI checker that grades your email copy and gives specific recommendations.

📊 Quick Poll

Talk soon, 

Brenden