Identity Led Discounting

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👤 Identity Led Discounting: Stop discounting to sell. Start discounting to validate who they already think they are. Discounts are a crutch.

10% off. 20% off. Final call. Everyone’s doing it. No one’s remembering it. Worse, most buyers aren’t excited by discounts. They’re suspicious. So instead of chasing conversions with shallow promotions, use discounts to affirm identity.

You’re not lowering the price, you're rewarding the worldview. This is Identity-Led Discounting: A strategy where the discount means something not just financially, but emotionally.

🎯 The Shift

Old model:

“Here’s the code. Use it or don’t.”

New model:

“You said something. You shared something. You believe something — and this discount proves we saw it.”

It could be public:

• “We saw your comment on our Reel.”
• “We saw your post about ditching harsh skincare.”
• “You used the word ‘ritual’ so here’s a reward.”

It could be private:

• “You took our quiz and said you wanted energy without caffeine.”
• “You told us your kid has texture issues. This is for you.”

Now the discount isn’t generic. It’s recognition.

🛠 Implementation Blueprint

1. Mine language, not behavior: Use tools like Brand24 to identify rising language clusters, e.g. “fragrance-free,” “calm morning,” “hydration fatigue.” These are identity markers.
   
2. Public triggers, private rewards: Launch creator posts that prompt response: “If you’re the kind who reads ingredient labels twice, comment CLEAN.” Manychat handles the follow-up DM: “We saw you. Here’s 15% off the product you’d probably pick anyway.
   
3. Post-purchase affirmations: After the sale, use a follow-up DM that reinforces their identity, not just the product: 

“People who picked this usually care about [X]. That tracks.”

Brand24 helps find the language. Manychat delivers the moment. You handle the meaning.

In 2025, the brands that win won’t just discount to drive urgency. They’ll discount to make buyers feel seen, and being seen converts better than 20% off ever will. 

Together with Neurons

2x conversions by pre-testing your ads? Yes, it's possible!

Instead of crossing your fingers, the next time you run ads, what if you knew your ad performance before you even go live?

With Neurons AI, you can.

It gives you quick, actionable recommendations to improve your creatives and maximize your ad impact. Run A/B tests before launch and tweak your visuals for maximum brand impact.

Global brands like Google, Facebook, and Coca-Cola are already using Neurons to boost their campaigns.

We're talking 73% increases in CTR and 20% jumps in brand awareness.

Book a session today & start improving your ads today!

🎯 Google Ads AI vs. Third-Party Tools: Who Wins on Creative Performance?
Insights from SEJ

Google’s AI tools promise convenience inside the ad platform, but do they outperform external tools where it counts, copy, images, and videos? A deep test across real creative scenarios reveals some uncomfortable truths.

  1. Ad Copy: Third-Party Models Outclass Google's Generator - Google's native AI produced hallucinated copy, trademark violations, and inconsistent messaging. In contrast, Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini delivered sharper, compliant, and conversion-optimized headlines.

2. Image Generation: Google's Branding Struggles Show - Google’s AI failed to accurately depict brand-specific products like PlayStation and Xboxes, citing content restrictions. ChatGPT produced near-perfect visuals, including legible brand names and proportionally accurate product shots. Qwen performed well, too, but leaned more into an "AI look" than photorealism.

3. Video Creation: Google Delivers Slideshows, Others Deliver Stories - Google's video creator mostly stitches slideshows with basic transitions. Canva and Qwen, on the other hand, produced dynamic video ads with fluid animations and custom branding, with no production team needed. Sora offered surprisingly strong results within a $20 monthly cap.

4. Product Image Tools: Google's Studio Falls Short - Google’s Product Studio generated inaccurate scenes and struggled with context. Free alternatives like Canva offered far better output quality. GIMP stood out for those needing granular control and advanced editing.

Google’s AI tools are fast and native, but when it comes to brand safety, visual accuracy, and copy that converts, third-party solutions are miles ahead. For serious marketers, the best strategy is a hybrid: use Google for delivery, and top-tier tools for creation. 

👾 Quick Hits

📦 Scaling influencer campaigns shouldn’t feel like chaos in 42 browser tabs. Modash gives you one clean workspace to search 250M+ creators, manage outreach, ship products, and track results, without duct-taping 5 tools together. Start your 14-day free trial now, no credit card needed! 

 🔈X is updating its Sales objective ads with a prominent headline and customizable CTA bar beneath visuals, mirroring Twitter’s old link preview layout to drive higher click-throughs and advertiser appeal.

🗞️ Google now lets restaurants and bars showcase specials and events at the top of their Business Profile via the new “What’s Happening” feature—live in Search for select countries.

👾 72% of parents and 64% of Gen Z/millennials prefer in-app payments, especially for food, retail, and subscriptions, making seamless mobile payments essential. 59% say it’s important that merchants offer them.

🎫 BNPL boosts conversions up to 35% and AOVs by 87%. With 93M users in 2024, it's now essential for DTC, especially as consumers rely on it for everyday essentials.

That’s a wrap for today! Tell us your thoughts about today's content as we line up more Shorts! And don’t hesitate to share this with someone who’d adore it. 🥰