The Challenge
When Sam came to King Tide in 2024, PPC Foiling was a legit product with a limited distribution model. They had around 7 dealers. Most revenue came through their own Shopify store. The product was strong — Jimmy Spithill (America's Cup skipper) had invested in the company in 2023 — but the business needed a bigger footprint.
The core problems:
- Single-channel risk. All eggs in the D2C basket.
- No structured B2B outreach. Dealer relationships were opportunistic, not systematic.
- No sales collateral or dealer onboarding process to give prospects confidence.
- The brand needed to look and feel as professional as the product actually was.
Sam and co-founder Cate Loader knew they needed to build a dealer network. They didn't have a playbook for it.
The Approach
We didn't start with ads or outreach. We started with the foundation — making sure when a potential dealer looked at PPC Foiling, they saw a brand worth partnering with.
Phase 1: Brand Confidence & Collateral
We built the materials that make a dealer say yes. A professional seller information booklet. Clear, fair pricing with strong opening offers for new dealers to trial the product. A dealer portal so partners could order and manage their relationship without friction. The goal was simple — wrap a great product in the confidence it deserved.
Phase 2: Cold Outreach — Pleasantly Persistent
This was the engine. We identified potential dealers across North America and Europe — surf shops, watersports retailers, foiling specialists — and ran structured cold outreach. Not spam. Not one-and-done emails. A system built on being pleasantly persistent. Follow up. Add value. Make it easy to say yes. Most dealers don't respond to the first touch. They respond to the fifth, when they can see you're serious and consistent.
Phase 3: D2C Growth
While B2B was scaling, we kept the D2C channel growing. Meta ad campaigns. Google Ads and Google Merchant Center product feeds. Klaviyo email automation for customer retention and lifecycle marketing. The hybrid model meant each channel fed the other — dealers gave the brand credibility, which boosted D2C conversion. D2C demand gave dealers confidence that customers wanted the product.
Phase 4: Expansion — Australia & Beyond
With the North American and European dealer networks humming, we developed a D2C strategy for the Australian market. The playbook was proven. Now it was about applying it to new geographies with the same discipline — balancing performance marketing with brand building and SEO for long-term growth.
The Results
PPC Foiling went from 7 dealers to roughly 95 across North America and Europe. Not just sign-ups — active, reordering dealers. The reorder rate is the stat that matters most here. Dealers aren't just trialling the product. They're coming back because their customers want more.
- 7 to ~95 dealers across North America and Europe
- Consistent reorders from existing dealer network — proof the product sells through
- B2B channel amplifying D2C — brand credibility from dealers boosting direct sales
- Shopify store performing strongly with Meta, Google, and Klaviyo driving traffic and retention
- New brand expansion — Sam wants King Tide involved in his next venture
The hybrid model works. B2B gives the brand reach and credibility. D2C gives it margin and direct customer relationships. Each channel makes the other stronger.
What We Delivered
- Brand positioning and sales collateral (seller info booklet, dealer materials)
- Structured cold outreach system for B2B dealer acquisition
- Dealer portal setup and onboarding process
- Meta ad campaigns with ongoing management
- Google Ads and Google Merchant Center product feed setup
- Klaviyo email automation (lifecycle, retention)
- Website updates and product additions via Shopify
- D2C expansion strategy for Australia
- Ongoing marketing management and strategic advice