👉 Are you a raccoon or a Colgate robot?

There are two kinds of people in this world:

1. Those who brush their teeth like clockwork, with military precision (a Colgate dream customer)…

2. And those who squeeze a crusty half-empty tube with the desperation of a raccoon trying to break into a protein bar wrapper (this one may or may not be me…🫣)

Regardless of which camp you fall into, I can almost guarantee this: you’ve probably never given your toothpaste tube a second thought. It’s just there.

Like socks. Or the dishwasher you forget to empty.

But somewhere in the background of your peaceful, minty domestic life, a small DTC brand was quietly preparing to ruin that bliss forever by weaponizing psychology in one of the most brilliant marketing moves I’ve seen in years.

That brand was Bite.

Their enemy was plastic waste.

And their use of two legendary psychology tactics is currently making Americans feel emotionally complicit every time they brush their teeth.

After millions in revenue, viral growth, and one of the most successful psychological pivots in modern DTC history, Bite has secured itself a good chunk of the toothpaste market, which is not an easy feat considering the behemoth brands it had to compete with…

Let’s break down how Bite turned a bland daily habit into an existential crisis… and then sold you a tiny chalky tablet to fix it.

☠️ The Brain Hack: Availability Heuristic

Bite was founded in 2018 by Lindsay McCormick, a TV producer who spent a lot of time on the road and got fed up with tossing out tiny plastic toothpaste tubes every time she flew.

After realizing just how wasteful (and chemically questionable) most oral care products were, she decided to do something extremely millennial: she decided to make her own.

She started mixing ingredients in her LA apartment, pressed them into tablets, and posted her process videos online.

Soon, she wasn’t just making toothpaste, she was launching a DTC revolution in sustainable personal care. No tubes. No BS. Just clean ingredients, compact tablets, and branding sharp enough to cut through Crest’s corporate fog.

But she didn’t do this haphazardly…

The first piece of behavioral gold McCormick and the Bite team tapped into was something called “the availability heuristic.”

The availability heuristic is a fancy way of saying: the easier it is to remember an example of something bad, the riskier or more urgent it feels.

Marketers use this all the time:

→ Insurance companies do it with house fires
→ Wellness brands do it with cortisol
→ Bite did it with plastic tubes

In the U.S. alone, over 1 billion plastic toothpaste tubes are tossed in the trash each year. That’s enough to stretch around the Earth twice. (Yes, twice.)

By putting that visual front and center — in their ads, landing pages, and influencer UGC — Bite hijacked the brain’s default brushing script and made people question their current toothpaste choice.

Now, instead of thinking “ahhh, minty fresh,” customers thought: “Oh no… I’m murdering a turtle again.” 😱

The brain hates guilt…but that was ok because Bite was there to soothe it with a message that said: “Don’t worry. You can clean your teeth and save turtles too.”

Their zero-waste, perfectly aesthetic, dopamine-satisfying solution let customers keep brushing…without the mental burden.

But Bite didn’t stop there…

🪞 Mirror, Mirror: Identity Signaling on Full Blast

Second, Bite did something most brands seem to forget to do these days. 😅

You’ve probably heard me say this before:

There’s some deep truths under that phrase…

When people shop, they’re not inventing new identities, even when they’re aiming to become someone new.

I’ll repeat that - even if your customer wants to transform, they’re going to approach their transformation using the tools, thought processes, and identities they already hold.

Real-World Example:

Most DTC marketers I’ve met are self-taught. Many have formal education somewhere in their background, but almost no one I’ve met within the last 17 years of my career has taken a class called “Reducing CAC for E-commerce Brands in the Pet Wellness Space…101”. 😅

I don’t think the whole “self-taught” thing is due to lack of resources. There’s tons of curriculums available through private and formal training institutions that provide amazing education. (Though let’s be honest, most MBAs aren’t teaching paid advertising heuristics)…

I think our affinity to seek out courses, online trainings, groups, and online education happened because DTC marketers believed something about themselves that caused them to look for products that were primarily self-directed.

They believed they were the kind of person who could figure it out on their own…so they did.

DTC marketers often default to self-directed learning because we’re reinforcing an identity:

• “I’m resourceful.”

• “I don’t need permission.”

• “I figure things out on my own.”

This affirmation of identity through consumption behavior happens in every industry — not just ours.

So really…the best marketing doesn’t push people to become someone new. It reflects back who they already believe they are and offers them new ways to combine who they are with who they’re becoming.

Bite tapped into this psychological mechanism (called “identity congruence”) — when a product, message, or brand aligns so well with your internal sense of self that it just clicks.

It feels right. Familiar. Like it was made for you.

And when brands get this right (like Bite did), they don’t just acquire customers…they create belonging. And they give people the emotional green light to keep being who they already are…while becoming who they want to become.

🧼 What Bite Got Right

Bite didn’t try to convince, educate, or persuade customers to care about the planet, because their customers already did. Bite simply offered a product that matched their values, their lifestyle, and their aesthetic.

Suddenly, brushing your teeth wasn’t just maintenance, it was a small, daily act of alignment and integrity.

Toothpaste now reflected:

• That you’re thoughtful about what goes in and on your body

• That you want to reduce waste, even in small ways

• That you pay attention to brands that do things differently

No big speeches. No guilt trip. Just a product that quietly says: “You’re in the right place.”

That’s what turns customers into loyalists. Because when something matches who we are…we make room for it.

🧠 The Bite Method: 3 Steps to Try This in Your Own Brand

If you want to replicate Bite’s magic, here’s the strategy in plain English:

1. Make the problem feel real and personal.

Use the availability heuristic to show the emotional cost of doing nothing. Don’t over explain, just pick one powerful visual or stat that makes people stop and reconsider.

2. Align with identity, don’t overwrite it.

Speak directly to the beliefs your customers already hold. Make your product feel like proof of who they are, not a challenge to who they’re not.

3. Let the product reflect the values.

Design the experience to match the lifestyle they’re proud of. Make the packaging, copy, and brand vibe feel like a natural extension of what they already care about.

That’s how you stop being “a good product”...And start becoming their brand.

Now go give your offer the psychological edge it deserves.

Until next week,

🦕 Sarah

PS: If you’re into this kind of breakdown (the kind that mixes psychology with actual strategy) you’ll love what we’re building inside The Tether Lab. It’s where the sharpest marketers hang out, swap insights, and get early access to frameworks I don’t share anywhere else.

Come join us. We saved you a seat: → skool.com/tether-lab

🚨 Trend Alert: 10,000% YOY spike - Nails just became a fruit-forward identity statement.

The term “cherry nails inspo” is exploding on Pinterest right now. Not “red nails.” Not “summer manicure.” CHERRY. NAILS. INSPO. Here’s what I’m seeing…

📈 The Signal:
Pinterest searches for “cherry nails inspo” have surged over 10,000% year-over-year, predominantly among Gen Z and Millennials seeking playful, nostalgic nail art.

But here’s the kicker: this isn’t just about cherries. This is about expressing individuality through whimsical design, and it’s absolutely something brands should be paying attention to.

🧠 The Diagnosis:
Cherry motifs evoke a sense of fun, flirtation, and a nod to retro aesthetics. What consumers are actually saying when they adopt this trend:
→ “I want my nails to tell a story.”
→ “I’m embracing playful femininity.”
→ “I’m blending vintage vibes with modern flair.”
→ “My manicure is my mood ring.”

This isn’t nail art. This is self-expression at your fingertips.

📌 Here’s how to capitalize on it:

📦 B2B Brands
Cherry nails aren’t just cute—they’re a case study in product-as-personality. If you manufacture tools, materials, or accessories for the beauty industry, package your offerings as trend-responsive SKUs. Show your downstream buyers how they can ride the wave with pre-kitted seasonal displays, retail-ready bundles, or trend-forecasted replenishment calendars.

🎯 DTC Brands
Don’t just sell nail products—sell the persona. Bundle SKUs based on aesthetic archetypes: “Cherry Bombshell,” “Soft Girl Summer,” “Sweet But Psycho.” Make the trend feel like a style choice and an identity unlock. Then wrap it in UGC that screams, “This is who I am now.”

🧠 Creative Strategists
This is a microtrend with macro implications. Cherry nails = nostalgia + aesthetic expression + subtle rebellion. Use it to test messaging about identity, transformation, or even micro-indulgence. This is where “cost per dopamine hit” beats “cost per click.”

📸 UGC Creators
Step away from the generic flat-lay. Instead:
→ “What your cherry nails say about your toxic trait”
→ “How to match your mani to your main character moment”
→ “POV: Your ex sees your nails on your Instagram story and cries”

Anchor your content in emotionally aspirational self-expression, not product features.

(And if you need something quick to generate better results this week…just go book a manicure.)

Until next week,

🦖 DEX