what’s up with 2025? [Stretch #22]

*Delivering email wins for wellness brands, in the time it takes to stretch.*

Hey Reader,

If selling feels harder lately, you’re not imagining things.

We’re smack dab in the middle of what marketers are calling a "trust recession." Basically, we’re seeing a drop in consumer confidence, attention, and patience.

Maybe you’ve noticed some of this too?

- Ad costs are up. Referrals are down.

- Prospects show more hesitation than before.

- Conversions are down, even on stuff that once performed well.

But it’s not that people aren’t buying anymore. What they need to hear before they buy has just shifted.

In 2025, consumers are looking for more:

- Alignment. They want to see businesses take a real stand. They want to know the brands they buy from share their values.

- Transparency. Surprise pricing, bait-and-switch tactics, and unclear messaging never win. But they really won’t fly right now.

- Connection. People want to get to know the humans and stories behind a brand. They want to feel like they belong. Community isn’t just a nice-to-have brand value; it’s a winning strategy.

So how do you sell in a climate where people are skeptical, cautious, and honestly just plain tired?

Let’s get into it👇

The Warmup

One easy desk stretch

As someone with chronic neck pain, I don’t go a day without doing neck CARs (controlled articular rotations). They’re great for daily tension relief, especially if you spend lots of time looking at screens.

Kinda like the classic gym class “neck roll,” but slower and more intentional. How to do it:

- Sit or stand tall, shoulders relaxed and still.

- Move your head slowly in a circle. Think snail’s pace.

- Rotate through your neck’s full range of motion.

- Avoid discomfort. Go slower on tight spots.

- Do 1-3 reps in each direction with deep breaths.

That’s it. A little relief in less than 60 seconds.

The Lift

One insight to stretch your email ROI

Outdoor gear brand Cotopaxi demonstrated what building trust during a trust recession can look like in a note from their CEO earlier this year. Here’s how it started:

Reply if you want me to share the full note, but here are a few things it did really well:

- Addressed a universal concern head-on.

- Shared how this affects the brand transparently.

- Stated what the CEO is personally doing to help.

- Centered the customer and confirmed prices would stay steady.

- Affirmed their commitment to sustainability & fighting poverty.

The CEO signed off with optimism and her signature. So the note felt more like a letter from someone who cares, rather than a cold update from a faceless business.

🧠 Your takeaway:

A few ways you could take a page from Cotopaxi’s book to instill trust with your email marketing:

- Send an email to directly address something uncertain or challenging your audience might be facing right now.

- Remind subscribers of the humans behind your brand with a new angle on your story or even a casual picture of what you’ve been up to.

- If you’re changing up your pricing or offers, be transparent about it. Tell people why it’s happening, and how the changes allow you to serve them even better.

- Don’t assume people know your values. Remind subscribers what you stand for, and how it’s woven into what you do.

The Cooldown

One quick brain breather

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” - John Ruskin