Building Brand Loyalty in D2C Marketing with Preston Rutherford and Chubbies

“Often, brands forget that they’re not just speaking to ‘customers’—they’re talking to real people, like their own friends.” 

Preston Rutherford, co-founder of Chubbies and Loop Returns joins Krystina Rubino on Growth Talks to share how his journey from tech startups to building a standout D2C brand was driven by a deep focus on authenticity and community.

In this episode, Preston explores the balancing act between brand-building and immediate sales goals, how humor and relatability helped Chubbies cut through the “sea of sameness,” and why creating memorable customer experiences is crucial for long-term loyalty. Now with Marathon Data, he’s helping brands leverage data to better understand their audience while keeping that personal connection front and center.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Building real connections with your audience is essential; when you treat customers like friends and keep interactions genuine, that authenticity keeps people coming back.
• While long-term trust drives loyalty, it’s also important to balance brand-building with immediate sales goals so you’re not losing sight of those critical targets.
• Consistency is key—when customers see the same vibe across your platforms, they recognize your brand and build trust over time.
• Challenges are opportunities in disguise. Embrace setbacks as a way to fuel new ideas, opening doors you might not have considered before.
• Look beyond just the numbers and dig into what the data reveals about the customer experience. Creating a real connection goes deeper than metrics alone.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Preston Rutherford’s background and pivot from tech to D2C

04:15 Chubbies’ early challenges and lessons learned from failure

07:45 Founding Loop Returns to solve ecommerce pain points

11:50 Building a memorable brand in a crowded D2C space

15:30 Why humor and authenticity are essential to brand identity

19:30 Creating lasting relationships through community over transactions

23:15 Balancing brand trust with short-term growth goals

30:00 Preston’s tips on building brand resilience for the long term

36:00 Final thoughts and advice for future founders

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• Chubbies: www.chubbiesshorts.com
• Loop Returns: www.loopreturns.com
• Marathon Data: www.marathondataco.com

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