How can your brand build genuine loyalty that translates into long-term business value when customer expectations continually evolve?
Agility demands a deep understanding of your customer, a willingness to experiment, and the ability to pivot quickly when needed.
Today, we’re going to talk about building loyalty and trust through focused innovation, specifically within the competitive landscape of the baby care market.
To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome, Lindsey Kling, SVP Brand Marketing + Partnerships at Coterie.
About Lindsey Kling
Lindsey has 15 years of experience in scaling brands from startup to unicorn status, leveraging her expertise in strategic partnerships and marketing to drive growth and innovation in competitive markets. Prior to Coterie, she served as Head of Partnerships at Away where she built and led the partnerships function, forging brand-defining deals with partners such as Serena Williams, American Express and United Airlines. Before Away, Lindsey led the partnerships strategy for Uber and Uber Eats, developing foundational alliances that contributed to the brand’s growth and ascent to a $100b valuation.
Lindsey is a graduate of New York University and resides in Northern California with her husband and two children, Blaire and Asher.
Lindsey Kling on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseykling/
Resources
Coterie: https://www.coterie.com/
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Transcript
Greg Kihlstrom (00:00)
Is the future of marketing about predicting the next big thing or building the capacity to adapt to anything? Agility requires more than just quick reactions. It demands a fundamental shift in how we anticipate change, embrace experimentation, and foster collaboration. It’s about building brands that can not only weather the storm but thrive in the unpredictable. Today we’re going to talk about building lasting brand loyalty in a rapidly changing market particularly in a category as personal and demanding as baby care. To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Lindsey Kling, SVP Brand Marketing and Partnerships at Coterie. Lindsey, welcome to the show.
Lindsey Kling (00:36)
Thank you for having me. It’s great to be here.
Greg Kihlstrom (00:38)
Yeah, looking forward to talking about this with you before we dive in though. Why don’t you give a little background on yourself and your role at Coterie?
Lindsey Kling (00:45)
Sure, as you said, I oversee our brand marketing and partnerships here. Just to give a quick background about Coterie, we are a modern baby care brand and we’ve really challenged the status quo. And I’d say even transformed the industry by creating and engineering high-performing products that are certifiably safe, cleaner for babies, and really thinking about offering concierge level services.
with the ultimate goal of making parents’ lives easier. In my role, I really am overseeing how we grow as a brand, how we are connecting with our customers, our community, and that goes from everything to really our brand storytelling, to building ⁓ meaningful partnerships in the places and spaces where parents are showing up and discovering things all the way through to our retail partners and really how we’re thinking a lot about those as a marketing channel as well. And I’d say at the end of the day, our big focus is very much about raising awareness and really deepening that connection and loyalty with our community. Prior to Coterie, I was at Away and Uber. I tend to go towards, I would say disruptive brands. There’s not really a linear connection between the categories of any of those brands, but.
They’re all brands that have, I’d say, come into a category and really thought about different ways to innovate within that category, but also really creative ways, I’d say, to build affinity in spaces that maybe didn’t have that as strong as away before.
Greg Kihlstrom (02:21)
Yeah, yeah, I like that kind of horizontal way of tying those things together, because, on the surface, you wouldn’t think that there’s a lot of relation. But but hearing you say it that way, it makes sense. And I guess that’s a great segue to really the first thing I wanted to talk about with you, which is innovation and and how Koteri is has been approaching this. And, you know, Koteri is historically focused on its innovation on its core diaper product. But
just launched into skin care as of last month, so September 2025. What drove the decision to expand beyond diapers now and how does this strategic expansion align with your approach to building loyalty?
Lindsey Kling (03:01)
Yeah. So when we first came out with our diaper, we really took our time creating it. It was something that we really looked for what is missing in the market. And that is very much been our strategy as we’re thinking about expansion. Since we’re predominantly a D2C brand, we have a very close relationship with our customers and we are always asking them, what do they need? What are they looking for? What is missing for them?
And that constant feedback loop is really one of the ways we understand what does make sense for us to come out with. What will our customers really want? Like, how can we find this gap and fill it? And that’s how we came up with skincare. 94 % of our customers told us that they were interested in a range of sort of hypoallergenic premium skincare products and eight out of 10 said that they would actually buy this product from Coterie. So a lot of it really came from listening to our community and listening to our parents and really understanding what felt connected. If you look on our site, you’ll see we do not have a ton of SKUs. So we’re very, very thoughtful about what we launch and how we launch it. And with skincare, it was very much about creating something that is
different than what’s on the market. A lot of what’s on the market is problem solution. And if you look at how I use skincare or you use skincare, a lot of it, it’s a much more about prevention. It’s about creating the things that are going to make sure your skin stays safe, stays soft, that stays anti-aging for us. But for babies, their skin is so sensitive. And so creating something that is really going to help protect that really, really delicate microbiome was
you know, a differentiation that we really were thinking about and how we were, I think, you know, coming up with how we expand this category. I’d say the other pieces, we also have always considered ourselves a skin health brand. Our diapers, because of the performance of them, they wick moisture away from a baby’s skin super quickly. And so you have less rash because the baby stays drier. And so ultimately extending to skincare felt like this very natural extension of what we’re already doing with our core products, with our diapers, with our wipes, with our pants, and just extending sort of what that routine and what the LTV of our customers can be as well.
Greg Kihlstrom (05:28)
Yeah, yeah. And so, yeah, so that feedback loop from customers, you know, sounds like a critical piece here. And it’s great when you get 80 % of people saying anything, right? Anything good. Let’s just put it that way, which is which is amazing. How do you, you know, collecting all those things? How do you kind of balance the I would imagine there’s also just a desire for innovation within the company as well. You know, you’ve done a lot of innovative things already want to maintain that, know, how do you kind of balance that with maintaining core functionality and why customers are there and loyal in the first place? Like, what’s the thought process there?
Lindsey Kling (06:03)
Yeah, I’ll say just sort of as a quick backup that I think, you know, when we came out, one of our big things was being in service of the parent. And our products are really unique because they’re a product that is made for the baby, but the parent is touching and feeling them all the time as well. And so there’s really this dual relationship that the person has with the products. And so
The softness, the clean look of the products, the performance of it, the transparency that we have with the ingredients is something that is very, important to our customers and remains very important as well. That said, innovation and making sure that we’re always getting better and bettering ourselves is also something we’re continually doing behind the scenes.
We’re never doing that without, again, that feedback loop from our customers, from our community, and understanding what would they want and what would they need. That said, because we are a D2C brand and we have these concierge services and we’re really thinking about different ways we connect with our customer, we’re not just innovating in our physical product. We are continually also innovating in our digital product and in our subscription services and really thinking about how we can find ways to continually connect with the parent. And that’s through personalized messaging, text order management as a parent, you can really control everything from your phone, which when you have a baby on your hip and you only have one hand is really essential. And we’re also thinking about how we’re optimizing through subscription perks, surprise and delight for our customers. And so I would say when we’re thinking about innovation, it really goes
across just our product through to our services. But at our core, we’re never going to change a product, launch a product that doesn’t demonstratively change or improve what’s already out there. And that’s something we promise.
Greg Kihlstrom (08:00)
Yeah, yeah. Well, and I wonder along those lines, just in taking perhaps ⁓ a different and unique approach, you mentioned at the top of the show, the retail strategy as well as an area where you’ve taken a notably selective approach to to your partnerships. So, you know, what’s what’s the strategic rationale? You know, on the surface of it, it’s like you want to get your product out and as many places as possible and all that, I know. But there’s a strategic rationale behind this. And can you talk a little bit about that and how it contributes to the brand identity?
Lindsey Kling (08:33)
Of course. So from the beginning, we have been incredibly selective about our approach to retail because for us, it’s so important that every touch point, whether it’s on a shelf, on registry, on Amazon, really can deliver sort of this same parent first premium experience that our customers expect from us and have come to love as part of our direct business. And so
I think where a product is sold says just as much about your brand as the product itself. If you think about retailers out there, you just, I’m not going to name any, but certain retailers have their own brand identity. so things like a messy shelf, a poor customer experience can really dilute your brand equity, especially as a new up and coming brand.
And that has been really the rationale from day one of why we’re selective. I think we really think about what is the perceived value to the customer that they are getting at a retailer. And I’m to use Whole Foods as an example, where they have incredibly high standards around clean and safe ingredients. And there’s a level of trust that already exists there that really aligns with the level of trust that we have with our customers. And we know that when a parent might discover coterie there, it really is reinforcing all of the things that we already stand for, performance, safety, comfort, clean. And so that is a really important part of how we select our retail partners. And I think that as we continue and as we expand, whenever that is, we wanna meet parents where they are, but we wanna make sure that we’re doing it in a way that, again, is always going to deliver on our brand promise and strengthen our identity.
Greg Kihlstrom (10:17)
Yeah, yeah, I mean, it’s it’s it’s I think it’s an underrated and maybe it’s counterintuitive again to to to initially think that. But it is it’s so important what your product is, how it’s surrounded and just where it is and everything like that. I also wonder, you have a direct to consumer strategy as well. How do you think about the retail strategy and DTC you know, and how one complements the other like what’s what are what are some of the approaches there?
Lindsey Kling (10:45)
Yeah, well, we are around like 88 to 90 % D2C. So just to give you like that interplay of how much D2C to retail we are. And I think despite that, we really think of them as like working hand in hand because our D2C channel, have that one-on-one relationship with our customers, with parents. It’s how we build trust. It’s how we understand needs and wants.
But at the same time, we really think about retail as such an important part of this discovery flywheel. And we’re really thinking about our retail channels, not only as a way to meet parents where they are, but also to drive trial. You know, there’s some parents who want to try before they subscribe. And that is really a key part, especially with our brick and mortar partners, but also with registry where the parent is really making a decision about this product before they even purchase it, because they’re adding it to their registry. there’s a lot of really interesting nuance that goes into how we show up in these different channels and sort of what the benefit to the customer is. I’d say the interesting part is we see about 10 to 12 % of new customers come to D2C from retail. And so we really do look at that as a funnel to drive new customers to our D2C channel.
show them the subscription benefits that we have. I’d say lastly, think showing up where the customer is shopping is not only important for our brand awareness and our brand success, but by us showing up on shelf next to competitors, where that’s not how it works with D2C, it’s actually a really interesting way where we are able to take market share from other brands and really give us a glimpse in
how we can measure up to them by sitting side by side on the shelf. And the last thing I’ll say is we really do see retail as a marketing channel. If you think about a brand block at a Whole Foods or a Wegmans or wherever it might be, it’s like an out of home ad. It is really just like a giant billboard for your brand, which is also why the retailer is so important but it’s a way for somebody who’s been kind of curious about your brand to maybe see it in real life and say, you know what, I’m gonna try it and convert on shelf.
Greg Kihlstrom (13:02)
you
And so, you ultimately then, you the goal is to build that, that loyalty and, and build the, the deeper trust and, know, particularly in a, in a category like this, I mean, baby care, you know, definitely relies on a lot of, a lot of trust and, and has some, some very loyal customers. So certainly we’ve, we’ve covered the, the quality, the product is high quality and there’s a lot of innovation going on.
Beyond that part of it and that fundamental part of it, how do you look at building trust with customers and what role does maybe transparency play in this process?
Lindsey Kling (13:38)
Yeah. So when you become a parent, you are making like thousands of important decisions every day. And the products you choose really do have to earn your confidence. I think we’re a very unique category in that way. And I think, you know, our goal has always been to create these products and services that people feel good about, but also to be really honest and upfront and transparent about what goes into them.
Transparency is really a huge part of how we operate in our products and how we show up as a brand. We have incredibly rigorous testing standards and everything we make is hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, formulated without fragrance, parabens, phthalates, you name it. And so much of that, you know, that we’re showing on our site and that parents are increasingly becoming more concerned about because a diaper is a product that’s on your baby’s skin 24-7 for almost up to three years. So having certifications from places like EWG, National Eczema Association that are also known for their rigorous testing and standards and level of trust is so important for us as a brand, but also to our customers and our parents. And we are also the first brand to issue a safety report.
where we did independent lab analysis. You can access it if you’re curious about every single ingredient. this has had, it’s screened for over a thousand different harmful chemicals. And because there’s a lot of, I’d say, industry standards that are not up to the same standards that we have, we’ve really took it on upon ourselves to deliver to parents, like sort of the transparency that they deserve. And that’s a lot of how we’ve built trust. And the last piece I’ll say is in our communication with our parents, there’s a lot of brands that greenwash and they talk about benefits that aren’t necessarily accurate. we really, in all of our communications, even about talking about the parenting experience, we show the high highs, the low lows. We’re really talking about like the full gamut of what it’s like. And so I think transparency really is
been a key part of why we have the number one NPS in our category. And it’s because that we’re open and we’ve created that level of trust with our customers.
Greg Kihlstrom (16:02)
Yeah, yeah. you know, building on the loyalty angle as well, you know, lot of brands focus on loyalty programs as a primary driver of retention. You know, how does how does Coda review loyalty programs and how does that play into building deeper connections?
Lindsey Kling (16:20)
Yeah, for us, we actually don’t have like a loyalty program, quote unquote, but we have subscription. And for us, it’s very much about sort of building the relationships across every single touch point where a customer interacts with us. It’s the transparency in our products and a commitment to never compromising on quality sort of that, as I said, the text order management where we’re putting the power in the hands of the parent, we’re allowing them to have control over when your product is delivered, easily size up, know, change your address. We really create this concierge experience that creates this ease that takes the friction out of this, you know, out of diapering, out of, you know, thinking about the products that you need to buy for your child.
And we’re also continually surprising and delighting our community because we have this relationship with our customers. We know some of the things that are happening. when, you know, some child’s having a first birthday, we knew a mom was pregnant and we sent or was about to deliver her baby. We sent her flowers. We knew it was a girl. We made sure they were pink flowers. So a lot of it is about finding the moments really across the full customer experience to delight them.
and make sure they’re really feeling heard, listened to, seen. And a lot of it is why we have 70 % of our subscribers are active for 12 plus months and 40 % of our new customers come from word of mouth because there’s that sentiment and that affinity, I think, that comes from that really, that close interaction that isn’t just about a program, but it’s truly about the collective experience. And that really speaks to sort of the power of the brand and how we’re thinking about loyalty holistically.
Greg Kihlstrom (18:08)
Yeah, yeah. Well, and then, you know, as we wrap up here, you just kind of I know we talked about the the innovation and the feedback loop just want to you know, there’s there’s several things to kind of tie together as you know, you’re in a fastly evolving market, you know, the baby care market with a lot of things emerging all the time. How do you kind of tie it all together? You know, so we’ve talked about innovation, we’ve talked about being responsive, but also, you know,
keep continuing to be transparent and, you know, focus on core values at the same time. You know, how do you how do you make sure that all of those things are? That’s a lot. Right. So how do you make sure that all of those things are are kept front and center?
Lindsey Kling (18:49)
Listen, I think we’re always thinking about how we can iterate and be better. And I would just say as a brand, like, and internally, even as a culture and a company, we really do have this bar that everything has to meet. And we say no, we say no to things all the time. If something doesn’t meet that bar, if something doesn’t feel like it is in direct service to our customer, we won’t do it.
And that’s a really, really hard thing to do, but it’s also incredibly powerful because if it’s not, as I said, demonstratively better, if it’s not serving our customer, if it’s not improving upon an experience that already exists or a product that exists, then we need to go back to the drawing board and rethink that what that can look like and what that can be because there’s like a lot of magic that’s happening that has to work together. And I think being okay saying no is really a superpower that you have to have as a brand, especially when you have such a high expectation for yourself.
Greg Kihlstrom (19:51)
Yeah, I mean, I love that you said that because, I totally agree. You know, we get so kind of invested in well, but, I’ve already it’s the sunk cost fallacy, right? It’s like, you you put stuff in and then if the product isn’t up to those standards, then, you know, that’s I think that’s why we have a lot of mediocre things out there in the world is that someone just put you know, the right person put a little too much effort into the wrong thing, right. And it just gets rolled out because right. So that’s that’s amazing to be able to do that and to be able to, you know, hold hold all, you know, hold yourselves to that that standard. So great, great to hear that that’s actually happening.
Lindsey Kling (20:31)
Yes, it’s not always easy, we are, we’re every and everyone on the team from like, I would say even all up and down, we promote, you know, speaking up with something doesn’t feel right. And that’s such a phenomenal part of our culture too.
Greg Kihlstrom (20:45)
Yeah, that’s great. Well, Lindsey, thanks so much for joining today. One last question for you before we wrap up. What do you do to stay agile in your role and how do you find a way to do it consistently?
Lindsey Kling (20:55)
Yes, it’s not easy, but I think a lot of it is just curiosity, collaboration, being okay with somebody else, teaching you something new. I think like this, as you said, the landscape is constantly changing, trends are shifting, expectations are evolving, and I’m not always the expert on something. And so I think like, I am very open. I people on my team who know things that I don’t And so letting them teach or lead and being willing to pivot quickly and say no, as I said, is there are all such integral parts of staying agile.
