Suntribe Email System — v3 — March 24, 2026
Status & Handoff Brief
For Kia — March 24, 2026 — v3: Suntribe branded + dynamic content explained
v3 updates: Suntribe design system applied. Dynamic content execution explained for all flows. Comment system added for client feedback. All 17 email copies preserved from v2 (trimmed to optimal DTC length).
Total System
17 EMAILS
  • Welcome Sequence (5) — copies ready
  • Abandoned Cart (4) — copies ready
  • Post-Purchase (5) — copies ready
  • Browse Abandonment (3) — copies ready
Word Count Targets
OPTIMISED

Based on DTC welcome email research (Klaviyo, HubSpot, Campaign Monitor):

  • Founder story (E1): ~250 words
  • Education (E2): ~200 words
  • Interactive (E3): ~150 words + visuals
  • Cart/Browse/PP: 80-150 words each
Action Items
TODO
  • Pull REAL reviews from Trustpilot/product pages
  • Review & approve all copies
  • Design phase: NanoBanana images + HTML templates
  • Karl: DNS fix (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) — BLOCKER
  • Upload to Klaviyo + configure flow triggers
All Flows — Architecture
4 flows · 17 emails · Full copy for each
Subscriber Journey Map
1
Days 0–7 · New subscribers · Branded HTML
Welcome Sequence (5 emails)
Founder trust → ingredient education → quiz → personalised recs → community close.
2
Trigger: Cart abandoned · 1hr – 72hrs
Abandoned Cart (4 emails)
Gentle nudge → social proof → ingredient education → recovery offer (10% off).
3
Trigger: Purchase confirmed · Days 0–30
Post-Purchase (5 emails)
Thank you → usage tips → reef impact → review request → replenish/cross-sell.
4
Trigger: Viewed product, no cart · 2hr – 48hrs
Browse Abandonment (3 emails)
Soft reminder → ingredient spotlight → social proof + nudge.
Klaviyo Exit Conditions
FlowEntryExit
WelcomeAdded to listPurchase → Post-Purchase
Abandoned CartStarted Checkout, no purchase 1hrPurchase. Suppressed during Welcome (first 7 days).
Post-PurchasePlaced OrderCompletes sequence. Repeat purchase restarts.
Browse AbandonViewed Product, no cart 2hrsAdds to cart or purchases. Suppressed if in Welcome or Cart flow.
How Dynamic Content Works
Shopify → Klaviyo integration · How personalised emails are populated
Suntribe runs on Shopify. Klaviyo's native Shopify integration syncs all product data, cart events, and order history automatically — it's Klaviyo's best-supported platform. Every dynamic element below is powered by this sync — no custom development needed.
🛒 Dynamic Product Cards

Used in: AC1, AC2, AC4, BA1, BA3, PP5

Klaviyo's Shopify integration automatically captures product name, image, price, and URL when a customer abandons a cart or views a product. In the email template, we use Klaviyo's built-in "Dynamic Product Block" — no code needed. You drag the block into the template, and Klaviyo populates it with the actual product the customer left behind.

How it looks in execution: The customer sees their exact product with its image, name, and price — identical to how it appears on suntribesunscreen.com. Klaviyo pulls this from the Shopify product catalog that syncs in real-time.
⭐ Dynamic Reviews

Used in: AC2, BA3, E4 variants

Klaviyo does not natively pull reviews from Shopify. Two options:

Option A (Recommended): Connect a review platform like Judge.me or Trustpilot that integrates with Klaviyo. Reviews auto-populate in emails matched to the specific product.

Option B (Manual): We curate 3-5 top verified reviews per product and hardcode them into Klaviyo template blocks with conditional logic per product category.

How it looks in execution: With Judge.me/Trustpilot integration, each customer sees real reviews specific to the product they viewed or left in cart. Without integration, we show curated reviews that rotate per product type (sunscreen vs zinc stick vs kids). Both look identical to the customer.
📝 Dynamic Ingredient Lists

Used in: AC3, BA2

Different Suntribe products have different ingredient counts (SPF 30 = 5, SPF 50 = 9). We handle this with Klaviyo conditional content blocks. In the email template, we create separate content sections and use Klaviyo's "Show/Hide" logic based on the product category in the cart/browse event.

How it looks in execution: If the customer viewed SPF 30, they see "5 ingredients you can read." If they viewed SPF 50, they see "27 vs 9" comparison. The template has all versions built in — Klaviyo shows the right one automatically based on which product triggered the flow.
🎁 Cross-Sell Recommendations

Used in: PP5

Klaviyo's "Product Recommendations" block uses purchase history and catalog data to suggest complementary products. We configure it to recommend based on the customer's last purchase (e.g., bought SPF 30 → suggest Zinc Stick). Alternatively, we set up manual conditional splits in the Klaviyo flow based on product category purchased.

How it looks in execution: 30 days after purchase, the customer sees a product card for something that complements what they bought. If they bought SPF 30 body sunscreen, they see the Zinc Stick for face. Klaviyo handles the logic — we just configure the rules once.
Klaviyo Template Variables Used
VariableSourceUsed In
{{ event.extra.line_items }}Shopify cart data (auto-synced via native integration)AC1-AC4 (cart items)
{{ product_name }}Klaviyo product catalogAll cart + browse emails
{{ person.first_name }}Klaviyo profileSubject lines (optional)
Dynamic Product BlockDrag-and-drop in Klaviyo editorProduct cards in all flows
Product RecommendationsKlaviyo AI + catalogPP5 cross-sell
Show/Hide conditionalKlaviyo template logicAC3, BA2 ingredient lists
E1 — Karl's Letter
Immediate · ~250 words · Feel Safe
Feel Safe
E2 — Why 5 Ingredients Matter
Day 2 · ~200 words · Feel Smart
Feel Smart
E3 — Interactive Quiz
Day 4 · ~150 words + visuals · Feel Alive · HTML BUILT
Feel Alive
E4 — Personalised Recommendations
Day 5 · ~200 words · 4 variants · Feel Safe + Alive
Safe Alive
4 variants. Klaviyo sends matching variant based on E3 quiz click (UTM conditional split). Default (no click): Everyday.
E5 — Last Chance + Community
Day 7 · ~200 words · Feel Safe
Feel Safe
Abandoned Cart Flow
4 emails · Trigger: Cart abandoned · No discount until AC4
Post-Purchase Flow
5 emails · Trigger: Order confirmed · Loyalty + repeat purchase
Browse Abandonment Flow
3 emails · Trigger: Viewed product, no cart · Lighter touch than cart flow
Deliverability Fixes
BLOCKER — must fix before launching any new flows
Karl must provide DNS access. Without SPF/DKIM/DMARC, new emails risk spam folder.
SPF Record
MISSING

Klaviyo not authorised to send for suntribesunscreen.com.

Fix: Add include:_spf.klaviyo.com

DKIM
ABSENT

No Klaviyo DKIM. Emails are unsigned.

Fix: Add Klaviyo DKIM CNAMEs from Klaviyo > Settings > Domains

DMARC
WEAK

p=none, reports to Brevo (third party).

Fix: Upgrade to p=quarantine after SPF/DKIM done

Brand & Design Rules
Sacred rules for anyone touching Suntribe emails
Typography & Design
  • ONLY Brandon Grotesque (fallback: Arial, Helvetica)
  • NEVER serifs
  • Background: off-white #fffcf8 (never pure white/black)
  • CTA: teal #14D2B6 pill, 28px radius
  • Max width: 600px. Mobile-first (80% mobile traffic).
Product Accuracy (SACRED)
  • !"5 ingredients" = ONLY SPF 30 and Kids SPF 30
  • !SPF 50 = 9 ingredients. "27 vs 9" comparison.
  • !"Non-Nano Zinc Oxide" — capitalised exactly
  • !"Castor Oil" NOT "Castor Wax"
  • !From name: always "Karl from Suntribe"
Colour Palette
ColourHexUsage
Off-white#fffcf8Background (ALWAYS)
Brown#5b4b43Body text, dark sections
Teal#14D2B6CTAs, accents
Blue#55A0C3Secondary accent
Peach#FFAA71Warm tertiary