Eyewear Brand is Approaching Marketing All Wrong

Salus Eyewear: From Pub Idea to Protective Eyewear Brand

In this episode of Grow with Evergreen, we welcomed Johnny and Brad, the co-founders of Salus Eyewear, a startup bringing style and substance to protective eyewear.

They launched the business just last year, surpassed £50K in their first 12 months, and now want to take things up a gear. We delved into their backstory, explored their marketing challenges, and mapped out practical growth strategies for both retail and wholesale.

The Salus Story

• Business founded in August 2024 by two part-time founders: Johnny (web development background) and Brad (construction background).
• Idea sparked in a pub: make safety glasses people want to wear.
• Their product is EN166 certified, with unique designs (Flux and Nova) built to last and look good.
• Third team member Tom now involved, adding health & safety expertise.

Marketing Challenges

• Limited marketing know-how; both founders admit they’re learning as they go.
• Current activity: small budget across Google Ads, Meta Ads, and affiliate (Awin). Around £700–£1,000/month total.
• Primary goal: double monthly orders, grow UK and European sales, and expand wholesale accounts.

Retail vs. Wholesale: Finding Focus

Wholesale Growth Potential:

• About 30% of current revenue is wholesale, 70% is direct via the website.
• Most outreach is manual: LinkedIn, sales calls, samples, and influencer gifting.

We Recommended Doubling Down on B2B:

• Send tailored product packages to target wholesale accounts, with a handwritten note and a printed brochure.
• Add a QR code linking to a personal welcome video from the founders.
• Follow up with personalised LinkedIn messages and email sequences.
• Position Salus as a premium, people-focused brand.

Retail Growth:

• D2C sales work but margins are tight.
• Their AOV is ~£53, repeat purchase rate around 20%, but customer acquisition cost is high.
• Meta Ads outperform Google Ads for cost per conversion, but profit margins are still tight.
• With premium pricing, standing out against “£5 safety specs” on Google Shopping is a challenge. Branding and creative are key.

Practical Digital Strategy

• Wholesale is the fastest growth lever: Focus limited resources here, build relationships, and use creative outreach to stand out.
• Google Ads for now: Only keep branded search to boost credibility and capture warm prospects from your B2B outreach.
• Influencer outreach: Continue gifting and UGC. Target sectors with the highest repeat use.
• Accessories and bundles: Broaden range (cases, lanyards, cleaners) to lift AOV and keep customers coming back.

Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads:

• Invest in creative storytelling and sector-specific visuals (construction, labs, automotive, etc.).
• Use full-funnel campaigns, showing people “like your ideal buyer” wearing the glasses in their work environment.
• Highlight product USPs: anti-scratch, anti-fog, style, comfort, and sustainability.

Key Takeaways

• Don’t spread budget too thin: focus on what will drive growth fastest (wholesale first, then scale D2C with great creative).
• Stand out with brand-building, storytelling, and a premium feel. Don’t try to win on price in Google Shopping.
• Use direct mail and personalised videos to make wholesale outreach memorable.
• Run Meta Ads with sector-specific creative and target by job/industry.
• Only use Google Ads for your own brand terms to boost credibility.
• Map out 90-day sprints: stick to one growth play until it works before adding new channels.
• Approach marketing and creative as if you are the market leader. Perception matters.
• Reinvest early profits into marketing to fuel growth.

Summary

Salus Eyewear’s founders are proof that even with limited resources and industry know-how, you can make big strides by focusing on the right growth levers. For any product startup facing similar challenges, the message is clear: play to your strengths, double down on your most promising channels, and build a brand that stands out from the crowd.

___

👋 Never miss an update. Sign up to T.E.A Break, our weekly newsletter.

👉 See our case studies to discover how we grow brands online.

👉 Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

👉 Follow our Grow with Evergreen podcast on Spotify, YouTube & Apple Podcasts.

👉 Download our new Home and Garden sector paid media report