How Gingiber Attracted Higher-Spend Customers and Increased Revenue with Angie Classen

Welcome back, art fam! Season 2 of the Art + Audience podcast kicks off with a bang as Stacie sits down with her sister and business partner, Angie Classen, to talk about something all creative entrepreneurs crave—what’s actually working right now in their product-based business, Gingiber. In a tough economic climate, Gingiber not only survived—they grew. This episode is packed with practical strategies, real numbers, and thoughtful insights that you won’t want to miss.

From Discount Dilemma to Smart Selling

Stacie and Angie dive right in with a candid look at how their 2025 Mother’s Day sale outperformed the previous year—not because they slashed prices, but because they got smarter about how they sold. Last year’s 20% off site-wide discount attracted a lot of bargain hunters. This year? They implemented a $90 minimum to unlock the same 20% discount, which also qualified customers for free shipping. The result? Fewer orders, higher revenue, and a significantly higher ticket average—from $64 in 2024 to over $106 in 2025.

The takeaway? Knowing your ideal customer and pricing accordingly can drastically improve your profit margins—without working harder.

Let Data Be Your Guide

One of the episode’s golden nuggets is the emphasis on using data to drive decisions. Angie shares how, by analyzing past performance, they realized just how much revenue they were leaving on the table by over-discounting. This year, they leaned into strategy instead of slashing prices, focusing on attracting a customer willing to spend more. And it paid off: fewer shipping costs, a bigger return on ad spend, and a more qualified customer funnel.

Attracting the Right Audience with Organic Traffic

While paid ads remain part of their strategy, Angie is on a mission to increase Gingiber’s organic traffic by 10% in Q2. How? With SEO-rich blog content, strategic Pinterest pins, and repurposed content across social media. All of this starts with knowing their Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA), lovingly nicknamed "Charlotte," and creating content that speaks directly to her needs—like curated gift guides that answer the question: “What do I get for the person who has everything?”

The Power of Positioning

Here’s something many artists miss: You’re not selling a tea towel. You’re offering a thoughtful gift that makes your customer look and feel amazing. By positioning their products as the perfect gift for hard-to-shop-for people (hello, mother-in-law), Gingiber connects emotionally with buyers. Stacie and Angie remind us that it’s not about what you love—it’s about what your customer needs and values.

Lessons for Emerging Artists

Stacie and Angie wrap the episode by sharing three essential tips for anyone looking to increase their sales and attract the right audience:

1. Know Your Customer: Talk to your buyers, survey them, and pay attention to what they respond to. Insight leads to innovation.
   
2. Understand Your Numbers: You can’t discount your way to success if you don’t know your profit margins. Tools like Stacie’s Profitable Art Launchpad can help with that.
   
3. Position with Purpose: Speak to your customer’s emotional triggers and identity. Don't just push a product—tell a story that makes them want to be part of your brand.
   
   

Final Thoughts

This episode is a must-listen for any product-based business owner looking to thrive in uncertain times. From pricing strategy to organic marketing, Stacie and Angie show how a combination of data, empathy, and creativity can transform your business.

Ready to meet your own version of “Charlotte”? Check out the Ideal Customer Avatar Generator—a custom tool available for the first time this year inside the course, Leverage Your Art. This step-by-step tool helps you discover who your art is for, based on your unique style, and generates a detailed customer profile to guide your marketing, product development, and more.

You’ll get access when Leverage Your Art opens again on August 19, 2025. Until then, you can learn more and join the waitlist at leverageyourart.com. As always, we’d love to hear your biggest takeaway—email us at [email protected]. 

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