Hey, it's Geb from Email Rev Lab!
At 12:13 AM this morning, I signed up for Ketone-IQ's giveaway at the bottom of their homepage.
Two minutes later, their confirmation email hit my inbox.
But it didn't land in Primary. It landed in Promotions.
For a brand that's fueling U.S. Special Operations forces and Tour de France cyclists, that's a problem worth talking about.
2017 and
The Brand Bridge:
Ketone-IQ launched the world's first ketone drink in 2017, and by 2019 had secured a $6 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense Special Operations Command. In 2025, Steven Bartlett of Diary of a CEO and UFC champion Jon Jones both came on as co-owners. KetoneLinkedIn
That's a brand built on elite-level proof.
But elite proof doesn't fix a Promotions tab placement. And right now, that's exactly where their subscriber confirmation emails are going.
The Pop-up Test:
There's no pop-up on ketone.com.
The sign-up form is buried at the bottom of the page. The headline reads: "30 Days of Brain Fuel. Absolutely Free." The mechanic is a monthly giveaway where four winners are selected.
That's a soft opt-in. No discount. No urgency. Just a chance to win.
For cold traffic, that converts at a fraction of what a direct 15-20% offer would.
The Tech Test:
Sign-up happened at 12:13 AM. Email arrived at 12:15 AM.
That's 2 minutes. Delivery speed is not the issue.
But the email itself landed in Promotions. That means a segment of their subscribers won't see it for hours, if they see it at all.
The Inbox Test:
Subject line: "You're Officially in the Running."
Clear, but flat. No curiosity gap. No reason to open beyond basic confirmation.
Combined with a visual-heavy layout and multiple CTAs inside, Gmail's content filters read this as promotional and sort it accordingly.
The Email Creative Test:
The email itself is clean. Strong brand visuals. Two testimonials from an NBA coach and a neurophysiologist. A "Subscribe and Save 30%" section with promo code FIRSTMONTH.
That subscription pitch inside a confirmation email is a smart revenue move. But it's sitting in the Promotions tab, where open rates are lower, and intent takes longer to convert.
The Fix (Klaviyo, 3 Steps):
Trim the email to ONE primary CTA. Multiple CTAs signal promotional intent to Gmail's filters, increasing the likelihood of Promotions tab placement. For a confirmation email, the subscription offer should be the only ask. Blueshift
Add a plain-text version in Klaviyo's email builder. A plain-text alternative signals person-to-person communication, which is a positive signal for Primary placement over time.
Rewrite the subject line to create a curiosity gap. "You're Officially in the Running" is a statement. A subject that earns a reply, like "One question before your entry is confirmed," trains Gmail to treat this as a conversation, not a campaign.
Most supplement brands lose 30-40% of their welcome flow visibility because of Promotions tab placement on Gmail alone.
Here's what I'm curious about: how many of Ketone-IQ's potential subscribers saw "Congratulations, You're In" sitting unread in Promotions this morning, never noticed the subscription offer, and never came back?
Ketone-IQ has the product, the proof, and the partnerships. They just need the email infrastructure to match.
I send these audits daily because bottlenecks like this can be fixed in one day with the right information.
Want me to audit your Klaviyo account the same way?
Reply to this email, and I'll send you a free breakdown of where your welcome series is leaking revenue.
Geb Vence
P.S. I run Email Rev Lab. We've generated $334k+ for brands by building systems that feel like conversations, not ads. I only work with 3 brands per month. Schedule your call here.