Direct-to-consumer is often pitched as a game-changer for fmcg brands, offering better margins, loyalty, and control. But if it were this simple, wouldn’t every DTC brand be thriving?
Too often, brands prioritise ‘direct-to-consumer’ over ‘desirability-to-consumer’, without understanding why customers would choose to buy direct in the first place. To succeed, brands must shift their mindset and focus on creating experiences that feel meaningful and desirable.
Add value
To increase the depth and longevity of consumer relationships, brands need to know their customers. This means using data tools to uncover consumer pain points, considering how audiences search for products and constantly measuring feedback to optimise experience.
Take Wild, the refillable deodorant brand. By using search data, it quickly identified a gap in the market and built a viral proposition around it. The outcome has been astonishing, with a base now of a million customers, which led to an acquisition by Unilever earlier this month.
Surprise and delight
In a crowded market, standing out matters. Exploring how to surprise, delight and leave a lasting impression can transform DTC into a powerful way to turn audiences into advocates.
This doesn’t come without clear planning and consideration. To be a brand differentiator, it’s essential to understand the end-to-end customer journey, but most importantly, the experience needs to be authentic and truly aligned with brand values.
Who Gives a Crap perfected this strategy. The brand disrupted a dull category with bold, sustainable packaging and a purpose-led voice that elevated everyday essentials into a conversation starter.
Emotionally invested communities
One of the most effective ways brands can differentiate themselves is by creating a sense of community among their customers. Access to first-party data helps DTC brands cultivate these passionate communities.
To start with, brands need to experiment and tap into established communities like Reddit or Facebook groups, then focus on facilitating conversations rather than dominating them. Significantly, well-managed communities can become a virtuous circle of customer insight that can lead to growth.
Sephora’s online beauty forum thrives because it is built on peer-to-peer engagement. It’s not just a platform – it’s a key relationship with the customer.
Is DTC truly desirable?
DTC is not just another channel, it’s an opportunity to build loyalty and value.
It’s important to note there is no one-size-fits-all approach, so a thorough discovery process is key. When I talk to clients, I challenge them to go beyond transactions and focus on building relationships, moments and communities.
It’s time to stop asking how to sell directly and start asking why consumers want to buy directly. When DTC becomes desirable, it becomes more powerful.
Sam Bettis, digital strategy director at Krow Group
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