The COVID-19 pandemic has caused brands to invest their resources in e-commerce and their direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms. They embraced direct relationships with their customers by shifting purchases to their brand-owned platforms. While some of these shifts were a temporary solution, brands are continuing to invest in their DTC platforms as part of their omnichannel strategy.
The main drivers in the DTC space are speed, data, and brand affinity.
Speed: DTC allows brands to grow at their own rate.
● Brands have complete control over their DTC platforms and can choose where and when to invest.
● Brands can deploy their own testing and adjust quickly, ensuring that no opportunities for sales are missed.
Data: DTC provides more customer data, allowing brands to highly personalize their messaging.
● First-party data from DTC sites allow brands to know where a shopper is in their shopping journey. Brands can change messaging on the site accordingly.
○ For example, a returning customer should receive a different message than a customer who has never experienced the brand.
Brand Affinity: DTC helps brands strengthen their brand image by removing any third-party sellers that can dilute a brand’s messaging.
● Brands can ensure that the same message is on all of their platforms, helping the brand be easily discoverable and more understandable to consumers.
While DTC is just one part of the omnichannel journey, it allows brands to have a richer experience across all of their platforms. The insights gained from DTC data help brands remain fluid to the ever-changing customer journey. DTC is a strategy brands should consider while creating a seamless omnichannel experience from the first marketing touchpoint to the post-purchase experience.
*Based on the P2P live talk “Why Every Brand Should Be a Little Bit DTC Curious” by Jane Butler, Managing Director at Google, and Ali Nehme, Global Chief Commerce Officer at Publicis