The same holds true for some creatives and content creators\u00a0finding alternate ways<\/a>\u00a0to reach consumers through marketing, outreach, and content to benefit both their brands and\u00a0bottom line<\/a>.<\/p>\n I think it’s just small businesses wondering if a direct-to-consumer approach is the right approach moving forward. The Wall Street Journal’s CMO newsletter, written by Nat Ives, reported that PepsiCo increased sales in the first quarter as people stocked up on snacks to shelter at home.\u00a0So much so that the company launched direct-to-consumer sites, including\u00a0PantryShop.com<\/a>, designed to feed the need for more immediate nosh delivery of Cheetos, Doritos, breakfast cereal, and more.<\/span>\u00a0CMO reported that products can also be bought bundled in themes like \u201cRise & Shine\u201d and \u201cWorkout & Recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n But let\u2019s take a step back and discuss what direct-to-consumer marketing is and why we should care.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, D2C marketing is a way for brands to directly communicate and sell to the end-user. Think direct mail<\/a>, social media, and email marketing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt builds a better, stronger relationship with them as a consumer,\u201d said Brian Honigman<\/strong>, a\u00a0marketing consultant<\/a> and NYU Adjunct Professor. The reason that D2C works is that the brands generally have a \u201cbetter, stronger relationship with them as a consumer.\u201d<\/p>\n More than that, Honigman said that with the direct to consumer approach, the people behind the brand likely created their product \u201cout of a need in the market that is not being filled. Everyone has a stronger knowledge of the product, the mission, the purpose behind creating it. They believe in it. They control every aspect of the corporation.\u201d<\/p>\n If your brand is already successfully creating engaging content that allows your desired consumer to shift comfortably between your website and social platforms and the buying platform, you\u2019re already halfway there. It\u2019s also important to realize that by shifting your marketing directly to the consumer you\u2019re not being disloyal to the retailers and distributors. You\u2019re simply finding another way to allow consumers to enjoy your product, even if it\u2019s through catchy content until regular deliveries start up again.<\/p>\n What if you\u2019re a service company reliant exclusively on in-person interaction? Instead of giving up on your business entirely, try to find a way to continue to provide your service, albeit in a highly modified fashion.<\/p>\n With about a dozen locations around the country,\u00a0SUGARED + BRONZED<\/a> was a service-based company offering very specific spa treatments in the form of sugaring and spray tanning services. The company has completely pivoted to e-commerce and D2C based sales through their website. While there are drugstore formulations at home, for loyal customers having products from a company they already know and trust adds a layer of both pampering and comfort to the process.<\/p>\n A few years back, the market was flooded with at-home meal preparation delivery systems. While some might have worried that the market was saturated, others realized that it only meant that the pioneering brands had paved the way for their own companies.<\/p>\n If your idea or product isn\u2019t original, you need to find a way to package it to find its audience. For Blue Apron, that means a\u00a0blog<\/a>\u00a0that discusses everything from current events to holidays and food trends. The underlying theme might be that you\u2019re still a worthy foodie, even if someone else does the majority of the prep work. For\u00a0Freshly, that means extremely tight marketing that highlights the brand\u2019s commitment in everything from the brand name to idea of nutritious, healthy, chef-made food.<\/p>\n First of all, don\u2019t panic. A direct-to-consumer approach doesn\u2019t work for every brand. If you\u2019re weighing your options and don\u2019t think it\u2019s a good fit, it probably isn\u2019t. And just because other brands seem to be shifting at the speed of light, doesn\u2019t mean that you and your brand should.<\/p>\n \u201cTake a step back and pause,\u201d advises Honigman. In fact, \u201cgive yourself a bit of time. Communicate with customers so they know you\u2019re there,\u201d but don\u2019t be in a great big rush to change everything. Honigman suggests that you take a look at how you\u2019re making money. \u201cIs it retail partners? Is there a way you can translate those services and products into something you can make money with online?\u201d And don\u2019t feel rushed to answer those questions either. Take a day or a week if you need it. And don\u2019t worry<\/a>\u00a0if your first effort is more meh than magnificent.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, everyone is a little more forgiving in terms of production quality,\u201d Honigman said. And while \u201csome marketers might get a little scared and think\u00a0I don\u2019t have a professional studio<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0I haven\u2019t done a professional gig before<\/em>,\u201d Honigman thinks there\u2019s a lot more forgiveness in the relationships between consumers and companies than ever before. And before you start to feel overwhelmed, he said that \u201cyou should take a step back and adapt what you\u2019re not able to do right now during the pandemic to what you can do digitally, and it makes sense for the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n The old adage about this not being a sprint but a race still holds true. Though things feel more urgent right now, you have to protect the long-term health of your company in addition to figuring out what comes next.<\/p>\n Need a bit of inspiration from brands who have figured it all out?<\/p>\n When beloved men\u2019s brand Bonobos was acquired by Walmart, loyal fans worried the brand would lose some of its authenticity and they weren\u2019t shy about it. Longtime consumers expressed their fears via social media and the company founders listened. As reported in an article on\u00a0MarketingDive<\/a> in 2018, at a brand summit panel,\u00a0Bonobos<\/a>\u00a0CEO Micky Onvural shared some of the outcry on Twitter to news of the sale. But his ultimate takeaway was the fact that it \u201cwas also this opportunity to really reaffirm what we stood for in light of this changing ecosystem.”<\/p>\n Customers who already loved Bonobos were willing to give it a chance even under its new umbrella, as long as they were reassured the brand, product and ethos would remain the same.<\/p>\n When brothers\u00a0<\/strong>David, Adam, and Noah Belanich of\u00a0Joyride Coffee<\/a>\u00a0realized their in-office coffee delivery business wasn’t sustainable for the coronavirus pandemic, they shifted from B2B to D2C in just two weeks. Recognizing that their loyal customers wanted great coffee even when working from home, the Belanich brothers mobilized their existing staff. They also packed and shipped orders to help support their local roasters.<\/p>\n Joyride already had both a loyal customer base and local roasters they relied on. What they did was find a way to pivot their business plan to better support both while keeping their business afloat.<\/p>\n You\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that the \u201cmodern basics\u201d sold by Everlane came from J. Crew or Gap. And the pricing isn\u2019t that far off either. But in 2017, Everlane founder Michael Preysman told the New Yorker that he believed marketing had a negative connotation. In his opinion though, \u201cWhat a really great company does is figure out, what are the customer\u2019s needs? And then giving it to them. And then telling it to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Everlane didn\u2019t reinvent fashion or even fashion basics. But what they did well was pare down the process, so their customer base felt understood and well taken care of without having to spend time wading through the competition\u2019s offerings.<\/p>\n Did we mention the part about creative content, amazing advertising, and stellar social media?<\/strong><\/p>\n Oh, that.<\/p>\n If you want to appeal to people, you have to reach them where they live. And for most of us, that means online and on social media, since we\u2019re not in our usual hangouts. Why do more of us talk about the commercials during the Super Bowl than the Super Bowl itself? Because they\u2019re packed with humor, creativity and fun. We don\u2019t mind being sold to as long as it respects who we are.<\/p>\n Cellar Angels had a brick-and-mortar wine retail store in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago until they went completely online with their virtual business 10 years ago. \u201cWe market directly to the consumer by creating video content that is seen nationally,\u201d said Martin Cody<\/strong>, CEO, president, and co-founder.<\/p>\n \u201cWe use social media platforms to share highly produced video content. We also rely on customer referrals and Cellar Angel’s blogs that are posted and shared through all social media channels.\u201d<\/p>\n The brand also sends social media toolkits directly to wineries and charity partners so they can share content and promotions through their channels. As if that wasn\u2019t impressive enough, Cellar Angels shifted their marketing to be more inviting.<\/p>\n As Cody explained:<\/p>\n \u201cWe now conduct a SIP (Shelter In Place) virtual wine tasting every Friday night where we interview a different winemaker each week. Each virtual attendee can purchase a wine tasting kit so they can sip their wine along with the winemaker live during these SIP events \u2014 to recreate a feeling (as close as possible) of being with the winemaker in Napa.\u201d <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n They also excel at customer service. Cody said, \u201cWe track each shipment and communicate directly with our customers through text and email.\u201d They\u2019re also working to redirect wine shipments from offices to homes.<\/p>\n Unlike longtime established beauty brands, cosmetics brand Glossier doesn\u2019t simply chase the influencer of the moment but instead turns existing brand evangelists into brand icons. Founded in 2014 by former Vogue stagger Emily Weiss, Glossier doesn\u2019t just sell a product, it sells the enthusiasm of people who love the product.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t believe me? Among other things, I develop\/brand and market cosmetics, so I really know what goes into creating a product and getting it to market. And guess what? I still find myself daydreaming about Glossier\u2019s cult product Boy Brow<\/a>, even though I\u2019m sure it\u2019s nothing more than a fine product with a fantastic hype machine behind it. What Glossier does better than most is combine the panache of their blanket marketing, with fantastic content outreach on their\u00a0Into The Gloss<\/a> newsletter, along with the mass adulation ever-present on social media.<\/p>\n![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WhatisD2C.png\")
<\/p>\nWhat is D2C Marketing and Why Does it Work?<\/h2>\n
3 Reasons Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Could Work for Your Brand:<\/h2>\n
1. Your content and connection already appeal to your desired consumer.<\/h3>\n
2. You\u2019re supplying something they want, but might not be able to access.<\/h3>\n
3. You thrive on competition.<\/h3>\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/WhereDoYouBegin.png\")
<\/p>\nWhere do you begin?<\/h2>\n
3 Lessons for Marketers from Successful Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Brands:<\/h2>\n
![\"Lessons](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/StickWithWhatWorks.png\")
<\/p>\n1. Stick with what works.<\/h3>\n
2. Give them what they already love.<\/h3>\n
3. Give them what they already need \u2014 then tell them about it.<\/h3>\n
3 D2C Marketing Case Studies to Inspire You:<\/h2>\n
![\"3\u00a0D2C](\"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/AdaptThenKeepAdapting.png\")
<\/p>\n1. Adapt. Then keep adapting.<\/h3>\n
2. Treat everyone like an influencer.<\/h3>\n
3. Meet their moments.<\/h3>\n