Craft a Disruptive D2C Marketing Strategy in 2020.

D2C marketing strategies have gained fresh traction in the last 10 years, with brands exploiting social media, viral content and SEO for excellent results. Six companies have been using innovative approaches to access the consumers ' advantages of direct marketing.

How do smaller retailers make their mark in a world where companies like Amazon, Walmart and Alibaba retail? The solution is direct marketing (D2C). This hypothesis is backed by the rising D2C market size.

There are consistently increasing numbers of D2C brands and 81 percent of Americans say they will buy at least one D2C over the next five years. Many brands have a loyal customer base, with 63% claiming that references are more company than digital ads. Given this promising trend, young brands and established brush strokes on D2C marketing strategies are essential to strengthen customer relationships.

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Marketing?

D2C campaign aims at cutting the broker off in the creation of new customers. It meant door-to-door salespeople in the pre-digital era sharing product catalogs or contact center managers calling cold prospects.

The 2019–2020 D2C marketing mainly depends on e-commerce as the hub of all sales. Several businesses are creating their own websites with shopping deals and smartly appealing directly to a niche customer base.

Thanks to social media, D2C marketing strategies have taken on a whole new dimension. A 2019 report shows that 61 percent of D2C companies use social media to serve their customers. SEO is a close second (51 percent) in customer acquisition. You can note that the reliance on paid ads and e-commerce aggregators (such as Amazon) is very strong.

IAB research found that D2C brands rapidly gain market share from incumbents in most categories (starting with mattresses and furniture, pet products, personal care, and beverages).

D2C Success Stories

For more information on the secret sauce of D2C Marketing, we looked at six brands in the D2C market.

1. Share deeper insights into the product, like Warby Parker

The benefit of using D2C marketing over conventional sales channels is that you have the customer's full attention. You will not compete with a variety of other items in your market until consumers access your online store or social media site.

Take this attention by sharing enriching information about how the product is made – this will help to generate curiosity, which of course must be confirmed by the quality of the product.

Warby Parker, D2C's eyeglass company, has a complete page dedicated to the design, development and quality control of its products. Transparency is a watchword for Warby Parker to dig into the design process, the bureau community and CSR programs.

2. Foster a community of buyers, like TechStyle

The consumer is the greatest asset of a D2C marketer. They provide references, make repeat purchases and promote the brand through social media.

This is why TechStyle establishes an affiliate program which provides its customers with high-quality fashion products on a monthly basis. This also includes free delivery and flexibility according to the needs of the customer.

By working with global singer Rihanna, the company further strengthened its value proposition in 2018. The marketing strategy of TechStyle's D2C demonstrates the advantages of the subscription model. You can use this strategy to ensure that customers flow continuously. So long so the goods are available, the party stays loyal.

3. Don’t be afraid to go offline, like Taft

While social media is a vital marketing tool for D2C brands, you can explore several other options.

For example, if a large local market has taken an interest in your brand, it might be the perfect time to open a shop. Start with Instagram and Facebook content targeting venue-specific content. Once you reach a certain level of commitment, initiate an offline advertising campaign and ultimately open the doors to a physical location.

One of the major advantages of D2C marketing is that you have an interested customer ready to flock to your shop. Digital native retailer Taft used this with its first store, which is now open in SoHo. The company continues its digitally focused marketing and sales approach, using physical space as another means of interaction.

4. Find (or create) your own customer demographic, like UpWest

D2C marketing tactics often include finding a specific consumer group and relating to them. You need a comprehensive market research, instead of specific surveys based on gender, age or location, to determine the exact preferences and problem areas of your customers.

Several studies have suggested, for example, that thousands of years spend more time home doing self-care than other generations. Those insights will help to sharpen the marketing campaign so that it resonates in your target audience.

UpWest, a brand owned by retail major Express that offers its JOMO marketing focal point a new and memorable rhythm – targeted at people who have the "fun of missing" rather than more popular FOMO. In this almost fresh mindset, it seeks to market personal care items and leisurewear.

5. Sustain customer engagement after a sale, like Bloomscape

D2C brands are mostly digital and do not offer bigger retailers physical presence. As a consequence, after sales, the consumers can only disconnect and may not return because they can find the brand in limited places.

In order to prevent this, it is best to lay down a communication strategy during sales. This could include a handwritten note, follow-up e-mails and information about any newly purchased product(s).

Bloomscape acknowledged the importance of this D2C marketing strategy when it launched its online store in 2017. Indoor plant seller The company has a rich video content repository on YouTube, not to mention a special onboard package that advises its customers on how to get their brand new facility going.

6. Nurture a strong visual identity in partnership with influencers like Senreve

The visual identity of a company will make a difference in retail. You can make a lasting impression by maintaining a consistent and carefully curated look through your welfare handles – from photographs of your goods, user-generated content you post about stories, and static assets such as cover pictures. It means that consumers pick their brand once they are ready to convert.

Luxury brand D2C, Senreve, a favorite of famous people from Hollywood, puts its visual identity at the forefront of its marketing strategy. The agency partnered with influencers such as Lady Gaga and Jennifer Garner to demonstrate the high quality of its services. As Senreve scales the brand, it ensures that a strategic visual identity is maintained so that its products are instantly recognizable.