Direct-to-Consumer Marketing

Direct-to-Consumer marketing and sales, often referred to as DTC or D2C, have become an increasingly important part of the marketing and sales mix for many organizations. Where business-to-business (B2B) has certain considerations, so too does your direct-to-consumer approach. This is especially true for those who have a loyal channel of retail distribution which they seek to support through continued channel programs. Often times, your direct-to-consumer efforts can be viewed as competition for the distributors and retailers who support your brand in the brick-and-mortar arena.

In our increasingly connected world, brands are connected with — and interacting with — their consumers on a variety of platforms. The viral nature of digital medium can help or hurt your carefully planned efforts, so cannot be ignored. Certainly, the nature of your product, service, event or destination will be an important consideration, but the direct-to-consumer channel can certainly co-exist and be a profitable segment of your overall efforts.

My experience in the direct-to-consumer marketing and sales arena incorporates several distinct sub-channels — catalog direct response (direct response, direct mail), direct response television (DRTV), and E-commerce (E.G. online commerce, digital commerce, Internet commerce). I was fortunate to be working in the technology industry during the late 1980s and early 1990s, guiding both direct-to-consumer and business-to-business merchandising efforts for a host of products and services while the commercial Internet was emerging as a distinct channel.

Many of today's important digital marketing disciplines, such as search engine optimization and search engine marketing, weren't even considered because Google wasn't launched until 1998. Much has changed, but for those hoping to have measurable results for their marketing spend, the news has all been good. There has never been a better time to test and receive feedback for your direct-to-consumer marketing efforts.

Please contact me if you'd like to discuss your direct-to-consumer plans and needs.