The economy is in flux. Anyone who has had any experiences with job searching, hiring, or transitioning in the past few years knows very well just how crazy and chaotic it is out there. Comparing it to the wild west isn’t even that far of an exaggeration. That said, it is an exciting time to be an entrepreneur, small business owner, or decision-maker/organizational leader; there’s a lot of potential in the market right now.
In other words, people are more willing to bet on themselves for the high-stake rewards that could potentially be reaped in the long run.
A few different metrics have evidenced this over the past couple of years. For example, the great resignation, a term coined by an economist describing the mass exodus from the workforce that we saw in mid-to-late 2020, created enough of a workforce gap that new brands and industry players had a stronger chance at gaining traction and attention from consumers.
Not only this, but many other individuals who were forced out of work due to businesses closing completely or downsizing significantly chose to start their own ventures or begin freelancing. Whether you’re a small business owner, a startup entrepreneur, or working for a well-established brand, the current market is a tumultuous one.
Focusing on the following areas will help any direct-to-consumer brand better connect with, engage, and grow its current consumer base.
1. Powerful Marketing
First and foremost, in this hyper-competitive market space, a powerful marketing strategy is an absolute necessity. Consumers are spending more and more of their time online in today’s digital and virtual age. This is true at every level, with the emergence of remote work and working from home to the ever-increasing popularity of social media platforms. That said, consumers are constantly being bombarded with passive advertising and various forms of content marketing.
If your brand doesn’t have comprehensive marketing and advertising strategy in place, you won’t be in the conversation when it comes time for a consumer to make a purchase decision. This is because they’ll have no way of knowing that you’re even a competitor, regardless of how good your product or service is.
As such, for a direct-to-consumer brand to gain any clout and recognition with a relevant audience, they need to invest time, money, and energy into a powerful marketing strategy that is creative, engaging, and strategically placed. There are a ton of different types of marketing that are extremely popular in the modern professional world, and there are specific campaigns that work well depending on the industry your brand is in.
For instance, a direct-to-consumer clothing, makeup, or style brand may find huge success with an influencer campaign featuring a popular social media influencer in the beauty and fashion space. On the other hand, a local cafe may be able to find a bit of buzz through a content marketing strategy that turns the entire cafe and all of its workers into a little ongoing comic strip. This would be a unique, creative, and non-sales-based content-marketing strategy that would simply focus on engaging consumers and expanding brand recognition.
2. Creative and Sustainable Packaging
A must-have for any direct-to-consumer brand is unique, creative, and sustainable packaging. The packaging says a lot about a brand. Firstly, suppose a brand uses sustainable packaging in its shipments. In that case, that’s a good sign that will resonate with many young and modern consumers who prioritize the planet and environmentalism in business practices.
Secondly, by having creative and unique mailers, your brand can stand out amongst the competition and deliver a top-tier consumer experience all the way through the moment of the unboxing.
3. A Virtual Brand Presence
In the same vein, as a content marketing campaign focused on expanding brand awareness and exposure, a comprehensive virtual brand presence is critical in today’s digital age. As mentioned above, more and more consumers are spending much more of their daily lives on social media or online.
This makes it easy for savvy business leaders and decision-makers to connect with and engage relevant consumers from all over the world. By establishing a comprehensive virtual brand presence, your brand can benefit from social media users boosting the traffic to your website, e-commerce store, or another social page.
4. Value-Based Operations
In the same vein as sustainable packaging, it’s wise for any direct-to-consumer brand to evaluate its overall attitude toward sustainability and social responsibility in general. This is because many consumers in today’s economy want to support businesses they feel are actively pursuing a better society for us all, not just for the wallets of their stakeholders.
Conclusion
No matter what industry you’re in, if your brand is direct-to-consumer, you may want to consider focusing on the business areas outlined above. Dedicating time, energy, and resources toward marketing, a comprehensive virtual brand presence, and sustainable operations will help you win the favor of the consumer and effectively grow your brand.
