Going directly to the customer has never been more valuable than it is today. With the improvement of technology and the majority of people shopping online, the lack of communication and interaction has put a direct connection between seller and buyer on another level. Brands that cut out the middleman and go through every stage of the customer journey gain numerous business opportunities.
A direct-to-consumer (DTC) approach can bring a lot of profits. From increasing the cost of your products to getting valuable feedback from customers on how to improve. That's why more and more DTC oman whatsapp number data 5 millionbrands are appearing, occupying 13% of all e-commerce companies in the market. So let's find out what it means to reach the customer directly and see examples of the best DTC brands.
The World of DTC Brands: What are Direct-to-Consumer Brands?
Direct-to-consumer brands are companies that manage the entire sales cycle themselves and reach consumers directly. This type of marketing brings more tasks and responsibilities to brands. They have to take care of promoting their products, advertising, and providing customer service, while other companies have retailers or wholesalers who take care of the actual sales.
While the DTC approach seems more empowering and full of multitasking, it offers a lot of rewards for such efforts. Brands have complete control over their audience. This means they can gather first-hand customer feedback, which gives them ideas for improvements: in email marketing, ethical advertising , and product updates.
History and Strategy of Direct-to-Consumer Brands
DTC marketing is nothing new to marketers. When you think back to before the internet, the only way for people who made any product to sell it was to go door to door and offer what they had. Or stand behind the counter and serve their customers.
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A real example in the history of DTC marketing dates back to 1785 when farmers were selling milk to people's doors. Later, Avon came up with the idea of selling their beauty products through a team of women. It worked very well, because even up to modern times, you can remember those ladies who would carry Avon magazines and engage other women to buy cosmetics.
DTC strategy has many benefits, although it seems more complicated for business owners. First, the main benefit of going directly to customers is getting valuable feedback. Therefore, you can know your customer’s needs better. Based on this information, you can encourage customers to complete the purchase by using cart abandonment pop-up examples , in cases when they later decide to buy something from you online and abandon their cart. Also, you can learn how to avoid the negative impacts of annoying pop-ups on the website if you have such valuable first-hand data from your customers.
In addition, these tactics increase margins. Instead of selling your product to retailers at a lower price, you can keep a reasonable one for yourself and earn higher revenues. And this fact will not leave any entrepreneur indifferent.
What Sets DTC Brands Apart From the Crowd
The best DTC brands always catch the eye with their distinctive features. When you visit their website, you can immediately see that this service follows a direct-to-consumer marketing approach. So, what makes the best DTC brands so special?
Their story. Most DTC companies tell their customers unique stories that capture people’s attention. And with that sincerity, they win customers because people buy stories, not goods .
Their creativity. When you run your own marketing campaign, you can build it based on various techniques and add your creativity. Brands that aren’t afraid to be unique always win more customers.
Their goals and mission. Running a business isn’t just about the money. It’s about the value you can provide to people. The biggest DTC brands identify their mission first and let their audience know they’re after more than just profit.
Their dedicated customer service. With access to all customer data and feedback, DTC brands can build exceptional customer service because they know their customers' needs and problems firsthand.
Top 35 DTC Brands of 2023
To help you get inspired, we’ve compiled a list of the top 35 DTC brands whose examples can give you ideas on how to get your direct-to-consumer approach right.
1.Lovevery
Lovevery is a company that sells educational toys for children. This brand focuses on helping children develop with the help of their toys. And what is more distinctive is that they create the toys with the help of professional therapists and specialists in the field of child development. In addition, they adhere to the Montessori method, which makes their products more qualified.
2. Marc's Magic Rub
DTC company Marc's Magic Rub , which sells seasonings for meat and fish of all kinds, stands out in the marketplace for its special story. They see their mission as a tribute to their father, Marc, who was a barbecue enthusiast but tragically died of cancer. It's hard to disagree that, for that story alone, you'd be interested in visiting their website.
3. Standard Knot
What makes Knot Standard unique is that this brand offers custom made suits. This means that you can actually book an appointment with their tailors and have a suit created that will be tailored specifically to your measurements. They also have physical stores where customers can come in and provide their measurements in real time.
4. Yellow Beauty
Yellow Beauty sells turmeric skincare products. Their name fits the product they offer perfectly, as turmeric is bright yellow. When you visit their website, you will be treated to an aesthetic treat, as each page is created with the best visuals. And it is a joy to watch how they promote themselves.
5. Burrow
Two friends were so annoyed by buying low-quality furniture during their college days that they decided to start their own company that sells furniture that is exceptionally high quality and easy to assemble. The Burrow brand focuses on providing furniture that is durable and, at the same time, easy to transport. Plus, when you bring home your own sofa or bookcase, you don't have to spend hours "playing Lego" to assemble the parts.
6. By Humankind
DTC company By Humankind has a noble mission: to create personal care products without harming the environment. They promote themselves as a cruelty-free brand that uses no plastic and doesn't bother customers with annoying emails. The Humankind store offers monthly subscriptions and sends a monthly product set to each subscriber.
7. Oura
Oura is the future of fitness trackers. With the help of this tiny 0.1-ounce piece of titanium, you can monitor your health indicators: heart rate, blood oxygen, and other metrics essential to human health. With Oura rings, it is easy to connect to other applications and see your health data. You can also share your score with friends, making this product especially attractive to tech-savvy millennials.
8. Halfdays
The Halfdays brand is a paradise for women who love fashionable clothes and want to stay trendy even when skiing. We all know how bulky and shapeless ski uniforms are. Halfdays solves this problem by offering stylish ski clothing for women. They also have an online community where female skiers can share their experiences.
9. TWO
Unique in their niche, DEUX cookie doughs not only look incredibly delicious, but they offer value to shoppers. Their snacks are healthy, as the company advertises their products as gluten-free, vegan, and full of vitamins. This DTC brand is actually closer to the customers, as right on the homepage of the DEUX website you can see a greeting video from their founder. And by promoting healthy cookies, they really garner a lot of young and conscious audience.
10. Elvie
The Elvie brand embodies the vision of a true revolutionary in the lives of mothers. The founders of Elvie have created a smart version of the breast pump that does not look like a torture device. With their clear mission to help mothers simplify their hard work, Elvie wins the hearts of many women.
This brand also adopts the tactic of follow-up with the customer. They periodically send emails to ensure that their customers are properly guided on how to use the products.
11. Three Ships
The main goal of Three Ships beauty products is to provide simple yet effective skincare for the customers. Therefore, they make their customers aware of every ingredient used in the product. What makes Three Ships a true DTC brand is that they make their buyers become ambassadors.
The Fleet community they have gathered is a group of fans who share the same values as the company. And yes, community participants spread the word about Three Ships to their friends and family, earning rewards and discounts.
12. The Farmer's Dog
As one of the largest DTC brands, The Farmer's Dog 's top priority is providing fresh, healthy food for our little friends. They create expertly-backed, luxury meals featuring meat and vegetables, ensuring every dog gets the most value. And that approach has made them billionaires.
13. LOLA
The LOLA brand is another perfect example of a company that cares about women's health. They create period products: tampons, pads, panty liners, period underwear, and other tools to maintain good female health. The LOLA company offers subscriptions that cover the sending of monthly packages to subscribers.
14. Festives
The Feastables DTC campaign doesn’t even need a commercial – its owner is a popular YouTube blogger called MrBeast. You can definitely notice these snacks, as they are designed with bright colors and strong notes. Most of the advertising is done by MrBeast himself, who films videos with his snacks. His video about Willy Wonka’s factory has 90 million views, so imagine how viral Feastables chocolates are!
15. Knix
Knix is an ideal representation of direct-to-consumer marketing as it connects with its customers by allowing them to be themselves. The main purpose of the brand is to make customers feel comfortable in their underwear. They show people of all ages and body types in their ads without photoshopped images that have no connection to reality.
Knix is also active on social media. They post funny videos on Instagram and Tiktok, attracting more customers to their brand.
