Page 9 - The Chelsea Boot Co Est. 1851 BRAND BOOK

SO WHY ARE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER BRANDS PROVING TO BE SO SUCCESSFUL, PARTICULARLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE?
Much like Netflix, Airbnb, and Uber, D2C brands aren’t exactly providing a revolutionary new product—they’re simply marketing and delivering it to the consumer in a new way, or exploiting gaps in existing markets that are created as a result of changes in how we use technology to research and purchase goods and services.
While direct-to-consumer brands range from dog snack deliverers to shoe companies, there are common characteristics that these D2C success stories seem to share which points towards their prosperity in the last few years. D2C companies are capitalizing on this new reality of a more level marketing playing field with a customer experience catering for the modern consumer: fast, convenient, omnichannel, personalized, and big on brand storytelling. Successful D2C brands promote virtues that today’s consumers love: simplicity, authenticity, and having a purpose that goes beyond just being a ”commodity”. When you consider that 91% of modern consumers are willing to reward a brand for authenticity, and they’re happy to pay up to 16% more for a product/service that comes with a quality customer experience. It’s the elephant in the room that many established brands are choosing to ignore: throwing big bucks into a marketing budget doesn’t buy you loyal consumers anymore. Engagement and trust isn’t earned through blockbuster TV commercials and PR-glossed featured articles. Younger consumers don’t fall for the sugar-coated “sales bullshit” of old; they have all the power during the buyer’s journey, and they want to be treated like a human, not a prospect.