【eTail】2024年度直接面向消费者（DTC）报告_22页_2mb

Direct-to-Consumer Report Summary

Core Content

This report explores how brands are leveraging data and technology to build direct and meaningful relationships with consumers in the evolving direct-to-consumer (DTC) market. It highlights the growing importance of DTC as a strategy and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Main Viewpoints

The DTC Market is Growing and Becoming More Competitive

• The DTC model is becoming a winning strategy for many consumer brands, even those that traditionally relied on retail partnerships.
• The market has grown more competitive over the past three years, with more brands entering the space and consumers increasingly preferring online shopping.
• Brands are seeing growth in DTC sales, with 48% of respondents reporting increased consumer spending through DTC channels, although 49% believe the market has remained stable.
• Brands are shifting their marketing spend to web and search ads, social media ads, and video ads, while reducing spending on email, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Some DTC Strategies Suffer from Capability and Technology Gaps

• Despite the benefits of DTC, many brands face challenges in data integration and personalization due to fragmented data sources and outdated systems.
• Only 31% of respondents use a Customer Data Platform (CDP), and 46% are only somewhat satisfied with their current data solutions.
• Brands are looking to adopt new technologies like personalization engines and CDPs to improve customer engagement and data utilization.

Brick-and-Mortar Partnerships Boost Sales and Exposure, but Deliver Lower Margins

• Partnerships with physical retailers help brands increase exposure and sales, but often result in lower profit margins.
• 57% of respondents identify lower margins as the biggest drawback of brick-and-mortar partnerships.
• Brands are advised to strike a balance between physical and digital channels to maximize benefits while minimizing drawbacks.

Key Insights

• Top Challenges:

  • 56% of respondents cite increased competition as a key challenge.
  • 31% mention optimizing digital marketing channels and spend.
  • Other notable challenges include increasing customer lifetime value (24%), supply and logistics issues (23%), and connecting DTC with in-store experiences (22%).

• Current Technology Use:

  • 98% of brands use CRM systems.
  • 60% use eCommerce platforms.
  • 50% use AdTech, 47% use CMS and supply/procurement software.
  • Only 30% use marketing technology beyond CDPs, indicating a gap in capabilities.

• Marketing Spend Trends:

  • 63% plan to increase web spending, while 37% will keep it the same.
  • Search ads, Instagram ads, and video ads are seeing increased investment.
  • Email, Twitter, and Pinterest are experiencing reduced spend.

• Customer Data Importance:

  • 45% of brands use customer data for real-time personalized experiences.
  • 40% use it to improve customer service processes.
  • 36% use it for product feedback, and 35% for recognizing loyal and at-risk customers.

Key Suggestions

1. Transform DTC Operations with Data:

   • Focus on becoming more data-centric and customer-centric to stay competitive.
   • Leverage customer data to improve engagement, visibility, and the overall customer experience.

2. Adopt Customer Data Platforms (CDPs):

   • Use CDPs to unify customer data and enable better personalization and marketing insights.
   • Invest in CDPs to address gaps in data integration and analysis.

3. Fill Capability Gaps with Technology:

   • Identify missing capabilities such as cross-channel journey orchestration, audience segmentation, and in-depth analytics.
   • Use smart customer data platforms to bridge these gaps.

4. Balance DTC and Brick-and-Mortar Strategies:

   • Maintain partnerships with physical retailers for exposure and sales, but aim to bring more revenue in-house through DTC.
   • Develop a strong, data-driven DTC strategy for long-term success.

About the Report

• Respondents: 100 marketing, CX, and digital leaders from U.S. and Canadian brands.
• Roles: Marketing (32%), eCommerce (27%), Customer Experience (20%), Data Analytics (13%), Digital Experience (8%).
• Revenue: 31% of respondents have annual revenue between $100 million to $250 million, 34% between $250 million to $1 billion, and 35% over $1 billion.

Sponsors

• Treasure Data: Offers a CDP solution to help brands unify customer data and drive personalized engagement.
• AdRoll: Provides a marketing platform to streamline web, social, and email advertising for DTC brands.

Authors

• Mike Rand: Content Director at rand&rand.
• Chris Rand: Research Manager at WBR Insights.

Conclusion

Customer data is becoming a central pillar of DTC success. Brands that invest in data-driven technologies and strategies are better positioned to build meaningful relationships with consumers, improve marketing performance, and achieve long-term growth.