5 Direct to Consumer (D2C) Trends for 2022
The future is D2C. Major brands such as Nike, Adidas, Samsung, Apple and many more have done tremendous work in bridging the gap between brand and consumer in the past few years. Not to mention, the global pandemic only accelerated D2C as eCommerce and social media grew to new heights. But what are the specific trends of today’s D2C? From our research and our own expertise, we have concluded 5 major trends for 2022 below.
1. Omnichannel D2C delivery
Omnichannel D2C delivery is already all around us. It is about being in all places, marketing then delivering to consumers no matter where they are. As a business, your strategy must investigate where your customers are as well as wherever clients may be making the decisions to purchase into your service/product.
Today's customers are constantly connected and on the go. They browse online, window shop in-store, and even buy products from vending machines. The omnichannel customer journey is a reality we can no longer ignore. This strategy creates seamless transitions between online and offline channels to promote continuity and optimize the customers’ journey, no matter how they interact with your company.
According to Aberdeen Group Inc., organizations with high omnichannel customer engagement retain 89% of their customers, whereas companies with weaker omnichannel consumer engagement maintain just 33%. Retailers will streamline their omnichannel strategy to meet the needs of this new customer while also making sure that they're getting as much as possible out of their marketing investments.
2. The D2C Portal
Clients will have more information and data about their engagement with D2C brands. Direct customer interaction from start to end allows a company to capture all consumer and operational data, and clients will have more information about their engagement with brands in the coming year. Platforms that provide customers insights about engagement with the D2C brand can build loyalty, establish brand communities as well as connect with customers on emotional and social levels.
This is seen such as when you download an app; information and permissions are brought about to the client before it is installed. This is how brands gain understanding of client profile and behaviors yet also how clients can learn about D2C brands.
A company must share all vital information, be sure all of their digital presence is compatible on all smart devices/screens. Your model should be attractive and be made as easy as possible to share as well as receive information.
All the necessary information on all D2C channels is crucial so it does not matter what channel your client is on. They will have access to everything they need from anywhere from your omnichannel system. This strategy results in great customer experience thanks to the ease, helpfulness and attention to detail the customer receives from this level of catering.
Finally, allowing customers access to their information and data enables them to provide a company with more information and preferences, providing an even more customized experience.
3. Personalized D2C experiences
According to Instapage, ‘’74% of customers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized’’.
From pricing, product customization and 1-1 selling, personalization will emerge as the new business differentiator. This will range from greeting customers by their first names to creating incentives that are tailored to their specific interests. According to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase from a company that provides a customized experience.
Customers respond positively to personalized experiences and are more excited about and engaged with the brand. While knowing a client's name and using it in emails and newsletters is a good start, providing customized experiences also entails creating goods, services, offers, and interactions that are tailored to each customer.
‘’When You Speak To Everyone, You Speak To No One’’ - Meredith Hill. This quote explains how marketing to everyone with no personalization will feel too generic and thus not appealing nor inspiring. In a world as a company competing with competition with personalized D2C, nobody is going to prefer less specific engagement.
4. Subscription products and services
The subscription box industry reached $18.8 billion in 2020 and we will see even more in the coming year. Right now, there are subscription boxes for almost everything, from food to clothes to dog toys and collectibles. A D2C subscription service is an effective way to build customer loyalty by offering them convenience and access to exclusive and personalized products without committing to making a big purchase all at once. It also lets customers try products, get involved in brand communities, and build interest in your brand with members-only perks and discounts.
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5. Headless technology accelerates D2C integration
Due to limited creative freedom, traditional eCommerce systems that handle both the front and back end limits user experiences. Because of this, we will see a transition to headless technology. With headless technology, creative teams employ front-end presentation layers like WordPress or BloomReach to maximize the user experience, consumer engagement, and conversions. At the same time, a separate back-end system handles billing and payments, data processing, the checkout process, and other processes. APIs are used to link front-end and back-end systems. Headless eCommerce platforms provide APIs and tools to create a unified brand experience across channels.
A Digital Marketer who believes clear messaging in customer language supported by appropriate imagery, video and copy will express a brand to the market successfully. Getting clients to stop talking about themselves and their products is the tough part.
