Brand Fundamentals: The A-Z of D2C Differentiation
The true test of a modern D2C brand is their ability to create strong enough brand differentiation to pull a purchaser away from Amazon and to their store. By and large, brands are differentiating by focusing on intangibles, like customer community and strong brand values, which, by its very nature, Amazon can’t provide. In this chapter, we focus on the ecosystem factors that give brands that intangible edge.
Brands That Stand for Something
Building your brand around a set of core values gives your business purpose and makes it stand out. In this lesson, learn how to foster authentic brand values as you scale.
The Rise of Conscious Capitalism
When launching a cause-based brand, you have to align your business with a cause that is authentic and relevant. In this lesson, find out how to build meaningful relationships with your customers through cause.
Communicating Value Beyond Price
How do you balance affordability without cheapening your brand? In this lesson, learn how to plan a pricing strategy that compensates for margin compression and other market challenges.
You Can't Buy Emotional Connection on Amazon
When differentiating through intangibles, like lifestyle or values, it’s critical to get them right in the initial stages. In this lesson, learn how to bypass the most common struggles by honing in on the right persona.
The Phenomenal Ascent of Direct-to-Consumer Brands
The anatomy of direct-to-consumer brands is simple, but re-engineering their success is complex. In this lesson, learn how industry trailblazers are redefining the rulebook for building a modern brand.
Purchase Experience: The Digital-Physical Balance
The freedom from retail distributors has enabled D2C brands to take control of their customer journey and purchase experience, making the ways in which consumers experience a product itself, whether physically or digitally, critical to a brand’s success. In this chapter, learn how to build a purchase experience that weaves brand and product together seamlessly across physical and digital channels.
Taking Your Experience From Click to Brick
Experience is everything when building a physical presence. In this lesson, learn how Chubbies was able to design experiential spaces, choose optimal store locations, and tackle inventory challenges.
Discovery in the Age of D2C
Modern brands need to ensure shoppers find the most relevant products at the right time. In this lesson, learn how to create a discovery path that leads to purchase.
Bridging the Offline-to-Online Gap
Online-first brands face unique challenges in earning consumer trust for products customers have never seen before. In this lesson, get creative solutions for showcasing products online.
Designing Experiences That Build Trust
Today’s brands must architect their sites for low-intent shoppers via inspiration and discovery mechanisms that inspire confidence. In this lesson, learn how to develop trust online.
Scaling Growth: Strategies for Sustaining Success
In this section, learn how top D2C brands are upending traditional growth tactics by capitalizing on social as a channel for communicating intangible brand attributes, building smart and personalized customer journeys across channels, and innovating strategies for turning cult communities into brand advocates.
Making Friends With Influencers
Building strong relationships with key influencers is a sure-fire strategy for eCommerce growth. In this lesson, learn how Pura Vida has adapted to the changing tides of Instagram and come out on top.
Standing Out on Search
Differentiating your brand from the wall of content that bombards users on Google is a major challenge. In this lesson, learn how to strategize and test smartly on search.
Mastering Facebook Advertising
As acquisition costs rise, many brands are turning away from Facebook, but that can be a serious missed opportunity. In this lesson, learn how to tackle the challenges of Facebook advertising.
Supercharge Acquisition Through Customer Advocacy
Brands today face the challenge of not just creating a brand worth caring about, but reaching the people who it will matter to. In this lesson, learn how to use referrals to get to the right audiences.
Growing a Community That Loves Your Brand
Your brand community provides endless opportunities for growth and access to the most relevant audiences. In this lesson, learn how your best customers can help you reach like-minded shoppers.
So, What's Your Marketplace Strategy?
As a brand grows, seeking new sales channels becomes near inevitable. In this lesson, learn how to use Amazon and other retailers as part of your distribution strategy without diluting your brand.
Turning Customers Into Brand Fans
In this chapter, learn how D2C brands are taking traditional loyalty tactics to the next level to add value and foster the customer relationships responsible for their rapid growth.
Turning Your Brand into a Community Hub
Today's consumers expect your site to be more than just a point of purchase. In this lesson, learn how to create a website that is a destination for your brand community.
Making Email Your Greatest Retention Tool
When it's done right, email can be the most powerful channel you have for connecting with your customers. In this lesson, find out the key pillars for using email to boost CLTV.
Tailoring Your Loyalty Program to Your Community
With rising CAC, a killer loyalty program is table stakes. But not all programs are created equal. In this lesson, learn how to custom-build a loyalty program for your brand and business goals.
Social Strategy for the Instagram Generation
Social media is changing faster than we can keep up. In this lesson, get the low-down on the critical social trends that will help you build a loyal base of brand fans and advocates.
Using Content to Build a Community
Content may be king, but only if it's the right type. In this lesson, learn how to effectively build a loyal community by creating and sharing the best content for your brand.
Building Loyalty into Your Business Model
More and more brands are turning to subscription models to offer more value to customers. In this lesson, find out how to build an engaged community of subscribers around your product.
Data-Driven 2.0: A Direct Line to Customer Data
When great eCommerce experiences are table stakes, how do you leverage direct access to customer data to build a feedback loop that sustains growth and meets changing consumer expectations?
Building an Omnichannel Customer Journey
There's always another data point to collect to craft the "perfect" journey, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't start now. In this lesson, learn how to influence the customer journey in real-time across various touchpoints using data.
The Nexus of Customer Feedback and Data
Nothing can replace digging directly into shopper sentiment. In this lesson, learn how to combine user data and customer feedback for better insight into your shoppers' needs.
Driving Experience with Data
Data drives powerful commerce experiences. In this lesson, learn how to collect the most important data from your customers and analyze it effectively to craft a better customer experience.
Taking a Platform Approach to eCommerce Marketing
An eCommerce marketing platform is the engine that drives better customer experiences. This chapter explores the risks of disconnected point solutions, the long-term advantages of choosing an integrated platform, and the opportunities that come with interconnected data and cross-product synergies.
The Hidden Risks of Planning for the Short Term
Preparing your brand for long-term growth is essential. Learn why a quick decision to invest in a point solution might feel like a win, but planning for the future with a broader platform is a more worthwhile investment.
Disconnected Data Leads to Disconnected Experiences
Good customer experiences are essential. Learn how disconnected data from disparate solutions leaves customers with fractured, negative experiences, resulting in higher churn and lower LTV.
A Platform is Greater Than the Sum of Its Products
A platform enables agility and efficiency. In this chapter, learn how brands like Princess Polly consolidated their tech stacks and saw cross-functional results.