What Is Direct to Consumer?
Direct to consumer (DTC or D2C) refers to selling products directly to customers, bypassing third-party retailers, wholesalers, or any other intermediary. While the definition of D2C has evolved, D2C increasingly means thinking digital first across product development, marketing, and distribution to meet customers where they are and build relationships.
While the definition of DTC has evolved, basic tenets like cutting out the middleman and focusing on digital remain. What's new is a digital-first and experience-driven mindset across product, marketing, and distribution to meet customers where they are.
The DTC explosion isn't slowing down, as evidenced by the continued emergence of both new and known brands in existing categories. For emerging brands, the focus is on authenticity, product differentiation, and the right mix of digital distribution channels. For existing brands, especially traditional B2B organizations, there are more opportunities than ever to capitalize on the influx of traffic to digital properties and fuel growth by driving awareness and distribution through DTC channels.
