In the early days of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, we saw companies engage in innovative tactics to earn media and PR to help them achieve organic (as opposed to paid) marketing. Casper, the online mattress seller, created Nap-Mobiles which allowed potential customers to try out their beds. Airbnb (then still AirBed and Breakfast) created special edition cereal boxes that generated buzz and revenue. Some DTC firms optimized their packaging to be “Instagrammable,” drawing people to post unboxing videos organically. Over time, these tactics became commonplace and therefore drew less attention. Newer brands had a harder time breaking through the noise.
How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World
It’s all about generating content — from consumers, creators, and celebrities.
February 22, 2023
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Summary.
Early direct-to-consumer companies relied on plentiful capital and low-cost digital marketing to power growth. But as this sector has matured, capital is more constrained, social media is more cluttered, and customer acquisition costs are rising. DTC companies need new marketing techniques to find customers today, and the 4Cs — content, consumers, creators, and celebrities — can help.
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