Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Course

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Brand Fundamentals: The A-Z of D2C Differentiation Purchase Experience: The Digital-Physical Balance Scaling Growth: Strategies for Sustaining Success Turning Customers Into Brand Fans Data-Driven 2.0: A Direct Line to Customer Data Taking a Platform Approach to eCommerce Marketing

Chapter 1 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.

5 Lessons

Brendan Hastings

Senior Direct of Engineering and Digital Product at Thinx

Lesson 1 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.

Jonathan Poma

CEO of BVAccel

Lesson 2 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.

Alicia Radabaugh

Director of eCommerce at MVMT

Lesson 3 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.

Erik Huberman

CEO of Hawke Media

Lesson 4 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.

Tomer Tagrin

CEO of Yotpo

Lesson 5 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.

Chapter 2 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.

4 Lessons

Rainer Castillo

Co-Founder of Chubbies

Lesson 1 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.

Bridget Fahrland

Head of Digital Strategy at Astound Commerce

Lesson 2 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.

Johanna Breman Tzur

CMO at JamesAllen.com

Lesson 3 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.

Mick McCarthy

Chief Design Officer at Zehner

Lesson 4 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.

Chapter 3 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.

6 Lessons

Griffin Thall

CEO of Pure Vida Bracelets

Lesson 1 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.

Jay Williams

Director of Digital Strategy at Agency Within

Lesson 2 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.

Chase Fisher

Founder of Blenders Eyewear

Lesson 3 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.

Josh Enzer

VP, Strategy

Lesson 4 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.

Mila Aldrin

Director of eCommerce at Moon Juice

Lesson 5 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.

Aaron Orendorff

Editor-in-Chief at ShopifyPlus

Lesson 6 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.

Chapter 4 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.

6 Lessons

Piers Thorogood

Director and Co-Founder at We Make Websites

Lesson 1 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.

Agata Celmerowski

VP Marketing at Klaviyo

Lesson 2 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.

Erica Richey

Director of Customer Marketing at ThirdLove

Lesson 3 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.

Brian Peters

Strategic Partnerships Manager at Buffer

Lesson 4 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.

Carrie Tyler

Global Head of Content at Revolution Beauty

Lesson 5 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.

Shane Pittson

Head of Marketing at quip

Lesson 6 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.

Chapter 5 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?

3 Lessons

Nathan Richter

VP of Program Strategy and Insights at Dynamic Yield

Lesson 1 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.

Spencer Wong

Head of Digital Experience at MADE.COM

Lesson 2 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.

Peter Sheldon

Senior Director of Strategy at Magento, an Adobe Company

Lesson 3 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.

Chapter 6 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.

3 Lessons

Travis Hess

CEO at BVA

Lesson 1 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.

Theresa Reed

VP of Sales & Partnerships

Lesson 2 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.

Doug Hollinger

VP Strategy at BVA

Lesson 3 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.