The Ecommerce Foundation predicted in April of this year that the UK’s turnover in DTC models would grow by over 10%. That growth is slowing from over 14% in 2012, but still.
These Direct-to-Consumer business models aren’t just disruptive, they are the new economy, but it’s not just about digital is it?
In a simple A5 door drop, the friendly people from Farmdrop.com were able to educate me on many things, and tweak my interest. It included an explanation of their direct model, aptly called Click-to-Harvest; as well as ‘Milkonomics’, appealing to the ethical consumer in me; supermarket pricing differences, appealing to my wallet; their environmental foot-print, including the hours my food traditionally spends on the road clogging up the highways and my lungs; and a nice little attribution planning code (discount code to you and me) that could get me £20 off my first order. (All conveyed simply through good graphic design by the way.)
Now I know their business will continue to deliver greater efficiencies through digital operating practices, and I’ll no doubt begin to see banner ads now I’ve visited their website, but I did think it was ironic that this digital disruption journey began in print.
Although I know attribution modeling is the key to understanding all this, as Christmas approaches I will be enjoying my cashmere catalogue, my favourite high-street gym-clothing catalogue, and my not-so-high-street gift Xmas catalogue.
It would seem print is still a key to the customer journey.
