Category
Business
Assisted Conversion
Trend cluster
Category
DTC
Community
Entrepreneurs omit the middle man to sell directly to consumers via peer recognition.
3.1
Trend score
Trend
What is the DTC Community trend?
DTC Community: Anyone with a great idea and a high-quality product can become a successful entrepreneur with use of online tools such as Kickstarter. However, what many direct to consumer companies have begun doing is utilizing social tools to not only advertise products, but create a community based in having "insider knowledge" to boost word of mouth marketing and allegiance to the burgeoning brand. This is executed via micro-influencer marketing, referral systems, or campaigns that strategically highlight the community aspect of using the product in question. This not only creates positive brand recognition, but highlights the exclusivity of DTC retail.
Trend themes
Themes within the DTC Community trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Micro-Influencer Marketing
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies utilize micro-influencers to create communities and increase word-of-mouth marketing.
02
Influencer-Created Beauty Products
The high demand for influencer-created beauty products indicates significant opportunities in influencer collaborations.
03
Direct-to-Consumer Approach
Direct-to-consumer companies like Away offer well-made and affordable luxury products to consumers by limiting their distribution channels to digital platforms.
Industry implications
What the DTC Community trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Beauty & Cosmetics
Beauty and cosmetics industry professionals can focus on influencer-created products to maintain customer engagement.
For
Retail & E-commerce
Retail and e-commerce industry professionals can focus on direct-to-consumer business models to offer high quality products for affordable prices.
For
Travel & Leisure
Travel and leisure industry professionals have significant opportunities in direct-to-consumer luggage sales, which offers well-made luxury products without the high price tag.
Workshop question
How can you emphasize exclusivity to create excitement around your brand?
Trend signals
Trend signals for DTC Community
Trend score 3.1 out of 10, from popularity 50%, activity 36%, freshness 8%.
Popularity50%
Activity36%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha (not a primary audience)
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Evidence
Examples of the DTC Community trend
3 featured examples from Nov 10, 2016 to Jun 16, 2017CategoryBusiness
Accessible Luxury Luggage
Away Sells Affordable Versions of Luxe Travel Gear Exclusively Online
By adopting a direct-to-consumer approach and offering affordable luxury products, luxury retail brands can attract a wider audience and compete with traditional luxury retailers.
CategoryFashion
Coffee-Based Skincare Kits
Frank Body's Babe Island Kit Helps to Protect Against Winter Weather
Skincare companies can develop coffee-based products for exfoliation and hydration to cater for those in need of protection against the harsh winter weather.
CategoryMarketing
Latina Blogger Cosmetics
Mexican Beauty Blogger 'iluvsarahii' Launched a Makeup Set with ColorPop
The cosmetics industry can further innovate by partnering with more influencers and introducing more bold and colorful products to their lineup.
