5 Strategies For D2C Brands To Level Up Their Game This Festive Season

It’s an exciting time for all D2C brands as we begin the first unrestricted holiday season after a two-year hiatus due to pandemic-induced disruption. With pandemic restrictions easing and mobility increasing, we saw consumer sentiment steadily shift toward a more positive outlook, and this year is expected to see robust holiday demand. 

We anticipate an unprecedented increase in order volumes, bulk buying queries, and post-purchase support requests during the holiday season, and brands are prepared to step up their festive game to manage all of this efficiently.

 We have seen the D2C wave sweep across the country over the last two years, with more and more players joining the D2C club, resulting in skyrocketing D2C commerce demand. 

As a result of the widespread adoption of online shopping, consumer expectations have rapidly evolved. Consumers now seek a seamless shopping experience that includes faster deliveries and hassle-free customer support, as well as brand offerings with a very clear and appealing value proposition. 

Curating and delivering a relevant customer experience will thus be a key differentiator for D2C brands to watch for.

Curate A Brand-Wide Festive Experience

 The festive season provides an opportunity for brands to create a lasting emotional connection with their customers while also discovering new audiences. 

To accomplish this, brands introduce carefully curated campaigns and elements to all user touchpoints on their platform through dedicated pages, detailed filtering technology, personalised and targeted push notifications, thoughtfully curated gift bundle options, gifting notes, and so on. It allows brands to strengthen customer connections and increase brand loyalty.

Spark Joy For Gift-givers 

According to The Trade Desk’s (Nasdaq: TTD) Festive Pulse Survey, 68% of Indian consumers are excited about the upcoming festive season sales, up from 59% last year.  After two years of unpredictability, people are eager to return to the world and participate in many more celebrations with friends and family this year. 

While customers are willing to spend, brands must fine-tune their offerings in order to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and trends, such as more meaningful and practical gifting options. D2C businesses typically see a 50%-70% increase in daily sales during holiday campaigns as a result of the extensive selection and tailored experiences they provide to customers.

Schedule New Product Launches

 When compared to the rest of the year, there is significantly more discretionary spending around holidays, particularly on home decor, electronics, small tech gadgets, and accessories. Many tech gadgets are released during the holiday season, and people are looking for related accessories. 

To attract more customers, many brands plan to launch new technology and related accessories during this time period. Brands can provide consumers with a more fulfilling shopping experience by allowing them to select the best-suited gifts for themselves or their loved ones using the latest tech-led accessories.

Command The Power Of Social Media

 Consumers are spending more time online for work and play, making social media platforms an ideal medium for brand building and discovery. Today, a plethora of social channels enable brand owners to tell their stories and engage consumers even before they make a purchase. 

However, in order to achieve significant mindshare, any successful campaign must be based on creative storytelling in short video and voice formats, in line with evolving consumer media consumption habits and increased ad spending across various media. 

Another marketing channel that will be prioritised this year is content creators, who will help to amplify brand campaigns and generate additional revenue.  To drive ROIs, marketing teams should focus on broadening audience reach and optimising performance marketing.

Demand & Warehouse Planning 

Future demand and warehouse planning are required before D2C platforms can fulfil orders much faster. You don’t want to run out of popular items and lose revenue. To avoid mishaps, plan ahead of time and closely monitor your progress!

Conclusion

Attuned to customer aspirations, the festive season brings a much-needed vibrance to the retail sector. 

Campaigns based on festive sentiments, current trends, and a thorough understanding of consumer preferences can help brands meet festive expectations and exceed growth targets during the holiday season and beyond.