DTC native brands such as Glossier and Away have thrived in the digital era. As Facebook and Instagram ads took over our IG feeds, these brands capitalized on already having a strong social media presence and were able to organically create engaging campaigns and continue to boost followers through their catchy digital presence. And yet, they all ended up creating strong in-person shopping experiences to round out their campaigns and give people the chance to experience their products in real life. They saw the value in creating an in person experience to engage their community in a way that social media didn't allow. And then the pandemic hit.
Brands tried to quickly pivot from in-person shopping events to strategize on the digital marketing experience, from live shopping events, to sponsored influencer posts, and more. Many retailers appeared to struggle to adapt and figure out how to tell their brand story without being "on the ground" and news of store closures splashed over TVs. And even with the pivot for many of these brands who had already had a strong digital presence, they struggled to engage with consumers and drive brand awareness without the catchy in person experience. As mentioned in one article about the value in retail stores, Warby Parker's CEO highlights the importance of retail stores, saying "We deliberately design our stores to serve as billboards and have found them to be highly effective in driving brand awareness, new customer acquisition and in serving our existing customer base." Now that stores are open again and more and more consumers feel comfortable shopping in real life, I will be curious to see how brands like Warby Parker continue to grow their brand's in person presence. I think we're about to see more in person events, more highly engaging and niche product assortments, and we will see store growth pick up, even during a time when digital is outperforming its growth. It will be very important for brands to make sure they see the value in the in person experience to fully round out their brand as the digital space becomes highly competitive and over saturated.
Article: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/23/store-closures-slowed-in-2021-as-retailers-got-creative-seized-cheaper-rents.html
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