2 min read
The sailing was relatively smooth for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands during the pandemic, with the vast majority of consumers being stuck at home and more reliant on online purchasing than ever before.
Now, with those digital customers leaving home and returning back to pre-pandemic travel and shopping behaviors, DTC brands are sailing much choppier waters when it comes to connecting with their target audiences.
The pandemic-fueled reliance on screens has resulted in a digitally fatigued audience that is now paying much less attention to the tiny screens in front of them and much more attention to the physical world around them.
Finding Customers in an Evolving DTC Market
Just as DTC brands took advantage of intercepting their audience's online attention during the pandemic, the same is possible in the real world. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising allows brands to hack place and capitalize on context and relevance by getting in front of audiences where they already are.
No wonder DTC brands have turned to OOH to boost online sales.
OOH may start in the real world, but when executed well, the medium entices and inspires viewers to take online actions, such as learning more about a brand or buying a product.
DTC brands are deploying OOH to build brand and product familiarity, and they’re leaning into the versatility of OOH to create content that intrigues and engages audiences.
Here are 4 examples that illustrate how DTC brands are going out of home with ad activations.
1. Cozy Earth
Cozy Earth sells luxury loungewear and bedding made from fabrics that are sumptuously soft and help regulate sleeping temperature. Their first foray into OOH netted a significant increase in both organic and search traffic.
2. Deux
If you know Deux, you know they make health-conscious cookies. But that’s not all. The company used OOH to spread the word about its raw cookie dough. One of their most memorable billboards invited viewers to engage using an unusual call to action — “Honk if You Like it Raw!” They got honks on the road and online, too, thanks to the billboard’s irresistible sharability.
3. Poppi
Bright, fruity colors, and just three words: Big. Flavor. Energy. Even at a glance, it’s easy for billboard viewers to assemble the elements to get Poppi’s message — you gotta try this healthy soda.
4. Parachute
Home décor and bedding brand Parachute developed an entire series of billboards fetchingly juxtaposing animals snuggling in their nests with humans snuggling in their beds.
Savvy DTC marketers have found a way to ride the waves of evolving consumer behavior, using OOH to keep pace with their targets as they go about their daily lives.
With OOH, DTCs are making a name for themselves, showcasing their products and driving traffic right to their website. That’s a smart plan for any brand.