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[Forrester Report] Branded Manufacturers: Master Your Own Digital Destiny

Consumer-facing brand manufacturers are doubling down on their direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital engagement and commerce capabilities. To master their digital destiny, brands must understand the relative opportunity of different digital commerce approaches and commit to long-term strategic decisions about the target ratio for direct and indirect sales. This report outlines the future of digital commerce and customer expectations to help leaders at consumer-facing brands understand their digital opportunity and the core aspects of digital go-to-market success.

Key Takeaways:

Successful Brands Will Take (More) Control Of Their Digital Destiny
Brands must now own the customer relationship. Not all brands will sell directly to consumers, but all should develop direct customer relationships and connect consumers to brand product availability. All brands must establish a clear DTC strategy, defining how they will manage product distribution, e-controls, and partnerships.

Consumers Are Channel Agnostic, So Brands Must Be, Too
Consumers don’t distinguish between digital and physical touchpoints, and the end-to-end customer experience will often cross both brand-owned and partners’ digital experiences. Successful brands will act as one customer-centric organization, managing DTC experiences alongside indirect digital commerce and engagement.

Understand Your Brand Type To Inform Your Digital Strategy
As brands double down on their DTC capabilities, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Executives must understand their brand type in order to identify the relative opportunity of the different digital commerce approaches and establish a clear digital commerce strategy.