India is on the cusp of a massive (direct-to-consumer) D2C revolution, largely fueled by the generational shift in digital adoption that we’ve witnessed over the last two years. The upsurge in D2C businesses has opened new avenues for entrepreneurs as well as forced some of India’s largest businesses to disrupt the way they’ve operated for decades. As business after business in India goes direct-to-consumer, marketers are trying to uncover new ways in which they can grab the consumer’s attention as they look to connect with them directly in a world dramatically different from what it was two years ago.
Here are some key trends that will not just revolutionize the way people and businesses connect with each other but also transform India’s digital economy in the years to come.
Become Discoverable To Your Customer
India today has nearly 800 million people who access the Internet, with rural internet users growing rapidly and more women coming online than ever before. As people shift to digital to fulfill their every need, they also look to online and social media to discover new brands and products. A Meta-commissioned online survey by GFK showed that a whopping 96% of the people surveyed said that they discover brands and products online. And this discovery is converting into sales – the same study showed that 96% of weekly users who discover apparel, beauty, furniture or consumer electronics on the Meta apps ultimately make a purchase. As brands figure new ways to reach their customers directly, they need to first become easily discoverable to them by building an online presence, using personalized advertising, and leveraging immersive and engaging formats.
Short-form video has redefined consumer engagement
With people’s attention spans dropping rapidly, short-form videos have seen a meteoric rise. Industry studies show that more than 200 million Indians watched short-form videos at least once in 2020, with daily active users spending up to 45 minutes a day on these platforms. It’s no surprise to us then that Reels is currently the biggest engagement growth driver for Instagram. D2C brands need to acknowledge and build for this significant consumer shift. Millennials and Gen Z are feverishly scrolling through short-form videos, and the only way to catch their attention is to make a thumb stopping short-form video yourself.
Immersive experiences are the future of brand connections
Increasingly, people want to participate in a brand’s big idea and they’re using innovative ways to do it — less words, more reactions, AR face filters, going Live and stickers. AR and VR are already becoming mainstream, allowing customers to do everything from trying on clothes and shoes virtually to experiencing the latest mobile phones and cars remotely. In India, over 35% of the Reels produced daily feature AR effects. At Meta, we’ve seen explosive growth in how businesses are using immersive technologies over the last few months across several categories such as apparel, health, beauty, cars, and mobile phones. D2C brands looking to stand out today and build for the marketing ecosystem of tomorrow will gain massively by experimenting actively with immersive formats.
Build Messaging Solutions For Deeper Connections
While people use their Feed to discover interesting content, it is messaging that drives a deeper level of interaction. Messaging is at the center of our digital lives, and any business would naturally want to be present where the people are. On Meta, globally more than 1 billion users connect with a business account across our messaging services every week. As a D2C business, there couldn’t be a faster way to connect with your customer, regardless of the size and the location of your business.
As D2C businesses navigate changing macroeconomic conditions and evolving consumer trends, it’s important to remember that the changes we’ve seen over the last two years are structural and the lines between online and offline have blurred significantly. Ultimately people demand the best of online and offline in every shopping interaction, and expect that if they can see it, they should be able to buy it – whether that’s shopping via website, mobile app, messaging app, photo with a product tag or live shopping broadcast. While the rise of shoppable surfaces, one-click mobile payments, and flexible financing provide the right ecosystem for D2C brands to grow, short-form video, business messaging and immserve formats can provide the much needed tailwinds that they need right now.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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