The Direct to Consumer Playbook - by Mike Stevens (Paperback)

About the Book

Discover how any brand can drive a winning direct to consumer strategy, irrespective of market segments, with insight and lessons from the global companies who have made their DTC business a success.

Book Synopsis

SHORTLISTED: Business Book Awards 2023 - Start Up/Scale Up

Build your DTC brand by learning from the best. As consumer buying habits continue to shift, more and more brands are turning their attention to e-commerce and selling direct. However, few manage to succeed at scale.

Overcome the challenges of the ever-increasing cost of marketing, the demands of customer service, complicated logistical requirements and the perils of selecting the right technology by learning from the DTC pioneers who have got it right.

Read the founding stories, strategies, failures and eventual success of DTC brands such as Huel, graze, Snag, tails.com, Who Gives a Crap, Casper, Lick, allplants, Bloom & Wild and more to discover:

- How they got started, what worked then and what works now
- The importance of building a community and how to use data
- When to consider going multichannel
- Why you need a bulletproof brand
- Navigating funding, margins, growth, customer service and product development and more

For the first time, the best in class of DTC share their playbooks so that you can understand and build on their successes.

Review Quotes

"A fantastic insight into some of the most successful DTC brands out there."-- "Oliver Bridge, Founder, Cornerstone"

"A must-read for anybody working in marketing. DTC is so much more than a sales channel, and this book provides a healthy dose of case study inspiration and best practice tips around where brand meets e-commerce."-- "Mark Palmer, Former Green & Black's and Pret A Manger Marketing Director, Founder of Cawston Press."

"An essential read for those who work in DTC or are thinking about setting up on their own. The case studies and interviews with some of the UK's fastest growing DTC scaleups brilliantly capture the common challenges and different approaches to meeting them."-- "Aron Gelbard, Founder and CEO, Bloom & Wild"

"Companies can and should make the world a better place and win the hearts of people. This book, like its author, is guiding you to dare to be outspoken, different, better and more fact based. Learn how to open to pathways for loyal brand advocates to join you on your mission."-- "Henk Jan Beltman, Chief Chocolate Officer, Tony's Chocolonely"

"DTC is the most important emerging tool for anyone who makes a physical product. However, it is also the most misunderstood. Mike has captured the spirit of the DTC landscape while also highlighting just what this channel can do."-- "Anthony Fletcher, Former CEO, graze and Founder, I Believe in Science"

"Essential reading for anyone who works in or for the direct to consumer world."-- "Mark Runacus MBE, Co-Founder Wax/On"

"Finally, a book taking on the DTC world. Recommended."-- "Alessandro Savelli, Founder and MD, Pasta Evangelists"

"I loved reading the gritty backstory of so many of my favourite founders and brands. Mike really brings it all together concisely and compellingly. Chock full of helpful learnings - a must-read for anyone adventuring and playing in the DTC world."-- "Jonathan Petrides, Founder and CEO, allplants"

"I'm so glad this book exists! What a fantastic insight into how businesses are really built. It's never pretty, and it's not simple, but could anything be more fun? Mike has captured the stark reality of what it's really like being at the vanguard of DTC. I wish I'd had this book when I started Snag."-- "Brie Read, CEO and Founder of the Snag Group"

"Mike has drawn together the hard-earned lessons of the UK's most successful DTC companies, unearthing what it really took to make them fly. This book gives you the insights you just can't get elsewhere."-- "Jon Wright, Partner, JamJar Investments and Co-founder, innocent drinks"

"Mike packs every useful lesson about building and scaling DTC companies into a single, digestible book. Bringing each to life through engaging case studies and interviews with the people who are building Graze, Heights, Bloom & Wild, Ugly Drinks and many others. If you're thinking about launching a consumer product start-up or are involved in them in any way, this is required reading."-- "Damian Routley, Chief Commercial Officer at Founders Factory and DTC founder"

"Mike's book is a goldmine of hard-earnt lessons and priceless insight from some of the most inspiring, disruptive and successful DTC brands of the last few years. It's a must-read for any entrepreneur looking to start or scale their DTC channel."-- "Jason Gibb, Founder of the Bread and Jam Festival for Food Entrepreneurs"

"OMG, get The DTC Playbook ASAP."-- "Mike Coulter. Creative Director, The Do Lectures."

"Packed full of inspirational stories from pioneering brands, this book will prove a treasure trove of insight and learning for everyone who is interested in the DTC space."-- "Simon Duffy MBE, Founder of Bulldog Skincare and Waken Mouthcare"

"Running a fast-growth business is all about learning. You often learn from your own mistakes, but it's far, far better to learn from others, from those that have gone before you and paved the way. Mike has done an incredible job assembling an all-star cast for us all to learn from and presented their lessons in a truly engaging way. A must-read for all entrepreneurs."-- "Guy Blaskey, Founder and CEO, Pooch & Mutt"

"The book I wish I had when starting Heights (and knew very little about the space). No matter where you are on your journey, there's always more to learn, but Mike has done a great job of distilling everything we need to know in one superb book. A must read if you're serious about DTC."-- "Dan Murray-Setter, Co-Founder, Heights and Host of UKs Top Business Podcast, Secret Leaders"

"Very few books are both as inspiring and useful as this. Mike has looked beyond the glossy case histories to the real learning curves of success and failure in DTC and feeds the flame of our entrepreneurial spirit as he does so."-- "Adam Morgan, author of "Eating the Big Fish" and Founder and Partner, Eatbigfish"

About the Author

Mike Stevens has played key roles in two of the most iconic start up-challenger brands in recent years: Innocent smoothies and Peppersmith plant-based chewing gum and mints. At Innocent, he built and ran their supply chain for six years before becoming a country manager and heading up the brand's launch in Scandinavia. In 2009 he co-founded Peppersmith. He now advises D2C food and drink businesses and is a mentor for Virgin Startup. He is based in Dorset, UK.