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After carving a niche in the online space, many direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands are now fast entering the physical store space.

The core idea behind the move is to tap into a larger consumer base as people still want to touch and feel a product before buying, opined panellists who got together to discuss The future of D2C industry at the e4m D2C Revolution Summit 2022 held on Thursday.

The session was chaired by Gaurav Dhawan, Executive Vice President and Network Revenue Head, Times Network.

Explaining the reasons behind launching a physical store, Abhinav Mathur, CEO of D2C coffee brand Something Brewing, said, Our brand was born in the pandemic. Most of our products are priced at Rs 10,000 and above. We realized soon that it would not be easy for consumers to trust a new brand with such a highly-priced product. Besides, coffee is an experiential product. So many varieties and tastes are available, which can't be tested online. Hence, on the first anniversary of our brand, October 1, 2021, which coincides with International Coffee Day, we launched a physical store that is the right fit for the brand.

Mathur, however, insists that having a physical store totally depends on the brand and the category. If you are true to the vision of the brand, people like you.

Minu Margeret, Founder and CEO, Bliss Club, said she would be launching a physical store soon, on the advice of other founders who say having a physical store is the smartest thing. Many entrepreneurs told me that a lot of product building happens in real-time. Being with consumers is important. Hence, we are launching an experiential store just below our office. People can touch and feel the product, our product development team would be there.

Product is King

Dhawan then asked the entrepreneurs what D2C brands should do to remain ahead in the highly competitive consumer market.

As per Minu Margeret, the products always remain the main focus for D2C. Choosing the products that are closer to what consumers need is the most important thing. D2C brands have to see what makes them different from others. For instance, whether the consumer wants a pocket on the left side of the dress or right, what should be the width of the zip and so on. Product building is a constant process. A great product gives you an edge.

We create products for every moment of a womans active life. We tell consumers who go to the gym that we are there to celebrate your journey. They can experience happiness with every degree of movement - from low-intensity walks to high-intensity cardio. We have built our brand on this, she added.

Mahesh Patel, Co-founder of Cloud Tailor, a D2C mobile app that aims at providing a digital solution to an offline tailoring problem, also explained the uniqueness of his offerings.

Our model is based on the unique clothing needs of women, which is very different from mens needs. Women need a lot of personalisation in dresses based on their choice, lifestyle, occasions and so on. Our app has a full women's fashion styling, learning, social sharing, order placement and tracking, Patel explained.

Biggest Challenge

When Dhawan asked about the biggest challenge in the D2C journey, Rohit Chawla, Founder and CEO, Bare Anatomy, cited consumer retention.

Due to the growth of ecommerce platforms, biggest-barriers to starting a retail business have gone down significantly. To build the company, people often forget how to retain consumers. Five years back, very few people had thought of D2C. Now, FMCG companies have also started advertising on e-commerce portals. So, retaining your customers is far more challenging now than ever, Chawla said.

He added, People are impatient now. You have to deliver quickly. You must attend to their complaints.

Margaret echoed the sentiments, We want to give a blissful experience to customers. This is the basic expectation from young challenger brands. We offer a free and flexible exchange policy. The ecommerce ecosystem is so evolved that it eases out the D2C brands with great logistic providers which can predict the arrival and arranges return and exchange.

Vishal Kaushik, MD and co-founder of Upakarma Ayurveda, also spoke about consumer satisfaction.

Only influencer campaigns don't work in this segment. You need to respond to consumers quickly if they complain about your products, Kaushik said.

Sharing his experience, Abhinav Mathur said: Our consumers are well travelled, well informed and discussions with them are meaningful. They are willing to be loyal and forgiving as well. Some even pay three months in advance for orders. However, it all depends on the category.

On how brands are creating experiences and expanding their distribution through physical channels, Abhishek Chandra, Chief Revenue Officer of GoKwik, said, We wanted to offer a different experience than Amazon and Flipkart. Our platform is built on the basis of different stages of the consumer journey so that we have a higher conversion rate than others.

Chandra said GoKwik uses AI/ML technologies to solve hard-hitting problems like Return to Origin (RTO) and improve conversion rates.

Great Marketing

Margaret said, Building a brand is the most important part of your entrepreneurial journey. Hence, you have to have a strong marketing team to succeed.

Other panellists agreed that the marketing department is crucial for start-ups.

They also discussed seasonal demands and its impact on their inventory and marketing.

While products like sunscreen are not used much during the rainy seasons, hair care demands are different in winters due to increased dandruff. So, of course, demand for some products are seasonal in nature. But some categories remain in demand all over the year, the panellists said.

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It has been two years since Ole Miss students were sent home, in-person classes were moved online and COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. There have been challenging moments, deep sorrow over lives lost and moments of social disconnect. Nonetheless, communities have come together in remarkable ways to learn how to adapt and reconnect.

Integrating technology into classrooms has provided opportunities for students to learn beyond the traditional classroom setting and instantly connect with anyone, anywhere and at any time. The enhanced learning environment inside and outside the classroom has provided interactive experiences and intentional education. The combination of in-person, virtual, and hybrid appears to be conditioning students for the technologically-dependent world they live in today. The current student generation should be better equipped, more resilient, and more prepared to face whatever communication challenges and experiences should come because of the skills learned by communicating online.

Video conferencing, for example, has served a variety of purposes and enhanced learning because people have been able to virtually connect from across the globe with their peers, co-workers, and family members. Students meet inspiring speakers from their field on a Zoom call that they may not otherwise have had the chance to meet if they were in a traditional, everyday classroom setting. Throughout the school year, many professors, club leaders and organizations invite alumni and guest speakers to speak on Zoom.

Jacqueline Cole is a junior integrated marketing communications major from Memphis, who enrolled at Ole Miss in Fall 2019. Cole reflected and compared her experiences before and through the pandemic.

The graphic reads: Learning Behind the Mask: Communities come together in remarkable ways to learn and adapt through COVID-19

We didnt video-conference in our classes or anything before the pandemic, Cole said. But now, its a regular thing that I look forward to in many of my classes and clubs. Last semester, we had an influencer reach out to my internet marketing class. The influencer, Sara Caroline Bridgers, actually went to Ole Miss. She now lives in Hawaii, and we were able to talk to her about how she became an influencer, how she makes money, and how to promote a self-brand.

Remote opportunities have also provided many options for students in terms of learning and future possibilities for flexibility in the workforce. It has been to the advantage of students to learn more about the latest opportunities that have emerged in the past few years.

I can go beyond what I have always known because I have the idea now that you can work remotely from everywhere. So, I dont feel like I have to be stuck in one city, Cole said. I could definitely move around and have the opportunity to work for the same company, and my life wouldnt be affected because I had to move to a different location for another job. I feel like this [opportunity] has definitely opened up since COVID.

Since returning to campus this school year, Cole has noticed the empathy of her professors. She feels like her health is a priority. When Cole has to miss class for being sick, she knows she can rely on her professors to work with her outside of class to make up her work. She feels less pressured to constantly show up for class when she is not feeling well.

The teachers have become more understanding, Cole said. I have noticed that the teachers take more time and are a lot more caring about out-of-class circumstances. When students are sick, Zoom options for students make things healthier, especially for someone who gets sick all the time. I never feel like Im missing something anymore.

As the world is evolving at an extremely fast technological pace, The University of Mississippi is growing with it. The University has employed several initiatives to help students continue to learn and prevent learning gaps.

I have been able to connect with people despite the literal communication gaps, Cole said. I think the pandemic has helped the world, as a whole, communicate.

Students can pursue and balance their passions and hobbies with their academics when flexibility is built in by a remote schedule. Combining traditional and virtual procedures where necessary, timely, and convenient helps the day-to-day tasks flow more smoothly. The developments from the past few years, such as online advising, virtual tours and virtual speakers, should remain because they are efficient and informative.

Dawson Wilson is a senior majoring in integrated marketing communications from Ocean Springs. He is the current director of photography for UM Square Magazine and was the 2020-2021 photo editor for The Ole Miss yearbook. Wilson also shoots freelance photography.

Ever since COVID hit two years ago, I have learned just how much better of a learner I am when I take online and pace-yourself classes, Wilson said. I am a photographer, so this gave me leeway to really hone in on my craft while also being able to do school on my own time. I ended up finding the perfect balance of work, school, and play.

The novelty of the technology and circumstances at hand proves there is no true expert in the roomor on the Zoom. However, this is how and where great ideas can be born and developed. Students are navigating, growing, and learning during a highly confusing time when much of the world is trying to do the same.

I feel like going through all of this and knowing what I know now, the basic message that I have learned is just to live your life, Wilson said. If you dont do it, your mind will eat away at you with the what-ifs, but if you do it and dont like it, then you have the well, at least I tried it mindset.

Wilson went on to say, I think that whenever something major like this happens, technology will always advance to make things easier for us. As much as I think I remember the internet being super popular before the pandemic, it, no doubt, got much more popular during and after COVID. A big thing that people learned is how easy it is to find inspiration and a passion, while also being able to monetize that passion. At the beginning of the pandemic, when people were making small businesses in their homes with their stimulus checks, they realized how much the internet could open the world to everyone.

The University of Mississippi PRSSA chapter members in masks.

The world is more than what students have known thus far, in terms of location or opportunity. With the world becoming more technologically advanced, each generation must refine their online communication skills. Integrating technology into the classroom has helped college students navigate the complexities of communicating professionally and socially.

I was literally blown away when Kara Brand, who worked at Vogue, told us her story in our Square Magazine virtual meeting one day, Wilson said. The story was that she had graduated from Ole Miss and decided to move to New York. She worked for the MET Museum, where she worked the MET Gala annually.

One year, she met the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, and she was offered a job on the spot. From there, she moved to L.A. to work for Teen Vogue, where she eventually ended up landing a job at Vogue in New York City. That is the short story, but I was so fascinated by her and her luck. I definitely do not think we would have gotten to hear from her if we had not had the pandemic.

Elena Ossoski is a sophomore pursuing degrees in education and integrated marketing communications with an emphasis in public relations. Ossoski currently serves as editor-in-chief of UM Square Magazine, where she works with a team of directors to lead the staff. The staff worked together to publish the first volume of the student-run fashion magazine during the pandemic.

The pandemic provided an opportunity for reflection, outreach, and creativity for Ossoski and the magazine staff. Since UM Square Magazine posts weekly content online, including social media and blog posts, the team members could still contribute to story-telling, despite obstacles put in place by the pandemic.

Ive been able to form connections and relationships with people through social media and email, whether they are professional or friendships, even with people I havent met in person, Ossoski said. I would reach out to alumni, fellow students, and just people I thought were cool. Since it was during the pandemic, most people I interviewed I havent met in person. I would form relationships and share the stories through Square.

It has been very rewarding, Ossoski said.

Social media became a direct reflection of what people were craving during the pandemic. Society had been missing out on normalcy: students wanted to know what everyone else was doing daily, so students constantly watched everyone post about it online. Students longed to be with each other.

Theres so much knowledge that you can share from one person to another, Ossoski said. You can share someones life experiences, what they did that day, what they did at school, what they choose to wear each dayits a very intimate way to get to know somebodyand it also happened during the pandemic, when we also werent able to meet face-to-face, so it was just nice to hear about how other people lived their lives and share about these experiences on social media and on the blog. It just gave more insight to life in general.

Social media and blogs became an outlet to get to know each other. Students desire human connection. Sometimes, you need that push from someone who has done something slightly scary before you; deep down, you know it will be okay, but when you hear a story from an inspiring individual who has made it, it motivates you. Social media provided that extra level of connection during that time of disconnection that allowed our generation to reach out instantly and take that leap of faith that students otherwise may not have been brave enough to take.

This story was written by By Haley Clift.

To read more stories from The Review: https://issuu.com/mrmagazine123/docs/the_review_all_pages_final

To learn more about our programs: https://jnm.olemiss.edu/

To follow our school on social media @umjourimc: https://linktr.ee/umjourimc

Apply now: https://bit.ly/36t5f3l

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Remember two years ago when you would make fun of people who used TikTok? Don't worry, I did the same. And yes, I deeply regret it. Now all you see people talking about is TikTok. A lot of people struggle with creating content on the internet. They're often met with uncertainty after attempting to create content online especially on TikTok. TikTok is changing the internet marketing game. If you can grow a solid following on the platform, you will be able to conquer any market that you step foot in.

About a year ago, I finally decided to start using the app and to my surprise, I was hooked. I knew that the app had potential far beyond anything I had ever seen. So I started to post content, every day, without fail.

Fast forward to now: I have amassed 10 million followers across all of my social media accounts. I was able to build multiple revenue streams and finally knew what I wanted to do with my life. From being a broke high school student to now being able to live life on my own terms has been one of the greatest blessings ever. Over the past few years, I have been able to scale over 10 million organic followers on the platform, and here are some tips that I utilized in order to help me get there.

Related: How This 18-Year-Old TikTok Star Built a Business With 5 Million Followers

You need to be generating captivating scripts every single day in order to see growth. If you don't have engaging scripts, your content will flop. The tactic I used to build a following is through telling a story. If you can tell a story in your script, your content will reach the algorithm in no time. Many people go into a rabbit hole when trying to brainstorm scripts. Something that will help you generate ideas is looking at other creators in your niche. Look at what type of content they are posting and try to replicate their style.

If you think of your favorite celebrity or influencer, you will notice that all of their content gets exposure. That's because they have the authority to create content that gets reactions every time.

If you want to get to 100,000 followers on TikTok, you have to have account authority. Every piece of content you create has to get engagement. But how do you do that? Your scripts need to be very captivating. You need to create content that people look forward to seeing more of. You can't post a video of something random and expect to gain account authority; It needs to be enticing. Next time you post on TikTok, ask yourself, "If I keep creating similar content like this, will people interact with it?"

Sometimes you will notice that your content doesn't perform well. The first TikTok video I posted got seven views, but I never let it demotivate me. It is super important to analyze and iterate your content. See what went right and see what went wrong. Show the video to your friends and family and get their honest opinion. TikTok's analytics will also help you find what went wrong in the video. By identifying this, you will be able to create better content down the road.

Related: 5 Secrets to Growing a Massive TikTok Following

The hardest part about building a page on TikTok is staying consistent. If you can tackle the first three techniques, repeating the process over and over again will get you to 100,000 followers. Unless you are consistent and repeat these three techniques, you will not be able to gain a following on TikTok. Remember, discipline will take you places motivation can't. Stay disciplined in your posting and it will pay off tremendously.

If you follow all the steps above, you will see consistent results. The main focus should be on creating entertaining content the followers will come. Just like anything in life, you can't chase the results without chasing the process. You have to provide value in order to receive results. If you chase only money, the money will never come. Likewise, if you chase only followers, you will never get any. You need to provide value to your viewers and your content needs to be entertaining. As long as you provide value to your viewers, the followers will come flocking.

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Dr. Biju KS, Senior Medical Officer, at wellness center, Vieroots Wellness Solutions, spoke about personalized lifestyle management, the companys focus on wellness and how it helps people make choices and changes in life to become fit and healthier, at the e4m Health Marcom Conference.

Vieroots is a healthcare startup, which has attracted equity from the likes of actor Sunil Shetty, and focuses on providing its customers with personalized lifestyle management solutions so that they Live Longer and Stay Younger.

Talking about a book by Tony Robbins, which mentions precision medicine, Dr Biju said: We are not into the treatment aspect, we are into the wellness aspect. If precision medicine can run as a new, emerging technology in the treatment aspect, then why cant precision wellness happen? So, we are into this. For this, we use some tools and techniques. One among those is to check DNA. By using this highly scientific tool, we can clearly say which is the best-suited exercise for you, which is the best-suited diet for you. So, we are into precision wellness management.

Vieroots has onboarded doctors, nutritionists, yoga therapists and fitness trainers who can refer DNA testing to customers. Even those without a disorder or disease use this DNA testing method at Vieroots to live a healthier life.

Speaking about the target audience for their services, he added, Our youngest customer is two months old. Once you can get the saliva from a person, you can get the test done. Through this, we can predict the disease condition, diet plan and best-suited exercise plan.

Dr Biju then spoke about lifestyle management. Suppose you are going to a gym. Your motivation lasts up to one or two months. Then after two or three months, this motivation comes down. So here we understood changing the behavioural pattern or making lifestyle changes a habit is very crucial. We created a bunch of healthcare professionals, known as health coaches or lifestyle coaches who handhold our customers throughout the process.

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Influencer Marketing and Creator Management agency WhizCo has collaborated with Pinterest for onboarding and managing content creators on the platform and helping build engaging communities on Pinterest.

As part of the collaboration, WhizCo has so far helped to onboard content creators on Pinterest who actively create and share their inspiration with Idea Pins that enables Pinterest users to bring the idea to life. Idea Pins are an organic Pin format on Pinterest that features multiple pages of video & image content, created natively on Pinterest to tell a story and inspire Pinners.

WhizCo also stated that they will be scaling the number of content creators on Pinterest along with starting an experts project where professionals from various niches and fields will be joining Pinterest and providing valuable insights and informational content.

Commenting on the collaboration, Prerna Goel- Co-Founder and CMO of WhizCo, said Pinterest has always been one of the most unique and inspiring platforms and were proud that our collaboration with Pinterest is giving aspiring content creators a new way to build and grow on Pinterest and ensuring that Pinterest is a place not just to be inspired, but a platform where people and creators can also publish content and inspire others.

She further added, Im also excited for the experts project which is another step in helping professionals publish great ideas and help others discover great informational content.

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