Not Selling Direct = Not Your Customer

There is an issue that a lot of CPG businesses run into. Whether you are a consultant, creator, producer, or manufacturer, when people buy from a retailer, they are not your customers. Whether it’s a brick-and-mortar shop on Main Street or online at Amazon, Google Shopping, Facebook, Etsy, or Creative Market does not matter. Those businesses own those relationships. In this regard, as a manufacturer, brand, or creator, you are a third party.

We've had a few clients with this challenge, and the reasons vary dramatically:

• They make furniture where shipping and distribution are no small investment

• The business might be looking to expand retail in major chains, making direct-to-consumer sales a competitive conflict

• Some companies need to pick up speed quickly, and an established marketplace is excellent to do that

• Website updates can be laborious when the product is artisanal or bespoke or when inventory is as low as one item

A classic way to transition these people to being direct customers is to use a "Box Stuffer." These come in a few forms, but essentially, the product is packaged with an offer to sign up for something (warranty, instruction download, email list) or buy something directly (20% off) on the brands' domain. Aside from getting a sale, the important part is collecting names and email addresses for your list.

So, to convert marketplace buyers into customers, it helps to have the items available via e-commerce. But if you can’t sell products directly, there are plenty of brand marketing tactics that can help drive consumers to the marketplaces. Just keep in mind that competitors have products available as well.