The Week in Direct-to-Consumer: July 12, 2024 edition

Welcome to The Week in Direct-to-Consumer, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that sums up the latest news in the DTC space.

DTC lifestyle apparel brand Vineyard Vines has launched its first-ever collaboration with Jeep, Retail Dive’s Howard Ruben reports. Consisting of men’s and women’s shirts, hats, sweatshirts and shorts, the capsule collection is available in select stores and on vineyardvines.com, Ruben notes, adding that the partnership “is a full-circle moment for Vineyard Vines’ founders, paying homage to the early days traveling across New England in their own Jeep to sell ties.”

Previously: “Vineyard Vines opens store in Disney Springs,” as we noted in the May 24 edition of this column.

DTC fashion brand Shapermint is leveraging AI to scale up its influencer program, Digiday’s Sam Bradley reports. Shapermint’s in-house team developed an AI assistant “that can generate scripts and storyboards for TikTok and Instagram Reels that are then distributed to influencers,” Bradley notes, adding that production time spent on influencer creative has been cut by roughly 70% as a result. Read the full story here.

Previously: 86% of consumers say they make a purchase inspired by an influencer at least once a year, as we noted in the May 1 edition of The Weekly 10: marketing, media and industry statistics to know now.

In an article headlined “Zombie brands, fire sales & quiet closures are plaguing the DTC world,” Modern Retail’s Anna Hensel explores the phenomenon of DTC brands “caught between the living and the dead.” To consumers, a DTC brand might become zombified due to a post-acquisition departure from its original identity, while investors may view a zombified brand as one that has “enough money to keep operating but not enough to pay off its liabilities,” Hensel explains. Find the full story here.

DTC beauty brand Glossier has been named the first-ever official beauty partner of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. The partnership means that members of the team will receive Glossier skincare, makeup and more for their journey to the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. Glossier will also run a campaign across social media, out-of-home and “community engagement moments,” per the announcement.

See also: “Athleta launches first TV ad with brand partner and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles,” as we noted in the June 21 edition of this column.

DTC strategy:

• “Shop Talk: Pair CEO Says Direct to Consumer Model Frees Brands to Get Personal” (PYMNTS)
• “Nike rehires marketplace VP in DTC U-turn” (Retail Gazette)
• “Case Study | How Brands Can Balance DTC and Wholesale” (Business of Fashion)
• “DTC mattress brand shifting to ‘whole bedroom’ approach with new launch” (Home Textiles Today)

DTC campaigns:

• “Grove Collaborative, Blueland Promote Plastic-Free July Initiatives” (Retail TouchPoints)

DTC expansion:

• “Naturium lands in Ulta Beauty” (Retail Dive)