Vlog 4 – Harnessing the vvast transaction cycle to build traction for your D2C brand in EuropeÂ
- Learn how to build traction by targeting consumers
- Explore the value of localisation for your brand within the European market
- Understand how to overcome arising challenges by targeting consumers
This is the fourth vvlog in this Shop Eat Surf vvast D4C series. Do catch up on previous editions here.
 In this episode we are introduced to Amy Snowdon, Director of Operations and Nick Fife, our Head of Acquisition, as we delve deeper into the transaction model and explore best practice approach to building traction in the European marketplace
The retail market landscape is constantly changing, and it is vital to adopt an innovative approach to harness data and continuously learn from your customers. Brands today must navigate data privacy legislation and technology platforms deploying new product development. With iOS14&15 upgrades, we have all discovered an unprecedented hole in how we can target consumers. This brave, new world is set to get yet more challenging with further tightening of privacy legislation.
GA4 represents another challenge; and yet, an opportunity for brands in the post cookie world. Alongside our wider D4C customer lifecycle process, vvast are building out a world-class cookieless platform. Combined, these will provide us with rich data flow to allow our brands to invest with confidence in their channels and drive lifetime value for customers.
Fortunately, the vvast approach to D2C ensures our brands can still build traction in a world in constant flux. Changes to data privacy means we simply need to work smarter and demonstrate to consumers the benefits of opting in. In effect, it is a best practice approach we have advocated for years. We encourage our brands to clearly explain that by opting in, they in turn will receive a better experience. Benefits might include, for example, early access to D2C exclusive drops – the source of truth in the market for brands.
The other critical success factor is a better understanding of the full customer lifecycle and leveraging data collection across all touchpoints to build a true 360 view which can then be used to optimise activity further.
The vvast Playbook
Over the years of working with D2C brands we have curated a wealth of knowledge which is stored and regularly updated in the vvast Playbook. This starts with a systemised set-up approach, the Transaction team work with our brands to uncover their business drivers, taking into consideration their maturity in market, and working our Traction team to understand the channel split and how this feeds into the P&L that the Trading team own.
Vital to successful customer engagement is an investment into user journey research; a constant audit of key touchpoints across channels and site; and a passion to deliver the best possible brand experience. By gathering on-site data, we not only learn how the customer interacts with the ecommerce site to inform our CRO programme; but also, we can always ensure we are landing the customer on the site on the most relevant page based on their search term to make them more likely to convert.
The vvast Playbook is at the heart of our D4C model, truly putting the customer at the heart of the conversation and ensuring we can provide THE best experience possible.
An Introduction to vvastify
Our brands websites are run on our customised Shopify theme (vvastify 2.0). Â Developed based on the analysis from years of on-site data collection vvastify is continuously evolved based on input from our internal teams, via the vvastify clinic. These brand / user clinics feed the vvastify ongoing roadmap which rolls out functionality continuously across all of our partner brand websites as part of our fixed commission model.
It is an exciting time in the vvastify development history as years of Playbook evolution collide with the Shopify Storefront 2.0 upgrade.  Shopify’s upgrade has come at the perfect time, and has provided us with a better framework to more seamlessly test what works best for our customers.
We partner brands
We utilise Shopify and Brightpearl to launch localised sites (both from a currency and language perspective), allowing us to scale brands at pace. For example, we work with 3PLs in both the UK & Europe, and can seamlessly spin up new warehouses in Brightpearl or with the WMS of choice to facilitate this.
Ultimately, our mission is to turn the increasingly complex world of D2C on its head by adding a new dimension. Leveraging data through the vvast platform to build more insight into customer behaviour and continuously improving every interaction. In effect the more complex, the more data, the better experience we can deliver and deeper customer’s engage. The vvast D4C model truly puts the consumer at the heart of the conversation.
Top tips to harnessing the transaction cycle to build traction for your D2C brand in EuropeÂ
- Ensuring your brand positioning is unchanged but making more local to the EU market
- Laser focus on user centric experience
- Relentless R&D means keeping up with the user expectation and latest UX trends to truly build brand equity through a best in class experience.
Join us next week for the next vvast vlog on marketplaces.
