DTC Brands Are Testing New Channels To Cope With Data Privacy Challenges

Knowing your customer is the first step to selling your products and services. For years direct-to-consumer businesses have enjoyed all the customer knowledge through digital cookies. You could set up ads to appear only to the person who matched your targeted demographic. But recent changes in privacy settings from Apple have prevented businesses from tracking and accessing this data.

This change is no reason for alarm. The digital landscape is always evolving and what worked yesterday won’t work today. The successful company is the one that is able to evolve and adapt with the ever-changing world we live in. In light of these updates, how can you market your business? How can you clearly identify your ideal customer when what used to be a crisp picture of personal data is now a fuzzy profile? 

The impact of iOS14 update

Personal privacy on the web has become a common complaint for many consumers. Apple’s iOS 14 update responded earlier this year by asking iPhone users if they want to opt out of apps tracking their personal data and online activity.

This change came as a shock to businesses that utilize online marketing as a business strategy. Many solely rely on social media and other platforms to target their specific customers using digital cookies. Some say these changes make their online marketing strategy feel like they’re now playing a game of “whack-a-mole”.

In addition to this, Apple’s iOS 15 update continued this personal privacy theme by introducing email privacy features such as Hide My Email and iCloud + Private Relay. These features increase privacy by preventing email senders from collecting data from a user. This further complicates email marketing strategies. However, email marketing is still effective and this is explained in one of the solutions below.

But there’s no time to reminisce about the successful strategies of yesterday. Direct-to-consumer brands must evolve and develop new strategies with every update. Here are a few solutions you can implement as a digital marketer in light of this change.

The way forward: Email, sms and other online marketing platforms

Some changes can be made to stay on current marketing platforms such as Facebook. But these privacy updates will also require expanding your marketing efforts to other platforms as well. In contrast to social media marketing, email marketing is a channel that must be subscribed to. Someone must enter their email to get on your list. This means they are already interested in your business. They are more likely to click on your email than to scroll past like they would a social media ad. Use this to your advantage by pouring into your email marketing strategies.

In addition to email, it’s important to experiment with other outlets. Don’t let skepticism of new platforms deter you. Many were skeptical about pouring money into Facebook advertising, but those who were willing to try became very successful. Experiment with other platforms such as SMS campaigns, Pinterest, TikTok, podcasts or Google search. Consider dedicating 10% to 20% of your marketing budget for this testing. After testing, keep what works and pour into it more.

It’s essential to remain agile

Today, adaptability is the most important trait a business can possess. As technology updates continually rearrange the landscape, businesses can no longer rely on the same marketing strategy for decades. They must adapt.

Apple’s iOS 14 and iOS 15 updates are only one piece of this changing world. Other online spaces including Google, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms roll out updates every day. Businesses must be on top of every update, ready to pivot for the new world. Be ready to experiment with new platforms as they come out and don’t discredit popular sites or strategies as unworthy of your marketing dollars. Depending on one source for your leads can be great for a moment. But as we’ve seen, with one update everything can change.