What is a D2C brand?
Short answer
A D2C (direct-to-consumer) brand sells directly to customers, usually through its own website or app, instead of mainly through retailers.
D2C brands own the customer relationship and the data, but they also have to pay to be found. Paid social is often their largest marketing cost.
In India, D2C has grown across categories like personal care, food, fashion, home and electronics accessories, with many brands also selling on marketplaces.
Because D2C brands rely so heavily on paid social, unpredictable ad costs hit them hard. Read why predictable ad spend matters.