Publications
Publications
- January 2020 (Revised May 2020)
- HBS Case Collection
Direct to Consumer Brands
By: Sunil Gupta
Abstract
Recent years have seen the dramatic rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands by several startups. Many of these brands, such as Dollar Shave Club, Harry’s, Glossier, and Allbirds, entered mature markets dominated by established companies, and yet they grew rapidly to attain valuations over $1 billion. At the same time, some DTC brands such as Casper saw a significant drop in their valuations after going public. Are these DTC brands fads or the dawn of a new era? And how should incumbents respond?
Keywords
Direct-to-consumer; Digital Marketing; Industry Evolution; Business Startups; Internet and the Web; Brands and Branding; Marketing; Change
Citation
Gupta, Sunil. "Direct to Consumer Brands." Harvard Business School Case 520-060, January 2020. (Revised May 2020.)