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• Article | Harvard Business Review Digital Articles | March 31, 2020

  Reinventing the Direct-to-Consumer Business Model

  Len Schlesinger, Matt Higgins and Shaye Roseman

  Over the past decade, a new breed of “direct-to-consumer” (DTC) startups, including Warby Parker and Casper, helped forge a new business model. But lately that business model is faltering as the advantages that early entrants enjoyed have evaporated. To retool, DTC companies will need to embrace an omnichannel strategy, create tighter ties with their communities, and vertically integrate to increase margins.

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; omnichannel; Business Model; Change; Strategy;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Len, Matt Higgins, and Shaye Roseman. "Reinventing the Direct-to-Consumer Business Model." H05HI1. Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (March 31, 2020).  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020 (Revised March 2020)

  LOLA: Do You Know What's in Your Tampon?

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Aldo Sesia

  LOLA is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business launched in 2015. What started as a company to provide women with organic and transparent material-labeled tampons via a subscription model, had, by 2019 evolved to include additional menstrual and sexual wellness products. LOLA’s leadership wanted women to come to the company for all of their reproductive health needs (including information and a place to engage in conversation) from menstruation through menopause and beyond. Heading into 2020, LOLA cofounders have determined that to grow the business they need to go beyond the company’s current DTC model and have products available in retail stores. The challenge, however, is finding the right retailers to partner with that will help to add value to the brand and not detract from it. The case provides background on the cofounders, the company’s start, and evolution, and the challenges of moving beyond DTC.

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; channels; Disruption; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Online Technology; Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; Canada;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Aldo Sesia. "LOLA: Do You Know What's in Your Tampon?" Harvard Business School Case 320-015, January 2020. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020 (Revised March 2020)

  SmileDirectClub: Better Is Better

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Aldo Sesia

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; Brands and Branding; Strategy; Expansion; Online Technology; Health Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Retail Industry;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Aldo Sesia. "SmileDirectClub: Better Is Better." Harvard Business School Case 320-016, January 2020. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

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