Remember when launching a Direct to Consumer (DTC) brand just meant setting up a Shopify site, plugging into a few ad platforms and watching orders roll in? That era is over. Not because DTC is broken — far from it — but because it’s matured. In 2025, thriving brands are redefining what DTC means. Today, DTC is no longer a single-channel model. To win, brands must unify Amazon, retail and wholesale into one connected strategy. Why? Because CAC is rising. Shipping is pricier. Viral TikTok brands can crowd a category overnight. And customer expectations? Higher than ever.
To optimize your connected commerce strategy, brands need full-funnel omnichannel approaches, integrating Amazon, retail and wholesale to meet customers where they are and drive sales. Social commerce on platforms like TikTok Shop is accelerating category disruption, forcing brands to diversify and amplify their approach. Building a true omnichannel ecosystem allows for more touchpoints and better customer engagement, creating a holistic strategy that’s built for long-term DTC growth.
So what are the remedies in the new DTC prescription? (You remember I’m a pharmacist, right?) Here are eight strategies to scale sustainably and stand out in a crowded market:
• Build on platforms like Shopify, with tighter feedback loops powered by first-party data tools. This isn’t about just the platform, but the stack around it. AI-driven insights help brands understand customer behavior and lifetime value (LTV). These tools provide real-time feedback to inform smarter ad spend and enable highly targeted campaigns that boost short-term sales and long-term growth. The result? An enhanced customer journey and a more sustainable business model producing better ROI and margin.
• Remember, retail partnerships play a bigger role than ever. Leading DTC brands drive retailer.com and in-store sales through highly targeted DSP, Meta, Google and CTV ad buys. Aligning paid media strategies across retail and direct channels increases exposure, captures high-intent shoppers, and boosts both online and off-line sales — creating a seamless omnichannel experience from discovery to purchase.
• The halo effect isn’t a bonus … it’s a strategy. Winning brands have designed campaigns that intentionally create a halo effect and drive strong performance across platforms and channels. TikTok Shop campaigns, in particular, have driven measurable lifts in Amazon sales. Quick example: MPG recently helped a challenger beauty brand grow retail sales by 26%, boost Amazon conversions by 29%, and improve overall ROAS through a carefully integrated TikTok Shop campaign as part of a full-funnel strategy. The key takeaway? When channels are aligned, performance multiplies.
• Defensibility is nonnegotiable. With TikTok Shop entries going viral overnight, brands must move fast and engage communities where their customers already are — Reddit, organic social and beyond. Community management is essential to retain and attract customers. And authentic creative — like UGC and modular landing pages using real customer language — is critical to driving conversions.
• Holistic media strategies and MMM tools optimize spend and drive growth. With CAC and shipping costs rising, brands need to ensure their media mix delivers. Retail media is booming, and algorithms keep changing. AI-powered MMM tools help you accurately attribute performance, reallocating spend in real time to the channels that drive results — whether that’s Meta, Google, TikTok or a CTV campaign tied to a big-box retail push.
• Performance creative is pivotal to driving conversions and loyalty. Authentic UGC, paired with branded video and static ads, builds consumer trust. Creative must align with brand identity, ensuring landing pages reflect ad angles and messaging. Make sure to speak to your audience in an authentic way, helping them feel more connected to the brand.
• Shift to LTV, loyalty and owned data. More brands are leaning in here to drive sustainable growth — especially as tariffs and rising costs squeeze margins. Subscriptions, product bundles and smarter business model tweaks are boosting LTV, lowering blended CAC and improving marketing efficiency.
• Work smarter with AI: Consider how AI can support efficiency. When used thoughtfully, AI can be a helpful tool for streamlining certain processes. In our experience and that of our clients, automation can lighten the load on repetitive tasks, creating more space for creative work like campaign development, voice refinement and deeper customer engagement.
In today’s fast-moving landscape, it’s about connecting the dots faster, and confidently navigating what’s ahead. That’s never been truer for the DTC landscape. The next generation of DTC brands won’t just sell. They’ll build ecosystems. Are you ready to lead one?
Jason Reiser is the chief executive officer of Market Performance Group; marketperformancegroup.com.
