THE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER PLAYBOOK
The Stories and Strategies of the Brands that Wrote the DTC Rules

Current Amazon Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.7 from 78 global reviews)

Shortlisted for the UK Business Book Awards 2023

Buy Now from these stockists and more

(click to buy)

Why I wrote it

When I was building the DTC channel at Peppersmith, there was so much I did not know about this new way of doing business. So I always wanted to buy the book which revealed the fundamentals I needed to understand.

Roll on a few years, I had sold Peppersmith and realised the sort of DTC book I was looking for still had not been written. It was at this moment I accepted that the responsibility for creating it would be mine.

Over two years, starting at the end of 2019, I interviewed the founders of the best of the best DTC companies. My job was to record their wisdom and share it with the world.

Mike

From the Back Cover

Build your DTC brand by learning from the best. As consumer buying habits continue to shift, more and more brands are turning their attention to e-commerce and selling direct. However, few manage to succeed at scale.

Overcome the challenges of the ever-increasing cost of marketing, the demands of customer service, complicated logistical requirements and the perils of selecting the right technology by learning from the DTC pioneers who have got it right.

Read the founding stories, strategies, failures and eventual success of DTC brands such as Huel, graze, Snag, tails.com, Who Gives a Crap, Casper, Lick, allplants, Bloom & Wild and more to discover:

· How they got started, what worked then and what works now
· The importance of building a community and how to use data
· When to consider going multichannel
· Why you need a bulletproof brand
· Navigating funding, margins, growth, customer service and product development and more

For the first time, the best in class of DTC share their playbooks so that you can understand and build on their successes.

Recommendations

"Very few books are both as inspiring and useful as this. Mike has looked beyond the glossy case histories to the real learning curves of success and failure in DTC and feeds the flame of our entrepreneurial spirit as he does so."

Adam Morgan, author of "Eating the Big Fish" and Founder and Partner at Eatbigfish

"I loved reading the gritty backstory of so many of my favourite founders and brands. Mike really brings it all together concisely and compellingly. Chock full of helpful learnings - a must-read for anyone adventuring and playing in the DTC world."

Jonathan Petrides, Founder and CEO allplants

"Finally, a book taking on the DTC world. Recommended."

Alessandro Savelli, Founder & MD at Pasta Evangelists

"Packed full of inspirational stories from pioneering brands, this book will prove a treasure trove of insight and learning for everyone who is interested in the DTC space."

Simon Duffy MBE, Founder of Bulldog Skincare, Founder of Waken Mouthcare

"An essential read for those who work in DTC or are thinking about setting up on their own. The case studies and interviews with some of the UK's fastest growing DTC scaleups brilliantly capture the common challenges and different approaches to meeting them."

Aron Gelbard, Founder and CEO of Bloom & Wild

"A must-read for anybody working in marketing. DTC is so much more than a sales channel, and Mike's book provides a healthy dose of case study inspiration and best practice tips around where brand meets e-commerce."

Mark Palmer, Former Green & Black's and Pret A Manger Marketing Director and Founder of Cawston Press.

"The book I wish I had when starting Heights (and knew very little about the space). No matter where you are on your journey, there's always more to learn, but Mike has done a great job of distilling everything we need to know in one superb book. A must read if you're serious about DTC".

Dan Murray-Setter, Co-Founder at Heights & Host of UKs Top Business Podcast, Secret Leaders.

"Mike has drawn together the hard-earned lessons of the UK's most successful DTC companies, unearthing what it really took to make them fly. This book gives you the insights you just can't get elsewhere."

Jon Wright,  Partner at JamJar Investments and Co-founder of innocent drinks.

"A fantastic insight into some of the most successful DTC brands out there."

Oliver Bridge, Founder Cornerstone

"Running a fast-growth business is all about learning. You often learn from your own mistakes, but it's far, far better to learn from others, from those that have gone before you and paved the way. Mike has done an incredible job assembling an all-star cast for us all to learn from and presented their lessons in a truly engaging way. A must-read for all entrepreneurs."

Guy Blaskey, Founder and CEO Pooch & Mutt

"Companies can and should make the world a better place and win the hearts of people. This book, like its author, is guiding you to dare to be outspoken, different, better and more fact based. Learn how to open to pathways for loyal brand advocates to join you on your mission."

—Henk Jan Beltman, chief chocolate officer, Tony's Chocolonely

"DTC is the most important emerging tool for anyone who makes a physical product. However, it is also the most misunderstood. Mike has captured the spirit of the DTC landscape while also highlighting just what this channel can do."

Anthony Fletcher, Former graze CEO and Founder of I Believe in Science

I guess you could call me a data-driven marketing native, and I grew up in an extended family of small local retailers, so I was really excited to read this new book about the direct to consumer phenomenon. Mike has an accessible style: it's easy to dip in and out of the founder's stories, and you really feel like you're eavesdropping on his conversations with them. These entrepreneurs generously share their D2C experiences, good and bad, including Snag's data-driven strategy, Huel's focus on price point, and Tails' obsession with customer connection. I particularly liked the chapter summaries, which made me stop and think, "Should I do that?" Essential reading for anyone who works in or for the direct to consumer world.

Mark Runacus MBE, Co-Founder Wax/On

"I'm so glad this book exists! What a fantastic insight into how businesses are really built. It's never pretty, and it's not simple, but could anything be more fun? Mike has captured the stark reality of what it's really like being at the vanguard of DTC. I wish I'd had this book when I started Snag."

Brie Read, CEO and Founder of the Snag Group

"Mike's book is a goldmine of hard-earnt lessons and priceless insight from some of the most inspiring, disruptive and successful DTC brands of the last few years. It's a must-read for any entrepreneur looking to start or scale their DTC channel."

Jason Gibb, Founder of the Bread and Jam Festival for Food Entrepreneurs.

 Mike packs every useful lesson about building and scaling DTC companies into a single, digestible book. Bringing each to life through engaging case studies and interviews with the people who are building Graze, Heights, Bloom & Wild, Ugly Drinks and many others. If you're thinking about launching a consumer product startup or are involved in them in any way, this is required reading.

Damian Routley, Chief Commercial Officer at Founders Factory and DTC founder. 

“OMG, get the DTC Playbook ASAP.”

Mike Coulter. Creative Director, The Do Lectures.

BUY NOW
Amazon
Bookshop.org
Waterstones
Kogan Page
Barnes & Noble
Foyles

Or ask your favourite bookseller for a copy

Note on Amazon: We belong to the Amazon Associates program, which means that if you buy The DTC Playbook or any other products via this link, we get a small commission for directing traffic to Amazon.