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In a digital world where tech often takes centre stage, Delhivery’s recent D2C panel went beyond the buzz to explore something profound — the human side of customer experiences.

The panel discussion was part of the exclusive D2C playbook track by Delhivery and YourStory at TechSparks 2023, India’s largest startup tech conference.

Moderated by Anubhav Bansal, Head of D2C and Aggregator Business at Delhivery, the discussion featured industry maestros Arjun Vaidya, Co-founder of V3 Ventures and Founder of Dr. Vaidya’s (Acquired), and Aditya Ruia, Co-founder of Beco.

Here are some of the takeaways from the session:

Personalisation is the key

Vaidya kickstarted the discussion by stressing the importance of human touch for D2C brands as they are in direct touch with the consumer. Sharing an interesting anecdote, Vaidya said, “In Diwali 2020, we were contemplating what gifts to give to our partners. We decided to give a personalised video that featured me wishing each of our stakeholders with their names. This was the most impactful Diwali gift that I had given and was well received. However, it took some effort to get the video edited and personalised for each partner. ”

He fast-forwarded to 2022, to a retention marketing conference he was attending in Bangalore. “I heard that Ruia’s brand Beco did something exceptional in terms of establishing a connection with consumers. They sent personalised videos of their celebrity brand ambassador talking and offering coupon codes to those who had abandoned their carts. This is a genius strategy and the fact that tech now allows us to do this at scale is something that has changed in the last two years.”

Ruia said the consumer landscape in India is very diverse in terms of preferences and languages. “To be able to do anything impactful at scale for Indian consumers is very difficult without personalisation. While it is important to personalise and localise your content, I know of brands that change the product region-wise. So balance is the key,” he added.

Data-driven empathy

The simplest thing a brand can do in terms of using data to craft meaningful intentions is to listen. “As the business grows, brands start to address customers as IDs and not names. Founders often only look at the quantitative part of it. However, if you listen well, which means not only calling your consumers but keeping a check on what they are talking about you on social media, you will go a long way in building the right kind of connection,” Vaidya said.

Ruia also believes that it is important to keep in touch with all stakeholders to strike a balance between technology and human touch. “Technology is just an enabler, not a replacement. Founder-to-consumer connect is still the most important aspect in any D2C business.”

The secret sauce to building a successful consumer brand is to get the customer to come to you again and again. “If you use science and data to create a well-integrated retention strategy, you win,” Vaidya said.

Concluding the discussion, Vaidya advised founders at the track not to hesitate while networking. Cold calling and going up to someone to just have a chat may help you go a long way in your entrepreneurial pursuits, he said.