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D2C brands · Relationships beyond the sale
An owned audience strategy for direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands.
You have customers, a shop and ways to reach them. I help you identify how those relationships can create more repeat business — through better offers, useful communication and a customer experience that makes returning worthwhile.
30-minute introductory conversation. Free, with no commitment to a project.
A journey we can improve together.
Recognise the opportunity
We examine why people buy, what they need afterwards and what might bring them back. Depending on the product, that could mean replenishment, a complementary purchase, a service or another relevant occasion to buy.
We identify which information could improve a real decision: who receives an offer, what they hear, when you contact them or how you support them after purchase.
People enjoy your content or take part in your activities, but the connection to products and services is weak. We look for useful links between participation and purchase, based on what customers actually value.
The work we can do
Understand the gaps. Review the customer journey, available evidence and current offers to identify where relationships lose value and what needs further investigation.
Set a clear direction. Define the customers, moments and changes worth prioritising. The result is a plan your team can act on, with responsibilities and a way to assess progress.
Support implementation. Work with your team and delivery partners on the decisions, briefs and coordination needed to make the changes happen.
Connected customer experience
Your shop, CRM, email platform, service team and content each play a part in the customer experience. We examine how well they work together before deciding where investment is needed.
An owned audience strategy gives your brand a way to maintain useful direct contact with people who choose to hear from you. Its commercial value depends on what you do with that contact: the relevance of your offers, the experience of buying and the reasons to return.
Measures that fit your business
The right measure follows the business model. Examples include more first-time buyers making a second purchase, improved renewal for a subscription, or better contribution from customers over a defined period.
We agree what can be measured with the available data and consider the costs of discounts, communication and service alongside revenue. For customer lifetime value, we specify the period and whether we are measuring revenue or contribution after costs.
Direct experience · Ralph Scherzer
My experience includes D2C commerce and digital development at BORA-hansgrohe, where I was Communications Director and Board Member, and responsibility for a new web, app and fantasy ecosystem at the Saudi Pro League.
I bring that experience to the specific circumstances of your brand: what customers need, how the business earns money and what your team can deliver.
Use what your business needs
The framework connects customer understanding, communication, offers, systems and responsibilities. Developed in sport as the Fan Relationship System, it helps us find gaps and dependencies across the journey.
We use the parts relevant to your business. Sponsorship, for example, matters when partnerships play a role in your customer relationships; it is not a requirement for a D2C brand.
Before we start
No. The fit depends on your customer relationships, the commercial problem and the support you need. Sport is a field of experience, not a requirement for working together.
We examine the purchase cycle and where further value could realistically come from, such as service, complementary products or referrals. Frequent repeat purchase is not the right objective for every product.
My role is to clarify the strategy and support delivery with your team and partners. Day-to-day campaign, shop and creative execution remain with the people appointed to those roles.
Yes. We can scope the work around a defined question, such as the path to a second purchase, how a community supports the business or what your customer communication needs to achieve.
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