• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 16, 2021

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands increased their email conversion rates by 26% YoY in January and February, according to a new study from LiveIntent.

DTC ads performed best in consumer-oriented newsletters. For instance, those focused on personal finance enjoyed a 2x higher than average click-through rate (CTR) while shopping newsletters were 60% above average in conversions

The study also found that Saturday and Sunday pulled a 12% higher click-through rate than weekdays, and a 6% higher click-to-conversion rate (CCR).

In addition, the CTR is 57% higher than average on tablets, and 20% on mobile devices.

Women generated 15% higher CTR than men and a 70% higher CCR.

Older audiences — those in the 65+ age group — have the highest CTR, 40% above average. But shoppers age 25-34 showed 30% higher-than-average CTR.

“We’ve seen enormous growth from DTC brands over the past several years but especially in 2020 when ecommerce consumer spend grew by 44% amid the pandemic,” said Kerel Cooper, CMO at LiveIntent. 

Cooper adds: “Unlike some traditional retailers, D2C companies had a head start because they were already established in e-commerce and invested in the right digital channels where consumers were spending time."

Specifically, the company’s data shows that "D2Cs are seeing the benefits of email and would be wise to optimize for mobile devices to continue that success," Cooper says.

LiveIntent analyzed dozens of marketing campaigns run by D2C brands on its platform from January-February 2021 versus January-February 2020.

In a similar study last November, LiveIntent reported that the best retail opens and clicks were generated during the morning hours, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and late-afternoon hours, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The lowest engagement rates were between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.

The phone pulled the most impressions and clicks, but the tablet produced a CTR and conversion that was two times higher than other devices.