The Advantages of a Direct-To-Consumer Marketing and Selling Approach for Small Brands How can you scale your business with a solely direct-to-consumer approach? Having a unique product that has a competitive advantage coupled with an excellent online and offline marketing strategy is what will help you scale without involving a third party. In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters interviews brothers Justin and Christian Arquilla, the co-founders of Gekks brand. Gekks is a growing brand of patented low profile no smell socks. Justin is an entrepreneur, husband, and father of three with a finance background. Christian has a background in private equity and restructuring consulting, he’s a dad of three under 4-year old’s, and a husband. They talk about the idea of starting Gekks and the strategies they’ve put in place in each of their roles to establish a strong brand that is Gekks. Listen in to learn why raising capital before scaling a business is a much better strategy than doing it after. You will also learn the power of a direct-to-consumer approach to help engage your customers and potential customers. Key Takeaways: How selling directly to consumers without third parties helps with direct contact with them and remarketing campaigns. The importance of engaging potential customers to help get your business out there and make sales. The importance of establishing a direct-to-customer channel where you can track sales. The advantages of using an internal marketing team over an agency. Episode Timeline: [2:00] They explain what Gekks socks are all about. [3:44] Christian explains his role in sales and Justin’s operational role, plus the team that makes up Gekks. [4:46] How they solely handle their fulfillment and shipment on all their orders saving thousands of dollars a year. [7:59] The inexpensive ERP systems they use to handle the business side of things. [9:11] Why Gekks is currently not relying on Amazon and is still making huge sales online. [11:19] They explain the problem they’re having with the reorder rate and how they’re trying to solve it. [14:37] Where the idea for the no smell Gekks socks came from, plus how their sales shifted from mainly male in 2017 to now making more sales from female customers. [18:32] The three things you need to implement for your business to succeed in this day and age. [21:11] The challenges of getting impressions on social media and Google ads over the last few years. [25:21] How to use engaging branded surveys as a way to attribute sales from the customers. [30:58] They explain how they have built an internal marketing and advertising team that outperforms any of the agencies they have used before. [33:04] The mix of suppliers nationally and internationally that Gekks uses. [36:03] How to approach direct to consumer and third-party selling in 2021 as a new brand owner. [38:29] Christian explains why not raising money at the beginning of their business was the biggest mistake they made. [40:08] The advantage of raising capital before scaling a business over doing it after you’ve already started scaling it. Quotes: “If your product isn’t amazing and doesn’t have a competitive advantage, people aren’t going to come back.”- Christian [39:34]