Why Did Perdue Chicken Cross The DTC Road, with David Zucker, CMO and SVP Ecommerce at Perdue Farms

It may seem like every company in the world has a DTC offering, but even now, there are businesses that are just entering the DTC space. Perdue Farms launched its DTC presence in January of 2020, and it has been go, go, go ever since. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, David Zucker, the CMO and SVP Ecommerce at Perdue Farms, explained the steps he took to get this effort going and how the company is experimenting with the online customer experience. Plus, he explains how Perdue balances its DTC efforts with the relationship it has with retail partners, that may not always be happy with the idea of a company moving its product online. According to David, the key to making sure that you can succeed both online and in retail is to have transparency, communication, and a differentiation of offerings that will link both kinds of experiences, What does that look like exactly? Find out on this episode!

Main Takeaways:

Don’t Undercut Customers: When you work with retail partners, you want to keep a good working relationship with them even if you have your own ecommere goals. Don’t try to undercut or outprice the retailers you work with, find other ways to serve customers in ways that retailers can’t, like through bundles or bulk options, etc. And, try to find ways to drive demand to both your own site and your partners’ stores by building in technology or conversion tools that link everything together into a seamless experience.Conveying Your Message: Sometimes the things you're proud of most live within the walls of your organization. But it could be helpful to let those secrets out and make them a part of your brand.Go Old School: Acquiring customers is one of the biggest challenges any business faces. Instead of trying to compete with everyone else in the same new, up-and-coming channels, look to some of the traditional methods, like print and direct mail, where you can stand out and deliver something more unique that will resonate with customers.

For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.

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For a full transcript of this interview, click here.