Hi everyone, this is Katniss. During the past couple of months, I was doing my internship at Crocs Inc.‘s newly acquired casual footwear brand HEYDUDE as the digital merchandising intern for the e-commerce sector. It was an exciting and challenging journey. Even though it was not my first internship nor my initial exposure to the professional world, it is indeed my first experience working in such a large-scale well-structured international corporation as well as my first try-out for the Direct-to-customer market. This internship trained not only my capability to transfer academic knowledge into practical insights but also my ability to constantly adapt and stay proactive.
From B2B to D2C: Navigating the Fast Lane with HEYDUDE Digital
As I used to do an internship in a B2B e-commerce company, this shift of market focus to DTC in the job enriches my perspective about the online e-commerce realm as well as makes me start to reflect on my past experience. That’s why in this blog I want to talk about several points I noticed by comparing these two positions and function styles.
The transition from the world of B2B to the vibrant landscape of D2C with HEYDUDE Digital, it’s like stepping from a stroll into a thrilling sprint. The change in pace is drastic, and it’s been an exhilarating ride so far.
The Rhythm of B2B: Steady and Strategic
In my previous B2B role, the game was all about building long-term relationships and crafting tailored solutions for clients. The work pace was steady, with plans unfolding over quarters or even years. Even though my responsibility also includes a large amount of data analysis, we focused on in-depth analysis, understanding the unique needs of each business partner, and crafting strategies that would resonate with their goals. It was a methodical approach, where patience and strategic thinking were key.
DTC: Fast, Agile, and Always On
Now, at HEYDUDE digital e-commerce, it’s a whole new ballgame. The B2C environment is fast-paced, dynamic, and always on. Consumers’ tastes and preferences evolve rapidly, and we need to keep up. Plans that once spanned years are now broken down into monthly, weekly, and even daily targets. The pressure to innovate, adapt, and stay ahead of the curve is constant. Therefore, during my current internship, we are more KPI driven and sales driven: we pay extra attention to the sales trend, look super detailedly into the selling products, and try to understand the reason they are popular so that we can replicate the success. We also need to always keep an eye on the seasonal trends, looking for timing to prepare for promotion. We need to be highly adaptive because there’s always a last-minute change of plan.
Dancing with Departments
Also as a start-up brand under the shield of large corporations, we are given the freedom to be creative and energetic. That’s the reason why even though my title is only digital merchandising intern, sometimes I also find myself getting opportunities to be involved in dynamic and diversified teamwork. For example, sometimes I will help the marketing team with data-backed product selections. And sometimes I collaborate with demand planners to make sure we’ve got the right SKUs in stock for every “KPI-defining” moment. Sometimes even the onsite team would need my help.
From Numbers to Narratives
Another point I notice in the DTC market is that narrative truly matters. In the B2B market, because we already have a steady client base who care more about the actual profit, our primary task is just to use numbers to maximize the shared benefits. But public consumers are picky, they will only purchase if there is an appealing story. That’s why we need to infuse our product offerings with a touch of storytelling instead of simply giving them discounts. We will need to invest in transferring our data to an actionable marketing strategy. For example, we promote kids’ shoes at the beginning of September to build the whole “back to school” storyline. Or another example, we did a UK Mother’s Day campaign which was all about empowering moms to indulge in a little “me time.” I dug into our sales data from last year and identified a suitable collection that goes with the storyline. It was like curating a playlist for a fashion-loving mom’s soul.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, my internship with HEYDUDE Digital has been a journey of both growth and challenge. It enriches my knowledge about the e-commerce realm, notifying me of the importance of tailor-making different strategies based on your targeted client. I’ve also learned that data analysis is more than just crunching numbers; it’s about telling stories, making connections, and driving business forward.