Trying to force customers into a single channel doesn’t work anymore. Instead, sustainable growth requires assigning each channel a strategic purpose and architecting journeys around actual consumer behavior. The most successful brands we work with have adopted a clear operating model:
This isn’t theory it’s how brands are reducing CAC, improving LTV, and building predictable revenue engines right now.
Marketplaces: Your Most Efficient Acquisition Channel
For first-time buyers, convenience wins. Marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and Target already have what matters most: trusted reviews, fast shipping, familiar checkout flows, and ingrained search habits. When customers are ready to buy, marketplaces remove the friction that kills conversions.
Smart brands don’t fight this reality they leverage marketplaces as their primary demand capture engine.
The game-changer here is Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC). This isn’t just another reporting tool. AMC allows you to:
Marketplace advertising has evolved beyond tactical ROAS chasing. It’s now a strategic data layer that informs your entire commerce strategy.
D2C: Where You Build Loyalty and Maximize LTV
Once a customer trusts your brand, they’re open to a deeper relationship. This is D2C’s sweet spot. You control the experience, the narrative, the communication cadence, and—critically—the economics.
D2C unlocks what marketplaces can’t:
The Extended Authority Network Beyond Wikipedia, AI systems rely on:
- Personalized Subscribe & Save with flexible options
- Curated bundles, trial kits, and exclusive product drops
- Sophisticated lifecycle marketing through email, SMS, and retargeting
- Customized onboarding flows and intelligent re-order prompts
Retention-focused media on Meta, Google, and CRM channels performs significantly better when targeting customers who’ve already purchased. D2C isn’t just a checkout page—it’s your relationship hub where lifetime value compounds.
D2C: The Subscribe & Save Reality Check
Here’s where it gets nuanced. Amazon and Walmart offer subscription programs too, and many customers prefer them because convenience matters. The goal isn’t to force a channel shift or position one platform as “wrong.” That creates friction and damages trust.
Instead, design a compelling reason for customers to choose D2C—don’t expect them to figure it out themselves.
Brands winning this game offer differentiated value in their D2C subscription programs:
Give customers the choice. Make that choice strategic.
Building Your Acquisition-to-Loyalty System
The most sophisticated brands we partner with have stopped asking “Amazon or Shopify?” They’ve built coordinated acquisition-to-loyalty systems where every channel has a defined role.
The Framework in Action
Phase 1: Efficient Customer Acquisition Marketplaces handle what they do best: capturing high-intent demand at scale. Your marketplace strategy should focus on:
Phase 2: Strategic Migration to D2C Post-purchase is where the relationship begins. Smart brands use:
Phase 3: Retention and Expansion Once customers are in your D2C ecosystem, the focus shifts to maximizing lifetime value:
The Data Connectivity Advantage
This entire system only works when you can connect the dots. AMC provides marketplace behavior insights. Your CRM and CDP hold D2C engagement data. The brands that win link these together to:
Key Takeaways
Stop thinking in channels. Start thinking in customer lifecycle stages.
The future of commerce isn’t about choosing between marketplaces and D2C. It’s about architecting an intelligent system where:
1. Marketplaces capture demand efficiently: Let Amazon and Walmart do the heavy lifting on acquisition. Use their existing infrastructure, trust signals, and traffic.
2. D2C builds sustainable relationships: Invest in the experience layer where you control messaging, economics, and customer data. This is where margins expand.
3. Data connects the journey: AMC, pixel tracking, and CRM integration allow you to measure what actually matters: customer lifetime value by acquisition source, not vanity metrics.
4. Differentiation drives channel choice: Don’t ask customers to switch to D2C “just because.” Give them a tangible reason: better pricing, more flexibility, exclusive access, superior service.
5. Subscription is the endgame: Whether it happens on marketplace or D2C, recurring revenue is the goal. Design your strategy to maximize subscription adoption wherever the customer prefers to transact.
Ready to build your acquisition-to-loyalty system? The brands seeing outsized growth aren’t just running ads, they’re architecting journeys. Let’s talk about how to make this work for your business.