Fluid like water: Lessons from Chinese DTC brands

China's DTC or direct-to-consumer brands are shapeless like water, says OMD China's Mimi Lu, with fluid branding, a fluid omnichannel and fluid segmentation based on small data.

This article is part of a Spotlight series on what marketers can learn from DTC disruptors in China. Read more

DTC businesses don't create brands, they create concepts that slowly take form as brands. The brands themselves are like clumps of clay that are moulded over the years by careful, strategic choices and, of course, water – re-shaped through changing consumers trends and feedback.

Fluid branding has no limitations

Some would say the traditional packaged goods corporation of the world is more of a marketing company, where its brand equity outweighs its entire year's profit.

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