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Gen-Z, Millennial D2C Opps: VF Corporation pivots to consumer-focused strategy amid digital spend increases

VF Corporation is transitioning from a brick-and-mortar business style to a direct-to-consumer business, per its fiscal 2021 Q4 (ended May) earnings report. The company reported full-year revenue decreased about 12%, but digital sales increased 67%. As consumers pivot to shopping online, businesses like VF will have to adapt. The company also plans to increase marketing spend in fiscal 2022. Specifically, VF plans to add $150m to its SG&A budget, which will match pre-pandemic levels of spending. The company's marketing strategy will primarily consist of high ROI digital ads. 

According to Pathmatics, VF earned 1.9b impressions YTD through Instagram ads (49%), desktop video ads (26%), desktop display ads (14%), Facebook ads (9%), Twitter ads (2%) and mobile display ads (1%). It placed the majority (89%) of these ads directly onto sites such as instagram.com, youtube.com, facebook.com, twitter.com and reddit.com. It placed the remainder (11%) indirectly through Google AdX+AdSense and Display & Video 360 onto sites such as zillow.com, listenonrepeat.com, thesaurus.com, transworld.net and stack.com. It spent around $14.9m on digital display ads YTD, a significant jump from $3.9m spent in this channel during the same time period of 2020. Full-year spend increased by 93% from $14.1m in 2019 to $27.9m in 2020. 

Magellan reports The North Face placed about 55 podcast ads over the last year. 

Sellers-- VF allocates the majority of its ad dollars towards digital display ads, which leads me to believe it is mainly targeting Gen-Z and millennials. Furthermore, it placed the majority of these ads directly onto social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. It has been increasing spend in this channel for a couple of years now and has continued so far this year. Sellers should reach out offering digital ad space. 

Agency & martech readers-- There are none of the typical signs indicating an agency review is on the horizon, but since the company is trying to build its online business, you may have luck offering digital services. I believe several of VF's brands work with Pereira & O'Dell (creative AOR).