This is the latest installment of the Brands Briefing, a weekly Modern Retail+ column about the growth strategies of modern brands. More from the series →Before grabbing her morning coffee, Lindsay Jackson, the chief marketing officer at Made In cookware, opens up Instagram. She goes straight to the brand’s DMs, where, typically, 20-30 customers have submitted questions and comments about everything from product dimensions to how to care for a saucier. She then settles in and reads them all.“[The inbox] is the best place for us to keep our finger on the pulse of what our consumers are talking about, reacting to [and] asking of us,” Jackson told Modern Retail. “DMs are, in my opinion, the best place to keep yourself honest, because the consumers are giving you unfiltered feedback 24/7, 365 [days a year].”
Made In is one of a number of brands turning to Instagram DMs to collect feedback, talk with shoppers and source ideas for new products. While brands could commission a study or hire an agency to gain consumer insights, doing so can be expensive and time-consuming, executives told Modern Retail. Instead, by reading and responding to shoppers’ DMs, brands can get a quick and less costly look into their customers’ minds.
