Description: Align carrier, agent, and consumer definition(s) of DTC to establish a collective understanding for the affected parties. Understand why a direct-to-consumer approach may be important for carriers’ and distributors’ growth and development goals, tactics and strategies. Use the agreed-upon baseline and understanding of DTC’s importance to establish and agree upon reasonable expectations for its role in marketing, distribution, and product development and performance. Position carriers and distributors together to align sales, marketing and performance expectations and incentives for all parties to increase the possibility of outperforming in (and outside of) the DTC space; design sales, marketing and distribution systems and approaches to meet consumers where they are at; and expand current sales and cultivate new markets to remain relevant and magnify profiles in an ever-changing industry.

Description: In this article, I will outline the key tools that are found in a digital marketer’s toolbox, briefly explain the broader digital marketing ecosystem, and outline how digital marketers leverage these tools to attract and engage customers within this ecosystem. The goal of this article is to help actuaries in all areas gain a basic level of familiarity of the world of digital marketing, so they can apply this knowledge to product design, systems design, and business valuation.