Direct-to-consumer (DTC) startups like Warby Parker and Casper used to be rare; now they number in the hundreds, and they’ll soon be in the thousands. DTC is a sales approach whereby a manufacturer sells its products directly to a consumer/buyer as opposed to selling products to distributors, wholesalers, or retailers, who then sell the product to the consumer. Marketers whose response to this competition is any mixture of disdain, fear, or envy miss the message these startups’ growth sends: Consumers are radically open to new value propositions right now. This report provides B2C marketers with a template for adapting their strategy to consumers’ evolving purchase drivers and succeeding in the new era of direct-to-value.