Content platforms – A focused marketing strategy with Micro and Regional influencers

Most content platforms such as BabyChakra, Popxo, Mompresso, and Plixxo are driven by a strong community of women, regional content creators, and micro-influencers who through their innovative content styles have developed a niche that appeals to the vernacular audience which is large and growing in number. A report from RedSeer says that there are about 210 million monetisable internet users in India who consume content in vernacular languages.
Although it might seem that marketing through macro-influencers will maximise reach due to their huge follower base, but vernacular content creators hold a special place in their follower’s hearts. The followers tend to idolise them more due to regional inclination and connectivity and hence, are considered experts especially for topics on skincare, makeup, fashion, and styling.
Surprisingly, the number of followers for macro-influencers cannot promise a better engagement rate which is why these D2C companies are leveraging the strong network of women, vernacular, and micro-influencers as a part of their focussed marketing strategy to tap the vernacular-speaking masses and expand their product reach.
Similarly, GoodGlamm through its acquisition of Scoopwhoop wants to foray deeper into the male’s grooming segment that has remained underserved and limited over the years. Its new venture Good Creator Co in influencer management will form a symbiotic relationship with the influencers and content creators as it will provide brand campaigns, monetisation opportunities, as well as affiliate and creator commerce programmes.
On acquiring Momspresso and MyMoney, HCPL will enjoy from the platform’s existing 60,000 regional content creators, a strong women community of 30 million, and over 2 lakh micro-influencers owning a fan base of 50 million.

D2C brands will benefit from these online content platforms as they can market their products through regional targeting that will appeal to a larger audience by building a personal connection that offers these brands high reach and engagement.

Below is the list of digital touchpoints that businesses need to keep in mind.

Must have consumer digital touchpoints required to build in a digital business

• The product catalogue

Hardly any consumer before using a product reads a catalogue and if the product fails to function the blame goes to the quality and results in an angered customer giving bad reviews largely impacting the prospective buyers of that brand. To avoid such consumer criticism, digital brands should ensure that the customers before making a purchase understand a product functioning for which the brands need to provide an authentic product usage visual demonstration at the point of purchase.

• Chatbots, do you understand my problems?

To offer customers a swift and prompt customer care service 24X7, digital businesses became fond of implementing chatbots and it has worked wonders. But, an evolving customer base comes with a unique set of problems that at times chatbot might be unable to answer the queries, no matter how much we create multiple combinations of questions and answers for the chatbot. Also, with digital businesses burgeoning into tier-II and tier-III cities businesses need to make their technology in customer service more inclusive and give them a comfortable experience.

• Telling your tale through social media

Today, if a business is not on social media, its credibility is questioned. Businesses should leverage social media platforms to provide relevant content or industry information that will establish a reputation with the customer base. Content on helpful tips will help increase the reach of the brand.

• Apps or website

Smartphones becoming absolutely handy, apps and website become an essential digital consumer touchpoint to attract consumers and offer them a seamless navigation experience. The app or website of a business should be easily viewable on a range of devices, otherwise the business is bound to lose customers.

By developing a digital touchpoint strategy, businesses can entice customers and they have the best shopping experience from their online store and build a loyal consumer base.

Top trends in 2022 for the Indian footwear industry 

Here are the trends that will be a fillip to the Indian footwear industry in 2022. 

• Let the toes shine: With new cases of Omicron rising and the possibility of a new third wave of covid, it might be possible that the outdoor movement is restricted. The preference for open or comfortable footwear such as sandals and slippers will increase.

• Let us lead an active lifestyle: With gyms and sports activities on a halt, people have taken up running and jogging to maintain a healthy lifestyle. E-commerce platform Flipkart has witnessed a sales spike in athletic shoes upto 1.5 times compared to pre-covid times and a 20 percent increase in sales from July to August. 

• Push of Make in India: The government wants to make the Indian economy a self-reliant one and is emphasising local manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. India’s footwear and leather industry is always an export-oriented one to further become the export hub, the government has announced a $364 million incentive package for the leather and footwear industry. 

• Going Omnichannel: Footwear brands are opting for omnichannel sales and bringing synchronisation across all sales channels to minimise operational complexities and cater to customer needs easily. Bata, whose digital channels earlier contributed 6-7 percent to its sales has rolled out Bata Chat Shop on WhatsApp that covers 600 of its stores across India where customers can chat with their neighbourhood stores to order products. For offline it had introduced ‘ Bata-on-Wheels’, a mobile shoe store to enhance its omnichannel presence. 

• Automation: Creating a pair of shoes requires tremendous manual labour especially in sewing and making the upper part of the shoe which takes a minimum of 18 months from forecast to delivery. As the third wave approaches, the government might again put restrictions that businesses need to operate with 50 percent capacity. By implementing automation in production, businesses can benefit from lesser manpower and match up with the demand and supply. 

The Indian footwear industry in 2021 has suffered from lockdown, but with the increased pace of vaccination, likely, the organisations will again return to the conventional work-from-office that will again fuel the demand for footwear. 

D2C meat brands making the cut into lower-tier cities

It is natural to think that online purchases of meat and fisheries will not find as many customers as metro cities, but the aspirational mindset of the consumers of tier-II and tier-III cities sets off their experimental taste buds to try new cuisines. Hence, there is an immense potential in these cities that businesses need to unlock.
To cater to unique consumer tastes, Licious has enhanced its portfolio with a ready-to-cook (RTC) and ready-to-eat portfolio to include regional delicacies like chicken ghee roast for South Indian consumers and Kosha Mangsho for east consumers along with breadcrumb coated snacks and tandoori items. Licious plans to expand in 20 more cities.
Similarly, another D2C meat player FreshToHome plans to add new products under its RTC and RTE categories and plans to open 100 new stores across India in the coming 12 months.TenderCuts, a popular D2C meat outlet with its established presence in cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru is planning to expand into 100 stores by March 2022.
Low rentals for physical shops are motivating these D2C meat businesses to strengthen their presence in cities than metros.

The expensive and branded meat

Meat sales spiked during the pandemic that gave rise to these D2C meat companies to quickly ramp up their supply capabilities to serve the needs of the consumer and gain trust. With its integrated value chains, a wide array of meat products, quality assurance, and convenience they are paving the positive perception of branded meat which will flourish their business in such cities. However, not forgetting that Indian consumers are price-conscious, a challenge might be awaiting in terms of price point. For instance, lets’ compare the prices of basic fish meat Rohu that in general costs Rs 150 a 1kg but when branded it costs Rs 250- 325.

The D2C meat market going offline in tier-II and tier-III cities hold immense potential as consumers are now concerned about healthy protein intake and are likely to purchase more from brands that engage directly with them. The brands are also driving the importance of hygienic meat that will be a major factor for driving sales in those cities.

The road ahead for the D2C businesses in 2022

Here are the top trends 

The rise of the niche categories: The D2C segment has become a competitive segment and has been bringing new and innovative offerings to meet customer’s expectations and bring a point of difference. High disposable incomes and aspiring to lead a better life is giving impetus to customers to try out new products and effectively address their problems. Some of the niche categories include nutrition and wellness, sulphate-free personal care, men’s grooming range, women’s hygiene, eco-friendly and organic products and inclusive fashion. 

Focus on enhancing the mobile apps: Mobile apps of  D2C businesses are the first point of contact and will be a major factor in acquiring customers. With lesser footfalls in physical stores apps will play a pivotal role in offering an immersive, personalised and interactive shopping experience that in turn will retain customers and build a loyal customer base.

Expanding to new consumer cohorts: D2C businesses are increasingly collaborating with micro-influencers who are delivering content in vernacular to penetrate deeper into the lower-tier cities for decent growth as the buying behaviour of consumers in tier-1 cities has reached the saturation point. 

Going Headless : This trend has nothing go to do with humans. Most e-commerce or D2C companies are looking for headless architecture meaning the front-end and the back-end are will be separated, this separation will allow more room for flexibility and endless customisations thereby creating ample opportunities for growth. With the advent of smartwatches and smart devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home online purchases can now be made through such devices that do not have a screen. Keeping this in mind the e-commerce is adapting to headless architecture to enhance existing websites with new features and performance levels. They can operate the storefront with distributed servers irrespective of locations with a simple click.

Go Omnichannel: According to a survey by Accenture 91 percent of the consumers are likely to shop more from brands that have a shelf presence. Brands like Peesafe, Licious, Mamaearth and Wow Skin Science are aggressively extending their presence into the offline channel. 

Lastly, in 2022 the brands are not limiting themselves to online storefronts and are increasingly reaching their presence offline to reach new markets and customers other than the metro cities. Apart, from that, the trends are also towards focussing on sustainable packaging and health-conscious products nudged by the outbreak of the virus.

Top trends in D2C that is redefining the consumer-brand relationship

• Going omnichannel: After tasting success through online channels, now most of the D2C brands are stepping their foot into tier-II and tier-III cities after realising the aspiring mindset of the shoppers from those cities. No matter how digitally we operate, the beauty of touch and feel while purchasing will never lose its sheen. MyGlamm the recently turned unicorn in the beauty and cosmetics space stood afloat in the tough times of the pandemic, by making its products available on the shelves of chemists, mom and pop stores. Currently, brands like Mamaearth, Sugar Cosmetics, and Peesafe are following the omnichannel suit.

• Relevant content works wonders: Since there are no middlemen involved in the selling process, effective communication here is crucial. Usage of memes, moment marketing, self-deprecating humour, or taking humour content using the references from popular web series to advertise offerings has become a practice to grab maximum attention. We also owe our brand’s digital media content to the growing popularity of sub-cultures such as Korean drama such as Squid Game, Anime, and Spanish web series such as Money Heist, Narcos, etc. Video commerce is also a way consumers discover a brand to purchase since it inflicts an emotional response and engages customers online. 

• More customisation: The D2C brands micro-segment their target audience to build products and services that are more to their likes. For instance, let us take the women’s beauty care segment that has mostly focussed on face concerns such as face washes, acne, oily skin, and pimples, etc., but to date, there have been no such brands that thought about creating a skincare range for the woman in her prenatal stage as her skin undergoes stretchmarks, itchy belly, etc. Mom’s and Co is one such D2C brand for women’s personal care that has developed a skincare range for that particular phase. Customisation addresses specific concerns of individuals that drive sales. 

• The launch of new products: The most significant change brought in by the D2C businesses is the quick launch of products that otherwise took years and a long path travelling through various wholesalers or dealers to retailers. With no intermediaries, the launch of new products happens within months. 

As Indians become more tech-savvy, the D2C approach will further make inroads into the retail industry. When people with varied needs and interests become online shoppers, the D2C businesses will opt for more segmentation and leverage social media channels to the optimum to realise more business opportunities and strengthen the relationship with customers.