Leaders discuss the nuances of leveraging the star sway influencers and new-age celebrities hold over consumers for the benefit of a direct-to-consumer business at the India D2C Summit & Awards 2023
Mumbai: Influencers are a great resource that can be utilized to magnify a brand’s perception according to leaders at the India D2C Summit & Awards 2023 presented by DHL and powered by GreenHonchos. They delved into the key factors behind successful influencer collaborations and highlighted the role of authenticity, audience connection and content relevance in building a strong brand presence in the D2C domain.
Durlabh Kumar Rawat, founder & chief executive officer of Barosi, a natural food brand, stressed the significance of authentic connections between influencers and their audience. He highlighted the need for relevance to effectively promote a brand and pointed out the transformative power of television, using shows like Shark Tank India as an example. Karunesh Vohra, catalyst at Business of Design, spoke on the significance of a clear brief for influencers and the importance of impactful content in influencer marketing. He also emphasized that in the realm of influencer marketing, content is king. Samayesh Khanna, the co-founder of Beanly Coffee, discussed audience mapping, metrics, and goal definition in influencer collaborations, highlighting the monitoring of conversion rates as a crucial factor.
Sneha Beriwal, global chief marketing officer of Vahdam, a green tea company, shed light on the ability of influencers to sway their audience’s investment in a brand and the criticality of finding the right fit between influencers and brands. According to her, the relationship between the brand and the influencer and the use of engagement rate (ER) and demographics are effective filters in influencer campaigns. Rahul Singh, co-founder, Good Creator Co, spoke about ROI-driven influencer collaborations and encouraged brands to experiment with unique strategies that align with their goals and target audience.
The session ‘Product Innovation at the Heart of D2C’ at the India D2C Summit & Awards unveiled various aspects of building a unique product. Abhijeet Kaji, the co-founder of Knya which makes stylish apparel for medical professionals, discussed the concept of incorporating personalization and individuality into the attire of doctors. Bharat Bhalla, the founder of Yu Foodlabs, highlighted the significance of offering unique and unmatched products that set a brand apart from others. He shared the company’s initiative of opening 6,000 stores in South Africa to promote Indian cuisines and spices on a global scale. Bhalla also touched upon the value of publicly committing to customer feedback as a means to gain an advantage in business transactions. According to Arjun Rastogi, co-founder of Naagin, a hot sauce brand, sometimes extraordinary innovations can emerge from seemingly bizarre inspirations. He also spoke about the merit of thinking outside the box and finding unconventional sources of inspiration to drive innovation within the D2C industry.
The session titled From ‘Bootstrapping to Funding – How to Make the Right Moves to Get Funding’ for a D2C Business covered various aspects of securing funding for a direct-to-consumer (D2C) business. These included understanding valuation methods, pitching ideas to investors, and exploring the most promising ideas and hottest D2C enterprises of the future.
Sanil Sachar, the founding partner of Huddle, an incubator, spoke about why being present in the sales environment matters. Immediate success should not be the sole objective for a mature founder, he felt. Shreyans Gangwal, principal at Fireside Ventures, highlighted the emergence of new brands, entrepreneurs, and innovations in the past five years. Varun Kapur, the founder of Yu Foodlabs, spoke on the significance of authenticity in customer interactions and shared his journey of developing the product and the brand with the audience. Tarun Joshi, the founder of Joint Ventures, reiterated the importance of understanding market needs and establishing a solid structure and technological foundation before developing the brand. He shared how showcasing confidence and transparency led to the brand attracting 102 investors. Consistency is key to achieving success in building a brand, he shared.
India D2C Summit 2023, presented by DHL and powered by GreenHonchos, was held on the 7th and 8th of June at The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake. This year, the annual event dedicated to promoting and supporting the growth of direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses in India, brought together more than 200 speakers, 1000 attendees and 400 brands and companies for two days of knowledge-sharing and networking.
The event also recognized and celebrated the achievements of outstanding D2C brands through the India D2C Awards.
