CLIENT
YEAR
2018
A NEW BEGINNING
Based solely out of Bangalore, the brand began its foray into market towards the end of 2017. Having already entered some form of production, the company approached us to see to their entire portfolio of activities including the likes of branding, development, research and marketing.
What made the brand's products remotely unique to the others was that its products were purely organic in nature.
The challenge here for the brand was in our ability to find a position for them in an already competitive beauty care market. With thorough research and findings, weíd arrived at the conclusion that with the market being as crowded as it was, many either focussed on ingredients or practicality of use but very few focussed primarily on benefit based categorization.
We further came to the conclusion that the brand would not be able to undercut the existing players - given the sheer number of players in each category - which gave us further leeway towards creating a mass premium pricing strategy that gives credence to the ingredients and the positioning
Having no digital assets or presence whatsoever, our initial activities began with establishing the brand on a variety of platforms. This would include the likes of the most basic channels in the form of Facebook, Twitter (later ignored) and Instagram. Since the brand was new to the social space, initial activities would involve awareness and acquisitions (no audience meant no sales).
Having no digital assets or presence whatsoever, our initial activities began with establishing the brand on a variety of platforms. This would include the likes of the most basic channels in the form of Facebook, Twitter (later ignored) and Instagram. Since the brand was new to the social space, initial activities would involve awareness and acquisitions (no audience meant no sales).
Having no digital assets or presence whatsoever, our initial activities began with establishing the brand on a variety of platforms. This would include the likes of the most basic channels in the form of Facebook, Twitter (later ignored) and Instagram. Since the brand was new to the social space, initial activities would involve awareness and acquisitions (no audience meant no sales).
It wouldíve been easy to establish a very direct approach to communications. After many discussions, weíd concluded on a more creative/disruptive approach that would incorporate an emotional hook and create a sense of relatability for the audience to want something out of the brand.
This would be highlighted both on the content side as well as the design approach to social media.
When it came to decide what content pillars would make the cut, our approach to them was in asking a few questions:
It was these questions in the boardroom that provided a basis for what would eventually come to be our activities over the course of the next few months.
Our intention was to connect the brand specifically with women. The initial forms of communication not only spoke about products but also communicated a brand whose ideals took care of their most fundamental of beauty necessities. A lot of this was achieved through campaigns that highlighted different (relatable) situations. The idea of having a bad hair day, dealing with dandruff or even getting burnt by the sun, called for such necessities.
A variety of content and topical pillars were established over the next few months which even included contests and giveaways to help improve engagement. The results showed significantly during the initial stages.
DESIGN
STYLE
The designs involved in the creatives also served a purpose. Making use of vibrant colors and a minimalist tone in terms of copy, the creatives served the purpose of being eye catching and pleasing to the eye. Design approach was a little different when considering Instagram. We'd decided early on that Instagram would incorporate a Grid approach for the brand. It was important to us that the grid on its own would tell a more holistic story to the audience. This was backed by the fact that many tend to drop off an account after seeing the initial layout. First impressions mean everything!
Reactions toward the brand and its designs were received very positively. Using effective targeting strategies, the brand garnered much attention with a majority of the audiences showing some form of interest in it and the products on offer. Everyday, messages filled the inbox with queries towards the products, their price and availability. What was also pleasant, were that more than a handful of these messages were influencer opportunities at our disposal.
While some were inquiring for paid partnerships, many were vying for free sponsorships and reviews as awareness and interest in the brand's offerings reached a fever pitch high. There was a genuine interest for the product and everyone wanted to try it.
In addition to the unknown launch window, what eventually proved challenging were the lack of funds to work with. Marketing was no longer an organic game with many prioritising ad spends in order to get a respectable foothold in the digital space, regardless of the platform. What would initially start off as a more than commendable marketing budget, eventually faded out within a month or so. Regardless of the unavailability of funds, our activities across the digital spectrum continued as weíd managed to maintain considerably high levels of engagement organically despite the drop in reach and impressions. Our goal was to initially create an awareness and acquire as many fans as possible. A number we managed to more or less maintain in its entirety.
It goes without saying, the results achieved from the initial months were majorly organic in nature (pun intended). Putting it into perspective:
Most activities took place on Facebook and Instagram.
Overall engagement stood at over 25000+ for Facebook and 15000+ for Instagram.
Impressions stood at 2L+ for Facebook and 12L for Instagram.
Comparing this with the ad results, impressions stood at a mere 70000+ for Facebook and just about 7L for
This proved to be very significant as it helped us achieve an engagement rate of 27% for Facebook and 1.7% for Instagram respectively. Both on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to comparisons with industry standards.
There's a lot to be learnt from this experience. What seemed like an avenue for endless opportunities especially on a digital front, proved to be fruitless at times. This was in part due to a lack of transparency and funding to put out based on the initial promise of quality products. The result of these efforts have now been put into perspective to rebrand and re-establish. An endeavour that will be taken more stringently.