Harnessing the Power of Influencers: Key Insights from Day 2 of India D2C Summit 2023

The India D2C Summit & Awards 2023 partnered by DHL and GreenHonchos continued its second day with a captivating session with industry experts delving into the power of social media influencers and online celebrities in driving D2C businesses to new heights. The session provided valuable insights 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 & CEO of Barosi, a natural food brand stressed on 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 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, 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 influence their audience's investment in a brand and the criticality of finding the right fit between influencers and brands. The relationship between the brand and the influencer and the use of engagement rate (ER) and demographics are effective filters in influencer campaigns, according to her. 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 unveiled various aspects of building a unique product. Abhijeet Kaji, Co-founder, knya that makes stylish apparel for medical professionals, discussed the concept of incorporating personalization and individuality into the attire of doctors. Bharat Bhalla, 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 gaining an advantage in business transactions. According to Arjun Rastogi, Co-founder of Naagin, a hot sauces 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, Founding Partner of Huddle, an incubator, stressed on 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, 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, 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.