When Ghazal Alagh and her husband Varun Alagh, had their first born, there was a dearth of non-toxic baby care products in the market. They weren’t exactly happy with the available products as they contained harmful chemicals like sulphates, parabens and even bleaches, which could easily damage a newborns skin. And so, they tried getting their products from USA, but it wasn’t just proving to be costly, but also inconvenient.
And thus, on realizing that a lot of other parents too could feel their pain, they started the brand Mamaearth, under Honasa Consumer, with the aim to provide skin-friendly, and apt products for a baby’s delicate skin.
But then, came the pandemic. While other FMCG companies were bearing the brunt of the lockdown, Mamaearth which now also manufactured personal care products managed to grow at a 400% rate. Let’s take a look at the marketing strategies adopted by the brand to reach where it has.
1. A clear and positive brand message
The brand offered contaminant-free everyday products, that could be used by kids and adults alike. And so, in order to establish trust and recall value, it was important to convey a message to them. Their message was simple, being, “Goodness Inside”. This helped people understand the kind of products the brand made and believed in.
2. Widening their customer base
As explained before, the brand was created with an idea of providing best-quality, chemical-free body and skin care products for babies. But, in a while, they also felt the need for chemical-free and quality body care products for adults too. It diversified into bath, skin and hair care products. This involved expanding their customer base by including adults too, after being assured of their initial customer base of kids and babies.
3. Going Digital
According to the brand founders, having understood the power of digital marketing, they claim to have spent 90% of their marketing expenditure over digital marketing and the remaining 10% over other traditional methods like television. They even ran commercials, and sponsored popular shows partnering with Viacom18 Network.
Since they were a chemical-free and toxin-free brand, they started initiatives like “Plant goodness”, planting a tree for every order and “Plastic Positivity”, that concentrated towards plastic recycling. This helped their image become as an environment-friendly brand.
By the time the lockdown was imposed, Mamaearth had a strong online presence, while a lot of other brands were still struggling with the impact of shutting physical stores and a weak online presence. This gave them the lead and the brand was able to attract new customers. However, even after the lockdowns, the brand scaled up their stores to have 10,000 stores in the country.
Also, during the pandemic, importance was given to products that vitamin C and turmeric, which were used in making facewashes and serums, and this struck a chord with users, surging sales.
4. Brand endorsements and collaborations
The brand roped in actress Shilpa Shetty, whose personality conveys emphasis on health and fitness. However, in 2021, Sara Ali Khan was chosen to be the brand ambassador, giving it a youthful appeal. Also, collaborations with mom influencers and bloggers helped the brand in being conveyed as a sought-after brand.
