SUMMARY
These days, everyone wants to know not only what the brand is about but also the story behind the brand: Da Milano cofounder Shivani Malik
Content is key; you have to generate a large amount of content to relate to customers’ lifestyles: Sahil Malik at Inc42’s D2C Summit 3.0
D2C funding grew massively to account for 52% of all ecommerce funding in Q2 2022, as per Inc42 data
Delhi-based omnichannel D2C brand Da Milano’s cofounder Sahil Malik believes that content is an important factor for startups to relate to their customers’ lifestyles.
Malik was speaking at Inc42’s The D2C Summit 3.0 on “D2C Goes Premium: How Da Milano Unlocked Indian Wallets” along with his wife and cofounder Shivani Malik.
“Content is key; you have to generate a large amount of content to relate to their [customers] lifestyle,” said Sahil.
He pointed out that earlier, Da Milano used to do a lot of physical shoots to place advertisements in magazines. However, since physical catalogues have become obsolete, Da Milano only does photoshoots once a month now across the globe at new destinations.
The D2C brand is also including a lot of influencer activity in its content strategy.
Speaking along the same lines, Shivani said that customers are interested in knowing not just about the products but also the brand and its story.
“Facts tell, stories sell. These days, everyone wants to know not only what the brand is about but also the story behind the brand. That’s what digitalisation has brought about. It’s like a story you have to create. So, it’s all about creating the right aspiration and digital is helping you do that,” she said.
Being a hardcore offline brand for the majority of its lifetime, Da Milano is now finding content as another niche to build on. With the D2C segment growing at a fast pace, the cofounders believe content is a key tool to create a space in consumers’ minds.
“Content is the king,” Shivani added.
Da Milano is a leather product-focused affordable luxury D2C brand which provides customers with a lifetime service warranty. It was founded in 2001 by Sahil Malik, and his wife Shivani joined the D2C brand as a cofounder in 2007.
The brand operates in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, with plans to expand to Southeast Asia soon. Da Milano follows an omnichannel business model and sells the products on its website and across ecommerce platforms, along with its stores.
During the session, the duo also talked about Da Milano’s secret to cutting the clutter in the fashion and accessories space, leveraging economies of scale in India to cater to international markets, and cracking the marketing puzzle in the premium D2C space, among others.
India’s ecommerce ecosystem is among the largest startup ecosystems in the country, having minted 23 unicorns so far. Within ecommerce, D2C has become a popular subsector for early- and growth-stage startups.
According to Inc42’s latest report, ‘The State of Indian Ecommerce Q3 2022. Infocus: D2C’, Indian D2C brands received $4.5 Bn in funding between 2014 and Q2 2022. Besides, D2C funding grew to account for 52% of all ecommerce funding in Q2 2022, reflecting the growing importance of the segment in the ecommerce space.
There are more than 180 funded D2C startups in the country, including the likes of Mamaearth, boAt, and SUGAR Cosmetics. As per an Inc42 analysis, the total addressable market (TAM) for Indian D2C brands is set to cross $302 Bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 24% during 2021-2030.
