India’s fastest-growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands are increasingly investing in owning media platforms to reduce rising customer acquisition costs and counter ad fatigue, according to inc42.com. This shift involves building original content capabilities and digital commerce platforms to foster direct relationships with consumers, moving away from reliance on performance marketing.
Historically, this trend has been driven by acquisitions, with companies like Mensa Brands (now BRND.ME) acquiring media properties such as MensXP, iDiva, and Hypp, while Nykaa bought Little Black Book and Honasa acquired Momspresso. More recently, digital-first consumer brands are creating their own media capabilities or partnering with content creators to produce podcasts and video content. Bombay Shaving Company’s 100Days.co platform, launched in 2021, exemplifies this approach by combining digital commerce with in-house content production to support portfolio brands.
This strategy addresses the challenge of diminishing returns from traditional advertising by enabling brands to own consumer attention and build communities around their products. Other notable D2C brands adopting this approach include athleisure startup Blissclub, healthy snacking company The Whole Truth, and audio wearables maker boAt, all of which are investing in content creation either through owned studios or collaborations with creators.
Bombay Shaving Company’s 100Days.co platform has evolved into a full-stack digital commerce and content platform, illustrating the growing trend among D2C brands to integrate media ownership with commerce to drive growth and customer engagement, inc42.com reported.