Sharing Insurgent Brand Hunt
Making it a little easy to discover new and upcoming insurgent brands
Thinking Takes Time
In the US, a personal care starts with a deodorant, a deodorant stick to be precise. Look at Schmidt's, Native - two of the most popular ones. So, why a deodorant stick? Some observers have pointed out that a deodorant is a gateway for other personal care products in a portfolio. So brands start with deodorant, introduce a body wash, follow it up with a toothpaste! Curious how a playbook of sorts has emerged from early success. Sure, the pioneers (the brands mentioned earlier) discovered it the hard way, but now there is pathway for others.
Does this happen in India too? Do insurgent brands in India have gateway products in their categories? We have a many successful pioneers and followers in multiple categories. Some analysis will be interesting - is lipstick a gateway for cosmetics or is it something else? Is mattress a good start for the sleep? Beard oil/wax for men’s grooming? I find this topic quite intriguing.
In one conversation, someone told me that it not that easy to say something is a gateway. I agree to some extent. But it can't be all art, right? We can always experiment and see what sticks but would it not be good to make an informed start? There has to be some science, a framework or a pattern. Not that a framework will be a path-breaking discovery, but it can be a good starting point for anyone interested. I am not an operator, but it will be good to look at this topic outside-in.
Marketplace and aggregator models are hard too, but there is good documentation (written by operators of course) on what works and how - lot can be cross pollinated to other areas e.g. building a consumer brand portfolio?
Thinking about gateway products will take some more. If someone of you are keen to share ideas. Welcome. In the interim, I wanted to share another related side project - Insurgent Brand Hunt - IBH is an enabler in one another topic, discovery. Read on.
Insurgent Brand Hunt
IBH is a place to surface new and upcoming insurgent brands in India. Say Product Hunt for consumer brands? For now, it's a simple directory with brands categorised based on various dimensions. You can explore, share or even submit brands to help others.
Increasingly, discovery will be a challenge as more brands hit the shelves - believe me this is happening. More choice means more chaos for a purchase decision. Of course, a simple directory is not going to solve any major discovery-related issues. That said, a single place for insurgents reduces a bit of clutter. IBH will not just be a directory; the aim is to bring a consumer lens to discovery, talk about why certain brands resonate and what's possibly missing.
I have to admit that IBH is raw. But there are quite a few interesting threads to explore - think consumer’s take on category conversations. It will evolve, let’s see.
For now, explore IBH, submit brands you love and share it with your friends. https://insurgenthunt.com
PS: All the data is from public sources.
Do you think gateway products is and interesting topic? Love to hear from you.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions. You can write to insurgentbrandnews@gmail.com