Mumbai: Men are expected to be strong all the while – well, being human, it’s practically impossible for them to do so. They can’t be sensitive, or they are termed too girlish. They can’t cry, or they are labelled as sissies. Well, it’s about time society set them free and let them be for whom they want to be – comfortable in their skin.
DaMENSCH, a premium men's fashion brand, is deep diving into redefining the idea of being comfortable, moving away from the age-old preconceived notion that staying within your comfort zone does not equal growth. In a confab with Indiantelevision.com, DaMENSCH senior vice president - marketing Deepti Karthik and Tata Office general manager & GoodFellows founder Shantanu Naidu elucidate about DaMENSCH as a brand, the platform called WeDaMEN and being part of it, the quirky advertising and marketing strategy of the brand, and much more.
Talking about market size, the menswear segment is growing roubstly, with revenue amounting to $31 billion in 2023, growing annually at 3.65 per cent (CAGR 2023-2027). Further, the market value of men’s apparel is estimated to be about Rs 3.3 trillion in 2028 across the country.
By turning their product experience of unparalleled comfort into an emotional one of being comfortable in who you are, the DaMENSCH brand is seeking to represent different situations where men find discomfort. From open, real conversations on relationships - married, live in, open, same-sex to simply flaunting your body and no matter what society thinks of it, to bridging the ‘macho’ divide between stoic father-son relationships - DaMENSCH is on a journey to make man-kind comfortable.
Along with this, DaMENSCH has opened up a platform called WeDaMEN - a space the brand claims has been launched with the mission of making mankind more comfortable to do more in life. A space where men can inspire each other and support one another without judgments or constant pressure of success. Staying in your comfort zone is the new way to thrive in life. The community will have a dedicated page on the DaMENSCH website and will continue to feature truly inspiring stories of men, who always stay real.
Through its campaign #ComfortInAPurpose, DaMENSCH asked men a fundamental question for 2023 - “What’s Your Purpose?” Men, as a gender, are seldom encouraged to portray their vulnerable emotions, especially care. Following the success of its Men’s Day campaign, DaMENSCH tried yet again to break stereotypes through three inspiring stories of Naidu, Aman Sharma and Chow Sureng, aged 19 to 40, who joined WeDaMEN - a community by DaMENSCH on a mission to make mankind comfortable.
On a lighter note, when asked about what keeps him happy and sane, Naidu expresses, “It changes every day. But being surrounded by people who understand me, even in silence, or the quiet company of my dog and a book, keeps me happy. What keeps me sane, however, is chasing one goal after another, after another, always looking for the next problem to solve.”
Karthik reveals, “The top six metros continue to be our top market governed by digital penetration and online commerce dominance however we have seen more than 30 per cent of our business coming from tier III cities and we believe this trend will continue to grow.”
Discussing revenue numbers, she adds, “We continue to grow 3x YOY, our ambition is to be a Rs 1000 crore brand by 2025 and hope for a 50 per cent contribution to come from offline business that is growing at a rapid pace. From just being a D2C brand, fastest to achieve the Rs 100 crore ARR milestone to being an omnichannel brand we think our journey is just getting started.
“We have operated on a healthy return on ad spend (ROAS) of 4-5 consistently and will look to optimise it even further as the focus on profitability continues to grow. While we still have one eye on growth we believe that through clutter breaking brand campaigns we can get more bang for our buck and hence punch above our weight,” Karthik states further on the advertising and marketing spends.
DaMENSCH also launched its campaign on conscious fashion in PVR where it spoke about high IQ dyes which consume 50 per cent less water and electricity and are used across its product range. It also launched Popcorn Pants which come in a unique texture and has been a bestseller in the T-shirt avatar making the brand expand it into a collection of half-sleeve, full-sleeve henleys.
Edited excerpts:
On the growth of the brand since its launch
Karthik: DaMENSCH started its journey in 2018, with three pairs of trunks and briefs in the innerwear category. We identified a huge gap in the men's innerwear market and took that as an opportunity to provide innovative products and spark awareness in the Indian market about the need to focus on essential wear for men, a segment mostly neglected. When we launched modal innerwear at our price point, we received such a good response from our customers. We witnessed a significant increase in repeat customers, which gave us enough confidence to expand our product portfolio.
In 2021, we launched the outerwear category with more focus on innovation in our products. Our outerwear collection involves signature 500 Days t-shirts, joggers, shorts and statement popcorn collection. Our collections were focussed on providing high quality, sustainability and maximum comfort to our customers. With time we have successfully evolved according to the needs of our customers, increasing awareness and gaining more recognition in the men’s innerwear segment.
With healthy growth online, we decided to up the ante by making inroads offline. We launched our first store in Mantri Square Mall followed by stores in Jayanagar and Brigade road in Bengaluru. Further, to strengthen our commitment in having a strong omnichannel presence, we decided to open one store every month till March 2023. Our vision is to become the best essential wear brand in the country and to cross 1000 crore revenue by retaining our loyal customers and delighting them with products that are cutting edge.
On launching the brand in a hotly contested market
Karthik: The innerwear market was divided into mass pricing (Rupa, VIP), mid pricing (Jockey) and luxury pricing (Calvin Klein) in 2018 when DaMENSCH was launched which left a gaping opportunity for us to make an entry.
When we launched modal innerwear in 2018 at the price point we were the first to do so in India and it helped capture consumers who appreciated the value-for-money proposition. While many brands followed suit later, we believe competition in the innerwear segment will help in the growth of the category and we welcome the bigger brands paying attention to a category which was greatly ignored. We are proud of having helmed an era of R&D in men’s innerwear and we will continue to push the envelope on it.
On the challenges, learnings and lessons
Karthik: The idea of tapping into the men’s innerwear category, especially in India, is a challenge in itself. This category is the most neglected part of any man’s wardrobe. There isn’t much awareness of using quality essential wear among the male audience. Hence, bringing a shift in the mindset of consumers is one of the biggest roadblocks faced, in the initial years.
Further, with existing players like Jockey, Dollar, Rupa, and other unorganized, unlisted brands being widely available, makes the stickiness of customers another problem for the brand. However, with our ability to bring tech into fabric engineering and continuously manufacture innovative products that offer properties like thermoregulation, and odor cancellation. We successfully captured the market with a loyal customer base.
On the impact of covid on your business
Karthik: Being an essential wear category we were very lucky indeed to not have been impacted by covid, covid turbocharged the D2C acceptance in India and helped consumers discover new brands on social media and on ecommerce platforms . It also increased conscientiousness around slow fashion which helped us grow the business 3x.
On 2022 being the first yearafter the pandemic
Karthik: With 30 per cent awareness in our TG we believe we are at the threshold of a quantum shift in the brand's journey post our 2022 performance which continued to see steady growth online and was buoyed by the offline foray. We believe the offline channel will be a key lever in our growth ambitions.
On your TG
Karthik: We call our TG the futuristic progressive, we believe they are discerning digital natives who are very aware of global and local brands, trends and seek the best for themselves actively in every facet of their life. While the lead adapters found us online,we grew by word of mouth because these consumers are also conscious and there is value they associate with slow fashion , for them conscious fashion is an important factor that influences purchase decisions which makes them active brand ambassadors.
We have a 40 per cent repeat rate in our consumers and more than 50 per cent of our revenue from existing customers which speaks both about our product quality as much as it does talk about the kind of consumers we are attracting and retaining.
On competition
Karthik: We are considered competition to Jockey, at a 30 per cent price premium to the market leader. We continue to aspire to take market share and find a segment of audience that might have latent needs from this category that we can cater more efficiently.
On the USP and differentiating factors that set DaMENSCH apart
Karthik: As a brand, our differentiation has been innovation, we have managed to bring in tech into fabric engineering, whether it's the deo soft proprietary fabric of Deo Soft underwear which is odour cancelling, to Bamboo Vest to Thermoregulating Polos made out of recycled plastic, we have innovated across all the 4P of Marketing.
On the advertising, quirky campaigns and brand positioning
Karthik: We started advertising on Instagram from 2018, all of our communication is done in-house and that is the secret behind the consistency of tone, application and brand spiel. By having an in-house content, design and production team we have taken complete control of output in our own hands to ensure this stream of quirky, unique communication narrative stands its own ground against the titans of the industry and is truly breaking the category norms.
Our campaigns are a result of consumer insight that we have unearthed through consumer focus group studies, our brand truth is comfort and we want to own the comfort space by not being limited to the product experience. We want to make our consumers comfortable at all times - to achieve this goal we asked the modern man what makes him uncomfortable and the responses ranged from talking to my in-laws, asking for money I lent back to having to hide my sexuality.
Through our campaigns we want to get our consumers to be comfortable in their skin, size, shape, colour, and sexuality, to be authentic, to be flawed but awesome and that gave genesis to the community WeDaMEN which stands for a community of men who support each other.
On the kind of advertising and marketing campaigns we can look forward to in 2023
Karthik: As a brand every campaign will come under the umbrella of alternative masculinity and we will continue to establish and grow our Brand Experience of Comfort in legions that most matter to our TG- the futuristic progressive and we intend on using 3C to reach this customer segment.
We will continue to double down on communication that showcases the DaMENSCH man as Confident, Comfortable and Conscious and we hope to do this Consistently.
On participating in the campaign by DaMENSCH
Naidu: I wanted to be a part of this campaign because it gave me a platform to talk about two things: the benefits and fulfillment of intergenerational friendships between young minds and seniors, as well as the importance of flaunting your sensitivity and empathy even as a male, which is highly stigmatized in all the toxic masculinity today.
On realising your purpose in life
Naidu: I often found myself thinking “if I disappear from the face of the earth tonight, what will I be remembered for?” And when I didn’t have the answer I started my hint for it. Very quickly, I realized I want to be remembered for impacting as many lives as possible in the short span I have here. Lives that need that impact.
On your first instinct when you realised your larger purpose
Naidu: That’s the thing about realizing purpose, once you do there’s very little planning left to do. It all falls into place and your drive kicks in because you want to follow it so badly you make it happen no matter what. But first instinct has to start.
On the #ComfortInAPurpose campaign
Naidu: I wanted to portray all the sensitivities and vulnerabilities that have made me who I am. Some that my mother passed to me. Some I learned from experience. All of them strengthen my beliefs every day since they form the foundation of who I am.
On you moulding into a better, healthier, and happier person with the participation in this campaign
Naidu: It has reminded me of all the values I hold dearly. It’s nice to be reminded sometimes where you began and where you are today and why you made that journey.
On launching a brand in the market without utilising a celebrity
Karthik: Our hero has been our product and we believe that the futuristic progressive consumer appreciates the clean minimalistic and modern aesthetic we have cultivated in our design communication language which is distinct from other advertising in the category. We would like to establish our brand and wouldn’t want the celebrity to become the brand as it often happens, instead, we would like to meaningfully collaborate with celebrities whose sensibilities match those of our brand, not curated for effect.
On the use of influencer marketing
Karthik: We have collaborated with multiple influencers at various points in our lifecycle over the last few years and our influencer strategy has had three pillars
● Long-term association instead of short-term bursts
● Brand Philosophy overlap
● A match on the alternative masculinity philosophy
We work with influencers using these 3 pillars as our guardrails to ensure that our brand tonality is consistent even when collaborating with varied men from different walks of life.
On retail and D2C presence and expansion
Karthik: We currently have three exclusive brand outlets in Bangalore and intend on having seven stores open by April 2023. Our offline expansion includes GT, LFR,MT and MBO placements and we are bullish on all channels. Online we are present on Myntra, Amazon, Nykaa Fashion, Amazon, Tata Cliq, Ajio, Snapdeal and Cred.
On the usage of digital and other traditional media
Karthik: We are a D2C brand and the shape of our spends currently are 100 per cent online, we intend on continuing this journey because we believe that we are better placed on finding the premium consumer online however as we foray into offline and dive deeper into Bharat we will be exploring other mediums of communication to reach our target audience relevantly and efficiently.
On the trends spicing up the market
Karthik: The key trends in the category of premium menswear in 2022 were loose trousers, statement vests, oversized crew neck tees, resort polos, relaxed cardigan, oversized hoodies, lounge wear, coord suits, men’s pouches and fanny packs bags.
Moving forward in 2023, we need to understand fashion buying for men and women both will be very focussed and versatile. As we move towards the ‘polycrisis era’ consumers are becoming more aware about sustainable fashion hence there will be critique to the lifecycle of the product. Consumers are willing to make conscious choices therefore, transparency in the value chain is expected, and ethical sourcing of materials and practices will be looked upon.
Further, going deeper, a style which is simple, more trans-seasonal, core/basic and long-lasting will drive the market. Moreover, with the increased cost of living and new variants of covid knocking on our doors unexpectedly, cost-effective items like t-shirts will witness a spike in sales. As consumers would want wardrobe pieces which are versatile and can be styled effortlessly in multiple looks.
On the innovations expected to disrupt the market
Karthik: The menswear category has witnessed innovation in terms of materials being used. The adoption of next-gen materials has significantly increased by a number of brands. Additionally, materials alternatives are also in popular demand largely due to the environmental impact.
On the vision and way forward for DaMENSCH for the next five years
Karthik: We want to be the no.1 essential wear brand in the country, the first Indian brand to cross Rs 1000 crore in revenue and even as set lofty ambitions for ourselves in terms of revenue our eyes are firmly placed on retaining our loyal customers and delighting them with products that they have come to expect from DaMENSCH.
