Now Reading: Use influencers only after finding product-market fit: Emami exec
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Use influencers only after finding product-market fit: Emami exec
Use influencers only after finding product-market fit: Emami exec
Emami's chief growth officer Dhruv Aggarwal said D2C brands should scale influencer marketing only after establishing product-market fit, as creator campaigns cannot compensate for a weak product. He was speaking at Inc42's 'The D2C & Retail Summit 2026'.
Aggarwal said Emami's personal care brand Brillare doubled revenue after scaling influencer videos from 15 to 2,000 a month. He cautioned brands to monitor customer acquisition costs and pause campaigns that merely buy sales instead of creating sustainable demand.
The panel also featured founders of Deconstruct, Soulflower, and Base.com India. They noted that brands are using creator-led content and online communities like Reddit to build trust before consumers buy on quick commerce platforms.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Aggarwal's advice reflects a maturing D2C market where investor focus has shifted from growth-at-all-costs to unit economics. Many D2C brands burned cash on influencer campaigns without a repeatable product, leading to high churn. The comment also signals that large FMCG firms like Emami, which has acquired D2C brands including Brillare and The Man Company, are now applying disciplined playbooks. Watch for whether other FMCG acquirers follow similar guidance, as the next wave of D2C exits may depend on showing profitable influencer spend.
Source: inc42.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
