D2C skincare sector is experiencing a transformation: Jigar Shah, 82°E

Co-founded by actor Deepika Padukone and Jigar Shah, D2C skincare brand 82°E aims to make the practice of self-care a simple and joyful process. As stated by Shah, “Our vision at 82°E is to make the practice of self-care a simple, joyful, effortless, and an effective part of our consumers everyday life.” The brand’s USP lies in its approach of juxtaposition of an Indian appeal with a global and modern one. According to Deepika Padukone, people who do not have the time or ability to be committing to a 10-step routine, are also deserving of its benefits and that’s one of the objectives of 82°E. Its target group is the modern millennial woman who is looking for a trusted self-care brand to take care of her mind, body, and spirit.

In conversation with Adgully, co-founder Jigar Shah shares the brand vision of 82°E, saying, “We are building a celebrity self-care brand that is rooted in India, yet global and modern in appeal with high-quality products to inspire new ways for our consumer to commit to their well-being. We hope to establish ourselves as the most trusted self-care brand for the modern, global woman, known for creating high-performance products that help her care for her mind, body, and spirit.”

Talking about the marketing mix and marketing strategies along with the means and channels that the brand is undertaking to reach out to the maximum number of people, Keerthana Ramakrishnan, CMO, 82°E, said that the brand is digital-first and consumer-centric, with a focus on long-term marketing strategies to help establish it as a go-to modern self-care brand for consumers.

She said, “We have robust, innovative, and tactical strategies to support our monthly product drops. We are collaborative by nature – we work closely with authentic beauty influencers and creators who have a strong connection with our community, and whose personality resonates effectively with consumers. We seamlessly leverage relevant cultural moments of our celebrity co-founder and turn them into iconic marketing opportunities – for example, the Oscars, the FIFA World Cup unveil, the launch of the movie ‘Pathaan’, were leveraged to create impactful marketing campaigns. Our dedication to a holistic approach ensures we consistently deliver value and memorable experiences to our consumers worldwide.”

According to Jigar Shah, at the time of embarking on this journey, the beauty and personal care industry grappled with issues such as a lack of product awareness, information overload, and content saturation. The primary objective of 82°E was to simplify the intricate landscape of beauty and personal care, while simultaneously educating consumers. He said, “After conducting extensive research and engaging in numerous discussions with dermatologists and experts, we devised a straightforward three-step product routine that demonstrated effectiveness. However, in order to educate consumers, take their feedback, and give sufficient spotlight to our products we used a drop strategy of product launch till we had enough evidence of our solution working.”

Talking about the marketing activities undertaken by the brand this year and the traction received, Keerthana Ramakrishnan said, “First, we deliberately focus on building a brand identity as a holistic self-care and lifestyle brand, and we are building awareness accordingly. We put a lot of energy into inspiring our consumers to adopt simple self-care practices – of which consistent skincare is one part. For example, we curated an entire month dedicated to self-care, during which we collaborated with creators to give our consumers a holistic self-care experience – be it about physical self-care, nutritional wellbeing, or even spiritual well-being. We also focus on building a strong community and driving engagement through unique marketing activations that allow for authentic and more meaningful conversations with our community. We have explored this to launch some of our products and bring about the angle of self-care awareness, etc. Finally, as stated above, we put thought and deliberation into strategically timing our launches in sync with notable cultural events and our co-founder Deepika Padukone’s journey.”

About the trends and consumer behaviour observed in the D2C skincare segment, Jigar Shah discussed how the D2C skincare sector is experiencing a transformation driven by evolving consumer preferences and trends. Some notable changes include a shift towards clean and natural ingredients, a stronger focus on sustainability in packaging and practices, an increased emphasis on digital-first marketing and e-commerce strategies, a greater commitment to skincare education and transparency, and efforts to make high-quality skincare in line with global standards. These trends reflect an evolving consumer landscape where conscious choices, digital engagement, and a holistic approach to skincare and well-being play significant roles.

Talking about the target group and expansion plans, Jigar Shah said, “Our target group currently comprises core millennial women who are global in their outlook, but at the same time strongly connected to their roots. However, true to our growth trajectory, we are always looking to diversify and expand our audience. Approaching our one-year mark since the initial launch, we’ve accumulated invaluable insights into our value proposition and gained a profound understanding of consumer preferences and pain points. In the upcoming months and years, we anticipate growth across three pivotal dimensions.  First, we intend to broaden our horizons with product and category expansion within the beauty and personal care sector. Secondly, our expansion plans extend to channel diversification, encompassing online marketplaces and offline retail outlets. Lastly, building on our existing presence in over 36 countries, we are strategically plotting our course for international market expansion, steadily reaching new global markets to amplify our reach and impact.”

Discussing the pricing strategy, Jigar Shah said, “Since our inception, we have been committed to providing our consumers high-performance products that have been rigorously sourced, carefully crafted, and clinically tested. As a premium skincare brand, our prices are at par with the quality of our ingredients and research.”

Speaking about how 82°E is leveraging AI and technology and the way it aims to strengthen its position in the market, Shah said, “82°E, operating in the digital-first beauty marketplace, recognises the significance of technology and AI. We employ AI to conduct comprehensive market research, employing data-driven decision-making through A/B testing and user behaviour analysis. By consistently enhancing user experiences with user-friendly navigation, we strive to make online shopping simple and smooth. Furthermore, we’re actively exploring AI’s potential to further our goals, encompassing smarter algorithms, chatbots for improved customer support, and predictive analytics. These initiatives are all geared toward exceeding customer expectations and solidifying our brand's position in the industry by delivering a highly personalised and enhanced shopping experience.”

He further said, “In my view, AI in the beauty world is still at a nascent stage. Having said that, it possesses very high potential, especially in the world of colour cosmetics, where challenges such as shade matching persist as major issues. AI/ML, augmented reality, and virtual reality (AR/VR) are being increasingly leveraged in the skincare industry to enhance customer experiences, improve product recommendations, and streamline operations. For instance, AI-powered virtual try-on tools and algorithms have become increasingly popular. Not only do these tools allow customers to try on makeup, hair colors, and skincare products virtually but also allow brands to suggest products tailored to each customer’s specific needs and preferences, thereby improving the overall shopping experience.”

In the year 2022, 82°E, raised $7.5 million funding from IDEO Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, besides from the star’s family office and UHNIs for launching new products.