Meesho's Soumitra Choubey: Witnessing a surge of Gen Z users under 25 joining the platform
Soumitra Choubey, Associate Director - Brand Marketing, Meesho sheds light on the inspiration behind the Meesho Trendz campaign and further delves into the importance of Gen Z as a core demographic, explores the strategic role of digital media investments, and more.
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Meesho has unveiled the latest edition of its Meesho Trendz campaign with fashion influencer Nancy Tyagi. This campaign which caters specifically to the sensibilities of Gen Z consumers. "This audience segment, known for their emphasis on self-expression through fashion, aligns perfectly with Meesho's core brand identity. For several years now, Meesho has strategically leveraged creative content as a cornerstone of its brand strategy, says Soumitra Choubey, Associate Director - Brand Marketing, Meesho.
Meesho's creative vision for campaigns thrives on a multi-agency approach. The ecomm brand partners with established players like DDB Mudra and specialists like Moonshot Creatives, but also also relies on its internal creative team.
In a conversation with Storyboard18, Soumitra Choubey, Associate Director - Brand Marketing, Meesho sheds light on the inspiration behind the Meesho Trendz campaign and further delves into the importance of Gen Z as a core demographic, explores the strategic role of digital media investments, and more.
Edited excerpts:
Could you elaborate on the broader goals of the Meesho Trendz campaign and the rationale behind selecting Nancy Tyagi as a key collaborator?
Meesho Trendz caters specifically to the sensibilities of Gen Z consumers. This audience segment, known for their emphasis on self-expression through fashion, aligns perfectly with Meesho's core brand identity. For several years now, Meesho has strategically leveraged creative content as a cornerstone of its brand strategy.
Understanding Gen Z's perspective is paramount. This demographic, comprised largely of college students and young professionals, craves the ability to showcase their individuality through style. However, this desire is balanced with a focus on fiscal responsibility. Meesho Trends addresses this by catering to their fashion aspirations while ensuring affordability.
This focus on creative content led us to explore the idea of a content creator ecosystem for the campaign. Nancy exemplifies this concept perfectly. A pioneer in the Meesho Mall Creator program, she has been creating engaging Meesho Mall content on YouTube for years. Her channel serves as an archive, showcasing her ability to identify trends and translate them into successful content.
Our year-long collaboration with Nancy signifies a successful partnership. We view her as a natural fit to inspire the next generation of Gen Z creators. This event serves as a platform to celebrate her achievements, learn from her expertise, and ignite a spark of creativity within the Gen Z community.
What significance does Gen Z hold as a target audience for Meesho?
Meesho views Gen Z as its core audience for future growth. We're witnessing a surge of Gen Z users under 25 joining the platform. This demographic, entering their college years or embarking on their first careers, is highly fashion-conscious and self-expressive. Authenticity is paramount to them. They possess a strong sense of self-confidence and freely express their individuality, unburdened by judgment. Importantly, they seek value alongside this self-expression. This convergence of style, authenticity, and affordability creates a perfect fit for Meesho.
To gain a deeper understanding of the Meesho Trends campaign, could you provide an overview of its key mechanics?
The Meesho Trends campaign was a strategically executed initiative aimed at establishing Meesho as a leading platform for Gen Z fashion. It unfolded in three distinct phases:
The campaign kicked off in January with a focus on traditional media channels. This decision reflected a strategic understanding of the importance of reaching a broad audience, particularly those who might not be active on digital platforms. Digital channels within television were specifically chosen to cater to the younger demographic, ensuring the message resonated with Meesho's core target audience. This phase served as a grand reveal, introducing Meesho Trends as a distinct sub-brand within the Meesho ecosystem.
The campaign transitioned to a social media-driven contest. This phase aimed to engage a wider range of users across all generations in India.
The contest encouraged participants to express their personal style and showcase their creativity with fashion trends. It fostered an interactive platform where users could discover new trends and shop directly through Meesho. Engagement was a key focus. The Meesho team actively interacted with participants over a 60-day period, reposting reels and collaborating with users, particularly on Instagram, to generate excitement.
The campaign then culminated in a celebration of the top five winners, one from each of five different cities. This final phase features content creator Nancy Tyagi, further amplifying the campaign's reach and influence within the Gen Z community.
Can you elaborate on the role of digital media investments in the Meesho Trends campaign?
Through a series of trials and adjustments, Meesho has identified an effective media investment approach that leverages the strengths of both digital and traditional media.
The strategy begins with utilizing television channels that resonate with Meesho's target audience. This establishes a strong brand foundation within a specific demographic. Following the groundwork laid by television, we scaled its reach through established digital channels like YouTube and Meta (formerly Facebook), maximizing brand exposure. Further engagement is fostered through affinity building on platforms like Snapchat, where Meesho caters content tailored to specific user interests. We also leverage organic content creation on Instagram and Facebook for ongoing brand awareness.
For high-impact occasions, such as product launches or campaign activations, Meesho strategically employs impact properties like outdoor banners and billboards. This creates a sense of excitement and buzz around key events. The articulation goes a step further by highlighting a specific example – a five-city outdoor media plan. This initiative personalizes the campaign experience for the contest winners. Content created during the event will be displayed in the winners' respective cities, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment.
What are some lesser-known market trends and nuanced consumer insights that are emerging, and how can a platform like Meesho leverage them to unlock a competitive advantage?
We recognize the changing dynamics of social media influence and capitalizes on the power of regional creators and creator commerce. We are witnessing a decentralization of relevance, relatability, and influence. This translates to a growing importance of regionalization. Interactions with consumers in Tier 2 and 3 towns across India reveal a distinct trend. Consumers are increasingly turning to local creators – those in their vicinity, speaking their language – for inspiration, education, and guidance. These regional figures resonate with a higher degree of authenticity compared to pan-India superstars. While established celebrities still have their place, the rise of regional creators is an undeniable trend.
Another significant development shaping the future of social media and the creator ecosystem is the emergence of creator commerce. Previously, brand collaborations with creators primarily focused on building reach and brand affinity. However, the landscape is evolving. Today, creators are increasingly monetizing their content.
We recognize the immense potential of creator commerce and have established Meesho as a pioneer in this space. Meesho cultivates a vibrant creator community with a powerful backend. Thousands of creators actively participate in our affiliate program, generating content and driving conversions. Through a revenue-sharing agreement, we ensure creators are directly compensated for their contributions, effectively "closing the bottom of the funnel" and creating a mutually beneficial partnership.
What cutting-edge technologies or strategies are driving Meesho's brand evolution?
Meesho has embraced Generative AI (Gen AI) as a powerful tool within its marketing ecosystem. This technology acts as an enabler, facilitating the creation of initial mood boards, brainstorming sessions for new ideas and concepts, and translating those abstract thoughts into concrete visual representations. AI even plays a role in crafting some of Meesho's social media content.
However, we recognize the importance of authenticity in marketing. Large-scale, "mainline" content often resonates more deeply with audiences when it features real people. This aligns perfectly with Meesho's core value of fostering genuine connections with its consumers. Therefore, Meesho strategically focuses its use of AI primarily within the creator ecosystem. This allows AI to enhance internal creative processes while ensuring real people remain at the forefront of our marketing efforts.
At Meesho, our mission is clear: to democratize e-commerce for millions of Indians. This isn't just a tagline; it's a driving force that compels every member of our team. We believe everyone deserves access to the best deals and a seamless online shopping experience.
What truly sets us apart is our commitment to offering the "second price" for everything. We achieve this in two key ways. First, unlike other platforms, we take no commission ourselves. This allows us to prioritize affordability for our customers. Second, we leverage a robust network of third-party logistics providers. By optimizing delivery efficiency, we can pass on those savings directly to consumers. This translates to a powerful value proposition: the best possible price for you.
