Minimalist's Mohit Yadav on challenging misinformation and not relying on flashy ads

What’s next for Minimalist? With a fiercely loyal customer base, the inevitable question looms - Will the brand’s identity and quality evolve or perhaps even transform under HUL’s guidance?

By  Indrani BoseFeb 4, 2025 1:07 PM
Minimalist's Mohit Yadav on challenging misinformation and not relying on flashy ads
Instead of chasing trends or relying on flashy ads, our marketing initiatives are rooted in science-backed information, transparency, and real consumer experiences, says Mohit Yadav, Co-Founder and CEO of Minimalist.

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has recently acquired a 90.5% stake in premium beauty brand Minimalist for a hefty Rs 2,955 crore. The remaining 9.5%, currently held by founders Mohit Yadav and Rahul Yadav, is set to transition to HUL ownership within the next two years, according to reports.

HUL is keen to modernize its offerings and capture the hearts and wallets of India’s fast-growing demographic of young, well-informed consumers. Minimalist, a brand celebrated for its ingredient-focused and science-backed skincare, aligns perfectly with the ongoing shift away from legacy-driven mass-market brands. However, this move has also sparked debate among loyal Minimalist customers, who question whether the brand will stay true to its roots under HUL’s stewardship.

Launched in October 2020, Minimalist rocketed to Rs 100 crore in revenue within just eight months and achieved a net profit of Rs 5 crore in its debut year. By FY22, its profits had tripled to Rs 16 crore, though the following year saw a dip to Rs 5 crore due to significant investments in team-building and hiring. In FY24, Minimalist made a comeback, doubling its net profit to Rs 10 crore. Today, with a revenue from operations of Rs 347 crore (as of FY24), the brand has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the direct-to-consumer (D2C) space.

What’s next for Minimalist? With a fiercely loyal customer base, the inevitable question looms - Will the brand’s identity and quality evolve or perhaps even transform under HUL’s guidance?

Amidst these developments, Mohit Yadav, Co-Founder and CEO of Minimalist, reflects on the brand’s remarkable journey, the challenges of educating consumers about science-based skincare in an age dominated by misinformation and viral beauty trends, and what the future holds.

Edited excerpts:

Can you share your journey as founders, from identifying the gap in the market to building a brand that challenges traditional norms? What pivotal moments shaped the company’s growth?

We founded Minimalist in 2020 to challenge the widespread misinformation in the beauty industry. Consumers were being misled by fear-based marketing, particularly the misconception that “100% natural” means safe and effective, while scientifically backed ingredients were unfairly labelled as harmful.

Transparency became our core principle. We focused on clear ingredient lists, science-backed formulations, and educating consumers. We constantly tried to debunk the myth of “chemical-free” skincare, sparking conversations and reinforcing our commitment to truth over marketing gimmicks, creating real value for customers and hence winning their trust.

A pivotal moment in our growth journey was investing heavily in R&D from the first instance and deciding to set up our own manufacturing facility which allowed us to create our high-performance products. Post that, raising a Series A funding of INR 110 crore ($15 million) led by marquee investors Peak XV Partners with participation from Unilever Ventures within 9 months of our inception validated our effort and positioned us as one of the forerunners in the skincare and personal care segment of the industry. This also helped us enter the global market through Minimalist Global and we began operating in the US, the UK, the Middle East and some countries of Southeast Asia.

With consumer attention spread across multiple platforms, how do you design marketing campaigns that cut through the noise and create a lasting impression? Can you share an example of a campaign that resonated particularly well?

Rather than having a campaign-focused approach, to break through the clutter, we focus on education-based content. Instead of chasing trends or relying on flashy ads, our marketing initiatives are rooted in science-backed information, transparency, and real consumer experiences. We take a social media-first approach that informs, debunks myths, and sparks discussions. Along with this, we collaborate with dermatologists to focus on ingredient and product education rather than taking the influencer partnership route to help customers make informed choices.

What does Minimalist’s current media mix look like, and how has it evolved over time? Could you also share insights on your marketing spend—specially, how much it has grown compared to last year, and what drives these investment decisions?

Minimalist’s media mix is majorly focused on performance marketing, ensuring that every campaign is data-driven and optimized for efficiency. The majority of our spend goes into digital ads across Meta, Google, and other high-conversion platforms, allowing us to reach the right audience with precision. While performance marketing remains our core focus, we are now looking to invest in more top-funnel-building activities to build brand awareness at scale.

The skincare industry is constantly evolving, with trends like clean beauty, ingredient transparency, and science-backed formulations gaining traction. How does Minimalist stay ahead of these trends?

Minimalist doesn’t chase trends. We focus on scientific progress and consumer needs. While various trends gain massive traction, they often come with misinformation. Our approach is to cut through the noise and over evidence-backed formulations that genuinely work. Instead of reacting to every industry shift, we proactively invest in R&D that allows us to create cutting-edge formulations that deliver real results creating customer satisfaction and industry standards.

What consumer insights have been most surprising or influential in shaping your strategy? Looking ahead, how do you plan to leverage these insights to drive innovation and stay ahead in the competitive skincare market?

A consumer insight that has been influential in shaping our strategy is that skincare is as much about trust and education as it is about results. People want to understand what they’re using and why. They are more skeptical of brands that don’t provide clear, transparent information about their products and the entire ingredient list as well as results of the testing the product has gone through to validate the claims. This has pushed us to double down on ingredient transparency, educating consumers about what goes into every product to the extent of listing the sources of our ingredients. We will continue to leverage this insight which has influenced our approach to content, packaging, and customer interactions to stay ahead of the curve and set the industry standard in transparency.

As Minimalist grows, how do you ensure your messaging about transparency and authenticity doesn’t get diluted? How do you handle the challenge of educating consumers about science-based skincare in an age of misinformation and viral beauty trends?

As we grow, ensuring that our messaging about transparency and authenticity remaining at the core of everything we do is non-negotiable. We have built trust by being honest with consumers, and as we scale that will remain the focal point of each touchpoint in the customer experience.

In an age of misinformation and viral beauty trends, we focus on empowering consumers by putting out science-backed information. We collaborate with dermatologists to build credibility with customers along with focusing on putting out real stories of users (UGC) and conversations around skincare concerns making our messaging authentic and relatable. By being direct, honest, and science-backed, we don’t just compete for attention—we earn trust, which leads to lasting impact.

What's next for the brand? How does it plan to grow and evolve?

The next phase for Minimalist will be guided by launching innovative products, retail expansion and a larger global footprint. We’re doubling down on innovation, creating smarter, high-performance formulas that actually work. At the same time, we’re making sure our products are easier to nd, expanding into retail spaces so people can experience them firsthand. And as more consumers look for honest, science-backed skincare, we’re expanding internationally to bring Minimalist to new markets and bring I-Beauty (Indian Beauty) to the world.

First Published on Feb 4, 2025 8:54 AM

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