Noida based startup SportsApp raised $140K in seed round led by noted names like Shubhrendu Khoche, Anirban Basu, Sanjay Ahuja, Ram Ganesan and Kuldeep Puri, among others.
This unique startup which primarily addresses the aspiring sportspersons of India uses a proprietary tech platform to solve the asymmetric access to “Community, Sponsorships, and Career.”
In a statement, SportsApp shared it will be utilizing the funds to further enhance its go-to-market, technology and marketing capabilities. This round of funding should further catalyze the fast growth this startup has witnessed in key KPIs since its launch. Launched in Mar’18, SportsApp has seen growth of 20X in downloads, 56X in MAUs and 80X in DAUs. Interestingly, the startup clocked an impressive 4X scale up in revenues during the pandemic year of 2020-21 FY.
“Lack of access to the essential resources such as information, sponsorships and professional support for budding athletes early on in their careers is costing India immensely in world sporting events. For an emerging world power like India, we indeed need to become a force to reckon with at the Olympics and other world events. Towards this mission, we need to start with equipping our young sportspersons with better access to resources”, said Shashank Mishra (founder- SportApp), who himself was once a budding cricketer but had to give up on his sporting dreams due to lack of resources. Today he is committed to removing the same barriers for young sportspersons and creating a much-needed disruption in the sports industry.
SportsApp is an aggregator platform combining Community, Content and Commerce together for India’s budding sportspersons. It uses tech to remove the sports industry’s asymmetry and carries the vision to ‘Empower Sports Stars Of Tomorrow’. Through SportsApp, budding sportspersons can access and leverage the entire sporting eco-system including physiotherapists, coaches, sponsors, nutritionists and other resources.
SportsApp Founder and Team
Interestingly, the Government of India has recently brought renewed focus on sports as an integral topic for the youth of the nation. The team sought the insights from Shashank on the future of this Digital Community for Sports Industryand what makes it so relevant in the current times –
“Sporting ecosystem has 4 Ps that make it ripe for a tech-centric disruption— Patronage, Providence, Potential, and the Platform. Presently, there is a huge asymmetry of patronage from brands where 90%+ endorsements and sponsorship go to only top 5-6 stars, usually from the cricket. Indian Govt’s recent decision to bring ‘Sports’ into the curriculum from extra-curricular activities besides other initiatives such as ‘Khelo India’ is already helping build a solid and favorable ground.
The emergence of sports as a sustainable career due to fan-friendly leagues is also playing a decisive part in improving the overall potential of the industry. Above all, there is a lack of relevant content on a dedicated platform making the sportspersons dependent on personal coaching. In short, there is a wide window of opportunity valuing a whopping $900Mn that remains untapped – SportsApp fits perfectly in this segment to fill the gaps, by becoming the perfect aggregator for India’s sports ecosystem.”
‘Content’ is the biggest driver of their business that moves both ‘Community’ and ‘Commerce’ and enable learning. The key USP of the SportsApp lies in its algorithm that rates an individual player and throws up their rating/value. This value is then pitched to brands to sell sponsorship. The market ranking helps athletes realize their potential pretty early at the onset of their career, thus removing the probability of exploitation in the name of endorsements and sponsorship, which is quite rampant, otherwise.
Shashank further adds: “Having tested the algorithm, the business model, the product-market fit, our initial success in getting both users and sponsorships is giving us the confidence to scale further. Some of our user athletes are already playing at India Juniors, or are winners at ‘Khelo India School (KIYG), KIUG, Commonwealth Games, Olympics and Indian National Teams. “
SportsApp has set its eyes on capturing 60% of the market share in the coming 5 Years.
SportsApp
The Community platform also provides regular updates on sports events of your sports, besides sending alerts on sports jobs available within the industry. Several veterans and existing sports personalities and coaches also form an integral part of SportsApp. You may join the community and follow your fellow/senior athletes, coaches, academies, and federations to stay updated with their latest feeds or directly reach out to them via an inbuilt messaging feature on the App for any support required.
To know more about this innovative venture and be part of it, you may visit their portal download the app directly from the Android Playstore or connect with their social media handles on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
The hybrid work model was first introduced into the market by Google and later on a lot of companies have been able to adapt to the model. The Hybrid model is considered to be more effective in regards to the output for a company and various other advantages added to it. In this article let’s look at the top companies that have adapted to the hybrid work model and also why your company would think of moving forward with a hybrid model.
The CEO of Google and Alphabet, Sundar Pichai had announced that the company will adapt to a new working model where the employees can work from the office as well as from anywhere during a particular week. 60% of the employees are expected to report to the office occasionally and the rest will be given the freedom to work from home.
Amazon
Amazon which is one of the largest e-commerce firms in the United States has announced a remote working policy for its employees. The company has conveyed that the employees whose position allows them to work from home will be able to work remotely from June 2021.
The company has around 92,000 employees around the globe. Some of the remote jobs in the company are Customer, Service associate, Economist-Advertisement Finance, Customer Support Associate.
Atlassian
Atlassian is an Australian based software company having its headquarters in Sydney. The company develops software products, software development teams and other project managers. It was founded in the year 2002 and is a public limited company.
The company has around 6117 employees and has been informed that the employees will be able to work from home forever. The recent remote jobs of the company are Content Designer, Product Marketing Manager, GTM.
American Express
American Express is a multinational financial service company. It was founded in the year 1850 and has its headquarters located in New York. The company has a worldwide presence and provides services in the fields such as Finance, Insurance and Travel. Some of the products of the company include Charge Cards, Credit Cards, Corporate banking and Traveler’s cheque.
The company has more than 63,000 employees and has announced that the employees would be able to continue their remote working model through the Labor Day -2021. Some of the recent jobs for work from home include Manager-corporate communications and Global Supply chain management, Real time analyst and Business analyst.
Coinbase
Coinbase is an American based company that operates a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The company is a remote first company and does not have an official headquarters. The company has allowed most of its employees to work remotely and has conveyed that after the pandemic those who wish to return to the office can and the rest of the employees can work from home.
Some of the recent jobs for work from home include social media manager, Group product marketing manager, training lead, client service. The company has more than 1000 employees.
Facebook is an US based social media platform that was founded in the year 2004 and has daily active users of more than 2 billion. They have a worldwide service and the platform is available in around 11 languages. Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms.
The company has conveyed that it would allow almost 50% of its employees to work remotely forever. Some of the recent remote jobs are Technical program manager, a Product designer.
Microsoft
Microsoft is an US based software company and also a multinational technology corporation. The company was founded in the year 1975 and has its headquarters located in New Mexico, United States. The company offers products which involve personal computers, computer software and consumer electronics.
The company has conveyed that their employees are allowed to work from home for an approx. of 50% of their work week and even the managers are given the liberty to approve remote work for the employees.
Infosys
Infosys is an Indian based multinational tech company that was founded in the year 1981 and has its headquarters in Bangalore, India. The company is into the IT services and IT consulting industry and is the second largest IT consulting company in India. The company has more than 2 lakh employees.
Infosys has conveyed that they would let around 33 % to 50 % of their workforce to continue work from home forever. Some of the recent remote jobs of the company include Underwriting Manager, Post Closer Process associate.
Why should your company choose the Hybrid work model?
The hybrid work model provides a freedom of choice and flexibility to the employees. It is considered to be a more effective, sound and a realistic approach towards remote jobs. This reduces the control over an individual’s life by being able to avoid the day to day problems such as transportation of the employees, time to log off or log in, the collaboration of the employees, etc.
This model also acts as an advantage for the working women as they will be able to continue their employment and their career and not to quit their careers in between.
It was also found that in the long term the productivity will be much more higher for work from home model as the employees are given the freedom to choose the surroundings and the place which makes it more convenient and comfortable for them.
Conclusion
The hybrid work model has a lot of advantages and helps the company as well as the employees benefitting them equally. This model is expected to become much more common and to be an important part of the corporate world in the near future.
FAQ
What is hybrid workplace model?
The hybrid workplace model is a type of model that combines remote working and in-office working where some or all employees have the freedom to choose where and when they work, dividing their time between working from home and working from a office.
Is hybrid work the future of work?
As per the executives of the top companies the hybrid model in which employees work both remotely and in the office will become far more common.
Is it better to work at home or in an office?
Studies have shown that Work from home has increased productivity of employees also it cuts down the time it takes to travel to the office.
Google Chrome is one of the widely used search engine which has the maximum market share in the browser segment. The browser is available on almost all the platforms which include Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android. Google chrome has a 66% market share as of March 2021. Let’s look at the story behind the building of Chrome.
Google Chrome was initially released during the year 2008, it was when Google was looking to create something better for the modern world. During that time, there were only two major browsers available in the market which had the major market share i.e., Internet Explorer and Firefox.
— Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) May 23, 2021
There was another browser Safari but it was exclusively available only on the Apple devices. The internet Explorer had a 60% market share in the browser segment and was widely adopted but at the same time, it was highly criticized. Firefox had said to be offered a better service but it had only a 30% market share.
Before releasing Chrome in 2008, Google had released a blog post which had a title “A fresh take on the browser”. The blog post had an explanation which conveyed that they were going to launch a new browser that would add value to the users and at the same time would bring in more innovation to the web.
Chrome was first released as a beta version on the Microsoft Windows and a stable version on the Microsoft windows was released after 3 months. macOS and Linux had received a stable version of Google Chrome during 2010.
Features of Google Chrome
Google Chrome had offered some great benefits in its browser compared to the competitors. Google had more resources and monetary when compared to its competitors. The aim of Google Chrome was to innovate the web and the browser was built on the existing technologies.
The Google chrome was developed keeping in mind to build something more than a browser and so it was developed with a lot of web applications in mind. The most important feature added to Google Chrome was it’s sandboxing. This ensured that the browser would not be crashed and the application opened on a tab would be completely different from the one opened on the other tab.
For Example – If you’re playing a game on chrome on a tab and on another tab, you open your Gmail, then both the tabs would be separate from each other and the speed for loading the page would be the same. The tabs will not be interconnected.
Google Chrome had slowly developed something bigger and better over the years. By the year 2010, the chrome had released its stable version on macOS and Linux and it was completely available on the desktop and by the 2012 it was ported to Android and iOS.
One of the best features of Google Chrome was that it was an open-source initiative. The public had access to the browser’s source code through the open-source counterpart which was the chromium browser. Google also pulled out certain components from Firefox and Apple’s WebKit to develop it.
This led to the major companies to build browsers using the source code of chrome or the chromium version. Browsers such as Opera, Brave and Vivaldi were built on the chromium version, even the Microsoft edge was built on it.
With so many browsers using the base technology of the Google Chrome, the web standards had increased more and more keeping the chrome browser in mind. This cycle of dominance and the standards of the web is one of the major reasons for the growth of Google chrome to gain the majority market share over any other browser.
Google had more engineers and monetary to develop a full-featured browser and Chrome has maintained the web standards over the years. The Google steadily started gaining more market share which helped in developing the browser and making it more efficient.
Google had eventually developed an entire Operating system around it as it had become so capable. The OS is known as ChromeOS.
From the initial release, chrome has been widely adopted and this was because they were able to release the right browser, at the right time according to the requirement. The main aim of the development team was to keep the feeling of the browser to be minimum and the applications to take the dominancy and this has helped in the long run.
FAQ
When did Google Chrome become popular?
Google Chrome became popular in 2013, when it surpassed Internet Explorer and Firefox.
When was Google Chrome released?
Google Chrome was released on September 2, 2008 for Windows XP.
The world we live in is always in need of innovation. Be it from domestic help to data analysis. For all of this one thing is unavoidable – investment. With an aim of investing in transformative technologies, The Japanese company SoftBank has initiated a $100 venture capital fund called the visions fund.
The Vision Fund was a materialisation of a talk between Masayoshi Son, Chairman of SoftBank and the crown prince of Saudi Arabia Muhammed Bin Salman. As the name suggests, the Vision Fund envisions a long-term growth of companies for the benefit of humanity.
Being the biggest venture capital fund in the world, their plans for investment are almost equal to the global venture capital investment of the world. Most of their companies are in the transportation and logistics sector followed by consumer services and frontier technologies. Here is a glimpse of a few startups that are funded by SoftBank’s Vision Fund
The banking startup is the latest unicorn now. In May 2021, it raised $250 million in a series C funding of Vision Fund. This has raised the value of the firm to $1.45 billion. It was founded by Bhavin Turakhia and Ramki Gaddipati in 2015. Zeta provides a modern and cloud native platform to improve the cost to income ratio and consumer experience.
ByteDance
With a mission to “Inspire creativity and enrich life”, ByteDance is a startup that is spread over 150 markets with offices in 126 cities. They offer high quality Global Creation and Interaction Platforms as and while ensuring that the digital life of billions of its users are made beautiful. It was found in 2012 in a four bedroom apartment. In 2019, SoftBank’s Vision Fund invested in ByteDance and its corporate value quadrupled soon after.
Trax
Making in-store execution easier, Trax has been very useful to both retailers and customers. They say that through them the best of digital technologies comes together in the physical reality for the best experience of the users. In 2021, it secured $640 million funding lead by SoftBank Vision Fund. Trax will continue to optimise its retail stores through creating awareness about changing store condition and improving purchasing intent.
Firstcry
Founded in 2010, It aims to be the largest retailer in child and mother care products in the world. In 2018, SoftBank Vision Fund bought a 40% stake at a rate of $400 million which makes them the biggest investor in the company. It also valued Firstcry at $1.1 billion at that time. Today, they have a customer base of over 20 million families. Under the leadership of Supam Maheshwari, they continue to conquer greater heights in the business realm.
It is a startup that revolutionised the untapped market of opticals. It is indeed a magical unicorn of India and there is no surprise in Vision Fund investing in Lenskart. Beginning from contact lenses, today it has a range of prescription glasses and sunglasses as well. It was launched in 2010. It fared really well in business and was aided by SoftBank Vision Fund in the year 2019. They invested a total of $275 million after which it was valued at $1.5 billion. In 2020, Lenskart generated a revenue of 1000 crore.
Meesho
The top rated reselling app of India was found by two IIT Delhi graduates Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal. They have transcended beyond earning profits for themselves alone by helping small businesses and individuals to set up their own online stores.
In the latest funding round of Vision Fund (2021), it invested $300 million which raised its value to an enviable $2.1 billion. Earlier, when it was valued at $700 million, they had received a funding of $125 million in 2019. The latest funding is three times greater than last time. It was the fourth deal in the second Vision Fund in India.
Oyo Rooms
The most popular hospitality firm that upturned the ways of hotel booking raised $807 million along with RA Holdings. In this SVF has picked up 9626 holdings of Series F CCPS for $506 million. This will make SVF entitled to 50.5% stake in the firm. Oyo has always surprised us by expanding to countries like wildfire. It is expected that this fund will be used to increase the efficiency of the company by delivering the best services.
Flipkart
Flipkart is a very familiar name in the e-commerce industry for the past few years. Its growth has been tremendous and inspiring. Softbank Vision Fund had invested a sum of $2.5 billion in 2017. Now, Flipkart is completing its merger with Walmart and SoftBank has only sold 20% of its stake during the process and thereby continues to stay invested. Softbank is now again trying to invest in Flipkart.
Unacademy
It is a Bangalore based Education technology firm which was founded in 2015. It began its journey as a YouTube channel in 2010 and its growth over the decade is commendable. Unacademy received a sum of $150 million from SoftBank’s Vision Fund in 2020. This will take the committed firm’s overall value to $1.4 billion. This is a triple gain as far as the firm is concerned in a span of 6 months. They will be using the fund to launch new products and expand the organisation.
The UK based bank for small and medium sized companies was founded in 2013. It gained regulatory approval in 2015. The firm was founded by Rishi Khosla and Joel Perlman. In February 2019, SoftBank invested $440 million in OakNorth and its value skyrocketed to $2.8 billion. Many times, it lends more than $5 billion which is higher than its counterparts. However, they recover more than 90% of that money. Today, it is one of the highly valued startups in Europe.
Softbank’s Biggest Investments
Grofers
Founded in 2013, Grofers is a grocery delivery service in India. It allows you to order a large variety of products through their online supermarket. Their potential did not skip the eyes of SoftBank either. In 2020, they invested $55 million in this firm to help them further improve their efficiency and services. The bank’s trust in the business can be further reiterated by the fact that they hold 46% of the total holdings.
Paytm
Since its launch in 2009, Paytm has transformed the money paying etiquette of people in India and many other e-commerce payment platforms followed suit. In 2019, it was founded by Vijay Shekhar Varma. Paytm raised $1 billion from Vision Fund along with Ant Financial Services. The new fund will be used to ramp up the expansion of the firm into rural India. They aim to popularise payments in rural India online.
Biofourmis
It is a health tech company that makes use of machine learning and AI to improve services in the health sector. It was founded by Kuldeep Singh Rajput with a team of committed members backing him. Together they have been successful in improving outcomes of major healthcare providers. In 2020, they raised $100 million through the Series C of Vision Fund. This was indeed a booster shot for them. They are now on their path to develop better portfolios which are inclusive of digital therapeutics for pain and cancer.
Klarna
Klarna Bank AB or Klarna, as it is commonly termed, is a Swedish fintech company that is mainly associated with online financial services to support payments for online storefronts, direct payments, and post-purchase payments. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden and boasts of more than 3,000 employees, most of whom work from the headquarters.
With the latest investment round, Klarna announces an equity funding of $638 million. This equity funding has been led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, which was then followed by additional participation primarily from Adit Ventures, Honeycomb Asset Management, and WestCap Group. The latest round of funding raised the valuation of Klarna to $45.6 billion. This recent funding round is aimed to support the international expansion of the company and further capture global retail growth.
Eightfold AI
Eightfold AI, as the name indicates, is a Talent Intelligence platform powered by Artificial Intelligence. Eightfold AI announced on Thursday, June 10, 2021, that the company has been successful in raising a fund close to $220 million in the Series E funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2.
The company has been successful in raising more than $410 million to date, with around $350 million coming in the past six months. According to Eightfold AI’s Founder and CEO, Ashutosh Garg, the company will continue to use the funds to widen its operations in India, with investments focused on the most talented data scientists and engineers across the country. This way Eightfold AI would ensure that its funds are used for fast and effective growth and development of its talent intelligence platform and further expanding its growing partner ecosystem.
Whatfix
Whatfix is a SaaS-based company, which primarily focuses on providing in-app guidance and support for software products and web applications. In the Series D funding round of the company, Whatfix announced that it has raised $90 million. This recent round of funding was led by Softbank’s Vision Fund 2, followed by other participations including that of Eight Roads Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Dragoneer Investment Group, F-Prime Capital, and Cisco Investments.
Whatfix claims to have tripled its investments after the completion of this recent round of funding, according to TOI. The firm has reportedly raised around $139.8 million in the last segment alone and with that in, the company is presently valued at $600 million.
With the latest round of funding, Whatfix aims to strengthen its position in the US and look for further expansion in Europe and the Asia Pacific. It also strives to focus more on product innovation to provide personalized user experiences with effective use of Artificial Intelligence.
Here are a few other startups in which SoftBank’s Vision Fund have invested in
Name of the company
Year of Investment by SBVF
Amount of investment
Ola
2014
$210 million
Delhivery
2019
$350 million
Policy Bazaar
$200 million
OpenDoor Labs
2019
$300 million
Cameo
2021
$100 million
Banco Inter
2021
$471 million
Exeger
2019
$10 million
Zume Pizza
2018
$375 million
One Tap Buy
2018
$17.32 million
Compass
2018
$400 million
Conclusion
There was a lot of criticism with regard to the functionalities of Vision Fund. Many opinionated that the mode of its functioning was hitherto unseen. The loss it faced in the last year further sharpened the criticisms against it. However, it was able to come back with a bang and give a sharper reply to the critics through its economic performance.
The performance of the companies in which it invested is a testimony to the win of SoftBank as well. The Japanese multinational company has significantly helped a plethora of startups to ace in their business through the Vision Fund.
By extending help to startups, it also didn’t fall back in emerging as the biggest profit earning company in the history of Japanese companies. After a year of unprecedented loss it has emerged as one of the world’s biggest earning firms in the world. SoftBank and its Vision Fund will always remain as a ray of hope for all startups.
FAQ
Who owns SoftBank?
SoftBank’s founder and CEO is Masayoshi Son who is the third-richest person in Japan, with a $20.6 billion personal fortune. He owns $45 million worth of real estate in Tokyo as well as a $117.5 million estate in Silicon Valley.
What is SoftBank Vision Fund?
Softbank Vision Fund is the world’s biggest innovation-centered investment finance, with over $100 billion in the capital.
How does SoftBank earns?
SoftBank owns stakes in many technology, energy, and financial companies. It also runs Vision Fund, the world’s largest technology-focused venture capital fund.
On 11th June 2021, The Tribe Concepts unveiled Kirti Kulhari as the Face of Collagen Boosting Kit. It launches two new products as part of the kit – Collagen Boosting Mask and Shilajitadi Thailam.
The Tribe Concepts, a homegrown brand that is centered around offering pure, bespoke and Ayurveda-inspired skin care and hair care products has introduced two more products – Collagen Boosting Mask and Shilajitadi Thailam. Renowned actress Kirti Kulhari has collaborated with The Tribe Concepts for this launch. Dedicated to offering safe, clean and natural products, the two newly launched products are specifically formulated for imparting incomparable anti-ageing and skin restorative benefits.
Formulated with unique luxurious ingredients like Himlayan Shilajit, Indian Ginseng and Saffron, the Collagen Boosting Mask and Shilajitadi Thailam are the perfect power-packed duo which help in improving skin firmness, reducing fine lines and making the skin radiant like never before.
Himalayan Shilajit is renowned for its wrinkles reducing properties and it also promotes skin regeneration.
Saffron, the golden glow giver is a powerful antioxidant which has skin repairing and brightening capabilities.
Indian Ginseng, commonly known as Ashwagandha, this powerhouse has been used for decades as a skin vitalizer and a remedy to signs of ageing
Both the products help fight signs of aging and boost the collagen of the skin, naturally! Kirti Kulhari shared her newly adopted 2 step routine using the Collagen Boosting kit and the amazing transformation her skin went through –
Expressing gratitude for welcoming Kirti Kulhari to The Tribe Concepts family Amritha Gaddam, Founder & CEO of The Tribe Concepts said,
“We are beyond thrilled to be collaborating with Kirti Kulhari for our all-new Collagen Boosting kit. She is dynamic, vibrant and inspiring. Kirti’s passion for all things natural and love for The Tribe Concepts has been a source of inspiration for us!! We are truly humbled to have Kirti as a believer of our brand, ethos and products.”
Sharing her excitement on this launch,
Kirti Kulhari said, “I’m a huge fan of The Tribe Concepts and have spoken about them many times in the past year. I discovered TTC last year during the lockdown and have been a loyal consumer of their products ever since. Now, with this new launch of the Collagen Boosting kit, I have really felt a huge difference in my skin. Love the way this brand celebrates the power of Indian Ingredients!!”
Face of The Tribe Concepts – Kirti Kulhari
The Tribe Concepts strongly believes in the power of pure Indian ingredients and the ancient science of Ayurveda. Combining the two, the brand carefully curates skin and hair care products that solve specific problems and offer amazing results. Since its launch in 2019, The Tribe Concepts has introduced 14 unique products and will continue persistent efforts in innovating conscious and sustainable skin and hair care essentials.
Founded in 2019, The Tribe Concepts is a thoroughly modern and all-natural range of skin and hair care products inspired by Ayurveda. It aims to provide natural alternatives for skin and hair care by bringing the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to the modern world. Its unique formulations are 100% organic, chemical and preservative free and hence are in the form of powders and cold-pressed oil.
Finding its roots in the Godavari Belt of India, every single ingredient that goes into The Tribe Concepts tins & bottles finds its source in a pollution-free environment. For the company, the purity of ingredients is paramount. Each of its ingredients is sustainably sourced from tribal valleys of India where the soil is untampered with, and the air is as pure as it gets. The Tribe Concepts goes the extra mile to care for the planet with plastic-free packaging, zero chemical usage & ethical practices as a token of gratitude for mother nature.
The Tribe Concepts has always advocated the ‘women in business‘ notion whilst giving support to women at all levels – from handpicking the ingredients to shaping up the product, women have been a quintessential part of its journey.
“We are extremely proud to have 80% of The Tribe Concepts’ team and board as women” added Amritha Gaddam, Founder & CEO of The Tribe Concepts.
Having organized an ecommerce website is a job half done. The rest of the job is proper marketing of the website to gain more customers as more and more individuals become aware of the website, the sales increase and thereby establish the virtual presence of the ecommerce initiative.
As the word of mouth spreads, more customers will turn their heads towards the website. Hence why proper marketing is very essential and crucial in an ecommerce website. Below we’ve mentioned some creative ways of marketing any ecommerce website. So, let us see the complete story on the topic- 13 Ways to Market Your E-Commerce Website.
A podcast is a series of audio files which subscribers can download and access. Podcasts are being branded as a source of ‘audio marketing’.
In recent years, the number of subscribers has gone up significantly. So get in touch with podcasts that are even remotely related to the services or product that the website deals in.
Explain the brand value and proposition to them, and convince them to advertise your website, either pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll of the audio/video. This will surely attract the podcast subscribers to check your website.
2. PPC marketing
Pay-per-click marketing allows the ad owner to evaluate how effective the campaigns cost-wise by comparing ad cost with the revenue generated through this model.
By marketing the website on platforms such as Facebook, the website creator can get to know the current standing of his offering and continuously improve the campaign to ensure that the money being paid to the social media platforms isn’t going waste.
3. Blogging
A cost-efficient and creative way of garnering an audience, if blogging is done with the right content is a great way of marketing anything. The outcome is more pronounced if the website offers something in a specific niche, that’s enthralling and unique at the same time.
The blog should explain the product, its USP, and everything else that the customer should be aware of. For blogging, you can hire good online bloggers who will write effective content mentioning about your website, the products and services etc. Also, you can ask them to promote these on their social media, to attract customers.
4. Social Media Marketing
Establishing a presence on such sites doesn’t mean having 500+ followers on LinkedIn, innumerable likes on the Facebook page, etc. The aim is to leverage virtual presence to target the intended audience. You have to use all the social media platforms effectively to promote a new ecommerce website.
Influencers are people who have large online audiences, and have the power to “influence” that audience’s purchasing behavior.
Working with the right influencer can get your product in front of a huge number of potential customers, increasing your brand awareness. To make the best use of influencer marketing, make sure your targeted influencer’s following aligns with your target audience, and that their values align with your brand. Conducting social media contests and forming new trends with influencers can get your brand a lot of attention.
There’s no denying that getting noticed by many is imperative, but everything should be done systematically. First, getting the actual customer to take notice of the product/service, and then expanding the website’s awareness among other types of people.
Networking can turn the tide in one’s favor even in the grimmest of situations. Collaborating with major industry players to seek their assistance in the ecommerce website’s marketing is like the job half done. It sets a base wherein continuous refurbishment on the website owner’s part takes things further. A few ways to approach the big-shots are:
Personal messaging to initiate a conversation with the company/individual; this provides a pitch deck for presenting the website’s potential and how external support can churn profit for both parties.
Re-tweeting or replying to those who mention the product in a tweet, post or any other method.
Being active on the industry veterans’ page or profile; one can respond with witty and creative responses to content posted by such popular entities.
Also, you can participate in a competition where there is actual investors partner with you and invest in your company.
6. SEO Is The Key To Online Success
Search Engine Optimization makes the difference in turning a not so known website into one that shows up on the first page of a search result.
There are ample sources to get the required tweaking and modifications done. A lot of business specializes in content marketing and SEO strategies that too at affordable costs, so get in touch with an SEO specialist and start working on your ecommerce website and make it on the top of the search engine to gain mass of customers.
Social media strategy is a 21st-century marketing way. Create your company page in every social media platforms and focus on the posts. Make sure you engage the followers with catchy posts and attractive headlines.
Also, make sure you post regularly on your page so that your followers get updated with the new collections, offers etc. of your store. I came to know about lots of ecommerce sites because of social media. Hence, focus on your social media presence.
8. Email marketing
The old way of publicity, email promotion involves sending emails related to the product to the intended people. The problem is that most of the times, such emails end up in spam.
So, that’s one thing to consider when weighing the efforts put into creating an appeasing promotion mail against the probability of the customer noticing it.
Build up a mailing list after carefully considering the customers so that unintended recipients don’t end up receiving the promotional mail.
Even before the advent of ecommerce, promotions were integral in attracting customers over the internet. The same is applicable even today. Good, well-tailored discounts and freebies can aid in boosting virtual presence and sales because people love free things.
10. Feedback System
All ecommerce sites offer a review/discussion forum for each product or offer. In addition to the product, the medium allows people to put forth their opinion about the site itself—it’s a layout, efficiency, etc.
So, creating a feedback or review portal and genuinely reply to the posts makes the website more relatable to the audience; the reason being that their opinions are being heard.
11. Mobile-Friendly Websites
Smartphones are gradually replacing computers and laptops; PC specs are now being incorporated in mobile phones. And most of the internet users utilize their smartphones for the purpose. So, creating a website that renders on a mobile screen smoothly is a necessity.
12. Easy Return Policies And Shipping Charges
When it comes to online shopping, we are ways worried about the size, quality, colour etc. of the products that we order from the ecommerce websites, so one more interesting trick to attract customers is easy and hassle-free return policy. Also, no one wants to pay heavy shipping charges, so make sure you charge minimum shipping charges on the products.
Hence, follow these easy yet interesting tips to promote your ecommerce website because, for an online ecommerce website, marketing is the key to success.
13. Personalised Landing Pages
Landing on a web page that is tailor-made to suit your preferences is a feature that isn’t available to all. Many sites have now realized the importance of personalized landing web pages.
For example, a website specializing in women apparel would seem out of place if there are pop ads for men’s undergarments! If the page displays women-centric advertisements, the website ought to have better traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How decide best marketing strategy for my ecommerce business?
If you want to reach new customers who are currently unaware of your brand, then SEO and content strategy is the best option as it will drive traffic to your website and your site will be easily available to people interested in your product. There are many ways to use marketing to promote your business; however, which strategies you should employ will depend on your business and your goals. Here are some questions to ask: does your offline brand provide you with a strong email list? If so, maybe start by getting the word out that way. Does the audience for your products flock to certain social media platforms? If so, those channels would be a good place to focus on.
How to drive more traffic to my ecommerce website?
The key to driving organic traffic to your website is SEO. You really need to understand the intention of the search for SEO. You need to make your site easy to find for people who aren’t familiar with your brand, but who are in need of your products. Make sure all the content on your website follows SEO best practices and consider producing additional content as part of a content marketing strategy to reach new customers.
How to find a right influencer for marketing?
Study what your target market is interested in, research the content creator who is already talking about products you are selling. You can also find a content creator who is an expert in your niche. Research content creators who have a following specifically related to your target industry and audience
How to Market Your E-Commerce Website?
Marketing Tactics to Promote Your E-Commerce Website
Starting a business these days has become easier, thanks to technology. Once you’re done with a business plan, as an entrepreneur, you can proceed in creating a unique business name.
To formally start your journey as a legitimate business owner, you have to register the business as soon as possible and within the limits provided by the local laws. In most countries and states, including in Ontario, Canada, business registration is quite straightforward.
Having your business name registered is important to obtain a unique name that no other business can hopefully take. Luckily, it’s easy to check if the business name you’re planning to use is no longer available—thanks to Ontario’s business registry database.
Here’s everything you have to know about this new one-stop online facility for registering a business in Ontario.
What Is The Ontario Business Registry?
At the height of the pandemic, in July 2020, the Ontario government announced that they’re introducing the Ontario Business Registry — an online service for organizations and entities in the said province. The new facility aims to provide streamlined, faster, and convenient digital services to all entities — non-profit organizations, small businesses, and large corporations, —in Ontario.
According to Canadastartups.org, there are about 389,116 registered small businesses in this province, inhabited by about 14.2 million people.
Even with the restrictions and limited office hours, the Ontario government is still capable of providing service through this online registration that’s available all day and all night. Because everything is done digitally, the facility allows business entities to perform a wide range of activities without worrying about their health and safety.
What’s Included In The Ontario Business Registry?
All businesses and entities that are registered and authorized to operate in Ontario should have their online profile included in Ontario Business Registry.
The legal business instruments covering these entities include the following:
Business Corporations Act
Business Names Act
Corporations Act
Corporations Information Act
Extra-Provincial Corporations Act
Limited Partnerships Act.
Business organizations can register their name, update any type of business information, and file notices and other documents that are covered by any business law. The wide range of activities can help new entrepreneurs focus on avoiding common mistakes.
Under the Business Names Act, the following businesses should have their ventures registered:
Sole proprietorships
Partnerships
Limited liability partnerships
Corporations
General or limited partnerships
Extra-provincial limited liability partnerships
Extra-provincial limited liability companies
In Ontario, registering your business is a requirement within two months after opening the venture. If a sole proprietorship uses its owner’s name, they’re exempted from the rule. However, if any additional word, for instance adding the name ‘consultants’ or ‘specialists’ to the owner’s full name, requires a business to register before the government.
How Do You Sign Up For An Account In The Ontario Business Registry?
Existing businesses must send a working email address to the office of the Central Production and Verification Services Branch under the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS), which supervises this online facility. Entities can also do online email submissions.
The email address sent by the business organization will be used by the government agency to provide information on how to access their business profile. Entities are expected to supply their Business Identification Number (BIN) or Ontario Corporation Number (OCN) which are provided to registered businesses alongside the email address.
Which Services Are Available In The Facility?
The Ontario Business Registry is an all-in-one digital facility that can handle a variety of tasks. According to the Ontario government website, businesses can perform the following activities online:
Registering, searching for, and renewing a business name.
Applying, renewing, and restoring individual licenses for a security guard and private investigator. A security agency can also do the same for its business and its employees.
Filing small claim forms for courts, paying for fees, and applying for default judgements.
Finding resources to complete an accessibility compliance report for businesses and non-profits.
Getting access to the different types of environmental permissions that apply to a specific business and finding out how to apply for each permission type.
For registered funeral companies, crematoriums, or transfer service businesses; requesting a Coroner’s Cremation Certificate or Out of Province Body Shipment Certificate.
Obtaining useful information, tips, and resources on common business scams, financial, and phishing activities. Entities can also report them and get guides on how to act if a business has fallen victim to such malicious attacks.
Find out information about the properties forfeited to the Ontario government following the dissolution of a corporation.
Accessing a business information guide containing common terms used for businesses and corporations. This can be a beneficial resource to new businesses.
Searching for, filling up, and submitting all of the documents and forms needed to create, dissolve, and change information of a cooperative corporation.
What Else Can Be Done Through The Ontario Business Registry?
Entities that have registered their accounts with the Ontario Business Registry will receive the latest updates about new government regulations.
For instance, the Ontario government has announced that there’ll be changes in the annual return process for entities covered by the Corporations Information Act. Those who have their accounts with this online facility have received information about these changes and advice on how to move forward.
What If You Didn’t Register Your Business?
The Ontario Business Names Act imposes steep fines for individuals and corporations that either fail to register their business or for providing false information. Sole proprietorships and partnerships will have to face CAD $2,000 for penalties, while corporations may have to pay up to CAD $25,000 for any of these offenses.
Ontario Business Registry Contact Details
For businesses that have further questions about signing up, visit Ontario Business Registry website or send them an email for more information.
Conclusion
Businesses and other entities, no matter the size, should register and create their account with the Ontario Business Registry. Once registered, enterprises can complete a range of transactions from registering a fresh business to discontinuing its current venture—and so many others in between.
In 2020, the normal lives of all the people in the world came to a standstill for more than half of the year. While some countries came out of it in a jiffy and some unfortunate ones like India and US got rattled by a second wave. The world economy was undergoing unprecedented challenges with everything tumbling down and nothing working as per plans. One can say that Covid-19 has affected every walk of our life in one way or the other.
Even in these uncertain times, certain startups managed to become unicorns. Unicorns are those start ups that gain a value of $1 billion. 2020 is earmarked for Coronavirus and there is no dispute about that. This article explains the various changes that would have caused due the rise in the number of unicorns.
This would have come up as a very obvious reason. The pandemic has altered the very foundations of human life. Its impact was universal. It saw a paradigm shift in case of our preferences as well. So, it can be said that not only did the pandemic make a lot of changes, the people also changed a lot at the advent of the pandemic. This resulted in many growing companies to fall and many new ones to reach its zenith.
Education in times of Pandemic
Education is one sector that was altered in unrecognisable ways in 2020. This can be witnessed in the increase in the number of unicorns that this sector bore. Across the world, education shrunk into online platforms while opportunities became limitless.
While we acknowledge the digital gap that it exposed, we must also welcome the avenues it opened for people, especially with regard to distance education, accessibility of premium education etc.
One example for such a unicorn will be Unacademy. Launched as a YouTube channel in 2010, It was expanding slowly into the domain of online teaching before the pandemic itself. But we saw the demand for online classes skyrocket in 2020 and the firm was also able to rise up to the expectations of its users. In the same year, they announced their achievement of getting Unicorn status after the $150 million funding by SoftBank.
Changing Income Patterns
During the pandemic, the income levels of people dwindled. In India, 75 million people went into poverty. The people who had high paying jobs lost it, new employment was scarce. We had seen the stories of people who were professionals and yet had to go in for daily wage work or other manual work.
Even the government workers had to tighten their expenses due to heavy salary cuts. As far as the middle class was concerned, they had to take a step down when it came to their demands. Firms that understood and aligned with the financial situations of the people saw a rise in their status during this time.
One such startup is Cars24. The working middle class who were no longer able to afford cars for transportation had to look for more affordable options. This is when cars24 came as a saviour. They focused on the online transactions on pre-owned cars. This shift from new cars to used cars was a great opportunity for Cars24 and they used it well too. In 2020, with annual transactions going above two lakh units, it got the unicorn status with the $200 million investment made by Yuri Milner.
As mentioned earlier, incomes dwindled for most people in the world. This led people to look for more than one channel of income. Some started businesses, and many became content creators on various platforms etc. But most of them took to investing money in the stock market.
This became an intellectual exercise as well since it is a risky game and requires a lot of analysis. Despite all the risks involved, people who were hitherto critical about the stock market decided to try their luck this time.
An example for a startup that made the best out of this scenario is Zerodha. Launched in 2010 as an online trading startup, it was able to gain the likes of many traders before the pandemic itself. Today, Zerodha is the most valued and the most popular name in the online trading platforms. During the pandemic the monthly addition of users has been increasing by around two lakh users per month. They gained the unicorn status with a self assessed valuation at over $1 billion.
Realisation of Technological Gap
Pandemic exposed the sheer unpreparedness of even developed countries in handling the pandemic. Technological advance was not used in an optimal manner until then. Upon this realisation, one can say that 2020 became the era of technology where potentials of Artificial Intelligence, Data analytics etc were brought to the forefront. The situation demanded such a technical change. The startups who worked around these technologies saw themselves booming in 2020.
Glance is one such startup. It uses Artificial Intelligence to influence and leverage the contents on lock screens of Android phones. It is customised in severe languages as well. Having over 115 million active users, this startup has achieved the unicorn status in two years of its launch. In 2020, Glance got $145 million funding from Google and Mithril Capital which took it to the glory of unicorn status.
Glance
Zeal to Create a Contactless Environment
The spreading of Corona virus has completely altered the physicality of our surroundings. People try to reduce contact with people and things as much as possible. Currency became a very dangerous point of contact which can spread viruses like wildfire.
This led to the change in the case of digital payments. Experts note that, if not for the pandemic such a change would not have been possible in such a short time. Even the older generation who were stereotyped for resorting to traditional ways of payment migrated to online payment methods.
RazorPay is one of the most prominent online payment platforms that made the best use of the radical shift. Established in 2014, it aimed at simplifying online payments for small and medium enterprises. It continued to expand its domain to newer avenues and finally achieved unicorn status in 2020 with a $100 million funding. It continues to expand its business as their revenue increased 2.5 times than 2019.
Safe Ways of Shopping
Literally all forms of commerce where people came for business transactions were closed down during the lockdown. People, without much ado, went looking for better options on online platforms. Due to unlimited options, good offers and easy transactions online shopping became people’s favourite. Studies show that even after the pandemic subsided, it is unlikely that the demand in online shops would go down.
Nykaa is one such online shopping startup that achieved the unicorn status in 2020. It was launched in 2012 to cater the beauty products requirements. Nykaa’s growth was a surprise to those who thought it was an underdog in the e-commerce industry.
When the pandemic struck, Nykaa compensated for the customer’s inability to access physical shops. Today they have their own private labels for various products. Apart from the amount raised from the Bollywood film stars Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif, the startup achieved its unicorn status with 66.4 crore funding from Steadview Capital.
Other Startups that got the Unicorn Status in 2020
Zenoti
Postman
Uber Freight
Dailyhunt
FirstCry
Dialpad
VerSe Innovation
Pine Labs
WHOOP
Eightfold
Indian startups that got unicorn status in 2021
Digit insurance
Groww
Innovaccer
Zeeta
Cred
ShareChat
Meesho
Urban Company
Moglix
Gupshup
Conclusion
Unlike what was expected, we saw a surge in the number of startups that became unicorns in 2020. It must be noted that it was not just the changes made by the pandemic that helped them achieve it. It was only one among other factors. Their hard work, vision and adaptability cannot be forgotten. All these firms have been working for nearly a decade before it achieved the unicorn status. Their results are indeed a lesson for all the future entrepreneurs to learn from.
FAQ
What is the meaning of Unicorn startup?
Unicorn is the term used to describe a startup company with a value of over $1 billion.
How many Unicorn startups are there in India?
There are about 100 unicorn startups in India in which 40 are technology startups that are unicorns.
Which is India’s first unicorn startup?
InMobi was the first startup that became India’s first unicorn in 2011 which was cofounded by Naveen Tewari in 2007.
Audio editing software refers to software that lets editing and generation of audio data. It can be implemented as a library, computer application, web-application. It can edit music, effects, adjust channels, etc. Additionally, audio editing software also provides a multitrack editing feature that allows us to mix audio from different tracks and modify them using effects and filters in real-time. Many companies are providing customized software as per the requirement of customers for better consumer satisfaction.
The market size is directly proportional to the demand for products and services. Growing demand for advanced quality audio products across enterprises in the media and entertainment industry is the key market driver of audio editing software. Likewise, the increasing emphasis of entertainment industries for delivering noise cancellation and strong sounding audio content is increasing the market for audio editing software. Rising adoption of audio editing software across applications such as recording, playback, audio optimization, production, and audio is improving the income possibilities for merchants in the software market. Furthermore, a large number of newcomers and established podcasters actively using audio editing software to improve audio quality is also stimulating the growth of the market.
Multiple Functions of Audio Editing Software
Market Dynamics
Increase in the rate of content creation and grow in over-the-top platforms. The expanding adoption of smartphones and an increase in internet surfing speed has influenced the growth of social media content. The rising number of connected devices has boosted the growth of the Global OTT streaming market. This compelled the necessity for audio editing software among video streaming merchants, thus, driving the growth of the global audio editing software market. There is a lot of free editing software available in the market. The rise in the application of such editing software is expected to restrain the growth of the global audio editing software market.
Segments Of Audio Editing Software Market
Cloud-Based Delivery Models
The cloud-based delivery models are going to influence audio editing software market growth. Cloud-based delivery models are the models that allow users to edit music or audio anywhere in the Globe. These models provide cloud services and solutions, which include advanced uptime, enhance IT services, reliability, improved operational speed, and high data approachability. It can be accessed on both mobile and desktop devices. Cloud-based audio editing software offers various services to the end-users, such as easy import, secure sharing, storage, also editor collaboration. These benefits of the cloud-based audio editing software will increase end-users, thus increasing market growth.
Growth of The Market
Best Audio Editing Softwares In the Market
There are various software for editing and creating audio is available in the market. Some are free, while others are chargeable. Major Players in the Global Audio Editing Software Market are given below:
Adobe Audition CC(windows, macOS)
It is the most widespread audio editing software in the market. It is originally a song editing application.
The software has the best editing tools for editing and completing any audio project. When it is used with Windows, it provides users a complete recording studio experience. It allows multiple recordings at a time simultaneously.
Price of the software: Its price is $20.99/month. Customers can pay monthly or annually for the subscription.
Sound Quality: It produces good quality audio when used with MATLAB.
It has all the basic features, and also advanced features.
It also has a flex-time tool that allows users to edit the timing of a single note in a waveform individually. It automatically converts chords into arpeggios.
It has the availability to automatically match the timing of different tracks in a project using Smart Tempo.
Price: $199
Availability: macOS
AUDACITY
It is a free music editing software that supports both Mac and windows. It is considered as the most popular editor for windows.
It supports a VST plug-in. It has built-in tools that let customers edit pre-recorded files, record audio through microphones, and stream podcasts.
It can be used to create a shot, remove noise, apply effects for professional results.
Allows importing and exporting of MP3, WAV, and AIFF.
Price: Free
Avid Pro Tools
It provides a solution for professional audio editing work for music, film, games, and broadcast. Over 750 voice audio tracks are available to create mixes; without HDX hardware.
Price: $699. The subscription price is $74.99/month.
Pro tools comes with UVI Falcon 2 that allows users to create amazing sounds.
Multichannel support with 64 channels in each track.
It allows users to directly record mono, stereo, and multichannel audio with the ability to record multiple disks at the same time.
Price: $60
Availability: Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Ocenaudio
It is accessible on Windows, Linux, and Mac. It has a wide range of filters, a clear interface, and no stacking effect. It comes with built-in filters and supports VST to add more filters.
It is a cloud-based audio editing software.
Price: Free.
Availability: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Wavepad
It enables the users to record and edit music as well as voice.
Users can cut, copy, and paste parts of the recordings under wavepad software.
Supports general audio formats- MP3, WAV, VOX, WMA, AU, etc.
Price: Free
Availability: Windows & macOS.
Growth Of The Market
36% Growth From North America
The audio editing software market is expected to grow by $2.5 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR rate of 11%. The rise in content creation will offer enormous growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market merchants should focus on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments.
FAQs
What is audio editing software?
Audio editing software is software which allows editing and generating of audio data.
What is audio editing used for?
Audio editing software allows users to edit and generate audio files. These tools are used by audio editors and engineers to mix or delete audio sections, edit and rearrange audio regions, and record and generate new audio components.
What are the types of audio editing techniques?
Amplification.
Compression.
Limiting.
Panning.
Equalization.
Normalization.
Stereo Imaging.
What audio editing software do professionals use?
Ableton, Adobe Audition, and Logic Pro X are among the most popular tools amongst professionals in the music, radio, podcast, etc. industries.
What are some free or open-source audio editing tools?
A popular, free audio editing program that is known for also being very robust and easy-to-use, is Audacity. Other popular free or open-source audio editing tools are Audiotool, Ocenaudio, and GoldWave.
What does audio editing software do?
Audio editing software enables users to edit or create audio files. Audio editing software has a variety of uses from the music industry to radio and podcasts.
Endorsing brands with celebrities is a common marketing strategy used in the Advertising Industry. Having a celebrity brand endorser comes with many advantages, they help advertising the company’s products, brand and services, reach their target audience and raise brand equity. Varun Dhawan is one of the top upcoming celebrity endorser in India.
Varun Dhawan is an Indian actor that works predominantly in the Hindi film industry. Currently, Varun Dhawan is also one of the highest paid actors and has also been featured in the list of Forbes India’s Celebrity 100, since 2014. Varun Dhawan at a young age of 34, became the only actor in Bollywood to get 11 box office successes in a row.
The actor is known for his work in movies such as Student of the Year, Main Tera Hero, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Dilwale, Dishoom, Judwaa, Badlapur, Sui Daaga, Street Dancer, etc. The net worth of the Varun Dhawan is estimated to be over $29 million in 2021. While the actor is known to charge over Rs 1 to 3 Crore.
The brands endorsed by Varun Dhawan are Reebok, Parle Agro Frooti, Layer’r Shot, Maruti Suzuki Arena, Resiquick, Lux Cozi, Fossil Watches, Tasty Treat, Brylcreem, FBB, Buffalo Clothing, SkyBags, Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative, Adiction Deodorant, Campus shoes, Philips, Dhawan & Only, We Chat, Nestle Fruita Vitals, Mazaa, Iconic Clothing, Panasonic, Gatsby hair gel, Idee, Ponds Men, Colgate, Oppo, Coca-cola, Bournvita, Navratna, Haathi Cement, Indian Cancer Society, etc.
Here is the list of brands endorsed by Varun Dhawan
Reebok
Reebok is globally known British footwear and clothing company that is a subsidiary of Adidas. The company was founded by J.W Foster and Sons in 1895 in Bolton Lancashire, England and currently has its headquarters based in Boston, Massachusetts, with offices in Amsterdam, Montreal, Hong Kong and Mexico City.
Reebok is the official footwear and apparel sponsor for popular companieslike CrossFit and Spartan. The company is known for its products such as fitness, running and CrossFit sportswear which include clothing and footwear. Reebok signed Varun Dhawan along with Katrina Kaif as its brand ambassador in 2019.
The duo have made fitness related ad commercials for reebok, recently the company launched its biggest campaign on Sole Fury, which is a dynamic new silhouette that is equal parts sport and style, featuring Varun Dhawan.
According to Sunil Gupta, the brand director of Reebok India, “Being a fitness enthusiast, the actor complements the brand brilliantly. Varun echoes Reebok’s enthusiasm and dedication to fitness, and we are confident that together we will continue to revolutionise the fitness industry.”
Parle Agro Frooti
Frooti is the second largest mango flavoured drink sold in India and a flagship brand of Parle Agro which is a FMCG Company. The brand was initially launched in 1985 and then became the most successful drink launched by Parle Agro. The drink used to be sold in a tetra pak packaging and are now available in PET bottles.
Frooti can be found in the countries such as USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Mozambique, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Japan, and Ireland. The company signed Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassador in 2019 and was also featured in a commercial for its new campaign called #TheFrootiLife along with Alia Bhatt.
Commenting on their association, Nadia Chauhan, the CMO of Parle Agro said that, “Introducing Varun Dhawan as Frooti’s new brand ambassador is a step towards accelerating our ambition to be the number one in mango drinks segment. The presence of both Varun and Alia will help us connect better with the consumers to take the brand to newer heights.”
Maruti Suzuki is one of the most known and trusted automotive company which is a subsidiary of Suzuki which is a Japanese automotive manufacturer. The company was earlier founded and owned by the Government of India until 2003. As of 2018, the company had achieved a market share of 53% in the Indian passenger car market.
Maruti Suzuki is currently the country’s largest car manufacturer and has launched Maruti Suzuki Arena. These new showrooms will be modern and will enhance transparency and offer a warm, friendly and comfortable environment to the customers.
The Maruti Suzuki Arena have four distinct retail channels which are Maruti Suzuki Arena, NEXA, Commercial and True Value. The company signed Varun Dhawan as an endorser for Maruti Suzuki Arena, the ad campaign for this will based on the tagline ‘A destination called you. A feeling called Maruti Suzuki Arena.’
In an interview, R.S. Kalsi, the Senior Executive Director of Maruti Suzuki said that, “Led by Varun Dhawan, our new campaign will showcase Maruti Suzuki Arena as a youthful and modern destination for a dynamic, trendy, social and connected car buying experience.”
Lux Cozi
Lux Cozi is a popular brand of men’s underwear that is owned by Lux Industries with its headquarters based in Kolkata, West Bengal. Lux Industries Ltd is one of the oldest underwear companies in the country, known for its Hosiery products for men, women and children. The brand was launched 1963, that now has a turnover of Rs 200 crores.
Lux Cozi is known to be sold in more than five lakh retail stores across the country. The company has also sponsored for some IPL teams such as Kings XI Punjab and Pune Warriors India. Lux Cozi signed Varun Dhawan as it brand ambassador in 2017, and the actor has so far been the face for the brand for a few years now and has appeared in many ad commercials.
In an interview, Mr. Udit Todi, senior vice president, Lux Industries said that, “A significant section of young audience connects with Varun and we believe will work in favour with our strategy to reach out to the youth of this country.”
FBB is a clothing brand that belongs to Big Bazaar and was founded in 2008, making it the oldest and largest retail hypermarket chains of India. Big Bazaar has more than 250 stores in over 120 cities and towns across the country with FBB stores available in every Big Bazaar store.
FBB has been trying to redefine affordable fashion which is why it has a strong presence across all metropolitan cities of India. FBB signed both Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan as its brand ambassadors. The company launched its ‘Everything Below 599’ campaign with Varun Dhawan in order to attract more customers especially during the pandemic.
Commenting on the association, Akshay Mehrotra, the CMO of FBB said that, “Katrina Kaif and Varun Dhawan represent the youth of today, who are independent, confident and have individualistic and inimitable style quotient. Both the actors personify fbb’s brand preposition of contemporary and comfortable style with mass appeal and with an aspiration that relates to youth across India.”
Fossil watches
Fossil is an popular American Fashion designer and a manufacturer that was founded in 1984 by Tom Kartsotis. Fossil Group is headquarters in Rishardson, Texas and has brand like Relic, Michele Watch, Fossil, Skagen Denmark, Misfit, WSI and Zodiac watches under it. The company also makes licensed accessories for other luxury brands such as BMW, Puma, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, DKNY, Diesel, Tory Burch, Chaps, and Armani Exchange.
Varun Dhawan became the brand ambassador for Fossil Watches in India and has been featured in multiple fossil ad commercials. Fossil also collaborated with Varun to make a limited edition watch collection, a portion of the sales from the range is said to be donated to the Magic Bus. Magic Bus is a NGO with a mission to end poverty through education.
Commenting on his association with the company, Varun said that, “Fossil is an iconic brand that has always celebrated creativity, authenticity and optimism, everything that I swear by when it comes to my style. I am honored to be associated with a brand that is so close to me, to create a watch that truly personifies what I believe in something new, exciting, and affordably classy.”
Philips is one of the most trusted electronic multinational company that was founded by Gerard Philips in 1891. Philips has its headquarters based in Amsterdam and is the largest electronics companies in the world. As of now, Philips has more than 80,000 employees in over 100 different countries.
Philips is segregated into the sectors of Personal health, connected care and diagnosis and treatment, while the lighting division became a separate company. In 2012, Philips went on to became the largest manufacturer of lighting in the world as measured by applicable revenues. Varun became the Philips’s brand ambassador in 2015 and endorsed the male shaving category in some multimedia ad campaigns.
The company in a statement said that, the actor was roped infor the brand as he exemplified the modern man who is suave, confident and well-groomed. ADA Ratnam, President of personal health for Philips India, added that, “Who better than Varun Dhawan to endorse the new shaver’s range that is designed for all the men to get the perfect shave without any nicks and cuts.”
Pond’s Men
Ponds is an US brand known for its beauty and health care products, and is currently owned by Unilever. Ponds is was first patented medicine by Theron T Pond, a pharmacist in the 1846. By the 20th century the company was mainly selling cosmetic products. Today, the pond’s wide variety of creams are sold worldwide and are especially popular in countries like Spain, India, Japan and Thailand.
Ponds is known for its products that are specialized for different ethnicities, ages, environment and lifestyles. Ponds launched its skincare range for men in India with Varun Dhawan as it brand ambassador. When Ponds men was going to launch it was said to be the first of its kind, as it offered skincare range that instantly brightened and recharged skin for Indian men.
Varun so far has been the face of the brand in many of the ponds ads and also added, he loves the new Pond’s Men range of face washes and moisturizers because they are an effective and no-fuss solution to my skin needs. Pond’s is amongst the most reputed skincare brands in the world. He also added that, it is exciting to be the face of this product range for men.
Layer’r Shot is a deodorant brand that is owned by Adjavis Venture Limited. The company was initially established in 2013 by Devendra N Patel. Adjavis Venture Limited came up with LAYER’R Shot and Wottagirl which were both successful in the market. Layer’r Shot recently became one of the top selling fragrance brand for men and offers a wide range of world class, long lasting fragrances crafting especially crafted for the Indian customer.
Varun became the brand ambassador for Layer’r Shot in 2018, the last campaign featuring the actor is based on how older adults who are judgmental about today’s youth. The ad showcases how the new fragrance spreads good thoughts and removes the negative or judgmental thinking happening around them.
Commenting on the commercial, Virendra Saini, the Executive Director said that, “Varun Dhawan is a perfect fit for this campaign as this product appeals to the youth and who better than Varun to represent today’s youth and their thinking. The script demanded someone who has humour and also, someone who can bring freshness and liveliness to the brand.”
Oppo
Oppo is a popular Chinese consumer electronics and a mobile communications company and is among the top ten smartphones sold in India. The company has its headquarters in Dongguan, Guangdong and offers a variety of products ranging from smartphones, audio devices, power banks, blu ray players to other electronic products.
The company was initially launched in 2004 and is currently is available in over 40 countries selling smartphones in more than 200,000 retail stores. Oppo signed Varun Dhawan as its series ambassadors in 2021 for the range of smartphones called OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G and F19 Pro.
The actor launched the smartphone through its latest ad campaign with the tagline of ‘Flaunt the Nights’. In 2019, OPPO India also made actors such as Ranbir Kapoor as their brand icon, Katrina Kaif and Badshah as brand friends for the Reno smartphone series of OPPO. The three stars will be featured together for an ad film of OPPO India.
Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative
Adar Poonawalla Clean City is an initiative that focuses on sustaining environment and is undertaken by Adar Poonawalla. The initiative started in 2014 when Mr. Poonawalla found garbage piling up and being dumped across the city and even went on to pledge Rs. 100 crore for this initiative.
The main aim of this organization is to ensure that more and more cities adopt it to make Urban India becomes cleaner, greener and healthier. Both Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt were made endorsers of the Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative in 2017.
The two have been featured in ad films that highlights the need to keep your cities clean and dispose of garbage in the bin. The ad film was successful and gained over 1.5 million views in a single day.
Varun Dhawan is an Indian actor that works predominantly in the Hindi film industry. Currently, Varun is also one of the highest paid actor in the country.
How much does Varun Dhawan charge for brand endorsement?
Varun Dhawan is known to charge over Rs 1 to 3 Crore for brand endorsements.
What is the net worth of Varun Dhawan?
The net worth of the Varun Dhawan is estimated to be over $29 million in 2021.
Conclusion
After the success of many his movies, Varun Dhawan has also become quite popular in the advertising industry as the actor has endorsed many brands in a short span. The actor is in demand because he is young hence appeals to the youth and has huge fan following.
Varun can be seen endorsing big brands from the sectors of FMCG to automobile to even lifestyle on virtually every platform. Varun is known to endorse brands that generally appeal to the masses, which why it look like actor’s brand value will only continue to grow in the future.
Ashwini
