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The Snitch Effect: Learning from a Brand’s Remarkable Rise to Success
We are back with another enthralling edition of our D2C chronicles where ground-breaking ideas meet boundless enterprising spirits to create a narrative of victory.
Today, we shed light upon Snitch, a company that has taken the entire nation by storm, becoming one of the fastest growing brands in India. Step in as we uncover the story of overcoming obstacles, triumphing with time, and scaling skillfully.
What transformed a humble homegrown brand into a 100 crore success story?
Let’s delve deeper.
The Snitch Story
What started as a B2B brand in 2019 turned into a D2C sensation by hitting the pandemic’s curveball out of the park.
Founded by Siddharth R Dungarwal, Snitch specializes in clothing for the modern, fashion-forward man. When the pandemic hit, the company faced a substantial inventory surplus due to a decline in their B2B business. However, they didn’t let this setback deter them. Snitch seized the opportunity by transitioning online and establishing themselves as a D2C brand, now serving customers in over 20 states across India.
This strategic move propelled Snitch into the forefront of the fast-fashion industry. Their remarkable agility allowed them to swiftly adapt to ever-evolving fashion trends and seamlessly incorporate them into their collections.
The secret to their success? A fashion-forward approach that captures the latest trends, all at affordable prices.
Let’s explore a turning point in the brand’s story.
Choosing to swim with sharks (not literally), Snitch bagged an ‘all-shark’ deal on Shark Tank India Season 2. Dungarwal managed to secure ₹1.5 crore for a 1.5% equity from all the five judges, who were thoroughly impressed by the young entrepreneur’s visionary approach to building a business.
Snitch’s growth trajectory has been nothing short of extraordinary, with a remarkable 250 percent increase in revenue. Going from 44 crore in FY 2021-22 to an impressive 120 crore in FY 22-23, their story is truly remarkable. Snitch’s journey in the D2C landscape offers invaluable lessons for all, and we’re about to dive deep into the key insights derived from their exceptional path.
Lessons from Snitch’s Remarkable Journey
Lesson #1: Find a unique opportunity & dive right in
What do you do when you spot a gap in the market? You attack it head on! And that’s exactly what Snitch did.
Snitch identified a distinctive opportunity: the absence of an Indian brand devoted to men’s fast fashion. In a market where roughly 90% of clothing options catered to women’s apparel, a noticeable void existed in the realm of men’s fashion. Recognizing the demand for diverse choices in men’s clothing, Snitch understood that men too seek attire that mirrors their refined taste and style, and they were determined to fill that gap.
Their primary mission? To offer a wide spectrum of styles rather than limiting themselves to a handful. Moreover, Snitch demonstrated their commitment to inclusivity by providing apparel for plus-sized men, ensuring that fashion knows no bounds.
Lesson #2: Take a stand
While global fast fashion brands have often drawn criticism for their mass production of affordable garments, capitalizing on consumers’ unceasing desire to stay trendy, Snitch stands out as a notable player in the fast-fashion realm. They’ve gained recognition for their remarkable ability to promptly spot and translate trends into stylish designs that meet customer expectations.
What sets Snitch apart is their commitment to sustainability, which might pique your curiosity. One of their primary strategies is the implementation of a circular fashion business model. In a bid to promote sustainability, Snitch has introduced initiatives like ‘Relove’ and ‘Resell,’ allowing users to easily sell their pre-owned Snitch clothing through the Snitch website while providing comprehensive product information.
Moreover, Snitch is among the pioneering D2C brands to embrace plant-based chemical washes. Their commitment to sustainability extends to their packaging, with poly bags crafted from corn starch, clothing tags fashioned from recycled paper, and a substantial portion of their sportswear being made from recycled plastic and organic cotton.
Beyond their sustainable practices, Snitch is dedicated to making a positive impact through Snitch Care, a CSR vertical of the brand. This initiative focuses on improving the lives of the community, particularly underprivileged children, by promoting their education and overall well-being.
Lesson #3: Be a customer first brand
With a strong commitment to being a customer-first brand, Snitch places utmost importance on creating exceptional experiences and prioritizing customer satisfaction above all else.
So, what’s in a name? Snitch means a snitch on trends.
The brand’s core mission revolves around unwavering dedication to delivering high-quality, on-trend products while keeping them accessible to their customers. This commitment to the customer has translated into over a million orders and the development of a user-friendly mobile app, boasting an impressive 1.5 million downloads in FY 22-23.
However, the journey of building this brand was not without its challenges. One of the most formidable tasks for Snitch was establishing trust among its consumers. How did they achieve this? To earn credibility, the brand went the extra mile in addressing customer inquiries, offering assistance even during unconventional hours.
Furthermore, Snitch has harnessed the power of automation extensively throughout its operations, leaving no stone unturned in enhancing the customer experience. This includes streamlining returns and exchanges and using customer feedback to create new and improved products. Their commitment to automation has truly elevated their customer engagement to new heights.
Lesson #4: Affiliate Program for Brand Awareness
A part of being a customer-first brand means building a 2-way engagement with your customers in order to create a brand community. To cultivate a strong sense of belonging, Snitch introduced the Snitch Ambassador Program, an initiative aimed at nurturing a community of brand advocates and ambassadors.
Becoming a Snitch Ambassador was open to all customers, and they could join by sharing a picture of their Snitch purchase on their Instagram story and tagging @snitch.co.in. As a token of gratitude, all ambassadors received an exclusive 20% site-wide discount code. But the perks didn’t stop there; their Instagram usernames were transformed into unique discount codes, offering a 15% discount to their friends and family on the Snitch website. It’s all about making every customer feel truly valued!
To spread the word about this opportunity, Snitch prominently featured a banner on their website inviting customers to become brand ambassadors. They also engaged with their audience on Instagram through stories that directed them to the website, and included a footer in every email, extending a warm invitation to become a “Brand Ambassador.”
Recognizing the importance of actively engaging with customers and creating personalized experiences is the cornerstone of driving business growth and success. For Snitch, building on customer advocacy has not only elevated brand visibility but also enriched their social media presence and expanded their customer base.
Lesson #5: Marketing for the win
On the social media note, Snitch has devised a well-defined strategy, characterised by the creation of visually captivating content, active engagement with followers, and the utilisation of the latest trends to ensure relevance.
With a following of over 400k on Instagram, Snitch encourages customers to use the brand’s hashtag #snitchit in their social media posts. This not only helps to build a sense of community among customers but also allows the brand to feature and showcase customer content, thereby enhancing brand visibility and credibility.
Snitch also runs several influencer marketing campaigns on Instagram, a powerful strategy to reach their target audiences and establish a strong online presence. Some of these campaigns include styling Reels where influencers create looks using Snitch clothing items.
The brand also conducts several Instagram contests. They do this by offering followers a prize if they follow a certain set of instructions, which include tagging other users in the comment section. Their contests also require participants to follow the Snitch Instagram account to be able to enter, which can lead to a significant increase in your follower count.
When participants tag friends, like, comment, or share your posts, it boosts overall engagement on the account. As users engage with contest posts, their actions can appear on their friends’ feeds, introducing the brand to a wider audience and generating buzz, helping to increase brand visibility.
Blogs
They also keep active on the blog section of their website by publishing engaging, informative and fun articles. Brands can use their blog to tell stories, which in turn helps in humanizing the brand to foster a sense of community and loyalty among readers.
Here’s a fun read: TOP 5 MEN’S SUMMER ESSENTIALS TO BEAT THE HEAT IN STYLE
Marketing Automation
Snitch employs automated marketing communications to re-engage with customers who have abandoned their shopping carts, strategically motivating them to finalize their purchases. Utilizing SMS and WhatsApp channels, the brand has achieved remarkable results, boasting the industry’s highest click-through rates (CTR) and open rates. Leveraging these communication channels has played a pivotal role in capturing customers’ attention and inspiring them to reconnect with the brand, ultimately leading to higher conversions and an overall boost in sales performance.
Snitch-ing on Success
Snitch’s digital landscape has solidified, but there are even grander plans on the horizon. The brand is gearing up to extend its footprint beyond the digital sphere by establishing eight digital experience stores across India. This strategic maneuver is designed to offer customers immersive offline experiences while maintaining a strong digital presence. It’s a brand poised to excel in both realms.
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Stay tuned for the upcoming edition in our D2C Brand series, where we’ll showcase inspiring success stories and share valuable insights for entrepreneurs in the D2C space!
