How AS-IT-IS Nutrition boosts sales without a dime on e-comm ads

New Delhi: What does a typical brand-building exercise look like? Typically, a brand is conceived, a product is produced, and packaging is done. You have a name for the product. You have some features of the product, benefits, and advantages of the product and then you figure out, the marketing strategy.

On average, brands spend 25% of their revenues on marketing but not AS-IT-IS Nutrition. Unlike many players in the D2C sector, AS-IT-IS has achieved profitability while being completely bootstrapped. They have managed to achieve a turnover of Rs 200 crore and target a turnover of Rs 500-600 crore over the next 3 years.

Defining the role of marketing in shaping the brand, Himmath Jain, Co-founder and Director of AS-IT-IS Nutrition, said, “In 2018, our marketing journey began with a unique approach: a product containing just one ingredient. We observed that consumers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities felt perplexed looking at the complex ingredient lists in whey protein supplements. 

To address this, we launched a brand called ‘As It Is’ with a single-ingredient product—whey protein concentrate, boasting 80% protein purity. This straightforward approach resonated with consumers seeking authentic, affordable protein. By not adding any unnecessary additives, we not only filled a market gap but also reduced our marketing costs significantly.”

The brand distinguishes itself by allocating only 4% of its total revenue to marketing, in stark contrast to competitors who often spend close to 25%.

Explaining how the brand achieved the highest recall rates in its category by just spending 4% on marketing exercises, Jain said, “As a family-managed business, we allocated our budget efficiently. While I handle marketing, branding, and administration, my brother oversees R&D. This in-house setup keeps our R&D costs low, allowing us to pass on the benefits to consumers. Despite a modest budget (only 4% of revenue), our focus on authenticity and affordability has resonated with customers.”

Defining the key pillars of the brand’s marketing strategy, Jain said, “When launching our product, we prioritised simplicity in the brand name, opting for ‘As It Is.’ Had we gone for a complex brand name, explaining its meaning to consumers would have required significant marketing efforts. 

Secondly, we introduced a plastic pouch instead of traditional protein jars, reducing costs by Rs 100. Lastly, we placed a hologram on our packaging—a QR code that helps you download lab reports of the product via an app to verify product authenticity.”

To become a hit among consumers, the brand decided to ride on the influencer marketing fever during the pandemic and quickly went on to become the category leader on Amazon and Flipkart in the first three months of launching its first product.

Providing an insight into the influencer marketing strategy of the brand, Jain said, “Because of limited funds for performance marketing on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google, we opted for influencer marketing. We collaborated with multiple fitness influencers who delivered impressive ROI. Partnering with around 10 influencers, our branded content videos garnered  4 million views within just 10 days.”

With limited resources, AS-IT-IS decided not to have a holistic marketing approach as the brand didn’t have the budget for widespread market expansion or for educating consumers about the product so, it decided to focus its marketing efforts solely on people who hit the gym regularly. Moreover, it refrained from extensive promotions aimed at females outside the popular gym-going demographic.

Defining the marketing mix for AS-IT-IS campaigns Jain said, “Today, the majority of the influencers can't guarantee business so we have turned towards a 360-degree approach. As an established brand in the gymming community, our focus remains on performance marketing and targeted influencer collaborations, which include collaborations with national-level athletes. While social media wasn’t a major part of our initial strategy, we’ve gradually invested in it to align with our branding playbook to ensure consistency.”

Over the past six years, our company has achieved remarkable growth, reaching nearly 100%. “Last year alone, we experienced an 85% increase. As we continue to expand, our projected gross merchandise value (GMV) for this year stands at 350 crores,” Jain quoted.

Startups use funding from venture capitalist firms all the time to drive their marketing efforts. When asked why AS-IT-IS is not raising funds from the market despite having a strong consumer base, Jain said, “While we remain open to raising funds, our approach prioritises sustainable growth. We’re keen on forming meaningful tie-ups and avoiding cash burn. Profitability and organic brand development matter more than being an overnight success. By growing steadily, we gain valuable consumer feedback, allowing us to refine our product, packaging, and approach.”

Initially, D2C played a minor role in the sales, but today, Amazon, Flipkart, and D2C contribute almost equally. The ratio approximates one-third each. Additionally, offline channels account for approximately 15% of the total business. 

Because offline sales only account for 15%, the brand spends the majority of its marketing budget on digital marketing. From the horse’s lips itself, Jain said, “Previously, our marketing budget hovered around 4% to 5% of the total revenue. However, with increasing competition and an influx of rivals, we’ve raised our spending to approximately 6% to 7% to ensure we remain competitive and maintain our brand presence.

Our ongoing marketing efforts include targeted sales, performance marketing, and consistent communication via platforms like WhatsApp. When collaborating with influencers, we commit to year-long partnerships that ensure sustained presence and the influencer’s followers become well-acquainted with our brand over time.”

What’s surprising is the fact that despite achieving two-thirds of its digital sales from Amazon and Flipkart, the brand never spent a marketing dollar on e-commerce advertising. In the words of Jain, “Our loyal customer base is incredibly sticky. They actively engage with our products, often purchasing in advance during special deals and maintaining a stocked inventory. Their love for our offerings drives high repeatability and we have gained this recall without spending a single penny on e-commerce advertising.”

With the ROAS standing at 8–12 times the return on the initial investment, Jain finds not being able to attribute his sales to the brand’s digital marketing efforts as one of the major challenges.

While most brands called the SDC mandate a bureaucratic hurdle, Jain welcomes it with enthusiasm. Expanding his thoughts on the subject, Jain said, “Looking at the current state of affairs in the Indian food industry, we wholeheartedly embrace this initiative. It serves as a safeguard against fraudulent practices by brands—those selling unauthorised or subpar products. 

While it adds an extra layer of compliance for us, we adhere to it. Moreover, the use of templates streamlines our advertising efforts. Once ‘SDC’ is mentioned, it becomes a standardised component, sparing us the need to create fresh copywriting or scripts each time.”

Wrapping it up, Jain stated his plan to increase the marketing budget as he plans to diversify the product offerings and expand the brand’s presence in 40 countries across the globe.