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From Viral Debut to Viable Business: The Make-or-Break Test for Influencer Brands

The notification dinged, vibrant and insistent, pulling me into the digital whirlwind.

A friend, a budding entrepreneur, had just launched her new D2C brand, riding the wave of a prominent influencer’s massive social media reach.

Her feed was ablaze with excitement: stories, shout-outs, sell-outs.

It was a perfect storm of virality, the kind that makes startup founders dream of instant success.

Yet, even amidst the celebratory emojis and rapid growth metrics, a quiet question lingered for me.

What happens when the initial digital roar fades?

Can a brand, born from the star power of a creator, truly stand on its own two feet when the spotlight moves on?

This question is not just theoretical; it is the defining make-or-break test for every influencer-led brand.

The initial burst of attention, while invaluable, is merely the opening act.

The real challenge, especially in competitive and trust-dependent categories, is translating that early hype into sustained customer loyalty and genuine consumer pull.

It requires a strategic shift, moving beyond the celebrity glow to build a foundation of product excellence and deep brand resonance.

In short: Kusha Kapila’s UnderNeat faces the critical challenge of sustaining growth beyond influencer hype by building product loyalty and expanding its customer base, mirroring the make-or-break test for all creator-led brands.

The Creator Economys Double-Edged Sword: Hype vs. Reality

The creator economy in India, vibrant and rapidly expanding, offers an irresistible launchpad for new direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands.

When a massive creator like Kusha Kapila, with her millions of followers, announces a new label, the debut feels like an event.

UnderNeats launch, for example, generated a frenzy of conversation, virality, and sell-outs, fueled by creator-led content.

This explosive initial adoption is driven by star power, but its long-term engine must be everything that happens after a customer’s first unboxing, as noted by Upasna Dash, CEO and Founder of Jajabor Brand Consultancy (Article Analysis, 2023).

This initial virality creates significant awareness and rapid sell-outs, but it does not guarantee long-term business viability.

The true test emerges typically six to eight months into the brands journey.

The core question then becomes whether the brand can sustain a consumer base that discovers it through the influencer, but stays despite her.

Dash warns that hype-heavy brands often exhaust their budgets on that initial splash.

She states, The biggest red flag is when the sales funnel drops immediately after the creator blast.

Many brands blow 70% of their budget on a launch campaign that never sustains (Upasna Dash, Article Analysis, 2023).

This highlights the need for a shift from a creator push to genuine consumer pull for influencer-led brands.

The Litmus Test: Metrics for Sustained Consumer Pull

For any D2C brand, especially those born from influencer fame, a few critical metrics serve as a litmus test for long-term viability.

Pranav Panpalia, Founder of OpraahFX, believes that most influencer-led brands reveal their truth around the three to six month mark.

He breaks down the real success markers: repeat rate, asking if people are re-ordering; organic momentum, questioning if sales continue even when the influencer isnt posting; and cost of customer acquisition (CAC), noting that if CAC shoots up, the launch audience is exhausted (Pranav Panpalia, Article Analysis, 2023).

These key metrics move the focus from initial buzz to enduring appeal.

Venkat Malik, Founder and CEO of J7, also emphasizes repeat purchases as the first real test of sustainability.

He asks, What kind of reviews does it get?

Does the product-market fit hold?

After initial euphoria, many different components have to come together — like service, returns and overall experience (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).

Malik adds a critical metric for online-led consumer brands: 70% of new buyers in any period should be first-time customers.

This implies that D2C brand strategy requires continuous expansion of the buyer base beyond the founders fan community (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).

Sustainable brand building D2C relies not just on drawing attention, but on converting it into consistent, independent demand.

Product is King: Why Comfort, Fit, and Localisation Matter Most

In categories like shapewear and innerwear, product-market fit and quality are not just important; they are paramount.

These are not impulse purchases; they are built on trust and a highly personal relationship with users.

One bad fit, one uncomfortable experience, and the brand is abandoned.

Pranav Panpalia stresses this point: With shapewear and innerwear, people only buy again if the product is genuinely great.

Comfort, fit, sizing — if thats not perfect, nobody is coming back no matter how famous the founder is (Pranav Panpalia, Article Analysis, 2023).

This underscores why superior product experience is vital for customer loyalty.

Upasna Dash echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that comfort, durability, and accessibility matter far more today.

She adds, If theres no innovation, no community and a sudden post-campaign decline, thats when alarm bells should ring (Upasna Dash, Article Analysis, 2023).

UnderNeats approach to product development has been noted for its diligence and genuine consideration for Indian consumers.

Venkat Malik observed that They seem to have studied how Indian women’s bodies work, the climate conditions — it is a well-thought-through brand and product (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).

A strong example of this localization is UnderNeats introduction of petticoats during Diwali, designed specifically for Indian women rather than simply exporting Western ideals (Upasna Dash, Article Analysis, 2023).

This meticulous focus on product innovation tailored to specific body types and cultural habits is critical for preventing customer abandonment and driving repeat purchase rate in the Shapewear market India.

Beyond the Founder: Strategies for Expanding Brand Influence and Loyalty

For an influencer-led brand to achieve lasting success, it must strategically move beyond the founders personal brand to build broad cultural relevance.

This means expanding influence beyond the founder.

Upasna Dash praises UnderNeat for letting the product take centre stage, noting that only about one out of ten performance pieces features Kusha; the rest are real customers and real reviews.

That’s when creator-led push gives way to genuine consumer pull (Upasna Dash, Article Analysis, 2023).

This shift is crucial for brand building D2C.

Venkat Malik draws a parallel with Skims, Kim Kardashians brand, which evolved beyond a founder cult into a full-blown consumer megabrand.

Skims moved beyond just Kardashian.

It tapped into cultural icons — Tyra Banks, Snoop Dogg and many others (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).

For UnderNeat, the roadmap for sustainable customer loyalty is clear: invest in broader brand-building and distribution channels, and anchor the brand around a hero product that shoppers repeatedly return to.

This strategic diversification of brand association and marketing efforts is vital for achieving widespread adoption in the E-commerce marketing space.

Risks, Trade-offs, and Ethical Considerations

The journey from viral debut to viable business is fraught with risks.

The primary risk for influencer-led brands is the over-reliance on the founders personal brand, leading to an inflated Cost of Customer Acquisition D2C that becomes unsustainable once the initial hype fades.

If the sales funnel drops immediately after the creator blast, it signals a deeper problem with product-market fit (Upasna Dash, Article Analysis, 2023).

This highlights a trade-off: immediate attention from a celebrity often comes with an implicit promise of sustained value, which the product must then fulfill.

Ethically, there is a responsibility to ensure the product genuinely delivers on the promise conveyed by the influencer.

Misleading hype, or a product that fails on comfort, durability, or accessibility, can lead to consumer behavior that results in widespread dissatisfaction and damage to trust (Upasna Dash, Article Analysis, 2023).

Maintaining product quality, ensuring excellent customer service, and streamlining returns are essential components that have to come together after initial euphoria (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).

Brands must prioritize authentic brand management over short-term gains from digital content creation.

Tools, Metrics, and Cadence for D2C Success

Essential Tools:

• A comprehensive analytics suite to monitor website traffic, conversion rates, and detailed customer journey mapping is crucial.
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software is vital for managing customer interactions and feedback.
• Inventory management systems ensure product availability and fulfillment efficiency.
• Tools for A/B testing can help optimize product messaging and features, and social listening tools can monitor brand sentiment beyond the influencers immediate sphere.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for D2C Brand Viability:

• The Repeat Purchase Rate measures the percentage of customers making subsequent purchases, serving as a primary indicator of product satisfaction and customer loyalty.
• Organic Sales Momentum tracks sales generated without direct promotion from the founder, reflecting brand strength independent of influencer push.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) indicates the expense incurred to acquire one new customer; a rising CAC post-launch signals an exhausted initial audience.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) represents the total revenue a customer is expected to generate over their relationship with the brand.
• The New Buyer Ratio measures the percentage of new buyers in any period; Venkat Malik suggests 70% should be first-time customers for sustainable expansion (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).
• Product Review Sentiment, an analysis of customer reviews for recurring themes around comfort, fit, and overall experience, directly impacts product-market fit.

Review Cadence:

• Weekly, monitor real-time sales, website performance, and immediate customer feedback, addressing any critical product or service issues.
• Monthly, dive deeper into repeat rate, organic momentum, and CAC.

  Evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing marketing campaigns and product-market fit, adjusting promotional strategies and inventory.

• Quarterly, conduct a comprehensive review of the overall D2C brand strategy, assessing expansion efforts, community building initiatives, and the competitive landscape of the fashion tech India sector.

  Plan for new product innovation and distribution channels.

FAQ: Your Quick Guide to Influencer-Led Brand Success

• What is the biggest challenge for influencer-led brands after launch?

  The biggest challenge is transitioning from sales driven by the founders popularity (creator push) to sustained demand driven by product quality and customer loyalty (consumer pull), typically within six to eight months of launch (Article Analysis, 2023).

• What are key metrics to evaluate the long-term viability of D2C brands?

  Key metrics include repeat purchase rate, organic sales momentum (when the influencer isnt promoting), and the cost of customer acquisition (CAC), which indicates if the initial audience is exhausted (Pranav Panpalia, Article Analysis, 2023).

• Why is product quality crucial for brands in the shapewear and innerwear category?

  In this category, trust, comfort, fit, and sizing are paramount.

  One bad experience can lead to customer abandonment, making genuine product excellence the sole driver for repeat purchases and loyalty (Pranav Panpalia, Article Analysis, 2023).

• How can an influencer-led brand expand its buyer base beyond the founders fan community?

  Strategies include letting the product take center stage in marketing, investing in broader brand-building and distribution channels, anchoring the brand around a hero product, and tapping into a wider array of cultural icons, as exemplified by Skims (Venkat Malik, Article Analysis, 2023).

Glossary

• Influencer-led Brands: Brands founded or heavily promoted by social media influencers.
• D2C Brand Strategy: A business model where a company sells products directly to consumers, bypassing traditional retailers.
• Product-Market Fit: The degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand.
• Customer Loyalty: The likelihood of a customer to continue purchasing from a brand over time.
• Creator Economy India: The segment of the Indian economy where individuals earn income by creating and distributing digital content.
• Repeat Purchase Rate: The percentage of customers who make a second purchase from a brand.
• Organic Momentum: Sales growth driven by factors other than paid advertising or direct influencer promotion.
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The expense incurred to acquire one new customer.

Conclusion: Building a Legacy Beyond the Launch Moment

The initial fanfare around Kusha Kapilass UnderNeat, like many influencer-led brands, was electrifying.

But the real story, the lasting narrative, will be written in the quiet consistency of repeat purchases, in the genuine reviews of satisfied customers, and in the brands ability to forge a connection that transcends celebrity.

My entrepreneurial friend, navigating her own D2C journey, now understands this deeply: the initial sprint is exhilarating, but the marathon demands an unwavering focus on the customer, the product, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

Influence buys attention, as Pranav Panpalia wisely noted, but product buys loyalty (Pranav Panpalia, Article Analysis, 2023).

The make-or-break test is ultimately about value – designing products that truly solve for consumer needs, building communities around shared experiences, and committing to operational excellence.

Only then can a viral debut blossom into a viable business, securing a lasting chapter in the competitive landscape of the creator economy.

References

Article Analysis. (2023). From viral debut to viable business: The make-or-break test for Kusha Kapila’s UnderNeat.

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