The Consummate | 12 May 2024
Welcome to The Consummate! We bring our points of view, updates, news, and curated content to the consumer community in India and Southeast Asia.
In this week’s edition, we look back on our recent work to understand Indonesia’s and Philippines’ Gen Z Beauty Consumers, welcome ICON to the DSGCP family and much more. Let’s dive in!
In the Spotlight ✨
In My Glow Up Era: A Look Into Indonesia's & Philippines' Gen Z Beauty Consumers
At DSG Consumer Partners, maintaining a close connection to our continuously evolving consumers to unlock sharp insights is central to how we operate and think. Over the past twelve months, we have invested many hours speaking with regional consumers. We delve into a consumer theme that DSGCP consistently invests in the pursuit of looking and feeling good. We explore the skincare and makeup sectors to better understand their increasingly influential consumer, Gen Zs. We aim to uncover who they are, what they seek, and some tips for brands and business owners on how they can effectively cater to their preferences.
Welcoming ICON to the DSGCP Portfolio
Having known the founding team since their earlier startup, Myfitness, we’re excited to be their day 0 partners as they build a category-defining luggage brand. India is set to become the 4th-largest global spender in travel by 2030. The growing demand for fashionable, high-utility aspirational travel products is underserved. Team ICON is on a mission to address this gap by offering fashionable products with superior functionality for the modern Indian traveller.
Currently Consuming ☕️
Pretty Enough to Eat: Behind Beauty’s Food Obsession
In recent years, TikTok has birthed a number of beauty trends with very little staying power. Despite this reality, labels are increasingly using sweet treats like glazed doughnuts, jelly and gummy bears to sell their products to Gen-Z and Gen Alpha shoppers.
The trend’s most recent iteration is fuelled by increased engagement with food and beverage content on platforms like TikTok, with #FoodTikTok having amassed over 112 billion views. The platform’s foodie community is as much a driver of fleeting trends as is beauty and fashion. In response, beauty brands are launching products that resemble food — usually desserts — or are marketing their assortment alongside actual candy, like gummy bears and gum drops.
What Consumers Care About in Health & Wellness Products, How Competition Builds New Categories, and Will Ozempic Have an Impact on CPG Demand?
The ultimate guide to PR | Emilie Gerber (founder of Six Eastern)
Emilie Gerber is the founder and CEO of Six Eastern, a top PR agency that’s worked with over 100 tech companies, from stealth startups to publicly traded companies. Before starting her own firm, she worked at Uber, where she led PR for the business development team and B2B programs. Prior to that, she worked at Box on product communications, with a focus on product launches and partnership announcements.
Keeping Up With the DSGCP Family 🤝
XYXX launches their latest campaign: Undie–Pendence– Break Free from Discomfort. Watch it here.
Go DESi raises INR 41 crore in funding. Read more here.
SuperBottoms launches latest campaign, #SwitchtoSuper with their celebrity brand ambassador, Alia Bhatt. Watch it here.
Sameer Mehta, Managing Director and Head of Southeast Asia, DSGCP recently took part in a panel conversation at the Vietnam Innovation Forum to discuss unlocking potential and promoting innovation in Vietnam's consumer sector. Learn more.
Everiday Foods, has clinched the 3rd place in the "Sauces, Oils & Spices" category at this year's Dieline Awards. Check it out.
Market Activity 💸
US based biotech beauty brand, Mother Science has closed a USD 3.5 million funding round.
KEY, a US functional beverage brand has raised USD million in seed funding for their zero-sugar ketone-fueled energy drink.
Midi Health, a California-based virtual care clinic for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, announced the close of a $60M Series B funding round.
UK-based femtech startup Elvie has secured £9.6 million in funding.
Playground, an intimate wellness label, announced its closure of a $2 million funding round.
Ilant Health, a value-based obesity management and cardiometabolic health company, has closed its seed round at $5.5 million.
Testmate Health, a startup focused on sexual health diagnostics, has successfully raised $6 million in seed funding to revolutionize STI testing.
Eating disorder telehealth startup Equip has secured $35 million in new funding.
C16 Biosciences, which makes precision-fermented palm oil alternatives, has won a USD 3.5M grant from the Gates Foundation.
USA-based protein snack brand Wilde, the company behind the world’s first chip made of chicken breast, egg whites, and bone broth, announced $20 million in growth funding
Dutch cultivated meat pioneer Mosa Meat has raised €40M (USD 42.4M) in a new funding round.
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