The Consummate | 15 October 2023
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 of The Consummate, we have a lot of exciting updates– we’ve recently closed Fund IV, refreshed our brand identity, released a report on the evolving landscape of Southeast Asian consumers in collaboration with Bain & Company and Meta, and much more! Let’s dive in.
In the Spotlight ✨
Unlocking Our Next Phase of Growth: Final Close of Fund IV at $114 million
A note from our partners: We are incredibly grateful and proud to announce the final close of DSGCP IV at $114M!
In the past decade, we have been privileged to partner with mission-driven founders across India and Southeast Asia as they build the next generation of category-defining brands. We look forward to doubling down on our conviction in the consumer opportunity through Fund IV.
We are long-term partners who work with our founders throughout their journey, offering strategic mentorship, product development & operational expertise, industry knowledge and access to our global management network. As a collective, we form a partnership with complementary skills, backgrounds and experiences. This means bringing together a team that is consumer-obsessed and loves getting their hands dirty working on brands from inception. We are incredibly proud of the team we have built across regions with 11 investment professionals, 2 portfolio support team members focusing on consumer insights, branding and marketing, and 2 compliance and admin professionals.
Bold Moves: Leading Southeast Asia’s next wave of consumer growth
The world is looking towards Southeast Asia as a bright spot for growth and experimentation amidst global turbulence.
We see consumers become more value-seeking in the shorter term, while some of their ‘wants’ have emerged to become new ‘needs’. Gen Z is an influential segment due to their size and growing spending power. While they may have different values, they are not that different from the other generations when it comes to online shopping and experimenting with tech. We also see the rise of the solo economy that is starting to redefine engagement models.
Insurgent disruptors have been increasingly gaining market share in the region by addressing these evolving consumer trends. With unparalleled diversity in the region, we also look at how the role of personalization and AI is growing to help businesses meet consumers where they are.
Currently Consuming ☕️
Brands with Mags
In-house magazines are resource-intensive, so why are an increasing number of brands launching them? TheHardCopy speaks Bigbasket, CRED, Plum, The Whole Truth and Urban Company to share their experiences.
Will Netflix Houses be the new movie theaters?
Netflix is building its first permanent retail and entertainment locations. It’s a glimpse of live entertainment’s future.
What You Can Learn From Glossier's Hype-Driven Rise and Controversial Fall
The Glossier saga is detailed in Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier, by the journalist Marisa Meltzer. Having spent years chronicling Weiss and the culture of expectation and hype surrounding Glossier, Meltzer explains what founders can learn from the company's story.
Keeping Up With the DSGCP Family 🤝
Go Zero launches new low-calorie ice cream bonbons, zero sugar, 30 calories each, and full of indulgent flavour with premium ingredients. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gfqgjWrf
Knya launches its second store in Navi Mumbai! Earlier this year, they launched their first store in Parel. Come say hi: https://lnkd.in/gk88NGMy
Nuguru incubated Everiday Foods, unveiled at Speciality Food & Drinks Asia by founder, Riyana Rupani. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gGcDTaC4
PICKUP COFFEE officially launched their first PICKUP PRIME store in the Phillippines. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gFmDkDiX
Pip & Nut | B Corp's recent sampling roadshow was a roaring success, with over 80k samples shared. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gGuaGjk6
SATURDAYS opened 2 new stores at Pakuwon Solo and Kota Kasablanka in Indonesia! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gkff4ygd
Veeba’s new TVC brings together India's first love: food and India's second love: cricket. This campaign is dedicated to upholding Veeba's promise of authenticity, quality, and innovation while showcasing its extensive array of products, including ketchups, mayonnaise, oriental sauces, dressings, and more. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gnp_Nkac
A note from the curator:
After an exciting decade, we are happy to share our fresh new look for DSG Consumer Partners!
Welcome to the revamped DSGCP website.
Our brand and website refresh is a culmination of our journey so far. It's not just a facelift; it’s a return to our core values and why we exist as a firm: to be the partner of choice for consumer entrepreneurs building the next wave of insurgent consumer brands.
But this revamp isn't just about the past; it's a glimpse into the exciting future we're betting on. Here, we share our ongoing insights into the ever-evolving consumer landscape and the dynamic shifts in market trends. We also proudly showcase the emerging generation of insurgent consumer brands and the brilliant minds behind them. In essence, our website stands as a testament to our enduring passion for consumer brand building and our conviction in the consumer opportunity.
We invite you to take your time exploring our new website. You’ll discover a plethora of content including insightful episodes of Brick by Brick: Building Insurgent Brands featuring the brightest minds in the consumer business, as well as our team's diverse perspectives on emerging themes, sectors, and evolving consumer behaviour.
Welcome to the future of DSGCP!
Before you go,
Are you a regular consumer of ice cream? Do you like experimenting with new flavours or do you prefer to stick to your favourites? We want to hear from you!
We’re surveying Indian consumers to better understand how they enjoy their ice cream. Do take a few minutes out to share your preferences. In exchange for your time and insights, we have a 50% off coupon code on delicious Go Zero ice creams at the end of it!
That’s all for this edition, if you enjoyed reading The Consummate, share this with a friend!