Mumbai: WOW Skin Science has announced the launch of its new Onion + Collagen anti-hair fall range. This updated product addresses the increase in hair fall concerns during the monsoon season. The new formulation combines collagen with onion to deliver improved results and strengthen WOW’s position in the haircare market.
As a pioneer of the onion haircare range in India, WOW Skin Science has expanded the category with innovative products. The new Collagen-enriched formula, tested extensively, showed significant hair fall reduction in just two weeks. This blend of natural onion and collagen offers a solution that combines nature and science effectively.
The updated WOW Onion + Collagen range provides a dual-action approach: onion strengthens hair roots, while collagen forms a protective layer to prevent dryness, repair damage, and improve texture. This combination offers effective hair fall control and a smooth finish, setting a new standard in the onion haircare market.
On the launch, WOW Skin Science co-founder Manish Chowdhary shared, “At WOW Skin Science, we understand that today’s consumers seek advanced solutions. Our new and improved Onion + Collagen range reflects our commitment to ‘Activated Naturals,’ blending natural ingredients with active components for exceptional results. We are confident that this breakthrough formulation, being the first in India to combine collagen with onion specifically for hair fall treatment, will set a new standard in haircare segment.”
To support the launch and build awareness of collagen in haircare, WOW Skin Science is implementing a 360-degree media activation strategy. This includes a fresh digital commercial featuring Urvi Singh, known for her role in Kota Factory. The campaign spotlights the tagline ‘Hair Fall ke liye OG nahi, OC,’ showcasing onion as the original gangster (OG) of hair fall control. Now, paired with collagen (OC), this dynamic duo emerges as the ultimate hair care solution, Onion + Collagen.
WOW Skin Science’s new Onion + Collagen range is set to address hair fall issues, especially during the monsoon season. As India’s first hair care range combining onion with collagen, it features a formulation free from sulphates, parabens, and silicone, providing an effective and gentle solution. The range is available through e-commerce platforms and retail stores, making it accessible to users across the country.
Mumbai: WOW Skin Science, a leading beauty and wellness brand renowned for its best-selling skin and hair care products, ventures into the cosmetics category with the launch of their new brand ‘Color Cupid.’ This innovative and multi-functional makeup brand, specially designed and curated for Gen-Z and Millennial audiences, celebrates the philosophy “Love every shade of me”. Color Cupid aims to empower users to embrace every aspect of their identity, encouraging self-expression and individuality beyond conventional beauty standards.
Given the changing consumption habits of modern Indian consumers, WOW Skin Science recognized immense potential for accessible makeup for GenZ consumers. Having understood GenZ’s desire for experimentation & self-discovery, they collaborated with leading makeup artists to create a range of differentiated, high-quality cosmetics that are versatile and accessible, supporting GenZ in their quest for self-expression.
Distinguishing itself in the competitive market, Color Cupid encourages individuals to revel in their unique beauty beyond conventional standards. Launching with an extensive range of nearly 40 SKUs across face, eyes, and lips categories, Color Cupid offers a comprehensive range of products. The eye portfolio includes Kajal and Eyeliner, while the lip portfolio features Bullet Lipstick, Liquid Lipstick, and India’s first Lip Duo – a unique combination of liquid lipstick with tinted lip balm. The face portfolio comprises foundation, primer, BB cream, and a makeup remover, providing versatile, high-performing options.
“With this launch, we aim to revolutionize the beauty industry by bridging the gap between your inner world and outer expression, helping you find the look that reflects who you are, without seeking validation or judgment,” expressed WOW Skin Science co-founder Manish Chowdhary. “We believe makeup should celebrate every facet of your identity, empowering you to love every shade of yourself. Our goal is to offer innovative, user-friendly products that enhance your natural beauty while simplifying your makeup routine. Color Cupid supports and champions the individuality of our consumers, encouraging them to embrace their unique beauty stories with confidence and joy.”
WOW Skin Science, renowned for its ‘Activated Naturals’ beauty and wellness products, continues to innovate and expand its offerings with the launch of Color Cupid. Color Cupid’s products will be available both online, through platforms like Amazon India and offline, spanning over 300 beauty advisor-led stores and 1000 plus makeup stores. The brand will focus on key regions such as East India, Delhi NCR, Punjab, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, and Vadodara. By establishing a robust presence across these targeted areas, the brand aims to ensure widespread availability and effectively propagate its brand philosophy ‘Love every shade of me.’
Mumbai: Manish Chowdhary, the co-founder of WOW Skin Science, beauty and wellness brand, is all set to appear as an investor and mentor on ‘Mission Start Ab’. The brand new competitive business reality show is all set to launch, conceptualised as a part of Amazon Prime Video’s partnership with the office of the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India.
The show will feature other luminaries of the Indian business and start-up ecosystem. Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl and Anisha Gupta – founder, She Capital will join Chowdhary as mentors. Designer and actress Masaba Gupta, and actor and video jockey Cyrus Sahukar will be the friends and guides of the entrepreneurs, helping them narrate and detail their journeys.
Chowdhary currently acts as a mentor for several early-stage ventures and start-ups. During his stint with the soon-to-be-released show, he aims to help build home-grown businesses, provide courage and motivation to budding entrepreneurs and guide them on becoming India’s next unicorn. His mantra of ‘Fail Fast, Fix fast’ to innovate to taste failure and to learn is sure to aid entrepreneurs in their journey. Chowdhary believes in repeated experimentation and innovation to fine-tune and maximise the quality of WOW Skin Science products while remaining undeterred by failure.
WOW Skin Science co-founder – Aspiring entrepreneurs Manish Chowdhary Manish Chowdhary said, “We are super excited to feature the next generation of entrepreneurs on this show. I want them to master the art of ‘fail fast, fix fast’ – a mentality of overcoming adversity and emerging on top. All of them come with diverse experiences and incredible journeys. They will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of business leaders who have toiled equally hard to assert themselves as experts in their respective sectors. We look forward to an extensive exchange of ideas and a memorable show from which we can all learn and have valuable takeaways,”, will speak about their journeys, challenges, shortcomings, strengths, innovations, and achievements during the show. Chaudhary and other mentors will look at these businesses through a unique lens, by assigning tasks and assessing their performance, which may pave the way for potential investments.
Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, today unveiled the captivating trailer of its upcoming Original competitive reality series – Mission Start Ab. The series has been conceptualized as part of Prime Video’s partnership with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Mission Start Ab is a first-of-its-kind series that celebrates innovative, grassroots ideas. The show meticulously evaluates 10 early-stage founders and entrepreneurs under the mentorship of three distinguished investors – investors Kunal Bahl (co-founder Snapdeal and Titan Capital), Anisha Singh (founder She Capital, founder and ex-CEO, MyDala), and Manish Chowdhary (co-founder WOW Skin Science). During the course of this competition, the competing founders also face challenges featuring prominent faces from the business and entertainment world such as Ritesh Agarwal (OYO), Rohit Shetty (Filmmaker), Riyaaz Amlani (Impresario Entertainment Hospitality), Zeenah Vilcassim (Zomato Live Entertainment), Nilesh Kothari (Trifecta Capital) and Saikiran Krishnamurthy (xto10x Technologies). Executive Produced by Indrajit Ray, directed by Srimanta Senguptta, this Endemol India production is written by Bhavesh Mehta, and hosted by Masaba Gupta and Cyrus Sahukar. The series is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on 19 December. Mission Start Ab is the latest addition to the Prime membership. Prime members in India enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership for just Rs 1499/ year.
Enthralling, engaging and inspiring, the trailer of Mission Start Ab, introduces audiences to the three top investors along with ten extraordinary early-stage founders. Each founder confronts formidable challenges that test their entrepreneurial mettle. Promising a ‘deal of a lifetime’ for the winner, the trailer heighten anticipation for the series launch on December 19 enticing viewers to discover the last-standing founders and potentially witness the birth of India’s next Unicorn.
“India is a land of billion-plus dreams, and these dreams encapsulate infinite possibilities. Mission Start Ab is a series that aims to fuel the dreams of an increasingly entrepreneurial India,” shared Prime Video head of Originals, India & Southeast Asia Aparna Purohit. “At Prime Video, we are committed to telling stories that are rooted, relatable, and designed to entertain, inspire and provoke. Mission Start Ab goes beyond storytelling; it embodies the very essence of dreams, aspirations, and brilliance scattered across the length and breadth of India. As storytellers, we believe there is nothing more compelling or inspiring than the stories of resilient individuals using their unwavering grit, determination, and tenacity to achieve success. The core philosophy of Mission Start Ab aligns with Prime Video’s overarching vision of serving as a catalyst, actively contributing to the economic growth and development of the nation. We are confident that audiences, not only within India, but across 240 countries and territories will be inspired and entertained by it.”
Elaborating on the role that series like Mission Start Ab can play in furthering the growth of India’s startup ecosystem, Shri Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India said, “I am extremely happy to see Prime Video has developed episodes on the storyline shared by Office of PSA for future startups to learn through OTT on skill sets required to lead as founders of startups. Scalable capacity building can be achieved through such breakthrough interventions.”
“Entrepreneurship is an intense, transformative journey, and I’ve witnessed this through the lens of being a founder, mentor, and investor,” said Bahl. “The startup sector in India buzzes with brilliant minds and innovative ideas that have immense potential to accelerate our nation’s economic growth. To catalyze their success, we need a robust ecosystem that provides them with the necessary resources, support, and guidance. This is where Mission Start Ab steps in, marking a significant leap towards building a stronger foundation of knowledge and support for our aspiring entrepreneurs and startups. Each of the 10 founding teams on the show represent the youthful energy and diverse talent of our nation, embodying not just skills but an insatiable hunger to succeed against all odds. I am elated to be a part of this journey, sharing my experiences and insights, and acting as a guide and mentor to these passionate individuals who are scripting their own stories of struggle and triumph across India.”
“When people look at a founder’s life, especially a successful founder’s life, people assume it is an easy ride. But founder life is hard, and everyone needs to work crazy hard on each little thing. Having been a founder for most of my life, I deeply respect founders who can stick to their values and show grit.” said Anisha Singh, founder She Capital, founder and ex-CEO, MyDala “Mission Start Ab is unlike any other startup show – it is a boot camp that gives a bird’s eye view into the real ‘founder’s life’.
The best part about it is that you get to see how Bharat’s start-up ecosystem and founders have evolved. They are building from Bharat for Bharat and from Bharat for the world. I am thrilled to be part of a series that shows just how cool these founders are, and how the pressure they deal with on the show makes them diamonds.”
“Mission Start Ab is not just another reality series, it is a potential gamechanger for the Indian startup economy,” said Manish Chowdhary, co-founder WOW Skin Science. “It offers deep insights into the kind of challenges and opportunities our innovators face, and at the same time, what the investor community looks for, while evaluating investment in a startup. I am immensely proud to be a part of such a pathbreaking show and grateful to Prime Video for this unique opportunity. As investors, incubators, and mentors, we cannot reach out to every aspiring entrepreneur, but with this show, every budding entrepreneur will have a better insight into the right measures they need to take to grow in their space.”
Mumbai: Prime Video has announced the premiere of its original reality series Mission Start Ab. The first-of-its-kind competitive series will focus on grassroots entrepreneurs in India, and take their stories of determination, resilience and unwavering perseverance to global audiences in 240+ countries and territories with its worldwide premiere on the service on 19 December. The series has been conceptualized and developed in collaboration with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, with the objective of discovering entrepreneurs from diverse corners of India, and empowering them to create the next potential Unicorns. The series features three of India’s most knowledgeable and experienced investors—Kunal Bahl (Snapdeal and Titan Capital), Anisha Singh (She Capital), and Manish Chowdhary (Wow Skin Science)—who not only act as judges and investors, but also step in as mentors to guide and nurture contestants to sharpen the skills needed to scale their startups. Hosted by Masaba Gupta and Cyrus Sahukar, Mission Start Ab is executive produced by Indrajit Ray, directed by Srimanta Senguptta, and is an Endemol Shine India production. Mission Start Ab is the latest addition to the Prime membership. Prime members in India enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership for just ₹1499/ year.
Mission Start Ab brings together a diverse array of new-age startups and entrepreneurs spanning sectors such as robotics, fintech, edtech, health and wellness, technology-enabled marketplaces. The series offers viewers a front-row seat to the dynamic innovation and development taking place at the grassroots level in India. It explores the unique stories of these founders coming from modest backgrounds, showcasing bold aspirations, cultivated skills, personal sacrifices, and their vision to tackle real world challenges. Through a series of intense tasks, interactive exercises, and one-on-one mentorship sessions, the show not only prepares these ten entrepreneurs to not only turbo-charge their made-for-India innovations, but also serves as an invaluable guide for aspiring innovators across the country.
“At Prime Video, we strive to be a force for good for the country. Through our multiple skill-development initiatives, including the Letter of Engagement signed between Amazon and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, we have worked towards developing talent that can directly and indirectly contribute to the nation. We are incredibly excited to collaborate with the Office of the PSA, Government of India, on Mission Start Ab, a series that leverages the power of entertainment to encourage all Indians to be audacious and bold with their ambitions,” said Prime Video India country director Sushant Sreeram. “Unlike any other entrepreneurial reality show, this series goes beyond financial support, providing invaluable mentorship and guidance from India’s top tier investors. Through challenges that are designed to hone their business acumen and cultivate critical problem-solving capabilities, Mission Start Ab is poised to ignite the aspirations of numerous young Indians, propelling them towards their entrepreneurial dreams.”
Talking about the show Rishi Negi, EndemolShine India group COO Banijay Asia said, “Mission Start Ab goes where no series has ever gone before. It seeks to inspire, engage, and entertain viewers through stories of real people who are bringing a change at the grassroots level with their innovations. Through the 10 founders, audiences are taken on a journey that makes them privy to their dreams and struggles, and the path they have had to chart to bring their ideas to fruition. At the same time, the insightful advice from the three judges, who also act as mentors, serves as the guiding light for all those seeking to bring their vision to life. We are certain that the show will break barriers, and challenge everyone to dream and dare to try.”
Mumbai: WOW Skin Science, one of the leading D2C beauty and wellness brands, has announced the appointment of Vanda Ferrao as chief marketing officer. In her new role, Vanda will be responsible for the development and implementation of marketing strategies across all of WOW’s product categories and channels.
Ferrao brings nearly two decades of brand building and marketing experience from her leadership roles at leading companies including Britannia, Fresh to Home, and Licious.
On her joining, Ferrao commented, “I’ve been a consumer and an ardent admirer of WOW’s products and it’s a proud feeling to see a homegrown brand make waves both in India and in global markets. I am excited to be part of this amazing team and look forward to leading marketing as we execute our vision of becoming the leader in the beauty and wellness space”
WOW Skin Science co-founder Manish Chowdhary said, “We welcome Ferrao to the WOW family. Her expertise and proven success in creating leading brands makes her the perfect partner to channel our business goals into a robust marketing strategy. We’re geared up for some really exciting new developments and with Vanda as part of our leadership team, WOW is sure to grow manifolds.”
Mumbai: Personal care brand WOW Skin Science has roped in Deepika Sabharwal Tewari as its chief brand officer.
Deepika will be responsible for driving brand strategy, digital content & communication, and product category for WOW Skin Science, Shaving Station, Body Cupid, and Nature Derma. She will focus on strengthening the brands in India and will drive deep consumer engagement across all channels, the brand said in a statement.
Deepika comes with a rich blend of experience in brand building, marketing, communication, and business roles across multiple industry and consumer segments. Prior to WOW, she was associated with Tanishq as chief marketing officer where she led the e-commerce business of the jewellery brand and also managed Mia and Goldplus. Her past stints also include Ogilvy India where she was a senior business head for brands like Asian Paints, Ponds, Gujarat Tourism, and Hutch.
“We warmly welcome Deepika to the WOW family,” said WOW Skin Science co-founder Manish Chowdhary. “With her extensive experience in building brands and consumer segments, we believe that she will truly help WOW reach the next stage of our growth journey. Rooted in Indian ethos and culture, the brand aims to bring a piece of India to every consumer in the personal care and wellness space. We are a digital-first brand that has grown across channels and markets but we believe that the best is yet to come.”
“The essence to building a great brand and a great business is in the art of storytelling and WOW Skin Science is a great storyteller that focuses on natural & toxin-free bases and brings to everyone a sustainable approach with its product portfolio,” said Deepika. “I look forward to this journey of growth and innovation across India and the international market, paving the way for WOW Skin Science to become the global Indian brand.”
NEW DELHI: Fit & Glow Healthcare Pvt Ltd, the parent company that owns the brand WOW Skin Science, was launched in 2013. In the initial phase, the brand encountered a few stumbling blocks but now it is sitting pretty at a valuation of $50 million (Rs 350 crore).
Wow Skin Science co-founder Manish Chowdhary described how the company began with tight operations and a small team that focused on formulations and development of the brand. “There are a few key things that we worked on when we started our journey: the first was consumers; the second, our formulations; the third, faster turnaround time; and fourth, easy accessibility to the products across the country. From the beginning, we used data science and analytics to understand consumer behaviour and develop products based on the insights.”
The brand offers a wide range of products in the skincare and haircare categories. It has over 200 products and the apple cider vinegar haircare range was the first of its kind in the market.
The company’s target audience is basically new-age millennials, the youth, and working professionals. Chowdhary mentioned that the brand follows a simple customer acquisition strategy. “A high percentage of our target audience is on social media and are digitally savvy. The digital medium remains the main platform for us for customer acquisition, and we do appropriate investments in that. We are able to generate an impressive amount of customer response through our efforts on the digital platform.”
In the age of digital marketing, social media plays a pivotal role in promoting a brand and WOW Skins has gone the same route. “We decided not to take the usual advertising route, instead focused on social media as that was like promoting the brand via word-of-mouth. The digital medium is the fastest way to reach our customers, that is why online marketing and sales have been our key go-to strategy.”
When it comes to core marketing objective, the brand’s marketing and product strategy is driven by consumer insights. “We have an experienced marketing team that tracks social media and other digital platforms to understand consumer trends and latent demands. Based on that marketing programs are developed to attract, acquire, and retain customers,” Chowdhary said.
Content takes precedence in Wow's marketing strategy, as the brand wanted customers to know its USP and unique formulations before they made a buying decision. “Besides doing the usual promos and discounts, we have used the power of YouTube and Instagram for promotions. The brand’s strategy was to spread awareness through product videos,” he added.
The millennials of today are constantly refreshing their timelines and influencers are a big part of their content feed. Therefore, the brand has taken to influencer marketing since its inception. Chowdhary stated, “We have seen that consumers tend to trust an influencer who is an ordinary person with the next-door neighbour vibe. They have a closer touchpoint with the consumers. Those who follow influencers are able to connect with them in a better way and take their advice more seriously. This works because most of them showcase the products in a more real-life scenario.”
However, in what may be considered a departure from its ‘relatable’ brand messaging, Wow Skin signed on Disha Patani as the line’s new face a few months ago. The brand has also roped in Bhumi Pednekar as brand ambassador for its range of skincare products. Says Chowdhary: "We have been working with regular influencers with a more regional and vernacular focus to develop a stronger connect with consumers in various tier markets. But now our brand has grown and is continuing to grow in a big way, and this means we needed to develop a brand connection at a bigger level. That is why we felt the need to have a young celebrity as the face of our brand. This is suitable in the time when there is a major market impact due to the pandemic and people are looking for ways to feel upbeat.”
Primarily, the brand is a digital-first organisation and has a presence in all online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Purplle, Big Basket, Myntra, and Health & Glow. But now it has also made its products available in brick and mortar stores and beauty retail spaces to enable customers to get a more direct feel of the brand. WOW Skin products are also available in more than 5,000 department stores and pharmacies across India.
However, Chowdhary shared that due to the pandemic, the physical retail space has taken a major hit and the recovery is still slow. At present, the focus will continue to be on the digital medium and online marketplaces.
He also shared that the brand has been able to garner a big chunk of loyal customers and it is all because of a strong customer service culture that reaches out to existing and new users with product support and beauty advice. “We try to ensure that each and every customer is satisfied with our products. We listen to them and if they are unhappy with any product or result, we provide support in choosing the right products. This is to ensure that we have repeat customers.”
NEW DELHI: In a bid to promote new age Indian brands across segments such as food, consumer durables, electronics, fashion, FMCG, etc., IAMAI has set up a founders’ community of direct to consumer Indian brands. The unifying features of these brands are that they are digital-first, innovative, competitive, and manufacture or produce in India.
At present there are at least 100 odd such brands in the market and more are emerging every day. These brands are innovative since they cater to a younger and often first-time shopper catering to a niche demand. They are competitive as they have to compete for mindshare and shelf space with large incumbents with deep pockets. They are digital-first catering to the internet using socio-economic segments and taking advantage of the digital infrastructure that has been created in India. Finally, they invariably manufacture or produce goods in India.
The industry at present running with the “founders’ fuel” needs a collective identity to help it charter through complicated government policies and regulations; buy-in from stakeholders such as e-commerce platforms, logistics and payments industry; and also earn lasting customer trust. IAMAI is best suited to execute this three-pronged strategy.
With the help of 35 such brands, it is a small beginning of organising this potentially powerful business segment by formalising a committee. The committee is chaired by Aman Gupta, co-founder and CMO of boAt audio and co-chaired by Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of WOW Skin Science. boAt audio and WOW, Skin Science are multi-million-dollar brands and have established themselves as category leaders by championing the internet-driven business model.
“To ensure a brand continues to do well, it is almost imperative for businesses to enhance their direct to customer (D2C) channel. The model enables a brand to listen to the unfiltered voice of their customer and is a natural progression from shifting the online shoppers to buy from the brand's website and own the experience, data, and lifetime value of the customer. The committee will bring the ecosystem together, indulge in knowledge creation, and put forth the best practices in a mission to build internet-driven iconic brands” said chairman of the IAMAI D2C committee Aman Gupta.
Co-chairman, Manish Chowdhary said that the committee will jointly look towards building the consumers’ trust by engaging in better customer communication and other similar initiatives by D2C entities.
