Established in 2010, Fixderma is a cosmeceutical company that focusses on skin health. The company focusses on manufacturing, marketing and promoting dermatology products in India and exports to over 30 countries across the globe. The company offers skin care products which aim to act as a bridge between prescription-based products and over-the-counter cosmetics and the products are backed by medically accepted science with a proven efficacy.
It has more than 200 formulations that are designed to improve skin health and repair conditions like skin ageing, acne, dry skin and hyperpigmentation. Its products the company said offer results without any side effects. Its range includes anti-acne, hair care, scar management, anti-stretch mark, hyperpigmentation management, Foot care, Hygiene wash, anti-ageing, Pre-and post-pregnancy skin care and many other formulations for healthy skin.
It has two brands under its portfolio: Fixderma: Mass dermaceutic skincare, bodycare and haircare. and FCL(Fixderma Cosmetic Laboratories): Luxury Dermaceutic skincare, bodycare, haircare.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Fixderma’s CMO Preetam Jena:
Q. From a marketing and advertising perspective what are going to be Fixderma’s focus areas in 2024?
Leveraging on our strong foundation and expertise in dermaceutics, we launched the Shadow Sunscreen range as our first step into the consumer-led skincare market, offering high-quality products at competitive prices. In 2024, Shadow Sunscreen reached peak mass awareness through our association with Delhi Capitals in the IPL, alongside partnerships with Star Plus’ Jhanak and MTV Splitsvilla. This was complemented by a comprehensive 360-degree marketing strategy across the full funnel.
Innovation remains a priority, supported by our state-of-the-art in-house R&D setup and manufacturing facilities. In the coming monsoon season, we will focus on strengthening two of our leading derma products: Nigrifix and Skarfix. We plan to elevate these products to strong consumer brands with new extensions, including Nigrifix Roll-On and Skarfix Cleansers and Serums. This will be followed by a major launch of our winter range during the festive season.
Q. Is busting myths around products like sunscreen a priority?
Absolutely, busting myths around sunscreens is a top priority. As the personal care industry evolves and consumers become more discerning, it’s essential to find unique and relevant opportunities. In a crowded market like Sun Protection, it’s crucial to address misconceptions and educate consumers.
Moreover, with global climate change and the increasing impact of UV radiation and Blue Light on skin, it’s never been more critical to promote the use of sunscreen as an everyday essential rather than just an occasional product.
Q. Out of all the IPL franchises why did Fixderma choose to partner with Delhi Capitals? Was the outcome satisfactory?
Delhi NCR is our home base! We started up here, we have both our corporate office and our manufacturing facility here. It was a no brainer for us to associate with the home team, Delhi Capitals. The team owners, JSW Sports and GMR group, welcomed us warmly, reinforcing our sense of belonging in the community.
Without a doubt, IPL is the single biggest media property in India, and being associated with it elevates any brand to the big league. For us, featuring on the leading arm of the Delhi Capitals jersey is part of a long-term strategy to establish ourselves in the consumer space. This partnership significantly boosted our brand visibility, with searches for our brand increasing by over 400% during the IPL period.
This surge in attention translated into skyrocketing sales for our entire product portfolio, particularly Shadow Sunscreen, which saw a 2.5x YoY growth in its peak season. The most significant impact was on our OTC business, where we were able to dramatically increase our presence across India, especially in North India, and expedite stock turnover.
Q. What are the other key marketing vehicles that Fixderma will use in 2024?
While TV has been a crucial medium for us before and during the IPL season, we plan to go big on digital for the rest of 2024. Digital media is incredibly dynamic, giving us the agility to test and deploy strategies more flexibly compared to TV, which is less conducive to test and learn.
Our eCommerce efforts will be supported by significant top-funnel activities to build sub-brands and new brand extensions. Besides YouTube, we will rely heavily on recommendations from Key Opinion Leaders (Dermatologists) and skincare influencers. For the lower funnel, we’re betting big on AI and automation to enhance the efficacy of our performance campaigns, complemented by a sharp communication strategy and product positioning.
In addition to building sustainable growth on the eCommerce front, we plan to make a significant impact in the retail space as well. We’re optimistic about entering new geographies, and a strong BTL marketing plan will pave the way for our expansion in the retail distribution channel in 2024.
Q. How important is influencer marketing and word of mouth?
We strongly believe in the power of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). Over the past two decades, we’ve nurtured and strengthened our relationships with dermatologists across the country, consistently delivering products that live up to their recommendations. Which is why we find our products consistently in their prescriptions making this the de facto entry point for a majority of our patrons.
As consumers become increasingly inquisitive and educated about skincare, the influencer space is booming as well. We view influencers as our evangelists. The reach and brand engagement that a carefully chosen influencer can provide is invaluable, and no emerging D2C brand worth its salt can afford to ignore this opportunity.
Q. Fixderma started as omnichannel and then migrated to D2C. What have been the learnings from this?
We jumped into D2C during the early days of the pandemic, and our products immediately gained traction due to the equity we had built in the dermaceutical sector. Our initial belief that there was limited appetite for premium-priced, high-quality products was quickly disproved.
The mega success of our Shadow Sunscreen range has encouraged us to become even more aggressive in this space. Through our growth, we have come to understand the playing field well and recognize the power of building new consumer brands.
We’ve learned that we can’t be everything for everybody. We are a serious Derma Problem Solution Brand, and we deliver on our promises. The biggest takeaway has been that it doesn’t matter where our consumer is; what matters is that when a skin issue arises, they trust us to provide the most superior quality ingredients and effective formulations to fix it.
Q. Does Fixderma spread its marketing activities evenly across the year? Or are the Summer and festive season more important?
As a full-shelf derma company, we offer a product range that caters to all seasonal skin needs. Our products, known for their quality and efficacy, are in demand throughout the year. For example, Shadow sunscreen and Nigrifix peak during the summer, Skarfix and Salyzap are popular during the monsoon, and Foobetik and Fidelia are an essential during winter. Consequently, our marketing activities are planned year-round, with seasonal products taking the spotlight as needed.
Additionally, as a D2C brand, we recognise the importance of periodic tactical sales and festive campaigns. These year-round sales events are crucial for boosting revenue growth and building salience.
Q. Does Fixderma think that online self declaration certificates will curb misleading advertising by companies?
Certifications play a vital role in the derma industry. Given that our products deliver definite results backed by scientifically formulated ingredients, it’s crucial for consumers to have assurance that the ingredients are lab-tested, formulation percentages are accurate and claimed results are documented.
At Fixderma, we take pride in our products and stand behind their efficacy and quality. Certifications not only validate our commitment but also differentiate us from opportunistic brands focussed solely on quick sales. I believe that enforcing stringent standards in this regard is essential and a step in the right direction.
Q. There is a debate on whether companies or their creative agencies should bear the responsibility for uploading certificates. What is Fixderma’s view on this?
This debate reminds me of the ‘who’ll bell the cat’ analogy. From my perspective, brand building is a collaborative effort, and accountability rests with all involved, whether within the company premises or outside of it.
All stakeholders, including the company and creative teams, share responsibility. Therefore, it’s not crucial who ultimately uploads a document. What’s important is that the consequences of any action should not fall solely on one individual, and all parties involved should share the burden.
Q. What role does AI play for the company from product development to marketing and advertising?
As a data driven marketer myself with a strong tech background, I have been a firm believer and advocate of incorporating cutting edge tech into marketing. We have incorporated AI into campaign bid management, creative testing, predictive inventory modelling, category insighting & NPD planning.
While I advocate for leveraging AI to simplify life, it’s essential not to become slaves to technology. We shouldn’t allow AI to restrict our analytical rigor or hinder our creative expression. Instead, we should use AI as a tool to enhance our capabilities and complement our decision-making processes while maintaining our human ingenuity and creativity.
Q. In India what goals does Fixderma have in terms of market share, revenue growth etc?
We prioritise sustainable growth while maintaining a strong grip on the profit and loss statement. Despite achieving a 42% year-over-year growth overall and a 1.5x increase in e-commerce in FY’24, we remained PAT positive. In FY’25, we aim to achieve groundbreaking growth, targeting a 3x increase in e-commerce, which will contribute to an overall business growth of over 60% year-over-year, all while ensuring positive profitability.
Rather than engaging in a rat race and focusing solely on market share battles in a crowded market space, we are aiming to increase penetration. Along with that, we aim for our current users to utilise our products more frequently and extensively with sharper retention strategies. Our strategy will focus on achieving a healthy balance between share of wallet and share of mind while ensuring we don’t fall behind the share of heart.
Q. Apart from India what progress has Fixderma made in markets like Vietnam, Malysia, China?
Being a reputed name in the derma space for over 15 years, we have an extensive footprint across the globe with exports into 50+ countries from our manufacturing facility in Neemrana. In fact 25% of our business comes from exports and we aim to grow 1.5x in FY’25 with addition of at least 20 new markets primarily in Africa and CIA.
