In business, the strategies that spark early success often reach an expiry date. Recognising this—and evolving beyond it—is what separates enduring companies from fading names. Ghazal Alagh, Chief Mama & Co-founder of Mamaearth, The Derma Co, Dr. Sheth’s, Aqualogica, and BBlunt, captured this reality sharply in a recent LinkedIn post: “What got us here will not take us there.”
As Mamaearth completes its first year as a publicly listed company, Alagh is candid about the need for a renewed growth playbook. The company, she says, is moving from brand-level growth to category-level domination—a deliberate shift designed to cement its position as a formidable force in India’s beauty and personal care (BPC) industry.
This strategic evolution rests on five pillars:
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Product superiority as the defining edge – ensuring every hero product outperforms competition in blind testing.
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Innovation with sharper purpose – not chasing trends, but creating purposeful innovation aligned with long-term brand vision.
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Category domination through focus – funnelling R&D and marketing investments into select categories where Mamaearth can win decisively.
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House of brands leverage – positioning each brand strategically across online and offline channels to match consumer preference.
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Future-ready distribution systems – reorganising offline muscle not just for scale today, but for resilience in the next decade.
Alagh frames this as “muscle building”—breaking down systems to rebuild them stronger. At its core, she says, is “strategic clarity,” a commitment to anticipating consumer shifts rather than reacting belatedly.
Her reflections are underscored by a cautionary reminder from business history. Kodak, despite inventing the digital camera, doubled down on film. BlackBerry perfected keyboards while Apple made them obsolete. Blockbuster turned down Netflix for $50 million, distracted by late-fee revenues. These were not failures of execution, Alagh argues, but “perfect execution of outdated strategies.”
The lesson for modern entrepreneurs, especially in direct-to-consumer (D2C) markets, is blunt: yesterday’s growth hacks cannot win tomorrow’s customers. Platforms, preferences, and purchase journeys evolve faster than most playbooks can keep up. “The biggest risk in business isn’t competition,” she writes. “It’s fighting yesterday’s war with tomorrow’s money.”
For Mamaearth, the path forward is about anticipating where consumers are headed and aligning innovation, products, and distribution to meet them there. For Alagh and her co-founder Varun Alagh, the mission is both personal and purposeful: “Building brands that consumers love is our ikigai,” she says.
In an industry often seduced by short-term wins, this willingness to adapt while staying anchored to a core mission could well define Mamaearth’s next decade.
