How Mamaearth Used PR to Build India’s Most Relatable D2C Skincare Brand
Mamaearth’s rise wasn’t just powered by influencer marketing — it was built on strategic PR, founder-driven storytelling, and credibility-first communication. This case study breaks down how Mamaearth turned authenticity, certifications, and cause-led narratives into cultural trust, media momentum, and India’s most relatable D2C skincare movement.
The PR Challenge
Strategic PR Objectives
Digital PR & Influencer Integration
With a valuation of over $1.2 billion, Mamaearth has grown from a small startup to one of India’s fastest-growing personal care brands in less than ten years. Ghazal and Varun Alagh founded the company in 2016 with the straightforward but impactful promise of providing families with natural, safe, and toxin-free products.
Although many attribute Mamaearth’s success to influencer marketing and product innovation, public relations (PR) was an important, albeit frequently overlooked, factor. In order to increase emotional resonance and brand credibility in the fiercely competitive FMCG industry, Mamaearth strategically shaped narratives around authenticity, sustainability, and “Made Safe” certification.
The PR Challenge
When Mamaearth launched, India’s beauty and personal care market was dominated by legacy players like Himalaya, Nivea, and Dove. The challenge was twofold:
- Credibility barrier: As a new entrant, Mamaearth needed to convince consumers that its products were genuinely safe and effective.
- Visibility challenge: Competing with big-budget campaigns from traditional FMCG giants was nearly impossible through paid media alone.
Mamaearth’s PR strategy had to create trust before sales — making credibility its most valuable currency.
Strategic PR Objectives
Mamaearth’s PR efforts were designed around four core objectives:
| Objective | PR Approach |
|---|---|
| Establish brand credibility | Use third-party validation via certifications and expert endorsements |
| Humanize the brand | Spotlight the founders’ personal story — a parents-first narrative |
| Drive media visibility | Secure organic coverage in lifestyle, parenting, and business publications |
| Build advocacy | Collaborate with influencers and health professionals as brand believers |
Crafting the Brand Narrative
Mamaearth’s storytelling began with a real problem — a mother searching for safe baby products. PR campaigns leaned into this human story rather than hard-selling the product.
- Founder-led storytelling: Every major media feature — from YourStory to The Economic Times — highlighted how Ghazal’s personal journey inspired Mamaearth’s mission.
- Emotional connection: Campaigns like #GoodnessInside and #PlantGoodness reinforced the brand’s promise that “goodness starts with care,” appealing to millennials and parents alike.
- Authentic positioning: Instead of chasing glamour, Mamaearth built credibility through transparency — ingredient lists, safety certifications, and founder honesty.
This narrative positioned Mamaearth as not just another beauty brand but a purpose-driven movement.
Media Strategy: Multi-Layered PR Approach
Mamaearth’s PR blueprint followed a “Trust Ladder” model, gradually expanding from niche communities to mainstream media.
| Phase | Focus Area | PR Tactics Used | Key Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Awareness (2017–2018) | Targeted parenting & mom communities | Founder interviews, product seeding, small influencer tie-ups | Gained coverage in BabyChakra, MomJunction, YourStory |
| Phase 2: Credibility (2018–2020) | Health & lifestyle media | Certification-led stories, expert quotes | Featured in NDTV, Femina, and Times Now |
| Phase 3: Expansion (2020–2022) | Business & financial press | Funding announcements, brand milestones, sustainability impact reports | Coverage in Mint, ET, Business Standard |
| Phase 4: Leadership (2023–2024) | Thought leadership & IPO storytelling | Founder columns, podcast appearances, brand legacy features | Positioned as India’s first D2C unicorn to go public |
Leveraging Thought Leadership
The founder’s brand was strategically developed alongside the company brand by Mamaearth’s PR team, which included both in-house and agency support.
Ghazal Alagh developed into a well-liked media figure who frequently participated in discussions about women entrepreneurs, sustainability, and direct-to-consumer expansion. Her appearance on Shark Tank India increased her visibility even more and made her a reputable representative of contemporary Indian entrepreneurship.
This action was amplification of the narrative rather than merely celebrity PR. Every aspect of Ghazal subtly reaffirmed Mamaearth’s goal of inclusive, family-first, and conscious branding.
Digital PR & Influencer Integration
Mamaearth blurred the line between influencer marketing and PR by integrating earned and organic collaborations.
- Micro-influencers: Instead of celebrity endorsements alone, PR teams reached out to micro-influencers and moms with small but loyal audiences.
- Cause-driven campaigns: The #PlantGoodness initiative promised one tree for every order — widely covered by media as a sustainability milestone.
- User-generated PR: Customer reviews and testimonials became stories themselves, reshared by media outlets.
This hybrid PR strategy created what’s known as “credibility loops” — where online trust and traditional media validation reinforced each other.
Quantifiable PR Impact
| Metric | 2018 | 2020 | 2023 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media Mentions (Tier 1 & 2) | 200+ | 900+ | 2,500+ | ↑ 1150% |
| Earned Media Value | ₹45L | ₹2.1Cr | ₹8.7Cr | ↑ 184% YoY |
| Organic Web Traffic from PR | 15% | 28% | 42% | ↑ 180% |
| Brand Recall (Survey Data) | 12% | 35% | 68% | ↑ 467% |
PR effectively helped Mamaearth move from “unknown brand” to “trusted household name”, without relying solely on paid advertising.
Lessons for Modern Brands
Mamaearth’s PR journey offers key insights for startups across India’s consumer space:
| Learning | Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Build authenticity, not perfection | People trust honesty more than marketing polish |
| Let your founder speak | Founder stories are the most powerful PR assets |
| Blend PR with community | Engagement-based credibility lasts longer than paid buzz |
| Sustainability sells — if it’s real | Cause-driven narratives attract both consumers and media |
| Use data to back storytelling | PR backed by measurable outcomes builds authority |
The E-E-A-T Factor
Mamaearth’s PR dominance aligns perfectly with Google’s E-E-A-T principles:
- Experience: Founders sharing lived experiences created human trust.
- Expertise: Dermatologists and certifications validated the brand’s claims.
- Authoritativeness: Consistent features in reputed media built domain authority.
- Trustworthiness: Transparent ingredient communication earned customer loyalty.
By embodying E-E-A-T, Mamaearth transformed from a D2C brand into a trusted authority in natural personal care.
The tale of Mamaearth serves as a model for how contemporary PR transcends press releases. It has to do with sustained storytelling, brand empathy, and human truth.
Mamaearth sold belief rather than just goods by coordinating communication and purpose. That belief turned into its greatest competitive advantage in a noisy digital age. PR is the cornerstone of long-term brand equity for modern brands; it is not an afterthought. Mamaearth demonstrates that the media can be your most effective marketer if your story is based on authenticity.
Proof & Outcomes
Coverage in YourStory, Mint, Economic Times, Femina, NDTV, Business Standard
Organic search share grew to 42% of traffic driven by earned PR storytelling
India’s first “Made Safe Certified” brand — amplified across media & expert endorsements
FAQs
PR helped Mamaearth build trust before scale — positioning the brand as authentic, safe, and purpose-driven when traditional advertising budgets were limited.
Founder-led storytelling rooted in a real parenting problem, backed by certifications, ingredient transparency, and sustainability commitments.
Influencer marketing helped, but PR amplified credibility, narrative consistency, and trust — especially through organic mom communities and expert voices.
From parenting blogs → lifestyle media → business press → IPO-stage authority building.
A structured ladder that scaled trust and influence systematically.
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