Why Myntra is betting big on video content and its loyalty program for its next phase of growth

• With the launch of Celebrity Masterclass, Myntra is trying to strengthen its loyalty program, while also using content to connect with consumers.
• Since its launch in 2018, Myntra Insider has amassed close to 6.8 million members.
• Harish Narayanan, Head of Marketing, Myntra, speaks to us about the role that content will play in the future and how it is using its loyalty program to ensure that consumers stay longer, resulting in more conversions.

It was in 2018 that fashion e-commerce platform Myntra launched its loyalty program, Myntra Insider, to come up with an effective way of engaging with its users. Since then, the program has amassed close to 6.8 million members who contribute over 40% to its overall sales.

Moreover, Myntra Insider has been able to increase its consumer’s stickiness to the platform. Myntra shared that since the launch of the program, Insiders, as the members are called, have visited the platform 1.3X times more than other customers and spent 1.25X more on each order.

Owing to the success of the program, and to give something extra to its users, Myntra announced its initiative, Celebrity Masterclasses, based on the insight that consumers are on the lookout for fashion tips while shopping. As a part of the initiative, Myntra has partnered with 10 Bollywood stylists to offer 20 minute sessions for members of its loyalty program.

The platform has also been stressing on using content as a tool to engage with its consumers. The launch of the Masterclass is a step in that direction. We caught up with Harish Narayanan, Head of Marketing, Myntra, to understand what role will content play in the future and how it is using its loyalty program to ensure that consumers stay longer and spend more on the platform.

Edited excerpts:

Q) Tell us a bit about your loyalty program, what are its primary features and how a customer stands to gain from it? What kind of reception has it seen so far?

We launched ‘Myntra Insider’ in 2018, and it allows its members an early access to all Myntra sale events, exclusive access to limited edition launches and collections. Vouchers, coupons and a host of partner offers are some of the other standard benefits. Since fashion is more about discovery and expression, we want to engage deeply with our customers and help them with their fashion discovery journey. We have enrolled 6.8 million members in just 1.5 years who contribute over 40% to the overall sales on the platform. In a research that we conducted recently, consumers have come out strongly in favour of needing deep fashion advice from the program. To address this, we have launched Celebrity Masterclasses, creating an opportunity for our customers to get fashion tips from leading celebrity stylists. Since the launch of the loyalty program, we have seen that Insiders visit Myntra 1.3X times more than other customers and spend 1.25X more on each order, making them true Myntra loyalists.

Q) What role do loyalty programs like Myntra Insider play in improving customer experience?

Customer experience in today’s competitive world is all about offering a differentiated and delightful experience that is uniquely married to our brand’s strengths. And Insider does exactly that, by offering several unique experiences for members, thus effectively creating the ground for an enhanced customer-brand relationship. Customer experience can be improved in many ways, at every touch-point, by improving the quality of service or by offering value-added services. Insider does include the conventional offerings that are standard across programs, such as discounts, vouchers and coupons against redeemable points. But going beyond that, we are offering special access benefits like early access to sale events and exclusive access to new launches.

Q) How does the brand stand to gain from the program?

It gives our users new reasons to visit the platform and spend more time with us. The idea is for people to visit us not only when they want to shop, but also when they are browsing for new styles or seeking fashion information. We want customers to be more involved and educated in their fashion choices and feel more happy and confident about their looks. Then they will reward us with higher conversion and revenues.

Q) What can we expect from the newly launched Masterclass?

Myntra Insider Masterclass will give our customers an opportunity to get fashion tips from leading celebrity stylists. Our members will have the opportunity to learn the latest trends and styles, first hand, from the very stylists who style leading celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Virat Kohli, Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor among others. For the first phase of Masterclasses, we have partnered with 10 Bollywood stylists including Tanya Ghavri, Nandita Mahtani, Esha Amin, Shaleena Nathani, Ami Patel, Sanjay Kumar, Mohit Rai, Nikita Jaisinghani, Aastha Sharma and Amandeep Kaur, to offer 20-minute sessions which can be redeemed against points collected by Insiders through their purchases or engagement on Myntra. The digital Masterclasses will be offered through a web cast on the Myntra app, allowing viewers to interact with the stylists’ team for advice on fashion, in real-time and will have built-in shoppable features enabling customers to save the looks from the videos to their wish list directly while viewing the content.

Q) Despite being an e-commerce platform, what is making you bet big on video content?

As fashion is an engagement-oriented segment, we are investing heavily in a video content led approach to engage with customers and increase the time spent by them on the platform. The video content on Myntra will provide users first-hand access to pro tips by stylists, experts, brands and celebrities, offering an unparalleled experience of hearing directly from the best in the industry, while also interacting with them in real-time. In an age of decreasing attention spans, video is an easily-consumed, easy-to-share medium. It allows us to create an engaging way to impart crucial information to consumers at any time and location. Last year we launched, ‘Myntra Fashion Superstar’, which was the world’s first digital fashion reality show on the app and it was viewed by millions of users across the country.