'Turning trash into treasure' is a brand philosophy engraved in the marketing design of Ba No Batwo, a sustainable brand that upcycles elements of nature and weaves it into posts marketing their products. We converse with Gargi Parmar Bhale to unravel the recipe marketing a sustainble and eco-friendly brand.
A brand born out of concern for pollution caused by the fashion industry, and inspiration from a mother who followed a zero-waste lifestyle like Mother Nature - supporting the ideology of everything born out of nature must go back to it, Ba No Batwo has sustained the essence of the brand and extended it on social networks. In conversation with Gargi Parmar Bhale, Co-Founder & Designer, Ba No Batwo, we discover the traditional soul of the contemporary image.
Please share insights on how the brand was conceived, and the factors that have been an important part of the overall brand image - logo, name of the brand, the colors used, and the social media presence.
As far as brand image is concerned, you would see that everything is in tune with the soul of the brand. For example, the name of the brand - "Ba No Batwo" is a Gujarati word that literally means "mother's purse". The brand is inspired by my mother's ingenuity of being able to reuse and recycle almost anything and driven by the traditional Indian school of thought of living a sustainable life.
I am trying to reintroduce my mother's recipes from her Batwa. The logo reflects the same thought. The circle represents Bindu (mother's bindi) and also circularity in nature. Like there is no waste in nature, what borns go back to nature. The color green shows the sustainable nature of the brand.
What is the creative and commercial process of creating the brand's social media feed? Please take us through your social media marketing blueprint.
There are no planned posts or schedules for that matter. I see the posts as a medium for communication. In every post, I try to communicate thoughts, and people behind the product rather than the actual product. This helps create a special connection with followers. Many of my followers are not my direct customers but they like what I do and help me spread the word and reach potential customers.
For example, many zero-waste lifestyle followers, follow my work who don't actually buy products, as they believe in less buying or making the products on their own. But they talk about us and introduce us to people who believe in a sustainable lifestyle, but can't do or make certain things on their own.
How do you display the products and maintain their elegance? Do you have any aesthetic guidelines in place?
The brand was born out of my passion. I myself am a zero-waste lifestyle follower so whatever I do, be it posts or banners, photoshoots, everything automatically reflects my thought. I work with real people, in all my product shots you won't see any professional models or a setup that was intentionally created. I just go to nature and photograph beautiful people wearing my designs.
Please share a bit about the culture that surrounds the brand and how do you mix it into the marketing strategy. For example, Warli paintings have been a frequent theme in the content, so how does the brand blend its roots with the content.
I am an ardent follower of ancient Indian art and craft. Consumerism and many other factors are forcing the craftsman to leave their art and do something else for living. Many of the beautiful crafts are dying and I am not sure if future generations will be able to see them. So I genuinely feel that It is my job to do a bit, I am an artist and I feel art is a good medium of conveying your thought. So you would see the traditional art in many of my posts and banners.
How have the customers changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has your marketing approach changed with it or do you stick to your core with the addition of new products?
During the pandemic, we stuck to the core of the brand, but it also made us come out of our comfort zone. We tried other mediums of communication like short videos, Reels, Zoom, Facebook Live for the very first time.
How has social media helped you to reach customers? Has it had any major impact on the orders received?
Social media has helped us a lot in reaching out to potential customers from all across the globe.
We are based out of Aurangabad, Maharashtra which is a Tier 2 city, and most of our customers are based out of metro cities so social media has definitely helped us reach them.
People could easily find us through social media, and It helps a lot especially to a small brand like us.
There was a lady who read about our seed rakhis around 3 years back but for various reasons, she couldn't buy the rakhis. last year she found us through social media and connected with us. She bought the Rakhi kit and we could also help and encourage her through the rakhi-making process. This couldn't have been possible if social media wasn't there.
Is social media helpful in driving sales? Which platform has been the most helpful? Do you utilize the eCommerce features like Instagram Shops or Shoppable Pins on Pinterest?
It is helpful but you can't solely rely on it. For us, specialized e-commerce marketplaces have worked well. We are yet to try the eCommerce features of social media platforms.
Any tips for home-based business owners on how to set up a social media shop?
- Stick to the core of the brand in all your branding and marketing campaigns.
- Invest in good product shoots. a picture speaks a thousand words. It is not only about the product but also the experience that people get when they buy the product.
- Try to educate and communicate with people through social media, It may not increase direct sales immediately but helps in spreading the word and reaching out to potential customers.
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