Traya finds success with podcasts, not ‘dying’ influencer marketing

New Delhi: How do you market yourself in an industry that requires burgeoning efforts to engage with customers? What is the recipe behind gaining the trust of consumers in a space that is of “high interest, but low belief?” Traya, a D2C hair treatment brand, has one answer to such questions—podcasts.

Traya’s marketing rides on education, knowledge, and information. To cut through the clutter of numerous hair care brands promising lush hair to consumers, Traya built ‘What The Health,’ a podcast that has emerged as a critical tool for Traya.

Speaking her mind on the subject, Saloni Anand, co-founder, Traya, said, “‘What the Health’ helps us expand our reach and provides a platform for us to not only share information but also establish Traya as an expert in the field; an expert that is very bold and is here to share the truth no matter what. There is a core theme of our approach, and that is debunking the myths that prevail in this area. We achieve this not only through our advertisements but also through various organic channels such as our YouTube channel and the podcast.”

Education before engagement

Taking a U-turn from traditional marketing techniques, Traya, as of today, spends more than 90% of its marketing budget across digital platforms. While paid media holds a small part of Traya’s marketing spending, the brand primarily focuses on its organic channels.

Traya has its own YouTube channel named ‘Traya Health’ where they run the podcast. The channel has a subscriber strength of nearly 6 lakh. Talking about the podcast, Anand said, “The podcast really helps us build that reach and medium for us to not just share information but also position Traya as an expert in the hair care space.”

Traya’s podcast has a general theme of busting the myths that linger in the hair care industry. In addition to their own podcast, the brand also collaborates with other organic channels such as The Ranveer Show and Nitish Rajput’s podcast.

According to Anand, advertising is limited when it comes to shaping the narrative and building trust with consumers. Such organic, education-led approaches are what is really working for Traya to position itself as a thought leader rather than just a brand.

The laggards in influencer marketing

Traya does not invest in influencer marketing for their campaigns. According to Anand, influencer content for Traya generated more negativity than positivity. Speaking her mind on the subject, Anand said, “We used to use influencer marketing. I analysed Traya's influencer content and found it generated more negativity than positivity, which is critical for our brand. Influencers rarely use a product like Traya for six months before creating content. They're busy, and often the sponsorships feel impersonal. Therefore, I decided to stop traditional influencer marketing. Instead, we focus on genuinely engaging a few people with Traya's treatment.”

Saloni substantiated it with an example where they approached Abhi and Niyu, a creator couple who makes content on general awareness, news, and the latest developments in the country. “We approached Abhi and Niyu and offered Abhi a six-month Traya treatment. He would then vlog his journey. If he saw results and liked the treatment, he would create content. If not, we'd still compensate him. This model has worked well. It's not scalable, given the effort required to onboard someone like Abhi and Niyu—multiple calls, doctor's visits, etc. But now that he's used Traya and documented his hair growth, his content is incredibly effective. It's authentic, unlike typical influencer marketing with discount codes and bio links,” Anand said.

Anand stated that traditional influencer marketing is dying, and brands will soon realise that consumers are now more discerning. This, however, specifically applies to the hair care industry and, more broadly, to skincare, wellness, and health—categories built on trust.

Zooming in on this, Anand said, “Influencer marketing can work for fashion and jewellery, where styling advice is key. However, consumers in health-related fields realise influencers often haven't genuinely used the products they promote. They're increasingly discerning between sponsored content and genuine reviews. Once this distinction is clear, that marketing channel becomes ineffective.” Anand highlighted the need for influencer marketing to evolve.

Traya Men vs. Traya Women

Anand explained how different marketing strategies are required when it comes to vying for the attention of men and women. The brand requires a different marketing approach, channels, content, and even vocabulary around hair fall, Anand said.

She commented, “Men prefer long-form content like podcasts and YouTube, valuing logical reasoning, data, and science. Women prioritise reviews, ratings, and recommendations from other women. They also tend to focus on ingredients, while men are more interested in data.”

While Traya’s core—the three sciences and doctors—remains consistent, they tailored their approach to cater to women consumers. Traya Women has a separate range of products, and a dedicated marketing team works for Traya Women.

Here, influencer marketing mechanics change too. “Regarding influencer marketing, our strategy differs between men and women. Influencers are important for reaching women. While we won't ask influencers to falsely endorse Traya, we explore brand-building collaborations. For example, we created a hair test challenge where influencers showcased the different types of hair fall, educating women about the need for personalised solutions like Traya,” Anand explained.

The hair test challenge emerged as a success. Speaking on more such avenues for Traya Women, Anand said, “We're developing innovative influencer strategies and will definitely collaborate with them, especially for female audiences. How we do this, the content created, and our influencer partners are all crucial. Maintaining brand trust and credibility is paramount.”