Having dominated the men’s online grooming and styling for over 5 years, Beardo has become a force to reckon with their curated product offerings across men’s grooming, styling and now lifestyle & fashion categories for men.

In a career spanning 15 years with the Marico group, Sujot Malhotra has forayed multiple large businesses and brands, including Maricos’ flagship Parachute portfolio.

Sharing his experience in an exclusive conversation with PeakLife, Malhotra shares the importance of men’s grooming and the launch of Beardo’s new campaign featuring Hrithik Roshan as Don Beardo.

Could you tell us more about your journey with Marico group?

I started my journey with Marico 15 years ago as a Management trainee and subsequently was fortunate enough to gain exposure across functions with the locus being across sales, marketing, and business verticals. In my previous capacity, I overlooked operations on the Parachute Master Franchise where I was responsible for end-to-end P&L, brand communication, innovations, turnover, profitability, and most importantly, the people.

Why/what made you choose the name ‘Beardo’?

Our endeavour has always been to build an archetype forward brand rather than product forward brand and what better way to name the brand but something that gives an identity to people with beards? Hence, Beardo. That said, while we started with Beards, we take pride in the fact that today we are a head-to-toe grooming brand with everything in our arsenal that young fashion-conscious men today would need for grooming.

How has the Indian market evolved over the past 5 years when it comes to men’s grooming especially beard styling?

Before Beardo came into being the men’s grooming/beard styling industry did not exist as a separate segment in India. Today, every man has realised how transformational grooming and styling can be and thus are willing to invest in it. They all want to look good and are always on the lookout for brands that cater to them. We were the first movers and risk-takers in India who banked upon this opportunity. The male grooming market is evaluated at approximately INR 5000 crores growing by 42 – 45 per cent over the last 5 years. This is a very interesting segment and we are proud pioneers. And, we will continue offering everything a man wants and needs.

What was the Inspiration behind Don Beardo and why the name?

We are a personality driven brand and have been loved for the aspirational characteristics of a Beardo that we depict through our campaigns. Don Beardo is one such attempt towards personification of a Beardo. He is charismatic, powerful, sexy, confident, stylish and everyone is in awe of the stature he commands. The character was tailor made for Hrithik, something we believe it’s his larger-than-life persona both on & off screen.

What was the idea behind choosing Hrithik Roshan as Don Beardo?

Don Beardo symbolises a man, every man wants to be – confident, irresistible and authoritative. We believe the iconic actor and legendary dancer, Hrithik Roshan is a perfect fitment. His larger-than-life person is completely in sync with our idea of a ‘Beardo’. The ‘manly man’ figure and the way he carries his beard has a brand appeal that our audience would connect with.

During these different times, what/who is your inspiration that is keeping you on the move?

It is a core human instinct to crave new experiences, much like the longing to explore unchartered territories during holidays. All of us in the start-up ecosystem have one thing in common, we are all adventurers with a high-risk appetite, the current environment is what we were made for and why we signed up here. It is the sheer adrenalin rush that keeps me on the move.

What is your Idea for a perfect Beard?

There is no ideal beard – from a stubble to a long flowy beard, you have to find your own calling. What is a must though is how one maintains the beard – we strongly recommend keeping it clean with one of our stellar beard washes, designed especially for facial hair & conditioning the beard daily with either beard oil or a beard softener. Not to forget, a regular trim to keep individual strands aligned to the perfect shape.