Acquisition project | Comet

Comet provides high-quality comfortable and stylish sneakers with a distinctive design and craftsmanship for the aspirational young Indians

Fundamental problem that product is solving

• Comet is solving for Sneakers which offer premium quality, daily comfort and distinctive design at an affordable price for the young Indians who are aspirational and crave value for money.

Features and functionalities

• Stylish design and attractive colors
• Comfortable and high quality which is suited for all-day wear
• Premium brand aesthetics - Comet sign on the shoe, Custom sole design

Key gaps in brand promise / positioning and user feedback

• Designs are copied from Nike but not as sophisticated as Nike; Outdated designs / lack of innovation
• Not value for money because of tacky design (can buy something similar from competitors like Puma)

Competitors

New age brands

• 7-10 Sneakers (Rs. 4-6K)
• Gully Labs (Rs. 6.5-9K)
• Neemans (<$3K)

Established brands

Main benefit of the product? What is Comet solving for?

Aspirational brands are expensive for India

Regular brands don't provide that "Status" and "Quality" to the users

Whitespace - A brand that is aspirational and of premium quality / design at an affordable price for Indian consumers

Story that Comet is selling - its exclusive, distinct and specially crafted comfortable shoes

Core value proposition -

• Get sneakers equivalent to premium quality and style as sold by premium brands like Nike / Adidas but at an affordable price for the aspirational Middle-class India
• A lifestyle brand offering very comfortable and quality all day wear shoes
• Added Aspirational value to shoes with the drop culture

Journey map:

• User Journey #1: User sees a Comet Instagram ad >> Searches on Youtube / Google / Instagram comments for shoe reviews >> Goes to the website and explores the different designs >> Adds a shoe to the cart >> Places the order >> User gets the order delivery and does the trail >> User loves the comfort / design of the shoe and experiences satisfaction (AHA Moment) >> User places a second order (Validation of AHA moment)
• User Journey #2: User sees an influencer video / IG or Youtube ad and follows Comet on Instagram >> User waits for exclusive Drop and participates in it >> User gets the product (AHA Moment); If user doesn’t get the product and comments on IG posts for Restocking (AHA Moment) >> User receives the order and does the trial >> User loves the product and gives a +3 star rating / posts a review online (Validation of AHA Moment)

TAM

India sneakers market was valued at USD 3.88 billion in FY2024 and is expected to reach USD 5.93 billion in FY2032

User Insights - Understanding Users

Methodology > Live interview of 5 users, reddit reviews, IG comments, survey

Why Comet sneakers?

• Wants a comfortable and good quality premium shoe at an affordable price (lower than most good quality shoe brands like Nike, Adidas, converse, etc.)
• Wants somewhat stylish and casual wear shoes which can elevate their overall look
• Wants an eye-catching design which signals their fashionable choices

Who are Comet users?

• Males in the age group of 15-35 who love sneakers
• Females in the age group of 15-30
• Live in Tier 1, 2 or 3 cities
• Students or Working Professionals
• Income Groups - Rs. 10-40L per annum

Who is the shoe built for?

• users who crave value for money but don't mind paying some premium for a high-quality and very comfortable footwear
• users who want to signal "Coolness factor" with a funky design and cool colors of their Sneakers
• users who value status and exclusivity
• sneakerheads but want to have a cheaper option to premium brands
• users who wear casual / streetwear clothes often

Key gaps in brand promise / positioning and user feedback

• Designs are copied from Nike but not as sophisticated as Nike; Outdated designs / lack of innovation >> A user would less likely own 2 Comet sneakers because of limited variety / models
• Not value for money because of tacky design (can buy something similar from competitors like Puma)
• Does not carry any significant aspirational value / Status; Comet is considered as a Mass brand

ICP

Selected ICP >> ICP 1 and ICP 2

Channel decision framework

Selected Channels : Paid Ads, Product Integration and Content Loops

NA

ICP 1: 15-24 yr old Male living in Tier 1 / 2 /3 cities who are either students or working professionals (startups / medium & large corporates); Income level - Rs. 10-20L per annum / No income

• Pain point > Comfortable casual sneakers with high element of "coolness factor" in designs / colors;
• AHA moment > When someone calls the shoe really "cool" or it signals aspiration and ownership of exclusive collection
• User characteristic > Easily influenced; Aspirational; Experimental
• What content do they consume where they admire the content creator / provider?
• • Idea is to signal aspiration in some form - "I love this guy because he is so cool / intelligent / informative / rich "; "I love this platform because it makes me feel I am doing something better / productive / improving myself"
  • • General Interest: Watching sports, Comedy shows, Dance reels, Startup podcasts / videos / shows, travel / fashion influencers, News (Inshorts),
    • Specific interest: Sneakerheads, sports celebrities
• Key offline places people go to while wearing the sneakers
• • College, Office (mostly startups), Cafes / Restaurants, Malls, Airport, Concerts, Dance Studios, Food fests / Comedy Shows / Other offline events

ICP 2: 25-35 yr old Male in Tier 1 / 2 /3 cities who are either students or working professionals (startups / medium & large corporates); Income level - Rs. 10-40L per annum / No income (but have savings from previous work experience)

• Pain point > Highly comfortable and good quality casual sneakers with some element of good design
• AHA moment > Experience high level of comfort and quality while wearing the shoes equivalent to a Rs. 8-12K shoe (Feels like they have got a great deal and value for money)
• User characteristic > Not easily influenced (believes in validating from the right source), Conscious of value for money; Relatively less experimental
• What content do they consume where they admire the content creator / provider?
• • Idea is to signal "trust" in some form - More focus on people with high credibility
  • • Watching sports, Startup podcasts / videos / shows, News (Inshorts), Sneakerheads, Some fashion influencers (who already own other high end sneaker brands)
• Key offline places people go to while wearing the sneakers
• • College, Office (mostly startups), Cafes / Restaurants, Malls, Airport, Concerts, Dance Studios, Food fests / Comedy Shows / Other offline events

Platform

Selected Platform: Instagram

Content Loop Flow

Content Loop #1

• Company launches a new drop collection >> User participates in the exclusive / limited collection sale >> User places the order and gets an online flash card for confirmed ownership of that particular model of Comet sneaker (AHA MOMENT) >> User immediately shares the flash card (glows in the dark) on Instagram story and gets Rs. 300 cashback (no expiry) >> User gets the product delivery along with the physical Comet card (contains QR code for referral)
• Benefits of flash card
• • Shares the product with peers >> enables further users acquisition
  • Cashback acts as a hook to motivate the user for second purchase [Insight from user interviews that users don't want to own the second sneaker]
  • Enables user to feel empowered on owning exclusive collection product and its specific card and need to collect more such cards (another hook for repeat purchases)
  • Majorly targets the ICP 1 user acquisition who value exclusivity, aspiration and "Coolness factor"
• Example:
• • 

Content Loop #2

User searches on Google / Youtube regarding Sneakers (reviews, comparison, factors to consider before purchase, etc.) >> Finds multiple informative content on Sneakers by Comet on the varied Sneaker / Shoe related search queries >> User starts trusting the platform for valuable insights on Sneaker category >> User explores the Comet sneakers >> Places an Order

Benefits of Informative content creation

• Develops the trust factor in value conscious / less experimental user's mind
• Gives Comet the opportunity to create content around its R&D process and focus on quality / craftsmanship
• Majorly targets ICP 2 user acquisition who value quality and comfort

Channel selection

Instagram (Refer to channel selection framework in previous section)

Audience segmentation

How does the ICP look like on Instagram?

Campaign structure

1. Objective -

• • Clicks on the ad
  • Add to cart
  • Follow Comet's Instagram page

2. Ad Groups

• • Refer to table above details overall user profile

3. Ad format

• • Video ads

Ad Creative

ICP 1>> Marketing pitch: Exclusive, premium quality and stylish sneakers

Video Ad - highlight following elements

2. Exclusivity and Limited editions > Show the Comet flash card (refer to Content loops) in first 5 seconds [Stop them from scrolling]
3. Comfort and premium quality
4. Show GenZ crowd in concerts / cafes / malls; Show people going on dates and showing the flash card to look cool / fancy
5. Talk about next exclusive drop collection with deadline (or a timer)

ICP 2>> Marketing pitch: Premium quality and extremely comfortable sneakers at relatively affordable price

Video Ad - highlight following elements

1. Craftsmanship and focus on attention to detail
2. Show startup founders / working professionals / sneakerheads in the video
3. Show people going on dates to premium restaurants / startup professionals going to offices and / people travelling to premium destinations like Maldives / Bali wearing Comet sneakers
4. Show best selling models to similar cohorts and then show next drop collection with deadline (or a timer)

Decision Framework

Selected Partners >> a) Primary - Myntra and b) Secondary - Dream11

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