Why did digital content firm Pocket Aces launch cookware brand Gobble?

Pocket Aces along with Aniket Metals had developed a D2C brand focused on cookware that targets Millenials

Aniket Metals has, until now, extensively focused on developing a market for top-end cookware products overseas. Nachiket Shah, managing director, Aniket Metals, tells afaqs! that the brand's expansion in India will include targeting the millennials and getting them to buy its cookware products.

Shah recognises that buying cooking utensils isn’t something that most youngsters are usually interested in. In order to make this interaction ‘cool’, Aniket Metals has collaborated with Pocket Aces' lifestyle channel ‘Gobble’ to strike a chord with the youth.

"For decades, cookware was passed down from one generation to another. Stainless steel has always been the material of choice, as it lasts long and is of good quality. We are going back to these basics, but with unique design features added specifically for the carefree, fast-paced millennial,” mentions Shah.

“Today's world is all about social media and integrated marketing communication. It drives the personality of the brand. For me, the experience of the product has to go beyond what our experience is at the shelf, and Gobble does that beautifully," he adds.

Shah previously partnered with ‘Tasty’, BuzzFeed's cooking channel in the US, to develop the brand identity for a product line. It inspired the brand to look for a viable partner in India. Its ambition to develop a content market for a product line coincided with Pocket Aces' ambition of going from a content business to commerce.

"It almost seemed like we both were waiting for this to happen. From Aniket Metals' side, the product portfolio was already well established. Gobble already had an established content pool and following. Both of us were eager to develop a strong D2C business on the backs of these strong businesses. That's how Gobble began," Aditi Shrivastava, co-founder & CEO, Pocket Aces, shares.

Building a D2C business focused specifically on cookware products seemed like a tedious task, as it hasn't been done before, according to both companies. Hence, to overcome these challenges, they focused on developing a brand personality that gives a certain vibe to the product, something that the millennials can easily relate to.

Shah believes that there has been a major shift in the way youngsters look at cooking, ever since COVID struck.

"Everything that we do, be it cooking, eating, or dressing up, is governed by social media and the influences around us. When you watch ‘MasterChef’, you want to cook with the same cookware in which the chef is cooking. You crave that professional chef-style cooking experience. I think the biggest mistake one can make is, being unable to create a personality around your brand. There are so many opportunities to reach out to the consumers, as you are already aware of what they want."

Shrivastava believes that millennials are now increasingly looking to invest in cookware products.

"Once you start seeing ads, whether they are on Instagram or YouTube or Netflix, you begin to notice different styles of cooking utensils or new technologies. That's what we are aiming to do with the promotion of the products via our content."

The brand's YouTube handle has about 700k subscribers. It has over two million followers on Instagram. The brand unveiled the cookware line on October 5 on its Instagram page, with a (hashtag) #WhatsCookingGoodLooking.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gobble (@gobblegrams)

"The music was essential. We worked to get some fast-paced energetic music. The idea was to show the demand, the poppy designs, the packaging, the beautiful products, and how easy and hassle-free the process of cooking is in those products," Shrivastava says.

Prior to launching the campaign, the company interacted with its followers on whether they would actually like a new-age cookware line, something that introduces them to new technology cookware as well as emphasises the aesthetics. The answer was an overwhelming yes!

The brand will now be introducing the products one by one on social media. The posts will create a buzz around the products themselves. There is also a plan to incorporate the products in upcoming collaborations with celebrity chefs as well as digital influencers. The campaigns will be rolled out in phases, Shrivastava adds.

Gobble will initially focus on developing campaigns to promote the product's viability as a good gift this festive season. They are targeting the festive day of ‘Dhanteras’ first. Shah also confirms that the brand is currently in talks with offline distributors as well as retailers.