A bra is no longer just expected to fit well. Women today want it to solve problems they once accepted as part of everyday life, be it rashes, underboob sweat, discomfort or the feeling of being restricted. As those expectations evolve, brands are being pushed to innovate not just in design, but in the way they communicate.
Enamor is among the brands leaning into that shift. Having recently appointed Taapsee Pannu as its brand ambassador, the company is betting on a more assertive brand identity through its 'Unapologetic As I Am' platform. In an interaction with IMPACT, Sandra Daniels, Chief Marketing Officer and Category Head, Enamor, spoke about the thinking behind the decision, the evolution of the brand's new platform, 'Unapologetic As I Am', and why she believes the future of the category lies in solving women's evolving needs through science-led innovation.
For Daniels, the decision to bring in a celebrity was driven by the evolution of the brand's positioning. "I'll step back a little and go to 'Fabulous, As I Am'. Every woman is fabulous just the way she is. Every woman is unique, so we didn't feel the need for a celebrity," she said, explaining that the earlier platform celebrated women through diverse personalities rather than a single face.
Watch the full interview here:
But that outlook changed with 'Unapologetic As I Am'. "When we moved to 'Unapologetic As I Am', the positioning became about being bold, being the best version of yourself and not being constrained by society, culture or family. We needed someone who truly embodied that spirit," Daniels said, adding that Taapsee Pannu's independent persona made her a natural fit for the campaign.
The early indicators, according to Daniels, suggest the strategy is paying off. Since the launch of the Bamboo Cotton range alongside the Taapsee campaign in April, Enamor has witnessed strong sales growth across its stores, D2C platform and marketplaces. Searches for Bamboo Cotton have risen by 400%, while consumers are increasingly walking into stores asking specifically for the ‘Taapsee bra’ and the Bamboo Cotton range. Although brand tracking with Nielsen is yet to be completed, Daniels said engagement metrics such as CTRs are already outperforming category benchmarks.
The campaign is part of a broader transition in the way Enamor approaches marketing. "Two things changed. First, the consumer has become bolder. She's consuming that kind of content, so we have to speak to her in a way she relates to and that inspires her to be herself," Daniels said.
The second shift has been media. While the brand earlier invested across television, radio and cinema, almost all of its marketing investments are now concentrated on digital. Enamor allocates between 8% and 10% of its revenue to marketing, complemented by selective outdoor campaigns for impact. Over the last two years, influencer marketing has also become a much larger part of the mix, alongside growing investments across e-commerce and quick commerce platforms to reach younger consumers.
Yet Daniels believes the brand's biggest advantage lies elsewhere. "Innovation is what nobody is really doing or talking about," she said. Her belief, she explained, begins well before a campaign is created, "We have dedicated R&D and design teams, but it all starts with the consumer." Through regular consumer interactions, fittings and research sessions, Enamor identifies emerging pain points before developing products to address them.
One example is Bamboo Cotton, which combines bamboo and cotton fibres to deliver softness while retaining the structure required for a bra. The company has also introduced technologies such as N9 Finish to reduce the temperature around the bust area and the Flexi-Free Bra designed to minimise digging, rashes and discomfort. Importantly, Daniels said consumers never hear those technologies described in technical language. "Our communication doesn't use technical terms. Instead of saying 'hypoallergenic', we say 'no rash'. Instead of talking about fabric science, we say 'no dig, no pinch'. We communicate in the language women use to describe their problems."
That consumer-first approach, she argues, extends across geographies as well. Contrary to conventional assumptions, Daniels said the Bamboo Cotton campaign witnessed stronger resonance in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets than in metros, suggesting that consumers outside larger cities are equally eager to adopt new products and innovations. The execution may differ through regional languages or local influencers, she said, but the core message remains the same.
Enamor's influencer strategy also reflects this philosophy. Rather than relying on a standard creator playbook, the brand builds campaigns around communities. For Bamboo Cotton, the company worked not only with fashion creators but also dermatologists to discuss skin health and wellness creators to highlight bamboo's sustainability credentials. "We don't give influencers a script. We share what we want to communicate, and they present it in a way that resonates with their audience," Daniels said.
As competition intensifies, Daniels believes innovation, rather than comfort alone, will determine category leadership. "Today, most brands talk about fashion or comfort, but very few are talking about future needs and innovation," she said, adding "Women's needs are constantly evolving, so we have to stay close to consumers, understand those changes and be the first to offer solutions."
For Enamor, that means treating innovation not as a feature, but as the foundation of the business. "Innovation starts with the consumer, followed by R&D, design and marketing. Our role is to keep pushing boundaries and asking, What's new? What's next?," Daniel concluded.
