The Unnamed Brands | Picking Clients That No One Knows
Issue #02 | Saturday, May 10th | The Pipal Perspective
Welcome to the second issue of The Pipal Perspective! Another week where we bring you curated marketing opportunities, talented professionals, and insights from our collective experience. We live in weird times folks, stay safe and take care of yourself & those around you. And in case you need a pick-me-up, highly recommend The Four Seasons on Netflix.
In this issue:
✏️ From Our Desk: The Unnamed Brands
🔎 Hidden Opportunities
🔦 Talent Spotlight
▶️ Resource Corner
✏️ FROM OUR DESK: THE UNNAMED BRANDS
"So, who are your clients? Anyone we would know?"
The second most common question after “So… what do you do?”. I’ve answered this in so many different situations - random relatives at a cousin’s wedding, a stranger at a friend’s birthday party and of course to potential clients during pitch calls. And our answer is usually a bit of a letdown, an anti-climax so to speak, "No, probably not."
Most of the brands we work with didn't exist six months ago, and that's exactly how we like it.
While most agencies chase established names and big launch campaigns, we've chosen to go after the just-beginning. This wasn't random - it took us two years to find our sweet spot, our "PMF”*. And the best part - what works isn't just good for business, it's also what lights us up as a team.
One of the things that really brings the TPC team together is a common pattern from our past work experiences - the lack of feeling like we made a real difference, like we made an impact. And now, working with early stage startups solves that beautifully.
Take Roxanne for example, who came to us saying, "I'm planning to start something. I don't even know what to call it. Can you help?" We started from scratch: taking forward her thought about about naming it "Short Stuff”, because that’s what her siblings always called her and helping create the logo, working with freelancers on the Shopify site, running social media handles and you won’t believe it - even calling on our baby-mama friends (shoutout to Monica & Mel!) for a product catalog shoot. With this literal 0 to 1 journey, Short Stuff really does feel like our baby too.
Why does this work for us? With founders like Roxanne who are open and easy to work with, it's actually fun. Yep, we found a way to Make Work Fun Again. These partnerships have a realness that's hard to find elsewhere. Also, small teams make decisions faster and with more clarity, without layers of approval - making our job so much easier.
Do we know exactly what we’re doing? No way.
Do we mess up? Sure.
But we fix things together and move quickly. There's no set formula - we build as we go. With early stage founders, especially the first timers - the talks are more honest, with passion from both sides. This is when founders are closest to their original idea, before they have to compromise. Yes, budgets are smaller, but we're in it for the long haul - we win when they win.
And the pitch that works for us? The fact that The Pipal Collective was made to go deep. Founders know their product inside out, but they're often juggling too much or don't know where to start with marketing. That's where we step in, bringing order without losing what makes each brand special.
TLDR: The most rewarding work comes from building something from nothing. True impact happens when you nurture brands nobody's heard of (yet). And those partnerships keep us coming back for more.
*PMF stands for Product Market Fit.
Product Market Fit is like finding the perfect chai recipe that not only you love making, but everyone in the neighborhood wants to buy. It's when your business idea and what people actually want align so perfectly that customers are practically pulling your product from your hands. Like how Zomato figured out we'd rather pay extra for delivery than put on pants to get food ourselves.
🔎 HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
Curated openings in startups (mainly marketing focused roles) that fly under the radar but (potentially) offer exceptional growth.
MesaSchool | Founder-in-Residence
Build "Y Combinator for India" by mentoring student startup teams across 40-50 sectors. Ideal for experienced founders (2+ years) between ventures who've raised funding and want to impact India's startup ecosystem through mentorship while developing VC/industry networks. Perfect for founders between ventures who want to shape India's startup future before launching their next big thing. Apply Here
Neysa | Product Marketing Manager, AI Cloud & Platform
AI infrastructure startup needs strategic storyteller to translate complex AI/ML into compelling enterprise narratives. Own product marketing from build to scale, execute GTM strategies, and cultivate product champions. For experienced B2B marketers (8+ years) passionate about AI in fast-paced environments. Apply Here.
FaeBeauty | Content & Branding Executive
Unfortunately, no longer taking applications but honestly one of the best hiring posts I have ever seen. Check it out here.
*Know of an opening? Forward details to priyanshi@thepipal.in and we’d happy to share it with our network!
🔦 TALENT SPOTLIGHT
Looking for ways to stand out? Watch Aayushi Bhardwaj absolutely crush her pitch to the WTFund with a simple video on why they should hire her. Click here to watch.
Chinmayee Verma | Digital Marketing Strategist & Brand Builder
Creative and results-driven Digital Marketing Specialist with 4+ years of experience across content marketing, SEO, and brand strategy. Chinmayee has led full-funnel campaigns for brands in F&B, fashion, real estate, and social causes - delivering up to 45% engagement growth through data-driven insights and storytelling. She has launched apps, managed influencer campaigns, and spearheaded branding efforts for startups across India. Currently driving marketing strategy for a safety-focused mobile app and podcast, Chinmayee seeks impactful opportunities to scale digital presence through innovation and empathy. “I thrive on turning brand stories into digital experiences that connect, engage, and grow communities.”
Connect with Chinmayee
Donnesha Lyngdoh | Content Marketing & Campaign Strategy Specialist
Content marketer with a strong foundation in campaign performance, marketing automation, and customer segmentation. Donnesha has experience leading content initiatives across B2B, hospitality, and digital marketing, creating customer-first campaigns that align with business outcomes. Skilled in building high-converting journeys across email, SMS, and push, she brings both analytical thinking and creative execution to the table. Seeking full-time opportunities in content strategy, growth marketing, or digital performance.“You don’t become what you want, you become what you believe.” – Oprah Winfrey
Connect with Donnesha
*Looking for your next opportunity? Email your profile to priyanshi@thepipal.in and we’d love to feature you!
▶️ RESOURCE CORNER
Platform: YouTube
The Video We Loved: StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Ever woke up feeling that “Main Character Energy”? Well, you’re not alone. Almost all of us have felt it at some point, which means almost all consumers (buyers) feel it all the time. The biggest mistake most founders make? Treating themselves or their product as the main character instead of the consumer.
StoryBrand author Donald Miller talks about this in detail, and this YouTube video is fantastic summary of the book. The basic premise is that many celebrated marketing campaigns feature self-centered messaging, overly complex solutions, or all the "creative" elements which may look impressive in awards shows but fail to convert viewers into customers. The real purpose of marketing, he reminds us, is to position your customer as the hero - and not just showcase features of a product.
This is something that most D2C brands do well, but often B2B brands forget. Sharing some points that I loved:
The hero of the story is ALWAYS the customer, not you/not your brand or product. It's always them, not us.
Identify a relatable, real villain (aka challenge) that the customer wants to beat & show them how you can be a GUIDE to do that
Customer problems can be divided into 3 types: external, internal and philosophical. The right messaging addresses ALL of these either separately or together.
Watch the entire video here:
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