- Startup Stoic
- Posts
- From No Brand to No.1: How Heads Up For Tails Built India’s Pet-Care Story
From No Brand to No.1: How Heads Up For Tails Built India’s Pet-Care Story
Marketing Lessons from India’s Fastest-Growing Pet Brand
In partnership with
In a country where most pet-care products were generic and shelved in unorganized retail, Heads Up For Tails (HUFT) didn’t just launch a brand — they launched a movement. Founded by Rashi Narang in 2008, HUFT transformed India’s fragmented pet market into a premium, purpose-driven category.
Today, with over 105 experience centers, a D2C ecosystem, and a valuation nearing $185 million, HUFT is a masterclass in building trust, community, and growth in a previously unbranded industry. Let’s unpack how.
HUFT Mission
1. Brand Culture That Cares
HUFT's magic begins with its pet-first culture — they call themselves “a brand for pet-lovers by pet-lovers” and live it through every touchpoint. At their headquarters, staff may bump into office dogs Chelsea and Elsie. The brand avoids dehumanizing language like “fur babies” and “strays,” preferring respectful terms like “support” over “help.” This ethos is formalized in a Soul Document given to every employee.
HUFT Founder
Startup Stoic takeaway: Culture isn’t external — it’s the emotional foundation for branding. Define it, then live it.
2. India-First Products in a Generic Market
HUFT didn’t copy Western pet products — they built better-fit, India-first innovations. Think orthopedic beds for heavier Indian breeds, block-printed pet kurtas, and preservative-free “Sara’s Treats.” More than 150 India-first private-label products now drive over 50% of their winter sales.
Startup Stoic takeaway: Product localization builds differentiation. Solve for your market, and they reward you with loyalty.
The Vitamin C Serum That Sold Out Twice!
Get visibly brighter, smoother skin and daily antioxidant defense with Medik8's C-Tetra™ Advanced Gel-Serum. Its non-greasy formula combines potent 20% Vitamin C with Phyto Exosomes proven to deliver visibly brighter skin in 1 week*.
*Proven via independent clinical study conducted over 4 weeks on 32 participants.
3. Educational Content That Builds Trust
In pet care, people trust vets — but in India, local, reliable pet content was scarce. HUFT filled that gap with regionally relevant educational content — from flea-control tips to breed-specific nutrition. Their blog became the backbone of traffic and engagement, generating 60–70% of organic site visits. Each post is repurposed as social content, newsletters, and videos.
Startup Stoic takeaway: Be the expert. When you educate first, the sale follows naturally.
4. Data That’s First-Party, Sharp, and Ethical
HUFT isn’t about generic Facebook targeting—they build deep, first-party customer profiles. They know what pets need, what emails convert, and when to nudge customers—online or offline. Their marketing spend is strategically allocated: 35–40% to awareness, ~10% to engagement, and 50% to conversions.
Startup Stoic takeaway: Invest in data that informs relevance, not reach. Personalized marketing isn’t creepy—it’s considerate.
5. Offline Sweet Spot: Experience Centers + Pet Spas
When 200 retailers turned them down, HUFT built its own footprint—from pop-up kiosks to full-fledged experience centers with pet spas. By 2025, they had 105 stores in 20 cities, including Tier 2 and 3 towns, complete with trained staff who foster trust, not sold things.
Startup Stoic takeaway: In a commoditized market, experience is your moat. Don’t just sell—create a venture.
6. Digital Innovation & Customer Convenience
During the pandemic, HUFT launched Poppins, an AI-powered WhatsApp assistant integrated with Shopify. It answered questions, processed returns, and generated ₹2.55 lakh in just two weeks.
Startup Stoic takeaway: Smart tech doesn’t have to be Kafkaesque. Keep tools intuitive, helpful, and aligned with your brand tone.
Big investors are buying this “unlisted” stock
When the founder who sold his last company to Zillow for $120M starts a new venture, people notice. That’s why the same VCs who backed Uber, Venmo, and eBay also invested in Pacaso.
Disrupting the real estate industry once again, Pacaso’s streamlined platform offers co-ownership of premier properties, revamping the $1.3T vacation home market.
And it works. By handing keys to 2,000+ happy homeowners, Pacaso has already made $110M+ in gross profits in their operating history.
Now, after 41% YoY gross profit growth last year alone, they recently reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
Brand Snapshot: At a Glance
Strategy Area | What HUFT Did |
|---|---|
Brand Ethos | Humane, pet-centric culture with a heartfelt soul document |
Product Innovation | India-first, private-label items tailored to real pet needs |
Content & Education | Localized, repurposed content that builds trust and traffic |
First-Party Data | Deep customer intelligence powering personalized marketing |
Omni-channel Experience | Self-built retail + pet spas delivering education and loyalty |
Tech-enabled Service | Chatbot assistant turned convenience into conversions |
Heads Up For Tails didn’t invent pet care in India—they humanized it, branded it, and nurtured it. They turned skepticism into curiosity, expense into trust, and product into experience. For any startup looking to build in a category that doesn’t exist yet—or is crowded and commoditized—HUFT’s playbook is a reminder: Build deeply, care genuinely, and deliver with empathy.
More Inspirational Stories
Until the next story,
— Startup Stoic