I will be the first to admit, home cleaning is not sexy. However, I spent my summer working in home cleaning, specifically working on Pledge Furniture Polish. While maybe not the sexiest product category to work in, home cleaning is at a pivotal stage in new product innovation.
Lysol, Clorox, Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson and many others have become rather redundant in their new product launches. Traditionally, changes/innovation in home cleaning revolve around a more effective chemical/formula, a green product, new packaging or a better value (more for less). What has changed is that every product out there kills 99% of bacteria and/or 100+ different viruses. The playing field in formulations has been leveled.
While still growing, the green market has proven to be more pricey, more costly to manufacture and less profitable than firms and consumers are willing to pay for. Proof lies with Clorox Green Works, which has been in the market for over a year and has yet to see a significant gain in share.
Firms continue to shove new products such as wipes, new simpler, cleaner and greener packaging, and better claims, but so few innovations actually lead to a significant shift in market share or increased profits. Is this really what the consumer seeks? While testing may show that they are willing to buy such a product, it does little to excite them or make their lives easier.
That is the point of this blog; today’s consumer is busy, crunched for money and dreads cleaning (especially the bathrooms). Dual income families struggle to make ends meet in a tough economy, while trying to raise successful children, and we marketers think that better packaging or killing .05% more bacteria is going to make their lives easier or better?
The firm that will emerge the winner of the home cleaning category will have to shift their innovation from chemical formulations, from greener chemicals, better packaging or even better value. The winner will develop a product that will make the consumer’s life easier.
What are these new products? How is it possible to make cleaning your bathroom easier? Well, there are already three highly successful products in market that have changed the consumer’s life and made cleaning easier without the guilt of being a bad parent.
First, t
he Automatic Shower Cleaner by SC Johnson is a device used in the bathroom that will automatically spray a preventive chemical to reduce the amount of mildew and grime built up in the shower.
he Automatic Shower Cleaner by SC Johnson is a device used in the bathroom that will automatically spray a preventive chemical to reduce the amount of mildew and grime built up in the shower.
Second, the Swiffer products that provides an alternative to your mop and broom. It’s easier, faster, and in some cases more effective than the traditional mop and broom. 
Third, Air Wick’s automatic air refresher, which freshens the air based off a timer.
What do all three of these products have in common? They are outside the realm of traditional cleaning products, they are easier and less involved than the traditional cleaning products and they give busy moms and dads more time. They clean the rooms that take the longest to clean, that take the most effort and can have the most effect on health.
Thus, the winner in home cleaning will not come up with a more effective chemical to fight bacteria, or the best packaging, or being the most green. The winner will innovate products that can do all of the above while reducing the amount of time and effort the consumer has to invest. In short, this innovation must make the consumer’s life easier.
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May not be very related to the above, but one example of cleaning product that I think is NOT a valuable innovation, the Leaf-blower. I was annoyed by it several times when I had intern in NC this summer. When searching for the picture of the Leaf-blower, I found a blogger having the same feeling:
http://www.ojaipost.com/2008/06/leaf_blower_pros_and_cons.shtml#comments
Why not just use the broom?
I don’t think that green cleaning products should necessarily be overlooked. I believe the next step for green products is continued innovation in the manufacturing process to drive down cost and retail price. Sadly, I do not think we will get there any time soon as I suspect firms are still recouping their development expenditures. This, combined with the consumer stigma that green cleaning products do not “work” as well as traditional products, creates a bleak outlook.
I have used the Clorox line of Green Products and I do really like them. It makes me feel safer using the products on a more often basis than other products that are not as environmentally friendly. Not sure if the thought of safety is really founded in any real knowledge of if these products are safer but I feel that they "must be."
Also, I saw a segment on these Green Works products on CBS Sunday Morning and that also made me more interested in the product.
I agree with this for the most part. Your final thoughts were that product innovations will win if they can make the consumer's life easier. I would argue that, especially in this economy, that it needs to be taken a step further. The innovation must make the consumer's life easier - for a resonable price. Given this economy, marketers are going to need to do a much better job at illustrating the product's value. At such a large price difference, I may still be inclinded to buy the shower sprays over the Automatic Shower Cleaner. Tell me how I will save money in the long run with the Automatic Shower Cleaner and I will be more receptive.
Thanks for the comments.
Ben/Kristen- I don't disagree that green is still something that can turn into a big product for CPGs. Green to a price concerned consumer is less important than ease of use and price. My arguement is simply that green is lower on the pyramid.
Laura - great point on price...it is important to mention that there is a threshold that the consumer is willing to pay for time and ease of use. One thing that the Swiffer WetJet struggled with its launch was its price, which launched at $49.99 and quickly adjusted down to its current $17.99 price tag. However, I will say that ease of use- creating more time for the consumer is still more important then price, at least in home cleaning where the price tag is a very small percent of income.
Giustina-
I'm not absolutely positive if the alliance is still in place, but I do know that SCJ does new product development with triple bottom line sustainability goals. I also know that they are active in Madison, working with various agencies to ensure environmental protection. Lastly, they actualy have two CEOs, one being the Chief Environmental Officer - which Scott Johnson (CBPM Advisory Board Member) formerly held.
I have recently been doing some reading on trends in home cleaning and came across a few interesting tidbits. First, consumer segments clean differently. Older consumers tend to do more deep cleaning and younger consumers tend to just spot clean. I think this will play a big role as consumers age and perceptions change. Second, consumers are very interested in green products but they have to actually work better than standard products to be viewed in the same light. I think green is definitely a trend, especially with more and more health professionals deeming the sanitizing trend as a culprit in inhibiting immune systems. Lastly, the wipes category growth continues to outpace other cleaning product categories. I think Terry is right that convenience combined with efficacy is a major driver for consumers. And now in our economic environment, consumers want it all: convenience, efficacy and economy.
another thoughts for this kind of innovation in traditional industry especially in cgp companies is how to make the communication more effective. Innovation with uneffective communication would end with sorrow, i think.