This episode offers a candid look into how a traditional CPG giant like Clorox navigates the challenging direct-to-consumer landscape. Jackson Jeyanayagam, GM of DTC, shares his strategies for hiring top-tier digital talent amidst intense competition and details Clorox's innovative approaches to building new DTC channels and exploring novel product categories like CBD, despite regulatory hurdles and market saturation. Operators will gain insights into adapting legacy brands for the digital age and overcoming talent acquisition challenges.
Key takeaways
When recruiting for DTC roles, emphasize the unique growth opportunities and impact within a large, established organization, offsetting the allure of hyper-growth startups.
Anticipate and strategize for marketing and distribution limitations in heavily regulated or niche product categories, as demonstrated by the challenges with the Burt's Bees CBD line.
Proactively build out internal DTC capabilities and new digital ventures to stay competitive and cater to evolving consumer behaviors, rather than solely relying on traditional retail channels.
Understand that talent acquisition in a post-pandemic world requires a flexible and compelling employer brand, especially when competing with traditionally 'digital-first' companies.
Leverage existing brand equity to explore new product categories, but be prepared for significant market noise and competition, necessitating clear differentiation strategies.
As the pandemic's third wave mounts, Clorox wipes are still a hot commodity -- the product's shortage is expected to last into the new year. That outsized demand has led to a bump in sales for the company overall, and a stock that's risen by a third this year.
Clorox's general manager of DTC Jackson Jeyanayagam, who oversees new digital business ventures and brands for the CPG giant, said that the edge extended to hiring power.
"Here I come at Clorox trying to sell someone to come from a Netflix, an Airbnb or Warby Parker or Peloton and come work for me at Clorox, which no one ever thinks of as DTC," Jeyanayagam said on the Modern Retail Podcast. "It's never easy to hire great talent. But it's not nearly the same as it was exactly 12 months ago."
On this week's episode, he spoke about how he approaches hiring, what new ways Clorox is trying to build out its DTC channel as well as how the company is looking into new areas and product lines.
Burt's Bees, a subsidiary owned by Clorox, recently launched a CBD line, for example, and it brought about a few unique challenges. Some marketing channels are unavailable to a hemp-based products, Jeyanayagam said, and the product line can only sell in 25 states. "It's very saturated despite that. There's a lot of noise, and there's a lot of bad players."
When recruiting for DTC roles, emphasize the unique growth opportunities and impact within a large, established organization, offsetting the allure of hyper-growth startups.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Anticipate and strategize for marketing and distribution limitations in heavily regulated or niche product categories, as demonstrated by the challenges with the Burt's Bees CBD line.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Proactively build out internal DTC capabilities and new digital ventures to stay competitive and cater to evolving consumer behaviors, rather than solely relying on traditional retail channels.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Understand that talent acquisition in a post-pandemic world requires a flexible and compelling employer brand, especially when competing with traditionally 'digital-first' companies.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Leverage existing brand equity to explore new product categories, but be prepared for significant market noise and competition, necessitating clear differentiation strategies.
