Help My Small Business: How to Build a Brand Buyers Want on Their Shelves

Welcome to the Lazy CEO podcast, I'm Jane Lu. I escape the corporate grant at 24 and started my own business, show pro, a global nine figures online fashion brand. And now I want to share my learnings here with you every Tuesday. The drama conversations with the entrepreneurs, behind the iconic brands we all know and love. Between interview weeks, you'll find me talking about hot topics that fascinates me in the world of business and personal development. Alternating with help my small business episodes where I deep dive into a small business every month to help them grow. And why the lazy CEO you ask? Well, give a lazy personal problem, they'll find a simple way to solve it. Hey, putty fam, welcome back to help my small business. Today I'm joined by Jessica Gordon, co-founder and managing director of range. To help consumer brands elevate their reach and break into traditional retail. In this episode, Jess and I are reviewing Kully, a low-talk skin care startup found by Lissa. Now, before we get into it, we want you to pull out your phone or laptop, look up Kully online and on socials so you can play along with us at home, details in the show notes. Now by the end of this episode, you'll learn how to generate excitement and demand before your product even hits the market. I secondvert a wait list in Deloay or paying customers. And how to use launch success to open doors to retail opportunities. Alright, let's get into it. Help, I need business advice. Let's do televisis. Let's get down to business, shall we? Well, I need your advice on official business now. Hi, I'm Lily Sainte and I'm the founder of Kully. Kully is a low-talk skin care brand creating portable multi-sidration for people who live life on the go. I built Kully for people who are busy, travel often or who get quite overwhelmed with complicated skin care routines. Our hero product, Moisture Manned, is a solid hydration stick that is used to support the skin barrier and can be used anywhere on the face or body. The thing I love most about my product is that I have formulated this to include only naturally derived ingredients that you know exactly what you're putting on your skin. I would love your guidance on how to market Moisture Manned effectively, particularly with pre-launch. I actually have my masters of research and I have been in the research and development phase of Moisture Manned with an amazing Australian lab for we're coming up on about a year now. I've also spent that time posting on social media and doing everything I can to create hype for my product. But I've come to realise that a pre-launch strategy is a whole different skillset. And I feel like this is where I'm falling short because I would really like to create a wait list for people who are super interested when it comes time to launch. Or even doing a pre-sale. I know that my product Moisture Manned solves a real problem, especially with people who live very busy lives and need low effort skincare. So I would love your guidance on how to build anticipation and divert attention or convert attention into a really engaged email wait list. Because the ultimate goal right now is to prime launch date with demand and maybe get into a store here or there. I'd love your guidance on that. Okay, thank you so much, Alyssa, for your submission. So excited for your new brand to start. So Jess and I will give you our takes on how you should pre-launch your product. Something that we actually talked about on our one-on-one podcast was I think the main thing you that you want to focus on is to sell the problem, not the product. Yes. So they're really focusing on what the USP is and the use cases. And I think these days just saying natural ingredients isn't enough because I think we're always assuming everything's pretty natural ingredients. It's from what things were, maybe I'm too trusting. Yeah, well it's not regulated. So unlike the organic, it's not a regulated term which means anyone can pretty much use that term whether it's true or not. I wasn't even thinking that. I was thinking more like just no one's putting in that. It's strange. It's strange. Toxins in, but okay, that's good to know. And even if they are sometimes you can still get away with it. But sometimes they can still get away with it. That's just saying. Before we even talk about like building a wait list, the biggest thing that you can do is to create hype and to really nail that marketing message. Let's talk about what that marketing message is for us because ultimately building a wait list is the final is ultimately like to create attention and awareness through social media, going to your website, going to your email list. That's pretty much it. My focus is how to create that awareness and attention. So I think you should be talking about the hydration moments, focusing on the hydration moments, not the features. So whether that's your makeup sliding by 2pm, dry patches on the plane, winter skin, post gym, aircon, post beach, like one of those moments that someone will be using this. I feel like it connects them to a relatable moment that they may have themselves. Exactly. And they can identify and go, oh yeah, that's for me. That's for me. I think it's like, what is the exact? Yes, like us exactly. There's like 20. I went to the Instagram. This is an amazing product, by the way. And as a buyer, like if I was sitting in a buyer seat, I'd be like, amazing. There's all these usp's. But as a customer, this is too much information to grasp like, but what is the actual use case for this product? So being really clear on the use case and if hydration is the key thing when like on the go hydration, if that's what we're doing, then all your reels, everything just needs to be repeated. It's going to feel repetitive. But again, you're in your own eco-jambour. We're seeing 5,000 other messages a day. Exactly. I need to know what Kool-A does for me. I think it is hydration, hands-free. Yeah, right? Because all these situations where you want to just hydrate, but your hands are dirty. Yes. And then, USP is the hydration, but hands-free. Yes. So like you might be on a plane, on a train, and you're feeling dry, but you can't wash your hands. Yes. I think that is the moment. At your desk at work, you just want a little top up. Like at uni, like in a lecture, like play to those moments. Totally. And then be thinking about how do we tie this back to a really clever campaign around things like hands-free. So what else is hands-free? Some people ride bikes hands-free. Can you be putting it on while riding a bike? Yes. Or doing other things hands-free. The ultimate multitasking is, exactly. Well, that's so female, right? And females are always multitasking. Yes. And I think I like this. Exactly. It's so female. You can anchor the product emotionally. So what does hydrater skin mean? You know, confidence. Yes. Ease. Feeling put together. So female. It's so female. We're running a month. And I also love the fact that this is meant to be uncomplicated. You're not meant to have 25 different things in your skincare routine. This will solve a lot of those things. So there's also something to do about like removing the shelf-y of all the unused skincare products that you've bought that probably cost $1,000 and just using and integrating it all into one. Yeah. So how do you mean? I think the fact that I saw that I think you can use on your lips, on your arms. And so maybe it's also a part of it. It's like, decryl your bag. That's it. So I think there's a heap that can be done in terms of simplifying the messaging and just repeating that same USB again and again in different ways. And I think the other thing that we spoke about, which would be so helpful, is all about comparing and anchoring to another product that doesn't have the features and benefits it's like X, X, X, X. Yes. Except we do Y as well. Actually, we just had strong Pilates on the podcast. And they're like, we're just Pilates, but more, oh, I forgot the exact line, but Pilates, but better or like they just- Yes. Because it's so easy to share. Cario, you know, it's just this, but I love this. So I think that would really help because I'm trying to work out what this is. The only product of everything wind up like that is like a natural deodorant. So how do we get it out of that mindset and you go, what's another hydration product that does some of this, but not all of it and where the better one and where more competitive in this, these ways? That is brilliant. And how do you become like a hydration authority? Yes. You know? So you're not just a stick with ingredients. Your brand is like the ultimate hydration tool and you as a founder, working on your personal brand is a hydration queen. You are the source of truth for hydration. A hundred percent. And like all that Jewish girl means that are coming through. How do you jump on trends that are happening anyways? Yes. I mean, oh, the glass. Yes. Good face. Yes. They're like glaze, doughnut, all the things that were happening and will still happen. Making sure you're jumping on trends as well as creating them is going to give you a really good balance and mix in order to be able to have a hype moment. And the other thing I don't know if it's on your list, but on my mind was around influences which I haven't seen yet. An obvious one, but how are other people, micro influences in particular using this product and have they been gifted this product in order to create the user generated content that is going to excite and also build trust within the brand? And by the way, it's a great design for social media, like the packaging, the aesthetics look amazing. And I think just like something it is a good visual hook because people don't. - I wrote it normally, like he said, there are only bumps, the twist device. - The twist device, the everyone jump online to have a look. But it's like a roll on, - Yes. - Do you remember? - Or actually, - No, it's like hair, hair waxed it. - The waxed it. - But that's pretty much it. So for someone to be putting that on their face, it is quite a visual hook. Do you know what would be really amazing? It's like, I think in order to get people like, at this stage, you probably, I don't know if you can pay influencers, maybe you can pay one to get the ball rolling and then you see that a bunch of like, UGC creators, 'cause it is a good product. And then if you can just try and get like a couple of videos to go viral, which talk about the content after, then you can also pitch it, 'cause you do need to pitch a UGC creators' face. Like they do get a lot of free products and also payment. I think it's about like, hey, I've got this viral product. People want probably more than money. They want to go viral. - So, I'm gonna gift you this viral product and you link your viral links. And then I say, ooh, I could do this. - Yes, totally. And I think you can also do it with, you know, people are really liking to get communities involved that aren't just influencers. - Yes. - So, how can you create a challenge? So, pistachio puppy, for instance, has created a bit of a challenge around finding someone who looks like the pistachio puppy, doppelganger of their logo. So, we have a lot of them. - Oh, there is. - And they're gonna give away a prize for that. So, can you give away, like, what's a hand-free moment that you could be doing with this product? Or, setting a challenge and doing a giveaway without that you're just getting user-generated content and customers to engage with the product that you're then sending them out. Samples and products and making it really exciting and also viral. - Hey, Pottie fam. For those of you dreamers out there, ready to start building your own online business, the lazy CEO business course is for you. It's 10 modules packed with visuals, live examples, covering everything from sourcing product, to marketing and scaling. You can go at your own pace, breathe this lessons whenever you need and actually see results. If you've even stuck wondering where to start or what to do next, this course gives you the step-by-step guide that to finally make it happen. And because you're part of the Pottie fam, grab 20% off with the code podcast20. Head to the lazyceo.com and start building your business your way. To wrap up on the seating products, I think also like, you know, I think going to makeup artists as well. - Yeah. - And also like skin therapists, dermatologists, I just think just to have a subject matter expert, even if it's, you know, they don't have a big following, even if they have a video saying like they love it, it's just like a very good testimonial as a source of validation that you can use. - Well, they're the original influences, right? So like pharmaceutical brands use doctors in order to advocate for their products. And so being that like original voice of authority, it's gonna hold more weight than the average person. People see their naturopathal, their skin therapist or their cosmetic skin doctor, and they're gonna trust what they're gonna say and they're more likely to be loyal as a result. And so, okay, let's talk content, 'cause I do love talking about content. You know, at this pre-launch stage, it's a really great time. She's already doing a bit of this, quite a bit of this, but you know, sharing why you created the product, the formula journey, packaging decisions, testing the fails and the wins and like this and work, you know, and then now like bring people on that journey. But I think it's like a lot of people I do see, everyone is creating this kind of content. So you almost need like, you need something viral to kick start it, just to get some momentum onto the count. Yeah, like something. Yeah. And that's gonna be true and authentic to your brand. And it probably carry through in different ways. So again, if I talk about pistachio puppy, you look at their content, they do these long videos, their high production, very different to whatever one else is doing, which is like clippy and looks unedited and unfiltered, et cetera. So it's just different and because of that, everyone's got an obsessed with the narrative. You know, if I look at Mingle, which is another example of a brand we work with, they're really focused on how do they create like those aha moments for people to create recipe content, et cetera. So whether it's jumping on the back of a cucumber salad trend or whether it's showing them how that there's actually more sugar in tomato sauce than there is in coke. It's creating these moments where people, there's like a bit of shock, a bit of awe, a bit of interest all the time. So I think it's what's gonna be true to your brand and carry through somewhat consistently and what can you do authentically different to your competitors? And what can you do better? Because I think in other people, like when they do content, they're just doing another, here's a trend. I wanna do it with my products. But then what can you add like what shock facts are can you add? What visual audio hook can you add to really make that video do better than everyone else who's also doing that trend? Yes. And I think it's always worth thinking about it. So do you know a brand called Liquid Death from the US? So they're a billion dollar US water brand. Can water my favorite topic? What all the competitors in water are doing? Probably these guys too. Is everything looks beautiful and aesthetic and all about Evian and the springs and pure? And they took it, put it on a teard and said, we're gonna do hardcore rock, Harley Davidson, Travis Barker. That's our vibe. Murder your thirst is the tagline. Just completely different. And so it cut through all that noise of all this like, we're globally and pristine. So it's always thinking about it differently. How could it be different to what you can imagine? I can imagine someone who would just like buy and drink Liquid Death. Imagine I do drinking, you're like dating a guy and he says just drinking liquid death. I'm like, I'd be like, what? Yeah. What do you just get the regular water? Anyway, another story for another fan of people. But like, why are you making a statement with your like hardcore metal water? Anyway, I'm not in the America. I haven't seen any in context. I know the brand, but it would be like, I feel so rogue for me. Yes. So for me, it's all about with the pre-launch and launch strategy. What's the playbook that you're gonna run? So whether it be you start with a great campaign that's really noisy and cuts through into then looking at seating influences, maybe picking an ambassador, maybe doing a community challenge, then into, how do we do a pop up or something that's going to get or a small boutique retail launch in order to the customers and community to see it live in person and then traditional PR. So it's like, how do we bring the gen alphas, genzets, millennials and boomers on the journey through all of it. And when it gets to PR, you're looking at news.com.au, Daily Mail, really high traffic with like an older age demographic, which is gonna mean they've got higher spend as well that they can also get on board. And that will create this funnel of awareness and word of mouth. Jim was crazy. So we had herification on the podcast and in Jordan. Yes. And so Jordan said that when he didn't get the sell through, yes, they launched, he was so excited. And they didn't have the sell through that he wanted. And then they were doing paid ads and everything. And nothing, it just wasn't making that impact. One little, I think was a news.com article, mention, blow up. And then even more than like doing a promo, which is the obvious go to, was selling through 100%. So I think it's all about how do you get the playbook working really well? And then you cycle through that playbook at every campaign opportunity, making sure that you've got all those boxes tick. Because in isolation, you're not capitalizing on all the hype you could get. Yeah, absolutely. And then I think in terms of getting that pre-launch sign up, I feel like you've got an email capture on your website. You've got a discount for offer. So that's pretty much it. Like there's no secret weapon there. If you're not getting enough signups, you're not getting enough attention. You're not catch like with your content. So I think focus on nailing the message, nailing on the hook, and then capturing that attention. And then as you move through, can you look at natural brand-fit collaborations in order to bring new communities and acquire new customers into your funnel? And I think that's going to be really important. Yeah, maybe with a local beauty clinic. That's right. Local beauty clinic, a local salon, or even with a brand that does hydration, but oral hydration, like liquid IV, water, liquid IV is an example. So how do you keep this hydration messaging on point but bringing in new communities? Well, thank you, Jess. And for your amazing advice, and I hope we really help a listener. And we are wishing you all the best for your launch. Amazing. We can't wait to try it. Please, please let us know once it launches because we want to try it. ourselves? Yeah. Okay, that's it from me for now. Thanks for listening. If you're loving the podcast, don't forget to follow and I would love it if you can do me a favor and leave us a review. And if you want more, join the conversation on a podcast Instagram @thelaisyceo on the Squab podcast. All linked in the show notes. Catch you next Tuesday.