Sustainable Waste ManagementSustainable Waste Management
The main focus of Abco as a leader in the commercial cleaning industry was to introduce new sustainable waste management solution to the Facility Management Industry.
With a clear vision of ‘cleaning up the cleaning industry’ by offering cleaner, greener alternatives to cleaning chemicals and consumable, I was given the task to come up with a range of new products, source new sustainable materials and implement a cost-effective cleaning range for cleaners and the larger community to switch to.
The challenge is to bring building service contractors and facility managers to switch from a cheap toxic chemical to a more expensive eco-friendly solution.
- Price sensitive Market:
Like most service based industries consumables are very price sensitive. Most building service contractors look for a cheap cleaning solution that works instead of supporting eco-friendly alternative out there. This is mainly due to the price point of environmentally friendly which tend to be twice as much if not more.
- Sustainability is not a strategy:
Most companies don’t have sustainability as a core strategy on their agenda. Sustainability is more of a ‘nice to have’ not a must. Sustainable choices in corporation often mean a big change in internal processes which becomes a roadblock most of the time.
In order to create growth in the sustainable product range offered in the commercial cleaning industry, there would need to be a consumer behaviour change. With that in mind a detailed analysis of what the current practices in cleaning was in terms of most used consumable was needed in order to find the right solutions for Abco’s consumers.
- High performance products:
The assumption that cleaning solutions/products that do not contain harsh chemicals are not as effective prevailed in this sector. We needed to develop a range of products that would perform as well as the top 5 performing cleaning chemicals but with an sustainable twist.
- Cost-Effective Pricing:
The price point of the sustainable range would have to be competitive compared to the competition to make the transition to Eco-friendly products easier and a no brainer for the consumers.
- Provide a new system not just a solution:
The new range would have to come with a complete system, that is with it’s own dispenser in order to make it easier for cleaners to use.
With a clear focus on consumer behaviour and price point, we embarked on a 12 month products working with international leaders in plant-based chemistry, organic biological microbial, antimicrobial and enzyme technology to create a high performance cleaning solution range :
- A focused range of products:
We developed a range of 4 biologically powered cleaning solution to cater for basic cleaning needs Hard Surface Cleaning, Washroom Cleaning, Floor Cleaning and Glass Surface Cleaner. Ensuring that the performance of the products was as good if not better than the main competition Diversey Range.
- Competitive Price Point:
With a clear value strategy we were able to offer the new range at a very competitive price. When selling a concentrate product, the value to the consumer is in the usage quantity of the product and not so much the price of the concentrate itself. By giving the consumers a higher dilution rate, we were able to convince that the new X-Range was ticking not just the environmental box, but also the bottom line box.
- Disruptive Consumer Incentive:
A disruptive launch is always a great way to come gain traction for products quickly. By offering a free incentive to consumers and making the transition easier the offer is too good to pass on. By offering the option of getting a FREE concentrate dispenser on site most of the consumers quickly said yes to the new range and sales skyrocket in the first 6 months alone.
“Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so.” – David Brooks
This is Deena to a tee, a professional with self belief and the edge to make great ideas happen. I would suggest another unique skill of Deena’s is the ability to read the moment, interpret and distill it to a usable hook, in order to pass on the message.
Do you have a disruptive strategy?Disrupt your market with some innovative products.
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