Softsoap Brand Strategy
A brand born from innovation
In 1979, ex-Johnson & Johnson sales manager Robert Taylor introduced Softsoap, which was the first mass-market liquid soap ina category historically dominated by the bar format.
Taylor's product disrupted the market with an easy-to-use pump and aesthetically- pleasing packaging.
A market leader losing share in an increasingly crowded category
By 2017, Softsoap had become officially commoditized. Niche brands like Method and Mrs. Meyers raised the bar on premium and, by comparison, framed the brand as less prestigious.
Further, the emergence of copycat private label, such as Walmart's Equate, meant stolen share from more budget-conscious consumers, leaving the Softsoap brand in a "messy middle."
Raising the bar on Softsoap brand equity
While the Softsoap brand had a defined "personality," it lacked a mission-driven north star to which it could aspire and align its innovation and communications.
I evaluated the brand's equity against Maslow's Hierarchy as a measure of what the brand might aspire to be as a purpose-driven brand, which helped to illustrate the need for a clearly articulated mission that resonated with the aspirations of its consumers.