Marketers need to create eye-catching, entertaining and engaging campaigns if they are to succeed for their business or clients. However, it can sometimes be tricky when it comes to Marketing boring products or a day-to-day industry. I myself have worked in some industries that you might consider very dull affairs. However, in some ways that grey idea can actually encourage our creativity and imagination. It’s a challenge and challenges can be so much more rewarding when you pull them off. Step in Who Gives A Crap, a toilet paper company whose marketing strategy is a delight for such a mundane product.
Campaign Details
Company: Who Gives a Crap
Campaign: General Marketing Strategy
Date: Ongoing
Product/Services: Toilet roll and kitchen roll
Mediums: Social media and digital ads
USP: Toilet humour
The toilet paper company was launched in 2012 by Simon Griffiths, Danny Alexander and Jehan Ratnatunga. As a starting point for their less than conventional marketing pursuits in the future, Simon sat on a toilet with his trousers down in a warehouse for their first video. The aim was to raise $50,000 for their first bulk order of the recycled toilet paper that they hoped to sell and Simon wasn’t going to move till they got it. This is the first video, see if you can count how many toilet puns there are.
Fast forward to them reaching their target, they finally delivered their first order in March 2013. Since then they have continued to grow their brand and company, with a continuation of their signature toilet humour marketing style. Their social media posts, web copy and product branding all focus on fun, colour and feel-good vibes. Who Gives A Crap garnered a large amount of support from an environmentally-aware audience as their toilet paper is recycled, plastic-free and has no inks, dyes or scents. Furthermore, they donate 50% of their profits to Water Aid that helps build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
What’s good about the campaign?
Who Gives A Crap’s whole marketing strategy is a prime example of maintaining branding. From 2012, their tone of voice, style and messaging has remained fairly unchanged. They clearly understood from the word go that to successfully pursue this venture they needed to have a clear USP from other toilet paper companies. In the video above, Simon explains they created the company through a ‘shared passion for humanitarian aid and toilet humour’. This is almost their mission statement. There marketing includes toilet humour but it also has a strong focus on environmental and social justice issues. Their choice of using toilet humour means they can make what I would consider more risque ads and posts. I also think their use of bright block colours is great. It shows that they are a fun company and it makes an everyday product so much more engaging.
What doesn’t work so well?
Full disclosure, I love this brand. But I don’t see many downsides to this campaign when it comes to them projecting their message. I would say the only real issue I can see for a large chunk of the population, certainly in the UK, is that the use of toilet humour and swearing (even if some might consider it moderate) can be off-putting. Some people are just not comfortable with discussing what goes on in the bathroom. However, I believe that those sorts of social stigmas are part of Who Gives A Crap’s ethos. They’d probably be quite happy to dismantle them.
I think they could also talk about some of the more mundane aspects of a toilet paper subscription to attract the more middle of the road consumer. While someone who is already environmentally minded may be an easy customer to sway, some families may need a bit of pushing. Discussing why it’s easier to have a subscription as you never run out or how you budget using subscription services, are just some of the topics they could utilise to expand their audience.
The verdict
I buy their toilet roll, I think that verdict says it all! But in all honesty from a marketing perspective, they understood me as a potential customer.
- I am interested in environmental and ethical concerns.
- I will support companies that showcase their green credentials.
- The media channels they used were right for me.
The fact that they stick to their brand identity to a tee gave me a strong impression of them. This helped them build trust with me prior to becoming a fully signed up customer. The take away is, that by identifying and focusing on your ethos, you can build your niche effectively and efficiently. Marketing boring products can work, and Who Gives A Crap proves this.
If you are an ethical organisation looking to market your environmental, ethical or not for profit company please get in touch with me. I love to work with businesses that have a strong ethos to make the world a better place. Let’s see how we can grow your business together.
