Clorox Case Competition
Background
During the 2020 summer I was selected to be a member of the MADE Internship Program - a comprehensive educational, networking, and experiential marketing/advertising program developed through the ANA (Association of National Advertisers). While the internship I was matched with was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I made the most of this opportunity by attending virtual presentations from experts in the field, networking calls with other MADE interns, and by participating the Clorox Case Competition. This was the first ever joint Sales and Marketing Case Competition for Clorox and ANA, which had 150 undergraduates work across 30 teams to develop product innovations and pitches. There were 2 rounds, each a week long, creating a challenging but rewarding spring environment for each team to develop their presentations, which were required to only be 10 minutes long with 3 slides of material. Ultimately my team advanced to the 2nd round and then earned 2nd overall in the competition.
Round 1 - Clorox Face Mask Wipes
For the first round, we were given a brief introduction to the Clorox Company and then tasked with the following prompt:
• Innovate a new brand product designed to meet
consumer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Product must include a profitable supply chain plan
to meet increased global demand
• Product must align with consumer trends and solve
a real problem.
• Product must be sustainable – zero waste certifiable
via internal and external audit measures.
• Product solution must include a technology
component.
In this round, my role was defined as research and development, where I used my previous design and marketing experience to think of product ideas, ultimately landing on the Clorox Face Mask Cleaner - a cleaning spray to use on the front of your cloth mask to make sure any germs are killed on the go or in between washes. From there we worked as a team to develop the story, from the pandemic consumer to the financial considerations and ultimately the #CloroxCares campaign. I mocked up the technology component, a COVID-19 resource app by Clorox, which would give alerts about COVID-19 cases to the user based on geographic data, remind users to spray their mask, and to order refills when needed.
Our slides and my mockup are below (Note: proprietary data has been removed from materials due to an NDA).
Round 2 - Kingsford x Walmart
In the second round we were tasked to create a product innovation not only for a particular brand, but also with a particular retailer (Clorox direct customer) in mind. Additionally, we were given a more open-ended prompt:
Use assigned brand & retailer packet:
• Review data (everything Pre-COVID19)
• Brainstorm potential outcomes - Innovation, Assortment, Promotion, etc.
• Define your target market
• Explain how we can reach our target
• Tell us how you’d pitch this to your retailer
• Review data (everything Pre-COVID19)
• Brainstorm potential outcomes - Innovation, Assortment, Promotion, etc.
• Define your target market
• Explain how we can reach our target
• Tell us how you’d pitch this to your retailer
Rather than defined roles like the first round, we worked collaboratively to try and innovate in the charcoal space, keeping in mind the Walmart shopper. After many rounds of ideation we landed on making charcoal more accessible for everyone to break the mold of only the white male father using charcoal. We introduced a smaller bag with better packaging that includes a handle, and a marketing campaign aimed at increasing sales through e-commerce and among those looking to spend time outdoors with loved ones during the pandemic.
Our slides and my mockup are below (Note: proprietary data has been removed from materials due to an NDA).
Results
After two weeks of sprinting to ideate, innovate and pitch new ideas to Clorox, our team ultimately placed 2nd overall. This experience was highly rewarding and gave me a look into understanding the CPG Product lifecycle, as well as how to work cohesively and efficiently in the new normal of a virtual environment. At the same time, I was conscious of developing skills through this sprint, so I created mockups using Adobe Photoshop and XD, while getting a better grasp on the finance side of marketing. I'm very happy that I had this experience and made so many new connections along the way, along with strengthening my design, storytelling and pitch skills!
