• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, November 1, 2023

Always hoping to amuse men with unexpected content, Dr. Squatch is moving into mind tricks. The natural-soap D2C company is introducing self-hypnosis videos, with six-minute recordings for the shower. Starring celebrity hypnotist Richard Barker, the confidence and sexual performance-boosting tools support the release of a limited-edition Big Bricc Energy soap bar. John Ludeke, senior director of brand marketing, explains what’s behind the launch.

Marketing Daily: Your marketing is typically funny – jokes about quarterback Justin Herbert keeping his end zone fresh, or thumb-wrestling contests with climber Alex Honnold. And Big Bricc Energy is a play on Big D**k Energy. But while the set-up for this hypnotic content is funny, promising “your chest hair will grow chest hair,” it’s some serious self-help, too. What are you hoping to accomplish?

John Ludeke: Our goal is to inspire and educate guys to be happier and healthier. We started 10 years ago, finding ways to connect with regular guys and teach them about better products. For men, soap is a pretty low-emotional-engagement category. Most guys don't care that much. The best way to connect is through humor, but then we also try to deliver some sort of educational material and information.

This effort came about because customers often request a bigger version of our soap to use it for longer or cut into smaller bars for better value. So, we came up with this Mega Bricc concept. What guy doesn't love something massive and impressive? And then came the idea of lasting longer in the shower and feeling great about how you smell.

Marketing Daily: Will you use more celebrities in the future?

Ludeke: Yes, we’ve gained much traction over the last few years and grown quite a bit. We can keep expanding by working with creators and athletes who are everyday guys. Richard Barker, too. They're regular guys who happen to be super talented in an area that’s allowed them to generate some notoriety.

Marketing Daily: The company started as a D2C digital brand and now has wide distribution in retail. That requires two different marketing approaches, right?

Ludeke: Our goal is to meet our customers wherever they buy products. Being an omnichannel brand has been great because it's allowed us to expand our customer base. We’ve benefited from having a solid ecommerce D2C business. Retail is still not bigger than our D2C business. And we also sell on Amazon.

Many brands make the mistake of approaching all those audiences as if they are the same, and they’re not. They interact with the brand from a different frame of mind. We try to understand what value we can bring to each channel, making each experience as interesting, entertaining and fun as possible.

Marketing Daily: How do you define your core target audience?

Ludeke: We focus very much on everyday guys. Our customers are not buying luxury products. They probably don’t wear Gucci shoes. Personal care is not a category where they typically think much about quality, mission or performance. So what we've been trying to do is first to educate guys so they know there’s a better class of products.

Twenty years ago, most people didn't care about organic versus conventional food -- they thought it was all the same. Now, a lot of people care. We think it’s the same with natural personal-care products.

Our customers aren’t truly value shoppers, though. They're everyday guys who will pay more for a nice camping tent or pair of boots. They’re willing to spend more in categories they care about.

Marketing Daily: What’s the most challenging part of that kind of education?

Ludeke: Soap isn’t a product you use publicly. When you buy sneakers, a car, or even a beverage -- I used to work at Monster -- you’re making a public statement. The brand says something about you. That’s not true with personal care. Guys don’t talk about the products they’re using. So we’ve had to focus more on the experience of using the product itself to justify the higher price.

Marketing Daily: What about women?

Ludeke: Women don't need that type of education. They are way more sophisticated about personal care. In retail, the majority of our purchases are made by women. That includes them buying products for the men in their household. But women also use Dr. Squatch. Many don’t want to pay the pink tax.

Marketing Daily: What’s the media strategy?

Ludeke: Social media. The hypnosis videos are on YouTube, and we’ll be posting them on our channels. We’re working with influencers. We’re also working with Barker and his accounts.