Cleaning Up a Messy Industry

Truman’s took another step forward in our mission with this week’s introduction of several new products. But before diving into the details of the product news, I’ll briefly touch on the decision to release them during a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. 

With virtually all businesses reacting and adjusting to the rapidly changing economic and social impacts of COVID-19, Jon and I contemplated if we could and if we should go forward with the launch. The answer to the first one was yes, as our supply chain consists of goods deemed necessary. (If anything, practicing good home hygiene in today’s circumstances is even more important.) The second question is one that must be looked at with both practicality and empathy. From a business standpoint, should you launch new products when there are so many other things (rightfully) commanding consumer attention, and when consumer spending is rapidly declining? Since we’re launching high-performing home cleaning products that are optimized for home delivery, we felt the products were even more relevant and useful for those trying to minimize trips to the store. Plus, we don’t have the marketing budget or piano skills to simply offer our best wishes in a commercial. 

Parody aside, marketers and consumer product companies are rightfully looking for ways to tactfully continue operating their business in a time that’s so challenging for many. For us, it’s a matter of focus. We believe in our products, our mission and our ability to provide real value to our customers. (Value and lots of cleaning puns, of course.) It’s as simple as that. 

Without further ado, here’s a quick overview of the new Truman’s trio: 

Get a Load of This

Truman’s zero-waste laundry bar with no toxins, no artificial scents or dyes and no frills. Unless your shirt has frills. Then there’ll be frills.

Your Dish Is My Command

Truman’s dishwasher bar is just as non-toxic and waste-free as your dog’s tongue, and we don’t do our business in your yard.

Reporting for Doodie

When you don’t want to scrub your toilet every week with a toxic cleaner in a single-use bottle, it’s time to flush old habits. Just drop a cleaning bar in the bowl, flush or brush after it dissolves and enjoy the peace of mind (and whatever else you enjoy doing in the bathroom).

All of Truman’s new cleaning products feature a patented, integrated antimicrobial technology to provide a deep clean without harmful toxic chemicals. We also developed them all with respect to these Truman’s cornerstones: 

• Simplicity: one product that works very well for its intended application and is easy to understand and use
• Multi-dimensional sustainability: no toxins, no shipping water and no wasteful packaging 
• Convenience: improved ordering experience and a helpful (plus funny-as-hell) customer service team 
• Affordability: working hard to bring high-performing, sustainable options to as many people as possible. 

Simplicity 

Why does the same company produce Gain AND Tide? And why does each one of those brands come in different formats (powder, liquid, pod) with dozens of options on top of that (scents, features, etc.)? After many decades of making laundry detergent, do we really believe said company couldn’t create one product (or at least just a few) to solve the plight of dirty duds? 

I don’t want to pick on this one company or cleaning category specifically. The entire industry is set up this way in the never-ending competition for shelf space and “new and improved” options to grow market share. But the tail (the retail shelf) is wagging the dog (the products), and the result is a mess for customers and the environment. 

We’re committed to providing the simplest solution within each product category. Because cleaning REALLY doesn’t have to be complicated. 

Multi-Dimensional Sustainability

You’ve probably seen the headlines. XYZ company commits to using 30% recycled plastic by 2040. The goals are loose, the timelines are infinite, and the message is bullshit. Industry insiders will concede radical transformation of the industry will be forced from the outside (competition, legislation, public pressure). What motivation do Big Cleaning brands have to change when it means upending supply chains, risking market position and ultimately harming shareholders (short term)?

These headlines are also emblematic of the bigger issue: surface level sustainability. Don’t get me wrong: Using recycled content is great. But it distracts from the broader issue at hand, which is the efficiency of the entire supply chain. Producing, packaging, shipping and storing products that are inefficiently designed is taxing on the environment (and ultimately producing higher-than necessary costs). Shipping materials as well as product packaging often end up in landfills. On top of that, toxic products end up in our waterways, creating another environmental challenge. 

Jon and I have never considered Truman’s to be a “green” brand, and we fully believe performance, price and convenience trump sustainability for most consumers. But we also believe those goals don’t have to be at odds with one another and we’re hellbent on proving that through Truman’s. It’s something we hope players in all industries aspire to achieve. 

Convenience

There’s a strong argument to be made Amazon and others have made it easier than ever to order household staples (assuming you already know what you want...enter laundry detergent in the search bar and see what happens). But what if you have questions? What if you have a problem? Have you ever tried to use customer service on Amazon? 

Conversely, at physical retail, why is it that the categories (and brands therein) are separated? If I want something to clean my car, I have to go to the other side of the supercenter. And the options available come from totally different brands. Are you telling me the company that can clean my shower or toilet can’t tackle my car? 

Convenience means many things. At the risk of sounding cliche (even that sounds cliche), customer experience is core to every decision we make at Truman’s. It’s why every person we hire starts in customer service and why we’re committed to building out a US-based team. And it’s why we’ve continued to evolve how we communicate with our customers (social, email, SMS, chat). We value the direct relationship with our customers and work hard to make it mutually beneficial. 

Affordability

I’ve been on both sides of this consideration, and I don’t think one is better than the other. For example, we made a home ceiling fan at Big Ass Fans that started at $1,000. It was designed with premium materials, innovative electronics and precision assembly (hand-balancing and finishing). And it wasn’t made for everyone. 

At Truman’s, our goal wasn’t to make “luxury” cleaning supplies. There’s certainly a market for that and many brands succeed offering sustainable alternatives at a premium price. But we’ve always had a goal of shifting the category, and we can’t realize that goal if we exclude large swaths of consumers from the onset. 

It’s also not easy to keep prices low as the new brand in town. We have no economies of scale and plenty of start-up expenses. So we focus on things we can control - a lean operating environment, a supply chain built on “common” parts and bundling products. It’d arguably be easier to build a premium niche offering in the space, but it’d be misaligned with our goals. 

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that a company's bottom line doesn't have to be at odds with doing things the right way. Regardless of what happens with Truman's, we hope our impact in the industry is felt.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, we try to have FUN while delivering on these goals. For an industry that’s been shipping water for so many years, it’s surprisingly dry :) 

Keep it clean(ish),

Alex