As any small business owner knows, getting your brand’s name out there and reaching potential customers with your marketing message can be an uphill battle. With giant competitors outspending you and traditional advertising becoming increasingly ineffective, it often takes an out-of-the-box approach to get noticed. And that’s precisely what the founders of Poo~Pourri did in a delightfully crass, yet wildly successful way.

You may have seen or heard of Poo~Pourri’s viral ads depicting classy British ladies speaking in hushed tones about the company’s flagship product – a blend of essential oils that you spritz on the toilet before going “to trap embarrassing bathroom odors beneath the surface before they ever begin.” While the commercial premise is undeniably hilarious and grabs your attention, it represents just the tip of the creative marketing iceberg for the Texas-based company.

While creativity and humor are now embedded in Poo~Pourri’s brand DNA, the company’s origins actually stemmed from its founder Suzy Batiz’s very personal, serious problem. Batiz was being treated for Crohn’s disease, which caused frequent diarrhea and the associated bathroom odors that were embarrassing to her. Looking for a solution to protect her dignity, she began blending essential oils to mask the scents.

After gifting these early toilet sprays to friends and family, the entrepreneurs recognized the mass market potential. But rather than go the traditional retail and marketing routes which would be cost-prohibitive as a small startup, Batiz completely reinvented the way the product would be brought to market.

Early on, the company leaned hard into viral videos and digital marketing aimed at breaking through the stigma around potty talk. Clever ads encouraged people to “poo in luxury” and “spritz the sweet smell of naturals before burning a horrific muester.” As Batiz explained in interviews, “The best marketing is education. So we had to basically take a really difficult subject and make it fun.”

The approach clearly worked, with people sharing the hilarious Poo~Pourri videos like crazy. The company’s combination of useful/unique product and ability to get people confortable talking about bathroom odors helped their reach explode on a tiny marketing budget.

Rather than trying to get their product on shelves at big box retailers initially, Poo~Pourri built its own direct-to-consumer sales powerhouse through its website and Amazon store. As demand built through viral marketing, the company shrewdly leveraged its e-commerce success to then start inking distribution deals with retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond and Walgreens.

The totally original, disruptive strategy paid off in a big way for the small business. Over a decade in, Poo~Pourri now has over $40 million in annual revenues and has expanded into air fresheners, candles, and other scented household products under its growing brand umbrella.

So if you’re feeling discouraged trying to market your small business on a shoestring against more established, corporate Goliaths, take inspiration from companies like Poo~Pourri. By zigging when others zagged, and never losing its sense of humor, this unconventional business went from obscurity to a thriving, profitable company that people around the globe now recognize and appreciate for its innovative approach.

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At Pinnacle Strategy, we help small businesses create growth strategies to propel their business to the next level. To learn more about how we have helped small businesses and professionals like yourself, visit us at www.yourpinnaclestrategy.com. Together, let’s embark on a journey of growth, innovation, and success in the dynamic world of small business ownership.