47. What Millennial Mothers Expect from Sustainable Brands with Amrita Saigal

New absorbent hygiene products enter the market every day, and their creators hope the items are successful. However, sometimes products flounder or fail. There are many reasons for this: Assumptions about consumer expectations or preferences were wrong. The consumer’s needs change by the time the product reaches the market. The item may be priced too high or too low. That’s why it’s crucial for manufacturers to incorporate consumer feedback from inception to launch. But how is this done? Kudos CEO Amrita Saigal—who recently made a deal with Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Cuban on Shark Tank to invest in her diaper business - explores this question and others with host Jack Hughes.

The Power of Connecting With Your Consumer Base

The original concept of Kudos diapers was to offer parents a more natural alternative for their babies. Next, the idea was refined based on conversations with the consumers the company hoped to serve. Research showed that 90% of babies are born to Millennials. In addition, purchasing decisions are overwhelmingly made by the mother. Based on these findings, the company created a profile of their typical consumer, whom they call Natural Nikki. Kudos let their future consumer base test prototypes and offer input. Most importantly, the team listened to that feedback and implemented changes. Because of this approach, by the time Kudos diapers officially launched, there was already a level of trust established. The company had a built-in base of consumers who were invested in the brand.

One thing that Amrita considers important is transparency. She recommends letting the consumers know what you’ve done for them and be honest about the challenges. For example, Kudos diapers are natural everywhere that touches the baby, but there are plastics in other areas of the product. Why? The market doesn’t have affordable alternatives yet. When demand goes up, new processes will emerge. Eventually, the prices for more sustainable alternatives will come down. Knowing their consumers’ thoughts on price, quality, and sustainability helps Kudos to find the right balance to meet today’s needs and plan for the future of the market.

Outline of the Episode

• [05:15] The amount of plastic put into absorbent consumer products
• [06:39] What parents are concerned about in their baby's diapers
• [07:54] What do eco-friendly diapers mean by eco-friendly?
• [13:26] What does the Millennial mom look for from diapers?
• [15:34] Statistics on Millennial parents
• [20:41] Millennial moms struggle for balance in many areas
• [27:07] Why Natural Nikki chooses Kudos diapers
• [31:48] When will the world make sustainability mainstream?
• [34:45] Including the consumers in your product's journey gains their trust
• [41:09] Amrita on building a tight-knit customer base

Resources

You can find Amrita Saigal on LinkedIn or leave her a message through our email at hygiene@bostik.com.

Learn more about Kudos by visiting their website.

To access the CSR and Sustainability Materials mentioned in the episode, please click the links below.

• To read about CSR and Sustainability in Absorbent Hygiene, click here to read the articles on our website.
• To watch our CSR webinars from 2021, please go to our webinar page on Bostik Academy: Absorbent Hygiene*.
• To access our Glossary of Sustainability Terms, our “What’s the Difference…” Terms Sheet, and our Two Whitepapers, visit our Bostik Academy: Absorbent Hygiene* portal.
• *Please note that Bostik Academy: Absorbent Hygiene is only available to Bostik Customers and Partners.

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Host: Jack Hughes

Music by Jonathan Boyle

Produced and edited by: Jack Hughes with help from Paul Andrews, Michele Tonkovitz, Emory Churness, and Nikki Ackerman from Green Onion Creative.

Post production for Attached to Hygiene is done by PodcastBoutique.com.

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