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Balancing Retail & Ecommerce: Insights from Brady DeLong of Clean Age

Clean Age is revolutionizing the personal care industry by focusing on teenagers. In an interview with Brady DeLong, VP of Sales, we explore the brand's ethos and how they connect with the younger generation.

The Genesis of Clean Age

Clean Age sprouted from a venture studio led by Rachel Peters, who saw a void in the market for personal care products tailored to teenagers. Clean Age stepped in to address this by creating deodorants and toothpaste tabs, with plans to expand further. The brand aims to be a companion for teenagers, supporting them through physical changes and fostering their transition from personal care to self-care.

Quick Insight:

Clean Age seized the opportunity in a niche market by providing tailored personal care products for teenagers.

Anchoring on Sustainability and Natural Ingredients

Clean Age’s deodorants and toothpaste tabs are sustainably packaged and use natural ingredients. The brand acknowledges the eco-conscious nature of its target audience and aligns its values accordingly.

Quick Insight:

Adopt values that resonate with your target audience; for the younger generation, sustainability is key.

Connecting Across Generations

Clean Age adopts versatile strategies to communicate with its audience. While millennials prefer clean designs, Gen Z seeks authenticity through user-generated content (UGC). Clean Age engages Gen Z via influencer programs while utilizing retail-focused advertising for millennials and Gen X.

Quick Insights:

• Tailor communication strategies for different generations.
• Consistency in values is critical; use varied mediums to convey them.

Harmony Between eCommerce and Retail

Clean Age, a retail-first brand, maintains a delicate balance with eCommerce. They ensure not to undercut retail partners on pricing and participate in promotional activities. Retail relationships are prioritized, and eCommerce data is leveraged to expand retail presence. Additionally, Clean Age recognizes the importance of aligning with retailers' marketplaces such as Target and Walmart to avoid straining relationships.

Quick Insights:

• Be transparent and consistent with retail partners.
• Utilize eCommerce data to bolster retail partnerships.
• Engage in retailers' marketplaces.

Envisioning the Future

Clean Age emphasizes sustainable growth by keenly monitoring KPIs. Brady DeLong points out that traditionally, the focus was on Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV) as primary metrics guiding decision-making. However, the industry has seen a shift towards prioritizing margin, cash flow, profitability, and EBITA. These metrics are becoming increasingly vital in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) space. Clean Age, which has investors, adopts a more aggressive growth strategy. Still, Brady notes that managing a cash-flow-based business is another fascinating model where every expense is scrutinized for ROI and margins are carefully maintained. Essentially, Clean Age adapts to the evolving landscape with an eye on sustainability, cash flow, and growth metrics, underlining the importance of aligning operational strategies with long-term goals.

Quick Insight:

Stay agile and adapt to industry shifts. Monitor contemporary KPIs such as margin, cash flow, and profitability, and align your operational strategies to the long-term vision.

Clean Age exemplifies how identifying a niche, aligning with audience values, and employing adaptive communication strategies can propel a brand forward. Moreover, striking a balance between retail and eCommerce partnerships is essential for symbiotic growth.