🅴 Note: This week’s episode contains explicit language.
What better theme for a podcast founded to help spread positivity and marketing inspiration than “Friendly”? And who better to champion the theme than one of the most epically friendly, eternally optimistic, and brilliantly creative individuals we know, Craig Dubitsky? Craig is the Founder of hello products and Chief Innovation Strategist at Colgate-Palmolive. He is also a serially successful entrepreneur (think method, eos, Popcorn, Indiana) who believes in the power of thoughtfulness, of being kind, and of staying humble and approachable. In other words, he has built a legacy of success by being friendly, and he shares how it can be a business game-changer on this episode of the Happy Marketer Connection podcast.
Craig could be forgiven for taking some time off to celebrate and enjoy his success. Instead, he is driven by passion, creativity, and a belief that the world needs better ideas, well-executed. Curious, observant, and engaged, he advocates for viewing the world with a questioning lens, continually asking “why not?” And he is adamant that the only fear should be not trying; fear of failure will just hold you back.
Hear why FOMO is changing the retail landscape, how to create a brand that makes people smile and a company culture that fosters creativity and happiness, and Craig’s journey from starting hello products to it being acquired by Colgate-Palmolive. And be prepared to come away inspired, energized, and a whole lot happier!
To listen on Apple Podcasts click here.
To listen on Spotify click here.
Episode Highlights
- Intro
- [0:14] Sue Frech, Happy Marketer Connection, Vesta
- [0:43] Craig Dubitsky, Founder of hello products and Chief Innovation Strategist at Colgate-Palmolive
- Sue Frech interviewing Craig Dubitsky on being FRIENDLY
- [2:07] Networking
- [2:09] Why is it important to be friendly?
- [3:12] Oral Care
- [4:25] hello products acquired by Colgate-Palmolive
- [4:35] Where did the idea to get into oral care come from?
- [4:48] Design, Storytelling, Consumer
- [5:08] Social Media
- [6:00] Packaging
- [7:13] Cola Wars
- [9:30] Lexicon, Swiffer, Febreze, MacBook, Sonos, Impossible Foods
- [9:46] Lexicon Advisory Board
- [10:41] PhD in Clinical Psychology
- [10:53] Trademark Attorneys
- [12:01] CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods)
- [13:09] Retailers, Startups
- [13:14] Was Craig scared to compete with the top brands for shelf space?
- [13:58] Food/Drug/Mass
- [14:07] DTC (Direct to Consumer)
- [14:27] FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
- [14:53] Omni-Channel
- [15:10] Venture Capital (VC), Private Equity (PE)
- [15:21] Uber, Lyft, Bird Scooter
- [16:21] Investing
- [16:28] B2B (Business-to-Business)
- [17:25] Were there people that helped or didn’t help Craig?
- [18:12] Supply Chain Logistics, Finance, Formulation, Marketing
- [19:12] method, Popcorn, Indiana, Target
- [19:40] What does Craig do as the Chief Innovation Strategist at Colgate-Palmolive?
- [20:20] Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, Employment Agreement
- [21:06] friendly founder
- [22:35] Cruelty-Free Company
- [25:25] Colgate-Palmolive Liquid Hand Soap
- [26:04] Colgate-Palmolive response to COVID-19
- [26:34] World Health Organization (WHO)
- [26:51] Capital, Frontline Workers, First Responders
- [29:19] Community Powered Marketing delivers a new world of sales growth. Learn more at Vesta-Go.com
- [29:46] How does Craig stay creative?
- [30:23] Hypomanic
- [31:16] Entrepreneurs
- [31:39] Apple Ads
- [32:24] Elon Musk
- [32:36] Airbnb
- [32:41] GPS (Global Positioning System)
- [33:35] Drumpad
- [34:38] hello Toothpaste, hello Fluoride-Free Toothpaste
- [35:01] hello CBD products
- [35:32] Kickstarter, Indiegogo
- [36:32] What company or product would Craig love to help?
- [37:01] Babson University, Simon Business School
- [37:40] Craig’s cell phone number
- [37:54] AT&T
- [40:24] Pantone
- [40:53] Apple AirPods, Bluetooth
- [41:21] Business Model
- [41:33] Digital Marketing
- [42:10] Supreme
- [42:35] What positive story does Craig have to share?
- [43:09] Creative Streak
- [46:08] Jeff Bezos
- [46:33] hellofriends Community
- Outro
- [46:47] Connect with Craig at hello-products.com and on LinkedIn
- [46:58] Thank you for listening! Subscribe to Happy Marketing Connection on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more
- [47:05] Connect with Sue on LinkedIn or Twitter at @SueFrech, and Vesta-Go.com
- Theme Song: Hello (Extended Version) – Paul Werner – provided by Jamendo
About the Happy Marketer Connection Podcast
Craig Dubitsky, hello Products and Colgate-Palmolive
Craig is the founder of hello Products and the Chief Innovation Strategist at Colgate-Palmolive. He describes himself as a lifelong entrepreneur, design-obsessed individual, and polite questioner of just about everything. Known for his thoughtfulness and kind nature, Craig has built a legacy of success by being friendly.
Host: Sue Frech, Founder and CEO, Vesta
Sue has spent her career redefining digital marketing in brand and retail marketing, Martech, and advertising, at brands such as Kraft and Glaxo-SmithKline. She is committed to creating fellow Happy Marketers through Vesta’s all-in-one online community building software, transforming the relationships between brands and consumers with Community Powered Marketing.