Behind the scenes at the world’s No.1 fabric detergent

In 2023, sales of Dirt Is Good – known as OMO, Persil, Surf Excel, Breeze, Rinso, Ala or Skip, depending on where you are in the world – hit €4.3 billion. Walk into any supermarket, anywhere, and there’s a 90% chance you’ll see DIG on the shelves.

So what is it about the brand that entices shoppers to buy its products 120 times every second? We asked Tati Lindenberg, Senior Vice-President of Marketing at Dirt Is Good.

How did the Dirt Is Good brand originate?

In 2004 we realised that our laundry brands were becoming indistinguishable from the category generic and margins were suffering as a result. Everyone was telling the same functional stories of stain-removing molecules and dazzling whiteness.

To be distinctive, we needed greater relevance to our key consumers: modern parents.

So we created Dirt Is Good as a purposeful market development platform to unite our family of high-performing laundry brands. Its basis is a fundamental dilemma facing parents: how much to shield and protect their child versus giving them freedom to experience the world, learn and – inevitably – get dirty in the process.

‘DIG’ challenged perceptions of dirt as an enemy and positioned it instead as an ally.

How is this brought to life in different markets?

In places like Europe and Latin America, we showed kids getting messy doing things like painting, because the culture welcomes this display of creativity and imagination as a learning process.

In regions where dirt is considered dangerous, like Africa and India, we evolved to show how getting dirty can teach kids the values that matter most in collectivist cultures: being honourable, kind and loyal. So we adapted the idea to the context of society instead of the individual.

It’s a strategy that’s working. In 2022, DIG incremental sales grew by an additional €1 million every single day and it’s now the largest laundry brand in the world. We sell over 200 packs every second and it’s in first or second market share position everywhere it’s sold. It has reached record shares in India, China and France, where it can be found in 1 of 3 homes.

The marketing has pivoted into sport. What’s behind that move?

It’s all about ultimate performance. We’re harnessing our global reach to help people see the value of resilience when playing sports and getting dirty in a culturally relevant way.

This evolution broadens our audience, reflecting the changing household demographics. With sports as the new home of DIG, we have become partner of the men’s and women’s teams of Arsenal Football Club.

How are laundry trends impacting brand strategy?

Urbanisation is a key one. In 2007, the number of people living in urban centres surpassed that of those living in rural areas. This dramatically changes laundry habits. In cities, faster-paced lifestyles require products that do laundry quicker.

Technology is constantly evolving too. People expect more from modern washing machines and detergents. We recently announced a partnership with Samsung to explore how AI and smart technologies could make laundry more convenient and tailored to modern-day living.

Fabrics have also changed a huge amount. It used to be mainly cottons and whites, now it’s more synthetics and colours, which demand different ways of washing.

All of these point to one thing – convenience is influencing consumer behaviour more than ever before.

What are the brand’s key recent innovations?

Responding to this increasing consumer need for convenience has been a key driver in our big format changes.

In 2022, we launched our most sustainable capsule ever: a new formula for high performance on a low-energy cold wash. This reduced manufacturing greenhouse gas emissions by 16% while helping consumers save up to 60% energy per use. Also, the packaging is cardboard, not plastic.

In 2023, we brought laundry sheets to the mass market. These offer ultra-convenience, with each sheet delivering just the right dose of detergent, avoiding waste. They’re formulated with biodegradable ingredients, and the main active ingredient is plant-based.

Earlier this year, we launched Wonder Wash, our first-ever detergent designed for short and cold cycles. With around 80% of consumers using a quick wash once a week, this is a truly transformative product in a category predicted to be worth €2 billion by 2026.

How will the brand evolve in the future?

We need to find new ways to inspire people and reach new audiences. Our move into sports is this strategy in action.

Our latest ad ‘The Autograph’ – an emotional journey of love and loss of a cherished signature – gives new life to DIG’s provocative perspective on dirt. The film is about football and a young fan’s resilience more than about laundry. In fact, the brand is the villain: without Persil removing the stain, there’s no storyline.

Innovation, as always, is at the heart of our plans. Washing machines already use artificial intelligence. So we’re developing products that work with how machines are changing.

The world of laundry is rapidly evolving. For instance, short cycle is the fastest-growing value driver in the category. My job is to ensure DIG remains at the forefront of these trends and changing consumer habits.