The Manchester Masters Blog

Working above a soap powder factory your nose will get so accustomed to the fresh aroma that everywhere else seems to smell unclean (not ideal when your flat mates’ idea of “clean” is piling the empty take away boxes in a corner). I know this because for the last eleven weeks I’ve been working for ACDOPRO, a FMCG company specialising in laundry-aids products.

Let me tell you something about laundry-aids. It is the most boring FMCG category. Fact. I didn’t get to hang with glamorous celebrities. I wasn’t rolling around in famous name brands. I wasn’t even working in an office full of “cool, young professionals”. I was working in a soap factory. But let’s not judge a factory by its output because that factory hides the wisest, most knowledgeable marketing guru of all. It’s not a person but one of the oldest washing powder brands around – ACDO – est 1919.

You probably haven’t heard of ACDO but if you want to see something weird ask your Nan about it and watch her reaction. It’s the unknown soldier of the marketing world, the one that was down on the front line engaging consumers whilst academics were pondering the definition of the term “marketing”. If the four P’s is marketing gospel then ACDO is the 13 apostle. I learnt more about marketing just by studying this brands history than I ever did sitting in a lecture theatre. Sure there are plenty of old brands to learn from but this is one of the few that didn’t get sucked up by the corporate vacuum. This one has been owned by the same family for over 90 years…and they trusted her with me.

That’s right, they made me brand manager of their founding brand (their other big brand is Dr. Beckmann if you’re interested). So I gave the ole gal a bit of face lift; re-positioned, re-packaged and re-branded. I know what you’re thinking and you’re right, you can’t just slip into a slinky new box stamped with a new logo and expect the world to bow at your feet. You have to use what value the brand already has and embrace it. Not fill it with marketing Botox. That just won’t wash (pun intended).

Those 90 years of heritage are a great asset to the brand and even though there is nothing cool about laundry there is something incredibly remarkable about a brand of that age remaining under the control of the original family. You’ve got to respect that. Holding on to the roots of a brand is an important lesson I learnt from this placement. Not because you should never forget where you’re coming from but because with great powder comes great responsibility.