Dr. Squatch is testing the Gen Alpha waters with its latest launch, Lil’ Squatch.
Available direct-to-consumer, the new line debuts with three natural bar soaps: Sea Apple Splash, Enchanted Grape and Martian Melon. Cold-processed from natural oils and formulated with 98 percent natural origin ingredients, each 2.3-ounce bar is designed especially for kids, ages 5 through 12. Prices start at $12 for the full set.
Though the men’s grooming brand, acquired by Unilever last year, has repeatedly tapped into kid culture over the years, debuting buzzy collaborations with “Toy Story 5″ and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” this drop signals its inaugural venture in the children’s personal care category.
Related Articles
According to Theo Lee, lead product strategy at Dr. Squatch, these limited-edition drops revealed an untapped white space in the business. Parents were purchasing the products, but they were also buying them for their children. “We started looking at the market and realized there was a gap between baby products and the adult aisle. Once they graduate from baby, there isn’t anything servicing that group,” Lee said.
The toddler-to-tween age bracket is certainly a growing focus within the booming business of Gen Alpha beauty today, with brands such as Evereden and Shay Mitchell’s Rini doubling down on the demographic in skin, hair bath and body. Where some brands struggle, Lee argued, is in understanding how to innovate for both the target users (the children) and the decision makers (the parents).
“We know that parents have the spending power. So, how do you design something that’s super fun and exciting for kids, but also super safe and make the parents feel super safe about what they’re giving to their kids? That’s sort of the trick, right? You’re designing for an audience, but then the spending power is a separate person, so you’re kind of having to please both,” Lee said, calling the Lil’ Squatch natural soap bars a happy medium.
While the brand is hopeful this launch will be a hit, its presence in the category is on a trial basis as of now. Similar to its special-edition collaborations, the plan is for the line to go to market for roughly three to four months, giving Dr. Squatch enough time to gauge consumer interest.
“We’re teasing it. We want to see the excitement. That allows us to learn around real-time usage to see how we can continue to improve and enhance the product,” Lee said. “If it’s a huge hit, we’ll probably expand it to more scents and flavors pretty quickly.” In that case, Dr. Squatch also has its eye on a few entertainment IPs.
“We’re definitely putting our best foot forward on this one, and it ties well to our brand,” Lee continued.
