Hello products gets up close and personal

A twenty-something consumer walks into a drug store and heads to the oral care aisle, where she begins looking at the toothpaste selection. She quickly picks up and puts down boxes containing offerings from a few mainstream brands, but when she sees the hello products package, she not only grabs it, she spends several minutes reading the copy. Smiling and laughing to herself, she places the box into her basket.

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This is exactly the reaction Craig Dubitsky, hello products’ founder and CEO, wants to see from New General Market consumers like the one in the above scenario — and from all consumers, in fact. “It’s all about being thoughtful and delighting the customer — not only digitally, but at the store shelf,” Dubitsky said.



With this in mind, hello products’ packaging features no oversized tooth images; rather, the stylish hello logo commands attention. The tone of the copy — written by Dubitsky himself for a more personal touch that is the company’s cornerstone — is tongue-in-cheek. A list of all ingredients — with the purpose and benefits of each one clearly spelled out — is accompanied by a list of all the artificial ingredients that are not in there — making hello “a no-brainer.” Near the UPC code are such smile-inducing one-liners as, “Hello, Tiger” and “Meet your new squeeze,” accompanied by a “wink” emoticon.



People now look for brands that reflect and share their values. “Our formulas are vegan and never tested on animals, and we invest in recycled materials for our cartons,” Dubitsky continued, “and this stuff really matters to us.” Despite digital marketing and apps, “the decision to purchase is generally made at the shelf,” Dubitsky stated. “That’s why it’s important for the brand to have a voice. Our packaging, copy and tone gives hello a unique voice.”



Getting up close and personal with customers is so important to Dubitsky and hello products that he makes his contact information, including his cell phone number, readily available to consumers. He spends several hours in the very early morning responding to consumers’ emails, and in the evening, he can be found conducting one-on-one conversations via Skype with customers who ping him there via a link on the company’s website (HelloProducts.com).



“We need to be personal, and we need to be transparent — and that means doing everything from telling customers what every ingredient in their toothpaste does, to listening and responding to what they have to say even if for some reason, they aren’t happy,” Dubitsky said. “You can’t really outsource soul to a call center, and you can’t outsource transparency. You can’t say you’re a friendly brand and company — as we imply on our packaging — and not be reachable. Authenticity is everything, and people can tell if you’ve got it or your faking it in an instant.”



While hello’s oral care offerings are loved by millennials, Dubitsky believes the New General Market consumer is a psychographic, not a demographic. “All consumers want to be part of something — no matter their age. “Our job is to create brands that people want to join, not buy. When people choose hello, they’re joining something special, a ‘movemint,’ finally making personal care, personal.”