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How Wild Built a £230M Deodorant Brand—and Got Acquired by Unilever

How Wild Built a £230M Deodorant Brand—and Got Acquired by Unilever

The ICONS Show vor 1 Jahr

0:00

1:09:48

In this episode of ICONS, Roman Kirsch interviews Charlie
Bowes-Lyon, Co-founder and CMO of Wild, the refillable deodorant
brand recently acquired by Unilever. Starting with a mission to
remove single-use plastic from the bathroom, Wild transformed a
£5 million UK natural deodorant market into a global sustainable
brand worth hundreds of millions. By rejecting the traditional
"eco-aesthetic" and instead creating colorful, lifestyle-focused
products, Wild made sustainability approachable for mainstream
consumers. Their journey from launch during COVID lockdowns to a
major Unilever acquisition demonstrates how purpose-driven
products can achieve commercial success when product quality and
brand experience take priority over sustainability messaging.

Topics Discussed:

Creating a sustainable brand that appeals to mainstream
consumers beyond eco-conscious audiences

Developing a refillable deodorant product that's
environmentally-friendly without compromising on quality

Executing a multi-channel, multi-geography marketing strategy
to reduce dependency risks

Using limited edition scents and case designs to drive both
acquisition and retention

Building a community-driven product development process

Navigating retail expansion both domestically and
internationally

Managing the acquisition process with Unilever while
maintaining brand integrity