After a reboot that took more than a year, The Best Deodorant in the World is preparing for a relaunch next year with huge plans for exporting, and even more so for its social impact.
The Best Deodorant in the World is the name of a Fredericton- based company that sells all-natural deodorant. At its core, it is a social venture with distinct strategies to help the environment, animals and people.
After almost eight years of successful sales, co-founders Margaux Khoury and Joshua Bruce Davis took their deodorant off the shelves in 2016 to rebrand and reformulate the product. Now the wife-and-husband team of entrepreneurs plans to launch the new deodorant on March 12 with a new formula and packaging.
“It was in a tin, and we loved to think it was being reused but it wasn’t — people would just throw it out,” said Khoury, the CEO of The Best Deodorant. “I didn’t wake up every morning being excited about selling the best natural deodorant in the world.”
So, Khoury and Davis swapped out the tin for 100 per cent biodegradable packaging as a part of the new social policy that drives the company.
“We want to show other companies and peoplethat it’s possible to build a huge and successful company without hurting the earth, or your body, or other animals,” said Khoury.
In addition to its plastic-free advocacy, at the start of every month the company donates one day’s sales to an animal sanctuary, rotating its target each month.
What’s more, through a partnership with Water.org, The Best Deodorant has adopted a model in which one purchase of its deodorant will ensure one year of clean drinking water to a child in need.
“It’s great because people are going to buy deodorant, which is something they need anyway, and they will have the direct impact of providing clean water for a child,” said Khoury.
Before the reboot, The Best Deodorant had been used on more than 200,000 armpits and, currently, there are more than 50,000 units ready to ship for the re-launch in March. Khoury said they took six months to perfect the new recipe, seeking advice from an expert with more than 33 years of experience.
“Anything like this is a science; you really just can’t put natural ingredients together,” said Khoury. “It’s kind of crazy because they have to be poured at the right time when you mix it, so they’re at the right heat.”
The company is going through Ignite Fredericton’sExport Igniter, a 12-week program that helps startups build a viable export strategy. The chief operating officer of the company, Rivers Corbett, is representing The Best Deodorant at the Igniter.
Currently, The Best Deodorant is aiming to raise $150,000 in capital to help with staffing, production and a new viral video strategy that will launch around the same time as the improved product.
It is planning a crowdfunding campaign in March to source funds and, more importantly, raise awareness about the company’s social impact.
“The social impact that companies can make is insane — we have so many raving fans because of that,” said Khoury. “Companies of the future will realize that it’s not worth being in business without having a social impact.”
---Jennifer Lee is a reporter with Entrevestor, which provides news and data on Atlantic Canadian startups.
Entrevestor.com produces daily news reports on the Atlantic Canadian startup community. It is financed through the sale of advertising and analytic reports to clients in the private and public sectors. This support is specified whenever the name of a client appears.
