WD-40 expects digital to touch 70% of purchases

WD-40 Company, the owner of brands in household categories from stain removal to degreasers, believes at least 70% of purchases will feature a digital touchpoint in the long term.

Why it matters

Even in relatively low-interest sectors, digital media is transforming how shoppers discover, research and acquire products. As such, marketers in these industries must ensure they are adapting strategies with an extended time horizon in mind, not just focusing on near-time priorities.

A short-term “rebalancing”

• WD-40 – which alongside its namesake brand makes products like Lava soap and X-14 bleach – reported in its latest earnings call that digital commerce sales actually fell by 16% in its last six trading months.
• This was due in no small part to a “rebalancing of sales towards brick-and-mortar locations” as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and pandemic-related anxiety fell.
• Despite this Steve Brass, WD-40’s president and chief operating officer, predicted this channel would witness growth across the company’s full financial year.

The future outlook

• Even as the current wave of disruption leads to a fluctuation in digital trends, Brass had no doubt this channel will be critical for WD-40 going forwards.
• “We believe that over the long-term, 70% to 80% of all transactions will involve a digital touchpoint somewhere along the path to purchase,” he asserted.
• In response, he suggested, one goal is to become “trade-channel agnostic”, and so provide a “seamless online and offline experience” for consumers wherever they buy.
• The company also has a focus on “leveraging digital engagement to educate end users and create better experiences across digital marketing platforms,” Brass said.

The big idea

“Our vision for digital commerce is to engage with end users at scale, making it easier to access, to learn about, and purchase our brands.” – Steve Brass, president and chief operating officer, WD-40 Company.

Sourced from AlphaStreet