Fresh Wave Goes from Industrial Mainstary to Household Name

Fresh Wave was founded 30 years ago as an industrial odor eliminator for large-scale operations like landfills, water treatment plants, and paper mills. With a powerful plant-based formula, the company scaled their operations and developed a household odor eliminator.

Newly in the D2C space, Fresh Wave suddenly needed to stand out among established competitors in the home fragrance market, but were struggling to find their brand voice.

With a dedicated content strategy highlighting the science behind their formula, Fresh Wave became an authority in the home fragrance category as a plant-based alternative to Febreze.

One of Fresh Wave’s key market differentiators was the science behind their product. It used natural ingredients, it was versatile, and best of all, it had a science-backed formula that wasn’t “gimmicky”.

However, consumers often buy household cleaning products out of habit, sticking to brands they knew and have used for years. We needed to disrupt this routine, enhance Fresh Wave’s online presence, and educate users about a natural alternative to the leading brands without boring them in the process.

1. Shifting gears for pandemic relevance. Fresh Wave launched its brand awareness campaign in late 2019. By early 2020, with people indoors due to the pandemic, they pivoted their content to trending searches like ‘bleach smell removal’ and ‘washing cloth masks’. This shift positioned Fresh Wave as a solution-oriented brand in front of an audience of mindful consumers.

2. Making sense of scents. It wasn’t enough that the times disrupted shopping habits, we also needed to make Fresh Wave’s value proposition relatable and interesting. To achieve this, we dove deep into the science behind common household odors, exploring their unexpected sources and explaining how Fresh Wave's formula eliminates them at the molecular level. This approach transformed Fresh Wave into a hero in the battle against sinister, everyday odors.

3. Rinse and repeat. This strategy worked like a charm. Fresh Wave’s organic sessions jumped from 4,000 sessions/month in December 2019 to 13,000 in the first year of our new longform content strategy. We continued this strategy for another 18 months and routinely reviewed content engagement with the client to pitch and produce 2-3 1000-word pieces per month that continued to drive organic growth well into 2021.

Fresh Wave, a pioneer in plant-based odor elimination, faced the challenge of breaking into the competitive home fragrance market. By leveraging a strategic content approach, they successfully established themselves as a trusted authority and drove significant growth.

• Science-Based Storytelling: By highlighting the science behind their formula, Fresh Wave differentiated themselves from competitors and positioned their product as a natural, effective alternative.

• Pandemic Pivot: Fresh Wave was able to quickly adapt to the changing consumer needs during the pandemic, creating content around relevant topics like odor removal and mask hygiene.

• Consistent Content Creation: A relentless focus on producing high-quality, informative content helped Fresh Wave establish themselves as a thought leader and drive organic traffic.

Fresh Wave's content strategy resulted in a remarkable 400% increase in organic sessions from 2019 to 2021, solidifying their position in the market. Their brand awareness and online presence soared, leading to increased sales and distribution in major retailers. This success story demonstrates the power of effective content marketing in driving brand growth and customer engagement.

Today, their online store is popular, and the product can be found in major retailers like Whole Foods, Chewy, Ace Hardware, and Amazon.