#3 Ulrika Björk (Polygiene): From antimicrobial tech to mindful living

In Episode 3 of HeroInside Ingredient Branding Podcast, we host Ulrika Björk, the CEO of Polygiene Group from Sweden. Polygiene has created based on its antimicrobial technology solutions a meaningful brand that encourages people to a more mindful living. Join us as we explore how Polygiene enables consumers to reduce their environmental footprint while delving into Ulrika's passion for the company's journey since its foundation 10 years ago. Some of the topics covered in this episode include: How values shape company culture and brand strategy Collective action and consumer participation in environmental efforts Polygiene’s Ingredient Brand-building journey and the key to success How to come after an acquisition to one overarching brand promise Moving from negative campaigning to positive messaging Moving from feature and benefits-based communications to a broader story Providing clients with comprehensive marketing and communication tools How global crisis can stimulate the rise of new technologies Handling a broad range of technology application and moving into new categories Plant-based technology innovation Product viability: chemical compliance, performance, price structure Collaborating with academia and NGOs to develop a new solution for microshedding Mentioned in the episode: The Polygiene experiment with local fishmongers. Subscribe, like, and share HeroInside and help others get more value for their innovation. THEMES AND TIMESTAMPS 01:00 - Ulrika's passion for sustainability and Polygiene's role 03:50 - Ingredient Branding journey, disruptive change as both personal and company goal 05:24 - Shifting the narrative: from stink to freshness 07:55 - Polygiene-treated Diesel’s SECOND HAND initiative 08:33 - Response to pandemic with ViralOff™ 10:06 - Shifting the focus from performances to purpose 12:04 - Environmental footprint of products and the role of consumers 14:28 - The Malmö fishmongers T-shirt challenge 15:17 - Consumer testimonials and proof of technology performance 15:48 - Sales, marketing, and brand partner support 17:04 - Expansion to various industries and broad applicability 19:12 - Polygiene’s recipe for successful Ingredient Branding 21:35 - A/B testing with retailers 22:19 – The background StayFreshBIO™ antimicrobial technology 24:34 - What we can learn from Bluetooth 25:54 - ShedGuard™ - microfiber shedding and testing a new technology 29:04 - Ulrika’s biggest Ingredient Branding challenge at the moment KEEP FOLLOWING THE JOURNEY OF THE GUEST ⁠Polygiene Group website⁠⁠ Polygiene Group on LinkedIn Ulrika Björk on LinkedIn⁠ SUBSCRIBE ELSEWHERE ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Google Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Castbox⁠⁠⁠ QUESTIONS, COLLABORATIONS, AND SPONSORSHIPS If you have any questions or ideas, please reach out through ⁠[email protected]⁠. We are also open to collaborations and sponsorships. If you wish to be featured at HeroInside, reach out through ⁠[email protected]⁠ and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. ⁠⁠BRAIND website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠The BRAINDERY⁠⁠⁠ The BRAINDERY is the education and community platform of BRAIND®. It is a space for collaborative learning providing tools to the Ingredient Branding community such as the first Ingredient Branding MasterClass and the HeroInside podcast. ABOUT THE HOST Tomas Vucurevic is the Founder and Managing Director of BRAIND® and one of the leading global experts in Ingredient Branding. Tomas has over 40,000 hours of experience as a global Ingredient Branding expert. Half of his career was as Global Brand Manager for Gore-Tex. The other half was as the Founder and Managing Director of BRAIND, a brand strategy consultancy focused exclusively on Ingredient Branding. He has guided more than 70 projects helping companies to get more value out of their innovations by transforming from the ZERO position as a supplier into the HERO position as an Ingredient Brand that consumers seek. ⁠Follow Tomas on LinkedIn⁠