How Smol's CMO Turned Hidden Products Into Display Assets

In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Roman Kirsch interviews Hilary Strong, CMO of smol, the UK-based challenger brand disrupting the laundry and cleaning category. Founded in 2018 by two ex-Unilever colleagues, smol has revolutionized how consumers buy cleaning products by combining D2C subscription delivery with sustainable, high-performance products at accessible prices. Hilary shares how they've built a brand that customers proudly display rather than hide under the sink, while maintaining competitive pricing against mass market giants like Unilever and P&G. Topics Discussed: Dual disruption strategy: simultaneously changing product and distribution models Balancing sustainability with performance and accessible pricing Creating desirable aesthetics in traditionally hidden product categories Organizational structure: splitting CMO and Chief Growth Officer roles Upper funnel brand building vs. performance marketing allocation International expansion challenges in France and Germany Consumer behavior evolution around ingredient transparency and sustainability