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