Eco-friendly cleanig products
Utama Spice
PRODUCT:
Utama Spice, Indonesia’s natural skincare icon, has launched a new line of innovative plant-based cleaning products under a standalone brand - Nuru.
Nuru cleaners are stronger than typical eco-products, safer than chemicals, and promise minimal impact on the environment thanks to enzymes, essential oils and refillable aluminium bottles.
PROBLEM:
The composition and packaging push Nuru into a higher price bracket, aiming at affluent Jakarta families and Bali-based foreigners.
Before jumping into logos and colors, the team wanted to make sure the new brand will meet their business goals:
- Rise above the “Balinese natural product” space
- Position Nuru as aspirational, premium brand
- Build direct sales channel and reduce dependence on e-commerce marketplaces
BRIEF:
Develop a brand strategy and messaging framework for further marketing activities, that will:
- Position Nuru as premium brand in two distinct markets
- Support direct sales
- Drive customer retention
CHALLENGE
Two worlds, two audiences
The main question was - can we speak to two completely different audiences at the same time, and stand out among competitors when most of the house work is being handled by maids and housekeepers?
Bali customer
→ Looking for non-toxic solutions that match their ultra clean lifestyle.
Jakarta customer
→ Seeking efficient products that lighten their load.
CONSUMER TEST
Two weeks, twenty tasks
We put Nuru into people’s homes to see what happens.
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20 testers got a task to challenge all five products to their limits while documenting the experience.
Think greasy pots, moldy corners, mystery fridge spills, kids’ nighttime accidents…
The results surprised everybody.
People couldn’t stop cleaning.
INSIGHT
In the world of Nuru, everyone loves doing dishes
The feel of a sleek aluminium bottle in their hands, the power, the ease, and the naturally mood-lifting scents left our testers flabbergasted.
Why?
It turned out that people who care - about themselves, their loved ones, and the planet - were basically punished for being responsible. Torn between two bad choices (safe but weak or strong but toxic), they were forced to overpay for inefficient solutions or compromise on their values.
SOLUTION / BRAND POSITIONING & MESSAGING
From chore to care
The customer feedback helped us exit the eco-cleaning market space with grace. By positioning Nuru as innovative home care, we placed the products alongside skincare, perfumes, and home accessories.
The deeper understanding of customers’ cleaning habits, needs, pains and their link to their life aspirations led us to the value proposition: Nuru upgrades cleaning from chore to care.
Next, we distilled the consumer test insights into a simple messaging framework that guides all brand and marketing communication.
SOLUTION / BRAND IN ACTION
The world of Nuru is an upgrade. One that works as good as it feels.
Clear brand foundation allowed us to define the full brand experience with precision:
- Quirky tone of voice
- Modern lifestyle mood
- User-friendly eshop filled with retention-focused concepts
All pieces work hand-in-hand to create a world of its own.
Brand messages placed strategically along the customer journey (from awareness to retention) invite customers to buy the entire experience instead of just a cleaner.
1. Awareness
Sensory descriptions elevate the brand on the same level as skin care or perfumes, draw attention and invite curiosity.
Placement: top of the funnel (packaging, ads, top of product page)
2. Conversion
Sharp call-to-actions supported by lifestyle imagery tell the story of transformation with minimum words, helping communicate the value for money fast&easy.
Placement: eshop converstion sections, store banners, potentially CTA buttons
3. Loyalty
Handy ‘How to’ pages with detailed dosing guides show customers full potential of products (they are quite versatile), prevent wasting and incorrect use by themselves or housekeepers. This helps Nuru lower the risk of confusion or poor performance feedback too.
Placed witin eshop, they help lead traffic to own channel instead of 3rd party platforms.
Keyword-rich ‘How to’ pages also work as SEO and AIO landing pages supporting the brand’s discovery in organic search.
4. Retention
Green impact counter proves that Nuru protects the planet on customers’ behalf.
Each member of loyalty club will see how many plastic bottles they’ve spared individually, which adds extra motivation to stay.
Placement: website, loyalty program conversion points, individual member accounts
Note: Visual identity was not part of the project. Brand logo, colors, typohraphy and photo/video are the next step.
OUTCOME
One world, one direction
Besides cutting-edge cleaning home care products, Utama Spice now also has a brand that is ready to win hearts and break free from noisy marketplaces.
Other teams (from logo designers to PR agencies) know where to start, what to say, and how to show up, which frees the business to move faster.
Because when home care suddenly feels this good, people want to tell the world:)
TEAM UTAMA SPICE SAYS
We’d totally do this again
“We’ve done marketing before without a clear messaging, and it got us some real headaches. With Nuru, we saw a chance to build a fresh brand from the ground up, but we weren’t sure how to bring it all together for two completely different markets.
Starting with eshop content before visual identity was new for us, but it made it so much easier to see how the brand can come together without feeling forced or disconnected.
We’re glad we went through this process. We got the full picture, we feel it, and can grow Nuru with confidence. The consumer test also helped us improve the products.
We really appreciated how smoothly the whole project ran. The team handled everything with great level of care and delivered on time. We just enjoyed the ride.”
Ria & Skyler, owners
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