SC Johnson's Keys to Success

Now in business for over 120 years, SC Johnson has consistently triumphed in the market of household cleaning goods. Although there are many reasons for their success, including circumstances that were more responsive than proactive, there are many examples of strategies they deliberately put in place to stay ahead of the pack.  Many of these tactics directly coincide with the lessons we learned throughout our readings this week.

1.    Defining core values/customers (Stress Test Your Strategy):  SC Johnson’s guiding principles are clearly geared toward the betterment of people. When looking at their values, you’ll see that their primary stakeholders are employees, consumers, the general public, neighbors and the world community. Because they take caring for the people so seriously, their values are based off of their relationships with these groups. Respecting the dignity of each person is a priority, and thus the company has a clear vision and knows to hold itself to the highest standard and make all decisions with its people in mind.

2.     NOT staying the course (Seven Ways to Fail Big): In an industry like cleaning products, I would imagine that it would be pretty easy to come up with the magic formula to your product and stick to it, (particularly if the customer already loves it). SC Johnson however continues to surprise the consumer with updated versions of the products we already love! Some examples of this are:

-Windex: The Windex touch up, Windex Outdoor, Windex wipes, Windex foaming cleanser

-Glade: Glade Sense and spray, Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser, Glade fabric spray, Glade Carpet Deodorizer, Glade Décor Scents

-Off!: Off! Clip on Mosquito Repellant, Off Bug Control (for backyard), Off! Dry

-Ziploc: Ziploc Perfect portions bags, Ziploc Big Bags, Ziploc Space Bags, Ziploc Freezer bags

3.     Formulation (Blue Ocean Strategy): In addition to serving as an added benefit to the consumer, these products also follow the Blue Ocean formulation principles by reconstructing market boundaries, focusing on the big picture, reaching beyond the existing demand and getting the strategic sequence right. They are discovering the needs of the consumer, before the customer realizes they need them and thus creating new markets where there are no competitors.

By thinking ahead of the competition, while staying true to its core beliefs, SC Johnson has been able to remain aggressive in the marketplace throughout changes over the last century.