A need to raise the floor on brand building and commercial capability
The leadership team at Clorox recognised that to keep their brands profitable long-term in a commoditised categories like cleaning and personal care, they needed a strategic, commercially astute marketing team.
The problem? Most of the team hadn’t been formally trained in marketing. Without foundational theory and critical marketing skills, they were delivering hit-and-miss marketing plans that fell short of the consistency Clorox needed to drive business performance. There was also a gap in customer understanding and sell-in skills, meaning that even their strongest marketing plans lacked the commercial follow-through needed to make a real impact.
That’s where we came in. To raise the floor for Clorox, we designed a fully tailored, end-to-end learning journey to equip their team to deliver brilliantly thought-through marketing plans and effectively commercialise them, making the marketing function at Clorox a key driver of long-term profitable growth for the business.
A blended learning solution
To drive the marketing transformation Clorox needed, we designed a blended learning journey. This included eLearning, live workshops, and virtual clinics for both senior leaders (to embed the learning with their teams) and for team members (to practice on live projects).
We believe the best learning happens live, in conversation with peers and facilitators, and while working on real projects. So, while basic marketing theory was delivered through a fully interactive, self-directed eLearning tool, the live sessions focused on impactful, hands-on practice. This approach ensured genuine breakthroughs, raising the standard of foundational marketing thinking and skills across the board.
The first part of the program focused on Brilliant Thinking. We delivered a two-day Key to Brand Management course aimed at making the team more strategically and commercially astute. The second wave of training was a targeted, one-day deep dive on Brilliant Execution, focused on improving customer understanding and mastering sell-ins.
The solution
To ground delegates in foundational marketing knowledge, we delivered basic theory through an interactive, self-directed eLearning module. This module introduced delegates to Core Marketing Principles and the insights of industry thought leaders like Byron Sharp (How Brands Grow), Binet and Field (The Long and Short of It), Grace Kite, and Jenni Romaniuk, setting the stage for live sessions focused on practical application.
How to be a brilliant marketer
With the groundwork laid, we then blended our strategic thinking tools with real Clorox business challenges. We trained the team in the full marketing cycle — from consumer understanding and strategy development to planning and execution — using hands-on exercises that mirrored their day-to-day.
Live project clinics
One-off interventions aren’t enough for lasting impact, so we followed the workshops with project clinics. These sessions gave delegates the chance to apply their learning on real projects, regroup and refine their skills with feedback and guidance from us, reinforcing the lessons from the live workshops.
Senior sponsorship
To ensure learning would embed long-term, we included leadership clinics for senior managers. These sessions helped line managers reconnect with program objectives, monitor their team’s progress, and create a culture of accountability.
Customer marketing fundamentals
The second wave of training kicked off with a one-day workshop focused on customer marketing skills. In a commoditised category like personal care, it’s no good being a brilliant marketer if you don’t know how to commercialise your plans.
The workshop started by exploring fundamental customer marketing theory. This built on the Key to Brand Management training, seamlessly evolving the learning journey.
The customer sell-in
Clorox had identified a crucial capability gap in customer sell-ins. Effective sell-ins go beyond a great product; they require compelling propositions that resonate with both retailers and consumers.
To address this, developed a bespoke sell-in process and template, and trained the team on how to use it.
Shark Tank
Crafting a strong proposition is only half the challenge — delivering it with confidence is key. So, we introduced a Dragons’ Den-style challenge called “Shark Tank”, simulating high-stakes sell-ins to build confidence and presentation skills in a realistic, high-pressure setting. Delegates received real-time feedback from senior stakeholders, bonding as a team and supporting each other’s growth.
A score worth celebrating
We’re thrilled to report that the training program earned an exceptional 5-star rating and an impressive NPS score of 100.
This level of feedback highlights the programmes’ relevance and immediate value to the Clorox team. In our experience, high NPS scores often correlate with lasting changes in behaviour. The more engaged you are in an experience, the more motivated and confident you’ll be to do things differently.
We’re here to help
For more information or to book a training course, contact us at chris@locksmith.works or alex@locksmith.works. Let’s unlock your team’s potential!
