2022 Year in Review

Richard Geiger Defunkify Founder 2022 Recap

2022 was a year full of growth, learning and innovation for Defunkify. We welcomed new team members, launched a new product, signed contracts with new platforms and providers and thought carefully about how we want to continue differentiating ourselves in the cleaning industry. We welcomed new and expanded existing retail partner relationships, achieved best-in-class safety performance ratings and continued to reduce our impact on the planet - which has remained a paramount goal of Defunkify’s since day one. 

Defunkify brought on a key player to aid in our sales efforts in 2022. With a new head of sales in Christina Pearson we are poised to continue expanding our footprint nationally in grocery. Look to see Defunkify detergents and sprays on more shelves in regions across the US in the year ahead thanks to Christina’s efforts. Her nearly two decades of experience in grocery will serve Defunkify and our retail partners well into the new year and beyond. 

Robert (Bobby) Turner joined Defunkify in an advisory role in the summer of 2022 - using his 30+ years of experience in grocery leadership to both look under Defunkify’s hood and assist with future planning. With Bobby’s guidance, our team has already made great strides in streamlining production and operations along with defining a clear, consistent and executable sales and marketing strategy. As we aim to build our tribe of Defunkify loyalists, from retail partners to consumers, and increase efficiencies to improve bottom line performance - Bobby’s mentorship and continued involvement will ensure Defunkify sees continued success in all key 2023 growth areas and initiatives.

Defunkify expanded our line of cleaning products with the introduction of our EWG Verified Automatic Dishwasher Detergent. Not only was this our first product to launch specifically in the kitchen market, it was also our first launch of an EWG Verified product. As with all Defunkify formulas, lead scientist David Walla remained focused on safety and performance - compromising on neither, during the formulation phase. The result is outperformance of the competition as demonstrated by third party testing. 

On the direct-to-consumer front, Defunkify’s newest partners Ordergroove, ShipBob and ChannelOp, quickly began offering customers a streamlined and improved experience from purchase to delivery. Our new subscription platform, powered by Ordergroove, is an easy to navigate environment that makes customizing subscriptions a breeze - resulting in a more satisfied customer and a reduction in churn. In a world with no shortage of 3PL partner options, ShipBob is in a class of its own. After a few disappointing partnerships, we are now confidently shipping orders with the help of ShipBob. Customers are reflecting positively on the speed of delivery and the care that’s taken during the packaging and shipping process. Lastly, our new Amazon partner, ChannelOp, is poised to help Defunkify grow quickly on everyone’s favorite marketplace. Their portfolio and experience in brand growth on the platform is impressive. In the short time working with ChannelOp we’re seeing positive trends in both sales and brand visibility that we’re confident will continue to gain speed in the coming year.

Safety and Innovation. All Defunkify Free & Clear products are designated as EWG verified as of 2022. This is a huge deal that further validates our commitment to creating the safest cleaning formulas available. Defunkify is continuing to innovate behind the scenes with a sustainable product evolution that will be unrivaled in the cleaning industry. We look forward to sharing the results of this work in 2023. 

As mentioned, sustainability and responsibility are core values that have reigned supreme since Defunkify’s inception. In 2023 we will continue working with rePurpose Global to eliminate ocean bound plastic around the world and with 1% For The Planet contributing 1% of our annual revenue to planet protecting initiatives. As a certified plastic neutral company, Defunkify continues to be committed to reducing as much plastic as we produce. Our noted product innovation projects to be announced next year will help take our desire for a plastic free future one step further. Stay tuned! 

Lastly, I’d like to take this time to thank our stakeholders for believing in our products and the future impact Defunkify will have on the cleaning industry, households and the planet. We excitedly launched in Whole Foods nationwide in 2022 and remained stocked on the shelves of grocers like Sprouts Marketplace, Market of Choice, Earthfare and more. We are grateful to these institutions for recognizing the need to make space for Defunkify cleaners as leaders in safety and performance. Defunkify is appreciative beyond measure for the individuals that bring our detergents and sprays into their households, trusting us to keep them safe while offering unparalleled cleaning solutions for their laundry and their homes. 

2022 has been a year of realignment, growth and exploration with a continued focus on impact reduction, top tier performance, safety - and fun! With improvements in partnerships, the introduction of new team members and the maintenance of valued relationships we are charging forward into 2023 with excitement, curiosity and some really big goals to shake things up in the cleaning industry. Please follow our efforts in the coming year and let us know how we’re doing along the way. 


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