Kao Hong Kong wins at FMCG Asia Awards 2024 for customer-centric innovation

The successful launch of Attack Laundry Stick showcases the company’s commitment to customer-centric product innovation and market-leading customer engagement.

Personal care product manufacturing company Kao Hong Kong brought home the Customer Experience Initiative of the Year - Hong Kong at the prestigious FMCG Asia Awards 2024 
for the successful launch of its pioneer laundry detergent format, Attack Laundry Stick, highlighting the company’s commitment to customer engagement and its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of the modern consumer.

Launched in September 2023, the Attack Laundry Stick was introduced to target the fast-growing "convenient segment" in the laundry detergent market, a space traditionally dominated by laundry gel balls.

Kao’s core strategy is to generate a technological innovation image by using an entertaining approach that differentiates it from the competition, with the stick-shaped product being a new look. Its campaign communication messages are reviewed regularly and fine-tuned in response to consumer feedback.

This innovation was designed to meet the demand for convenience and maintain Attack's leadership position in Hong Kong's laundry detergent market, where it had been the top brand for over 34 years.

The company introduced the brand through the popular YouTube channel “Like Japan” as a hot Japanese new laundry format to spark HK consumers’ interest and awareness before its official launch in Hong Kong.

The campaign further reinforced its technological credentials through a series of online education videos and television content, including an insightful segment featuring a chemistry expert discussing the advanced "Saponification" technology behind the product's superior cleaning power.

Kao Hong Kong also demonstrated exceptional responsiveness to consumer feedback. Throughout the campaign, the company closely monitored online sentiment and social media conversations, quickly addressing concerns, such as misconceptions about the product usage method.

In response, the company refined its communications and released additional educational content that clarified the correct usage of the Attack Laundry Stick, emphasising its detergency and unique formula. This ongoing engagement helped to build trust with consumers and ensure their satisfaction.

Within three months of launch, the Attack Laundry Stick sold over 3 million units, reflecting the product's success within the Hong Kong market. Additionally, Kao Hong Kong saw an 18% increase in the brand’s scan value and a 13% year-on-year growth in shipment sales.

The product also played a key role in securing Attack’s continued leadership in both the total laundry detergent and gel ball segments in Hong Kong.

Organised by Retail Asia, the FMCG Asia Awards celebrates the most outstanding companies in Asia’s FMCG industry, recognising exceptional products, innovative initiatives, and remarkable projects.

The FMCG Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the FMCG industry, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].