Kao Hong Kong makes convenience central to Attack brand strategy

It aims to appeal to younger consumers.

As Hong Kong households juggle long working hours, small living spaces and heightened hygiene concerns after the pandemic, convenience has become the key factor shaping how consumers approach laundry. Traditional considerations like price or brand loyalty are giving way to the need for quicker, simpler, and more hygienic solutions.

Kao has made this shift the centre of its fabric care strategy, rethinking how laundry can fit modern urban life through its Attack brand.

In this interview with Retail Asia, Kao Hong Kong President Miyashita Kazuya discusses the consumer trends driving the focus on convenience, the role of technology and sustainability, and how the company is repositioning Attack to connect with a new generation of households.

1. What key consumer trends led Kao Hong Kong to prioritise convenience in its fabric care strategy?

When we looked at the Hong Kong market, three big trends stood out—and they all pointed to convenience as a must-have for today’s consumers.

First, time is everything. People are busier than ever, especially families and young professionals. They don’t want to spend hours pre-treating stains or soaking laundry.

Second, post-pandemic expectations have redefined fabric care—consumers now demand detergents that go beyond cleaning to provide true hygiene. Our research reveals that 85% of Hong Kong households worry about musty odors from indoor drying, particularly during humid seasons. That’s why we engineered our laundry products with 99.99% germ elimination and advanced odor-neutralising technology.

And third, Kao believes in 'Kirei—Making Life Beautiful' through thoughtful solutions that harmonise with both modern living and the planet. Recognising Hong Kong’s compact homes, we designed the Attack Laundry Stick to be ultra-concentrated—saving water in manufacturing and reducing pollutants during laundry while delivering uncompromised cleaning power.

So really, it’s about solving real pain points: saving time, boosting hygiene, and fitting seamlessly into modern life. 

2. How is Kao innovating its fabric care products to meet the demands of busy, convenience-focused consumers?

At Kao we’re always asking ourselves, ‘How can we make laundry day less of a chore?’ Because let’s face it, nobody wants to spend their precious time scrubbing stains or lugging around bulky detergent bottles. That’s exactly why we created our Attack Laundry Stick.

It’s easy to use. See a stain? Just snap the Attack Laundry Stick in the wash. No more pre-treating, no soaking, none of that hassle.

It also kills 99.99% of germs and keeps your clothes smelling fresh. Even when you have to dry clothes indoors. We all know how Hong Kong apartments can be.

3. What role does technology play in delivering convenient and effective fabric care solutions?

In today’s busy world, we all want laundry solutions that are quick, effective, and good for the planet. That’s exactly what we’re doing at Kao by using technology to reinvent fabric care.

The Attack Laundry Stick leverages a highly concentrated saponification process to achieve superior cleaning performance. Our germ-fighting formula kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses—perfect for families worried about hygiene, especially when drying clothes indoors.

And we don’t just cover up smells—our tech eliminates odors at the molecular level, so clothes stay fresh longer.
The Attack Laundry Stick elevates these efforts with its ultra-concentrated design, requiring 57% less detergent per wash to significantly lower the chemical load in laundry wastewater.

4. Can you share more about the technological innovation behind the Attack Laundry Stick, particularly the "Saponification" technology?

The Attack Laundry Stick redefines fabric care through its 100% active cleaning ingredient and proprietary Saponification Technology, which turns 'sebum dirt' into 'soap' to further enhance cleaning.

The innovation delivers three transformative benefits: (1) Hygiene leadership, with antibacterial agent to achieve 99.99% germ kill, and no need to further add laundry sanitiser; (2) Environmental superiority, reducing wastewater pollution by 57% versus bottled detergents through water-free formulation and ESG formulation design; and (3) Unmatched cleaning power, demonstrating 30% higher detergency compared to gel balls in independent testing.

5. How does Kao Hong Kong gather and use consumer feedback to shape its convenience-driven fabric care offerings?

Kao Hong Kong leverages surveys, sales data (Nielsen), and social listening to refine fabric care products. 

Post-launch, Kao tracks metrics like 85% satisfaction on anti-odor performance and three million units sold in three months, using insights to expand variants (e.g., 2025’s Anti-mite Attack Laundry Stick formula). Real-time adjustments—like adding tutorial videos after spotting user confusion—ensure offerings stay aligned with needs.

6. What challenges has Kao faced in shifting its fabric care strategy towards convenience, and how has the company addressed them?

Kao successfully countered the gel ball dominance by introducing the tech-driven Attack Laundry Stick, featuring no pre-wash convenience and 99.99% germ-kill efficacy. To address consumer skepticism, the company launched educational campaigns and product trials that demonstrated superior performance (achieving 85% satisfaction rate).

The innovation achieves an optimal balance between sustainability and cleaning efficacy, with the Attack Liquid formulation delivering 'Exceeds Sunshine Sanitization' and the Laundry Stick offering multifunctional protection, including 99.99% antibacterial and washing drum anti-mold properties.

This strategy delivered three million units sold in just three months, an 18% market share increase.

7. What is the objective of Attack Rebranding?

Attack is reinventing itself with a bold new look—vibrant packaging, a refreshed logo, and dynamic storytelling—all designed to resonate with today’s youth while staying true to its legacy of powerful cleaning and germ-killing performance.