Most Australians don’t spend much time thinking about deodorant. It’s one of those everyday products we toss into the shopping trolley without a second glance. But for a growing number of consumers, what’s in their deodorant matters just as much as what’s in their food.
That shift in thinking has helped fuel the rise of No Pong, an Australian deodorant brand that began as a kitchen-table venture in 2015 and has grown into a business with products stocked in major supermarkets. Along the way it has has donated more than $240,000 to charities.
As consumers increasingly seek natural alternatives to everyday products, No Pong has carved out a loyal following by staying true to its values, including a commitment to remaining plastic-free.
Here, founders Melanie McVean and Chris Caley share the highlights and challenges they’ve dealt with while building the company.
What have been some of the biggest highlights and challenges since launching No Pong in 2015?
Something we have taken forward from day one, and will never forget, is that without customers, we don’t have a business. We aren’t funded through tenders or pitches. We literally only exist because a group of brilliant, like-minded customers choose us day-in, day-out, week over week and year after year.
Building that customer base has been a big highlight. And when we hear someone say: “Oh, you’re No Pong?! I love No Pong!”. That never gets old.
There are many challenges, but staying plastic-free is one of them. We vowed to be plastic-free from day one, and we’ve never wavered, but it’s not easy. It’s almost always the cheaper, easier, more convenient option, and saying no to it again and again is definitely not the path of least resistance.”
How does No Pong keep that homegrown, personal feel as it continues to scale up?
We’re straight shooters, and we designed No Pong to do exactly what it says it does on the tin. We never forget who we’re talking to and that we’re working with people.
We’re a small team, too, so that helps things stay homegrown. Literally anyone on the team has the ability to make a huge impact on what our customers see, feel and experience – from the product itself, to the way it’s packed and leaves our warehouse, or how it appears on the shelf.
The same people are behind all that we do, and they care deeply about every tin that goes out. Scaling up means more people get to try it; it doesn’t mean we stop being us.
We have the most amazing community and we want to be everywhere they need us to be.
Our customers buy from local shops, directly from us online, and while doing their weekly grocery shop. Our whole mission is a world without BO, and to reach that goal we need to be available to more people than those who already know to look for us.
Our No Pong community is everywhere, and we have quite a few customers who come to us saying, “I found you in Woollies or Coles”. They then chime in online or come looking for other sizes or fragrances.
Who is your core customer?
Our core customer has historically been smart mums who think carefully about healthy choices and decisions for themselves and their families.
That said, while we hear many stories of people being introduced to No Pong via their mum or partner, over the last few years we have definitely seen an increase in Aussie guys, tradies, farmers and some quite funny ocker blokes in our customer base.
Interestingly, our sales over-index in regional areas compared to metro regions. Not sure what’s in the water in Regional Australia – but we need to find out!
What have you learnt from running a small business?
You don’t have a business without customers, so get to know them, listen to them, and listen between the lines at what they’re not saying. Their feedback is extremely important, and it’ll guide your decisions better than you can do alone.
It’s also possible to punch above your weight without the resources of the big players in your category.
We are probably a bit old-school in that we focus on building a business based on strong fundamentals and have grown organically without giving away equity through capital raising or taking on debt.
It does mean running a tight ship, which honestly has been a gift in disguise. It forces you to be creative, clever, and to surround yourself with an absolutely awesome team who care as much as you do.
My advice to other entrepreneurs would be to lean into that. You don’t need to be the biggest to win; you just need to care more, stay close to your customers, and make what you’ve got go further than anyone expects.
How important is being Australian made? Will you remain that way?
No Pong is made in Australia for Australians and yes, it will remain that way. We started making No Pong in our kitchen and now it’s just made in a bigger kitchen down the road!
No Pong is a homegrown Aussie business, and we are super proud of being Aussie made
Loving this interview with No Pong? Check out our interview with Nornie Bero here.
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