codeconstruct

Please find a summary below of one of the sessions at this year’s PSFK Conference.

“We love to take on Goliath.”

What He Said: Eric Ryan, co-founder of Method, spoke about the 7 obsessions that have turned this scrappy start-up into a $100 million brand.  At the focus of Method is a desire to create a “culture club.” Ryan states, “there’s a lot you can’t control. But you can control who you hire and how you educate them.” Just like they aimed to add fun into the cleaning aisle, they believe that employees who are having fun perform at their best.  And they bring this energy outside of their company walls, too. The company asks for participation in everything they do (from soliciting consumers to help fight their legal battle to a marketing campaign) – based on an obsession in inspiring advocates. While design and product experience is at the core of how Method acts and thinks, they consistently try new things and seek “progress not perfection.”

What We Heard: Method was started 10 years ago by two individuals who put the classic concept of “white space” into practice. They went into a well-established category and found a cultural shift that was missed (the rise of health/wellness and the lifestyling of the home).  And they care deeply about staying true to themselves. “We don’t ask what would Virgin do? What would Disney do? We ask, what would Method do?” Something most Goliath’s could do more.

Talk by Eric Ryan, Method.