Racine-based S.C. Johnson, a manufacturer of several brand name household products, including Windex, Glade and Off!, has announced the expansion of WOW in the Yilo Krobo District of Ghana. The new WOW bundle features six products, including Raid Dual Action Insect Repellent & Home Freshener and Mr Muscle All-In-One Cleaner.
Started in 2012 as a partnership among S.C. Johnson, Cornell University’s Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WOW is a business concept that creates access to pest control products that can help prevent malaria in at-risk populations, as well as home-cleaning and personal care products valued by rural consumers.
When the initial pilot launched in Bobikuma, Ghana, WOW allowed consumers to purchase S.C. Johnson products and to learn about the importance of avoiding mosquito bites and keeping their homes clean. The WOW expansion builds on two years of extensive, in-home consumer research and insights, which S.C. Johnson says has resulted in a better product bundle.
Local sales agents in the Yilo Krobo District will sell WOW products in the communities in which they live and coach consumers about product use and benefits. Customers can subscribe to a monthly bundle of four different products in refillable formats. They also can opt into a loyalty rewards program that offers a monthly subscription to earn points to exchange for higher-priced durable products.
In addition to the aforementioned products, the bundle features Off! Cooling Body Spray With Insect Repellant, Off! Insect Repellant Lotion With Aloe Vera, Raid Multi Insect Killer and Kids Cooling Patch.
“Malaria continues to be a threat in many countries, and one that’s entirely preventable. Expanding the WOW business is the result of our extensive research and engagement with Ghanaian families,” said Mark Martin, vice president of international markets marketing. “Our new product offering reflects the feedback from consumers and brings solutions that will help families work toward malaria prevention.”
According to the World Health Organization, 97 countries in 2013 had ongoing malaria transmission. An estimated 3.4 billion people are at risk of malaria, of which 1.2 billion are at high risk. In high-risk areas, more than one malaria case occurs per 1,000 population.
