Latest news with #AndreaLisbona
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Touchland Turned Into An $880 Million Hand Sanitizer Brand
Touchland's innovative formats and scents helped the brand become a top-selling brand Church & Dwight announced it is acquiring personal care brand Touchland for $7oo million in cash and restricted stock at closing, and up to $180 million in earn-out depending on net sales for 2025, valuing the brand at $880 million. The brand, founded by Andrea Lisbona, first launched in Spain before expanding to the U.S. in 2018. It is now the fastest-growing hand sanitizer brand in the country and the second largest in the category behind Purell, totalling $130 million of net sales for the past twelve months through March 31, 2025. Turning a mundane product into a pleasant sensory accessory, Touchland is a great example of how any category can be disrupted and reinvented. What small, disruptor brands often achieve very well is that they look outside their core product's category for inspiration, leading to innovative formats, route to market, brand positioning or marketing strategies. Touchland instantly stood out with its unique format: a sleek, thin, square bottle that contrasted heavily with the hand sanitizers consumers are used to. The product uses smart technology and a design that lets consumers know easily when it's time for a refill or a change of batteries. On top of a new type of packaging, founder Andrea Lisbona also sought to innovate on formula, combining both product performance and benefits by blending high-quality, moisturizing natural ingredients along with Denatured Ethyl Alcohol in order to kill germs without leaving hands dry or sticky. The brand bet on scent innovation to differentiate itself, developing a series of scents, from Vanilla Cinnamon to Aloe Vera and Velvet Peach. With sixteen different scents, it clearly invested in providing a sensorial experience that fit an array of consumers' scent preferences, positioning itself as a skincare-forward hand sanitizer brand, earning the credentials of a beauty or skincare brand rather than a monotonous personal care one. 'Personal care usually sells through fear. Our goal is to do the opposite and empower people to live to the fullest and create solutions that people are excited to carry with them,' said Lisbona to Glossy a while back. Indeed, hand sanitizers are typically seen as functional products only, often associated to sterile or clinical environments, especially due to their emphasis on alcohol content and germ-killing claims. Purell and other labels have never done much in terms of branding, marketing or brand activations as they took their products for what they were: hand sanitizers. Touchland's founder had an entirely different mindset and approach to the category. The brand took a dull, ordinary product and turned it into a lifestyle accessory in no time, and this vision is what the brand's innovation is founded upon: 'Touchland was born from a bold vision: to reinvent overlooked daily essentials into extraordinary moments of delight. We believe every aspect of our everyday essentials should be exciting; little bursts of joy that can delight our senses and remind us of the magic in the mundane', reads the brand's website. The concept took off quite quickly, boosted by the timely relevance of Covid in 2020. Priced at $10, the premium hand mists started selling through its direct-to-consumer website as well as at Ulta, Urban Outfitters, Amazon and Revolve. It is now present across 2,500 locations in the U.S., including Sephora and Target, and recorded a +203% YoY sales increase between 2023 and 2022, proving its relevance beyond the pandemic. Inspired to reinvent a category by turning the mundane into fun and enjoyment, Andrea Lisbona also approached her brand's positioning and marketing from a highly different angle compared to its competitors, heavily contributing to gaining considerable market share. To drive appeal and elevate Touchland as a lifestyle brand, she turned to special editions and brand collaborations. From Hello Kitty to Smiley, the brand launched unique hand sanitizers and matching mist cases, which became instantly popular and amassed a 2,000 people waitlist in the case of the Smiley collaboration. In fact, every new product collaboration leads to a waitlist, with the next one being the special edition Disney set, which includes the brand's award-winning Wild Watermelon scent and Mickey Mouse Mist Case. Disney x Touchland brand collab launching on May 19th Another growth driver is the brand's popularity on social media. Since its launch through to its kickstarter campaign, Touchland has managed to build a strong, authentic online community, which continues to grow. Focused mostly on organic growth, the brand has expanded its reach thanks to being featured by celebrities like Kylie Jenner or Blackpink as well as micro influencers, with a following of beauty, skincare and lifestyle fans, who are gifted products and share if they like them, helping relay the brand's authenticity and credibility. Its social media accounts reflect the brand's intent to be a true lifestyle brand embedded into the beauty sphere, positioning its products as everyday accessories. It leverages its Instagram account to elevate the brand and share user-generated content, while its TikTok channel is intended to show behind-the scenes and ways to interact with the products, highlighting the sensorial elements of the brand and leveraging short video formats meant to go viral. Using social media as a core strategic channel is uncommon for brands in the personal care space, but it's what has helped the brand gain so much traction. It probably would not have been able to achieve this without its innovative design and formulas, which fit very well the aesthetic and lifestyle features of both Instagram and Tiktok. Andrea Lisbona and her team have managed to completely reinvent an overlooked category, transforming hand sanitizer into a desirable lifestyle and beauty product. Touchland's success shows how far innovative packaging and sensorial attributes can go in building consumer demand and attractivity, while also demonstrating the impact of challenging conventional approaches to category growth. By blending personal care with skincare attributes (and earny beauty awards along the way), Touchland has redefined how consumers interact with a traditionally functional, mundane product. Focusing on personal care essentials rather than short-lived beauty trends, the brand will continue to focus on cementing its position as a category disruptor while also expanding into new markets, leveraging the scale and expertise of its new owner to further grow its reach.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Fragrance Brand Touchland Acquired For Up To $880 Million
Touchland net sales for the trailing twelve months through March 31, 2025 were approximately $130 ... More million Touchland, a buzzy hand sanitizer and body spray brand, has been acquired for up to $880 million by personal care conglomerate Church & Dwight. The announcement, made on May 12, consists of a definitive agreement to acquire the Touchland for $700 million at closing, consisting of cash and Church & Dwight restricted stock, and a payment up to $180 million contingent on the achievement of Touchland's 2025 net sales for a total purchase price of up to $880 million, according to a Church & Dwight press release. Touchland launched in 2018 and net sales for the trailing twelve months through March 31, 2025 were approximately $130 million. Its hand sanitizer products became particularly popular in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and with Gen Z, and the brand expanded to body sprays in February 2025. Andrea Lisbona, founder and CEO of Touchland, said Church & Dwight had a 'disciplined and entrepreneurial spirit' that resonated with her and aligned with the Touchland brand. She said that every conversation with the Church & Dwight teams had a positive energy and excitement, and she could tell they were excited about running and building businesses while also being disciplined. 'They challenge their ability to balance [financial] performance with purpose,' she said to Forbes. 'It enables a partnership grounded in mutual respect and ambition, and this cultural fit was the most important part of the process. … This is the most important decision of any founder's life. Finding the right home and being able to really protect the legacy of this beautiful brand is the most important.' Touchland is seen special resonance with Gen Z due to their obsession with personal fragrance. As maturing Gen-Z customers began to discover and experiment with scent, fragrance has a consistent bright spot for the beauty industry since 2021. A study from consulting firm McKinsey noted that while fragrance is the smallest category in beauty, it was 2024's fastest-growing. In 2024, sales of prestige perfumes and colognes, the largest segment in fragrance, grew 14% year-over-year, according to market research firm Circana. There are four pillars that ground the Touchland innovation pipeline, said Lisbona. The first is a focus on disrupting the on-the-go personal care experience, such as with packaging or form factor. The second is fusing those products with skincare, and the third is fragrance. The fourth is sensoriality and how it impacts customer experience. 'Touchland has built a loyal consumer base through its differentiated consumer proposition and is driving growth in the hand sanitizer category,' said Rick Dierker, CEO of Church & Dwight, in a press release. 'The brand skews towards younger consumers and already has a high level of brand loyalty and repeat purchase in line with category leaders.' In 2022, Church & Dwight acquired Hero Cosmetics, known for its pimple patches, for $630 million. Its other brands include Nair, Batiste and Arm & Hammer. Recently, the conglomerate shared plans to sell or shutter three brands: women's electric hair removal brand Flawless, toothbrush brand Spinbrush and dental brand Waterpik. These businesses generate about $150 million of net sales with below average profitability, according to Church & Dwight. Lisbona will stay on with Touchland as its chief executive, with a focus on expansion in U.S. retail and international geographic growth. Touchland recently expanded into Canada and the Middle East. She declined to discuss upcoming product launches or additional product categories. In the past, 'There's multiple avenues to scale and now we will have the opportunity to do it better, faster, and with a partner that has done this successfully many times,' she said.
Fashion Network
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Church & Dwight to acquire Touchland
Church & Dwight Co. announced on Monday it has acquired fast-growing hand sanitizer brand Touchland for a total purchase price of up to $880 million, as the U.S. consumer goods giant looks to expand its portfolio. The New Jersey-based Church & Dwight purchased the fellow U.S. brand for $700 million at closing, consisting of cash and Church & Dwight restricted stock, and a payment up to $180 million contingent on the achievement of Touchland's 2025 net sales. The Miami-based brand's net sales for the trailing twelve months through March 31 were approximately $130 million, and its EBITDA was approximately $55 million. Looking ahead, the brand's sales are expected to grow double digits in both 2025 and 2026. 'We are thrilled to add Touchland as our 8th power brand to our portfolio of market leading brands. Further, we're excited to welcome the Touchland team to Church & Dwight and partner with its founders, Andrea Lisbona & Ruggero Grammatico to drive the next stage of growth for the brand,' said Rick Dierker, Church & Dwight's chief executive officer. 'Touchland has built a loyal consumer base through its differentiated consumer proposition and is driving growth in the hand sanitizer category. The brand skews towards younger consumers and already has a high level of brand loyalty and repeat purchase in line with category leaders.' Launched in 2018, Touchland's products are currently marketed in the U.S. and Canada, with a recent launch in the Middle East via Sephora. 'My vision is to have a Touchland product in the hands of every consumer. I am confident this vision will be accelerated by leveraging Church & Dwight's expertise and scale to introduce Touchland to more consumers globally. Our journey is still in the early innings and Church & Dwight is the right partner to take Touchland through its next stage of growth,' said Lisbona, founder and CEO, Touchland. Church & Dwight's acquisition of Touchland comes three years after its purchase of American pimple patch brand, Hero Cosmetics. Founded in 1846, the personal and consumer goods firm also owns the Nair, Batiste, and Arm & Hammer brands, among others.
Fashion Network
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Church & Dwight to acquire Touchland
Church & Dwight Co. announced on Monday it has acquired fast-growing hand sanitizer brand Touchland for a total purchase price of up to $880 million, as the U.S. consumer goods giant looks to expand its portfolio. The New Jersey-based Church & Dwight purchased the fellow U.S. brand for $700 million at closing, consisting of cash and Church & Dwight restricted stock, and a payment up to $180 million contingent on the achievement of Touchland's 2025 net sales. The Miami-based brand's net sales for the trailing twelve months through March 31 were approximately $130 million, and its EBITDA was approximately $55 million. Looking ahead, the brand's sales are expected to grow double digits in both 2025 and 2026. 'We are thrilled to add Touchland as our 8th power brand to our portfolio of market leading brands. Further, we're excited to welcome the Touchland team to Church & Dwight and partner with its founders, Andrea Lisbona & Ruggero Grammatico to drive the next stage of growth for the brand,' said Rick Dierker, Church & Dwight's chief executive officer. 'Touchland has built a loyal consumer base through its differentiated consumer proposition and is driving growth in the hand sanitizer category. The brand skews towards younger consumers and already has a high level of brand loyalty and repeat purchase in line with category leaders.' Launched in 2018, Touchland's products are currently marketed in the U.S. and Canada, with a recent launch in the Middle East via Sephora. 'My vision is to have a Touchland product in the hands of every consumer. I am confident this vision will be accelerated by leveraging Church & Dwight's expertise and scale to introduce Touchland to more consumers globally. Our journey is still in the early innings and Church & Dwight is the right partner to take Touchland through its next stage of growth,' said Lisbona, founder and CEO, Touchland. Church & Dwight's acquisition of Touchland comes three years after its purchase of American pimple patch brand, Hero Cosmetics. Founded in 1846, the personal and consumer goods firm also owns the Nair, Batiste, and Arm & Hammer brands, among others.
Business of Fashion
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Church & Dwight to Acquire Hand Sanitiser Brand Touchland for $700 Million
Church & Dwight, the personal care giant that owns drugstore mainstay brands like Viviscal, Batiste and Nair announced on Monday that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire hand sanitiser brand Touchland for $700 million. A further earn-out contingent on Touchland's 2025 sales could take the total purchase price as high as $880 million. The acquisition follows Church & Dwight's purchase of acne sticker brand Hero Cosmetics for $630 million in 2022. Touchland's net sales for the 12 months leading up to March 31 were approximately $130 million, with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of $55 million. The deal is expected to close in Church & Dwight's second quarter. Originally founded in 2010, Touchland has become a runaway hit with Gen-Z and Gen Alpha, thanks to its playful selection of distinctive slimline hand sanitisers with trending scents like peppermint mocha and vanilla blossom. In January, it debuted its first range of perfume mists, while its core range of sanitisers, $10, were created by perfumers at the famed fragrance company Givaudan, which also makes perfumes for Jean-Paul Gaultier and Diptyque. In a statement, Touchland's founder and chief executive Andrea Lisbona said net sales were expected to grow double digits for the next two years. Church & Dwight said Lisbona is expected to stay on, and that it intends to retain all current employees. Church & Dwight's chief executive Rick Dierker said the acquisition meets its long-standing criteria, which stipulates brands must be asset-light, growing, and either the number one or two brand in its category: it says Touchland is the number two hand sanitiser brand in the US. Church & Dwight's stock lifted 4 percent following the announcement. Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day's most important beauty and wellness news and analysis. Learn more: How Hand Creams and Sanitisers Became a Beauty Status Symbol The explosion in the hand care category's popularity demonstrates the strength of appetite for scented products among younger shoppers, while older consumers increasingly seek out targeted solutions for what they perceive as an area prone to ageing.
