Tide vs.Xtra: Which Laundry Detergent Is Better?
Have you ever wondered about the laundry detergent you use in your daily load of laundry? What about the commercials on tv for that laundry detergent? Are you really getting the power of cleaning for the price that you are paying for it? Does the smell of your clothes bring back certain memories? There are two certain brands of laundry detergents that seem to set themselves away from the pack. Tide and Xtra are brands that seem to clean and either stay in the media or sneak around it. Could there be hidden meanings behind the social media presence for each. Both brands seem to have their following of income based fans.
Tide has become a go to laundry detergent for some households. In the Covid world of clean, Tide seemed to play with the fear of bacteria and viruses. The simple fact of making sure everything was clean was thrown into any commercial. To the point that Tide was scarce on the store shelves. Was the price being paid for the detergent too much for cleaning? What actually started as a shutdown project that turned into a secret project eventually became a leader in the detergent market. Project X was a top secret soap that was made to get rid of everyday stains. Proctor and Gamble knew they had something great on the hands.(Our Heritage - Learn About Tide’s History | Tide) As the laundry brand started to grow, so did the variety of products. Starting with a powder then turning to a liquid, Tide became a laundry powerhouse.
What was it going to take to knock Tide off of the pedestal that it was on? Throughout its history, Tide had commercials and print media, all with the sole purpose to get more product sold. As technology changed, so did the brand. Social media began to take over. Magazines were becoming less and less. Television was also changing. Were Proctor and Gamble, the makers of Tide, going to be able to make the technology change? Welcome to the Tide Pod Challenge. As teenagers were thirsting to become internet famous, they turned to Tide Pods as a source for notoriety. The pods looked like candy and innocent kids were taking advantage of the situation. As the challenge took over, sales began to decline. How was Tide going to gain back consumers that were led astray?
As allergies to chemicals and additives began to come mainstream, Tide turned to a laundry detergent free and clear of additives, dyes, and fragrance. While this did draw more to the brand it also upped the price for the soap. Were consumers willing to pay more for the same product? As more allergens are becoming relevant, the simple answer is yes. Higher income households are having more chances to be able to take care of their family’s needs. Tide turned to a detergent that works with cold water in hopes that consumers would see a savings of using the cold water detergent while saving on the price of heating your water. Again, they took the chance to increase the price. How was a small family going to be able to keep buying a product that keeps increasing the price, when average households are beginning to struggle. In walks Covid19. The cleaning world was about to turn 180 degrees.
Coronavirus began to tug on places of the world that never saw the confines that this virus was about to lay down. Cities were shut down. People were told not to leave their homes for any reason other than to get groceries. Average Americans were left with choices that they never thought that they would have to make. Milk, bread, butter, cheese, laundry soap? The higher price for groceries was becoming noticeable. Inflation was beginning to take a stronger hold on the economy. People who had worked their adult lives at businesses found themselves living on unemployment. Financial choices were having to be made. Was the brand of laundry soap that was being used to ward off this horrible virus one of the cuts that would be made?
Only a few laundry detergents have been able to survive the economic crashes, inflation, viruses, and other financial situations. Xtra laundry Detergent was willing to take the chance. What started as an alternative means for a soap that was more affordable, turned into a saving grace for more families. All households were looking for a cleaning product that not only cleans but they were not going to have to sacrifice their wallet to get it. (About XTRA™ Detergent (xtralaundry.com) Was Xtra going to be the way for families to have a fighting chance at the world? In a world that was on the verge of either a virus or financial ruins in some place, people were looking for ways to help set themselves up for success.
As Xtra’s competitors had multiple lines of cleaning products, they kept it simple. Perhaps a key to keeping the price minimal. Many included boosters, multiple fragrances, powders, liquids, pods,and others to increase sales. Xtra marketed and sold a liquid. They included fragrances in some. As their presence grew and other products became available, Xtra began to include other products into their detergent as boosters. Consumers wanted more for their dollar. If a booster helps sales, why not include it. Just like other brands, technology began to change and if they wanted to survive then they needed to change.
As washer and dryer combinations evolved, laundry detergent needed to evolve too. Was a cold water soap better for the machine, better for the environment, or better for the wallet? In the case of Xtra, they turned to better for the wallet. The feeling that if you spent less on laundry soap then you would be able to do more with your family and free time, is appealing for households. Xtra took that chance and ran with it. Marketing towards low income families, the company was able to keep prices low and affordable. Marketing for the brand remained on the lower end compared to the presence of other companies.
As social media platforms began to grow, companies either were on board full steam ahead or stayed a little further back from the others. Xtra took a more relaxed approach. While Tide has a Facebook following in the millions, Xtra is left in the thousands. While that may seem huge to most companies, Xtra has seemed to stay out of the limelight but kept its prices on the lower end. Even though in most cases of consumer products it is a popularity contest, the more money a company can spend on marketing the higher their ratings and sales. Who is really paying the price for the popularity contest? Consumers are the appropriate answer.
This contest has proven the divides across income based party lines. While one person may see that it is just laundry soap, another may see the bias between the two soaps. The smell of Tide may bring you back home to mom watching your clothes and the lasting scent that was left hanging in the closet. While the smell of Xtra may be a small lingering floral that reminds you of a laundromat. Whatever fragrance that is with your soap, there is almost always a smell that takes you back to a place and the companies are banking on it. Fragrances are always being added or removed to sell products. If a product does not smell good, then it will not sell. As a consumer, are you able to pay for fragrance? Higher income households are more willing and able to pay for boosters and fragrance, while lower income households are looking for a soap that cleans. So, where does this land at party lines?
A single mom with two kids living in a city 1 bedroom apartment, struggling to make ends meet decides it is better to buy a cheaper detergent and do laundry downstairs in the building basement while still being able to put food on the table for her children. In the current times she may be seeking food at the local food bank or relying on friends and family to stay afloat. Laundry soap is probably the last thing on her mind. Why should she spend twice the amount of money on the popular brand of soap when the same amount of money can buy 3 loaves of bread? 2 gallons of milk? Even 3 rides on the bus to work? In today's economy money is everything.
At the other end of the spectrum, a double income family of 5 with a big 4 bedroom house in the suburb. Two cars to drive kids to softball practice and ballet, and having takeout for dinner. Nothing like having a separate laundry room with state of the art washer and dryer. Able to buy the best and the family gets the best technology and clothes that money can get. The checking account does not have to worry if the price of laundry detergent keeps going up. It only cares if there is more than enough for the family vacation to the mountains. Is one or two bottles of popular laundry detergent going to make a difference in the monthly budget? Probably not!
While the divide between the income classes does not revolve around laundry soap, it does prove that there is a strain between the two. What it does prove is the pressure to be a part of the crowd, regardless of the price you are paying. To have the smell of your clothes recognized by your peers, to be asked what soap you use, to be looked upon poorly if it is not the same brand, there is a stigma. Labels have been placed in society that if you do not conform to, then you are looked upon with disgust in some cases. All brands have their own following of people sometimes referred to as a cult, there will always be a battle between brands. Sometimes laundry soap and sometimes soft drinks. No matter which you choose, it will not be right to the other side. Other brands including Pepsi and Coke divide themselves among party lines to get products sold. Pepsi targeted soldiers and Baby Boomers, (The History of Pepsi Cola (thoughtco.com) while Coke targeted the working class (Coca-Cola History | The Coca-Cola Company). Each company has a marketing strategy to sell products no matter the price that is being paid by consumers.
