Ida Farini Binti Othman is not any stranger to entrepreneurship.
Apart from 15 years of expertise in advertising and promotions throughout the media and broadcasting business, the lady additionally boasts 10 years of expertise as a enterprise proprietor of a number of kinds of companies.
This features a well being and wellness spa by the title of Jentayu Spa by Sheila Majid, a web-based well being meals supply known as Good Grub, a child’s celebration planning model named Marvel Manufacturing unit, and Kudsia + Co, a coaching firm.
“I’ve all the time had the will to personal my very own enterprise,” Ida mentioned to Vulcan Put up. “I knew from early on I used to be not meant to have a profession within the company world.”
Ida took cues from her household as effectively—each her mother and father had been enterprise homeowners, and so are her siblings.
The truth is, Ida is operating a enterprise along with a type of siblings, her sister Dilla. Particularly, they’re operating a toothpaste enterprise collectively by the title of Gogy Pure (Gogy), although some readers is perhaps extra acquainted with their earlier title, Chacology.
It began with one good product
Earlier than Chacology although, there was an excellent earlier iteration of the title—CHACO. The title was a portmanteau of two key elements within the product it bought, which was charcoal and coconut oil.
The product was a robust, concentrated paste that acted like a masks or scrub to take away cussed stains on the tooth, designed for use three to 4 instances per week, which Ida launched in 2017.
The inspiration from the product stemmed from Ida’s personal experiences. In her 40s, she started feeling apprehensive and embarrassed about her tooth, which had change into yellow through the years. She needed an answer, however one which wasn’t chemical-based, so she created a paste herself.
In these early days, Ida packed the product in tubs as a result of it had the bottom minimal order amount (MOQ) of 100 items.
“If it had been packed in a tube, the MOQ was 5,000 items which I couldn’t afford,” she elaborated.
However after a 12 months of promoting her scrub at weekend bazaars round Klang Valley, she was capable of change from her tub packaging to a tube format. At this level, she needed to change her model title from CHACO because it had been trademarked by a flipflop enterprise in Brazil, and switched to Chacology.
“Once more, had no ahead fascinated about model development,” she commented with amusing concerning the title, referring to the truth that it restricted her model being related to charcoal-based merchandise solely.
Having seen success with bazaars, she continued with these efforts, bringing Chacology to markets across the Klang Valley in addition to Penang and Singapore.
By early 2020, she determined to show her consideration to ecommerce and on-line advertising, which proved to be a terrific resolution contemplating the MCOs that ensued.
“By FYE 2020, protected to say we had been worthwhile promoting only one good product,” Ida shared.
With the success of mentioned product, Ida determined to create two new ones in 2021.
Rebranding to develop the enterprise
In between MCO restrictions, Ida developed two new toothpastes underneath the Chacology model. These had been created with suggestions from her pool of consumers, who shared they needed extra merchandise to assist with their oral care issues.
With how effectively they appeared to be doing, it is perhaps puzzling that Chacology became Gogy in 2023.
The explanation for this, which was foreshadowed earlier, was as a result of Ida needed the model to be greater than only a charcoal-based toothpaste model. Since that they had created new charcoal-less merchandise, it made sense to vary the model title.
Nevertheless, Ida shared that regardless of Gogy’s adverts, emails, and posts on Instagram, many shoppers are nonetheless unaware that Gogy and Chacology are the identical folks with the identical merchandise.
“It’s like beginning a brand-building train from scratch,” she shared. “However we needed to re-brand. After six years, the model wanted a refresh and [we had to look] on the greater image, with the intention to scale.”
Multi-step oral care
At the moment, Gogy presents 4 merchandise that declare to not solely assist whiten tooth naturally, but in addition to assist with different mouth points. This contains two tooth polishes and two toothpastes.
The best way Gogy approaches oral care is akin to how some could method skincare. For instance, for the “morning cleanse”, Gogy recommends its No Ache toothpaste that reduces plaque build-up.
As for the evening cleanse, that’s taken care of by the No Stain toothpaste that’s designed to take away meals colouring stains and dangerous breath micro organism.
For use thrice per week, the “evening exfoliate” (tooth polish) will assist take away powerful stains from espresso, tea, or tobacco for a brighter smile. There are two variations of the polish, an everyday one and one for delicate tooth.
The toothpastes are RM28 every, whereas the polish is RM50. Gogy additionally presents bundles and kits at discounted costs.
In comparison with your ordinary toothpaste manufacturers, Gogy’s merchandise definitely appear to be dearer.
Nevertheless, Ida mentioned she doesn’t actually take a look at competitors, particularly the massive manufacturers.
“I see them in a special class,” she mentioned.
She identified, “A few of these huge manufacturers nonetheless use dangerous chemical substances within the merchandise like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) which is a standard foaming agent that has been recognized to be dangerous to our physique and banned in some international locations. However as a result of it’s the most cost effective foaming agent, it’s nonetheless getting used it of their merchandise.”
So, though she believes that competitors will all the time be there, she’s not too apprehensive.
“My focus is creating high-quality merchandise and ensuring that the elements used are pure, protected, food-grade with efficient outcomes in fact.”
However how protected is her protected?
As an oral care product, Ida needed to register her merchandise with the Ministry of Well being (MOH), which she mentioned was fairly a straightforward and simple course of contemplating all her elements had been pure, clear, and protected.
She additionally shared that her producer is licensed and registered with MOH.
Past that, Ida additionally acquired dentists to strive the merchandise, reaching out to family and friends members who had been dentists or knew dentists.
“They tried it, favored/accepted it and even beneficial to their prospects to strive,” she mentioned.
Apart from whitening, the merchandise additionally assist deal with bleeding gums and mouth ulcers. Different therapeutic elements like clove oil, vitamin C, natural propolis, miswak (Kayu Sugi) are added to advertise gum care.
Whereas some elements are sourced globally, Gogy’s oral care merchandise are Malaysian-crafted, that means they’re formulated and manufactured domestically.
A small group with huge plans
Regardless of having grown and sustained the Gogy model, Ida retains her inhouse group fairly small with simply her formulating merchandise and doing enterprise growth, alongside along with her sister Dilla, who left her full-time job in 2021. Dilla now designs the brand and packaging for Gogy, in addition to handles branding and social media.
Shifting ahead, Ida hopes to vary the best way folks take a look at oral care. With that, she goals to ascertain Gogy as a way of life model. That’s why you’ll discover that her merchandise function elegant and aesthetically pleasing packaging.
With a gentle buyer base in Malaysia and Singapore, Ida’s subsequent purpose is to change into internationally identified and recognised as a reliable homegrown model for revolutionary and, extra importantly, efficient pure oral care merchandise.
Study extra about Gogy Pure right here.
Learn different articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Gogy Pure
