The idea for my first product was born whilst I was camping with friends in France. With no showers to use at the campsite we became frustrated at having to use ‘girly’ baby wipes to keep ourselves clean and started discussing alternatives between us.
Shortly after this trip I realised there was a gap in the market for something like a male deodorising wipe, when on a night out clubbing with university friends, I noticed men wiping their armpits with paper towels to try to mask their body odour.
I began to research and develop the product, working with specialists to create a wipe containing a series of attractive but masculine smelling ingredients, including ginseng, menthol and aloe vera, and Farnesol, a natural deodorising agent. I settled on the brand name Wingman – because it’s always by your side.
I did some market research by testing my wipes in nightclubs and on tubes. The feedback I received was very positive. I also managed to send 2500 samples out to British troops abroad.
I took my wipes around the music festival scene where I endured three days of sitting outside the shower line, getting people to test my wipes and buy them; I invented my own position as ‘Festival Hygiene Promoter’ so that people at the festival felt confident in talking to me.
My next step was attracting the big retailers and that’s when the BBC competition came about. Wingman was chosen from thousands to pitch in front of Boots who remain the largest health and beauty retailer in Britain. Thankfully the pitch went really well and Boots wanted my Wingman product stocked exclusively in stores around the country.
Wingman’s flight course is now set and the company plans to release more cool products later in the year so that men worldwide, Never Fly Solo.
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