By Robert Wheatley

The clotheshorse is listening…

There’s this thing about target audiences that have a passion for something. They are paying attention. Their built-in interests open up the possibility of conversation and engagement on so many fronts. And they can be found in most CPG categories – if you’re paying attention to the possibilities around their points of passion.

Take laundry detergent. Forever and a day sold primarily on the basis of the ability to get whites whiter and colors brighter. The emotional payoff always resides in the satisfied glow of “Atta boys” from family members pleased with their sweet-smelling threads.

Both Reckitt Benckiser and Procter & Gamble are onto something bigger and probably better with their focus around fashionistas. Who better to pay attention to messages about cleaning and caring for apparel than those with a deep fondness for sartorial splendor?

In a recent Wall Street Journal story, P&G’s vice president of North American fabric care, Allesandro Tosolini had this to say: Historically we put too much emphasis on just getting clothes clean. More and more we noticed that for some people beautiful clothes goes beyond stain-free clothes.” In a recent study from Woolite brand, 70 percent of working women admitted to throwing away clothing at least once a year due to misinformed laundry decisions.

So Benkiser’s Woolite and P&G’s Tide Total Care elevate the whole laundry-speak “get cleaner” conversation to proper care and feeding of garments — so the fashions can retain their fashionable look much longer. Bucking traditions and timeworn principles of formulaic communication in their own categories, both brands strike out on their own to disrupt the conventional feature/benefit selling proposition.

One more with feeling: fishing where the fish are

Woolite creates an online manual for “finding fashion and keeping it looking fabulous without breaking the bank.” Within its pages TV style expert Stacy London dispenses ideas and how-tos on finding the just the right dress while also taking better care of it. Independent apparel boutiques around the country have also been recruited to feature the guide in their stores. Meanwhile Tide announces a marketing partnership with The Limited apparel chain while touting its own educational effort via online videos with Project Runway star Tim Gunn called “Dressed to the Sevens.” The videos reveal the seven signs of beautiful clothes, including shape, softness and finish.

The point is how to avoid laundry mishaps that can shorten the lifespan of your fashions while also taking better care of the garments you prize. London states: “detergent that keeps the integrity of the fabric and the shape of the clothes means more wears per cost.”

These brands are focused on an audience that cares about the subject matter and thus are paying attention. Further the effort to engage at the point-of-fashion in clothing retail stores is not only disrupting category conventions but also relevant to the moment of consumer behavior: when purchasing the clothes consumers must now care for.

If you’re trying to reinforce your value proposition at a time when people are trading down on commodity products, talk to the audience who will find your messaging meaningful and valuable. Why waste time, effort and precious assets on talking broadly to people for whom the message is less relevant (no point of passion) and therefore who are NOT listening.

Bravo to both brands for their efforts to mine insights about the fashion-conscious and their mission to help the style mavens do what they do best – look great. It will be interesting to see who is ultimately most effective in aligning the brand with their newfound fashionable followers.

What do you think?