Don’t you just hate when you sneak out for a smoke and when you come back with a mint in your mouth trying to conceal the smell, your hands just give you away? There is almost no way of removing the smell of a cigarette from your hand except by washing it with soap. And it isn’t just cigarette smell; other foods like garlic, seafood, or cheese that have really strong smells tend to stay on your hands even when they are eliminated from the mouth.
When Tony Gauthier, a secret smoker, experienced the same problem, an idea came to his mind, something that would completely change the game for those secretive smokers. And therefore, he set out to develop Spretz.
What is Spretz?
Tony was inspired to create a product that would solve a problem, although not a very serious one but a problem nonetheless that people face when trying to get rid of strong smells and pungent odors off their hands. He decided to come up with a spray that could be used as both a mouth and hand freshener.
He teamed up with a professional chemist, and after a period of development and research wherein numerous versions of the concept were examined, the Spretz spray was finally developed. It is the first of its kind natural deodorant that can be used both topically and orally and effectively removes any odors of food or cigarette from both hands and mouth. It’s available in two flavors, peppermint, and cinnamon. While the owners distribute the product through a small retail store in Oakland, they are looking for investment to create awareness around Spretz and increase its demand; therefore, they are aiming to impress a shark for investment.
Spretz on Shark Tank
Tony pitched his product in the eighth season of Shark Tank back in 2016. He came in alongside his consultant Wesley Osaze and creative director Scott Hoag, requesting $100,000 in funding for 20% ownership of the company.
Their pitch was super cool and unique as they presented it as a hip-hop song narrating the story of how Tony came up with the idea. It was an unusual method as no one had ever done something like it on Shark Tank; however, it seemed they had worked very hard with lots of practice as it impressed the sharks and entertained the audience.
The pitch was pretty impressive, with Lori applauding at the end of it and Robert exclaiming, “BOOM!”. Mark was left wondering how many hours of practice the three guys put in to get it to be so awesome.
They then proceeded to offer the sharks samples so they could test the product themselves. All of them seemed to enjoy both the smells as well as the flavor. Kevin O’Leary, on the other hand, thought the package less appealing.
Kevin went on to ask more questions from the entrepreneurs and inquired as to how the customers would know the product is meant for both hands and mouth, as the packaging didn’t put the method across as to how the product should be used and what is its purpose. He went on to say that the guys couldn’t perform their hip hop number at every outlet to put a message across, and to increase demand, extensive promotional strategies would be required. To this, Wesley stated that moving forward, they plan to upgrade the packaging to make the purpose of Spretz totally obvious to customers.
Further inquiries were made about the sales of the product when Mark Cuban asked if they had ever sold the product in the market, to which Tony responded that the initial sales were about 1000 units which were more like a working prototype and market trial than a full release.
This was followed by a brief pause as the Sharks processed the spray’s lackluster sales history before Robert Herjavec inquired about the selling pricing. Tony instantly verified $3.95, looking desperate to move on to the next topic.
After a little humiliation and surprise at a revenue of $3500, Tony clarified that they achieved this within two months and without any promotion or advertisement. Lori seemed a bit more interested and asked Tony to rub some garlic on his hand and tested the product thereafter. Sadly, however, she wasn’t convinced and opted out.
Although Mark believed the idea had potential because it was so new, it would require only a million dollars solely for promotion, and hence opted out. Kevin agreed with Mark and opted out, stating that $100,000 was simply insufficient to sell the product. Barbara believed that if the money was spent carefully, the product might be commercialized for as low as $250,000. She went on to say that the three businessmen impressed her, and she believed in them; Spretz, however, she did not believe would be successful. Robert, agreeing with Barbara, dropped out too, leaving Spretz without a deal.
Our Review of Spretz
We feel the idea is new and innovative; however, the problem is the product is not something you need. One can easily rid the bad smells and pungent odors off their hands and from their mouth by simply washing and brushing.
Pros of Spretz
As far as the benefits of the product are considered, all it does is eliminate strong, pungent odors and doesn’t really offer any value or use.
Cons of Spretz
While they advertise it as a natural product, their website or packaging doesn’t state the ingredients used in the spray. Moreover, it is towards a pricier end, considering all it does is get rid of odors. Additionally, it doesn’t offer any hygienic value like a sanitizer or toothpaste.
Who is Spretz For?
Spretz is designed for use by anyone who needs a product for keeping strong odors at bay from their hands and feet. It can be used by smokers and food-lovers, but the versatility of this product provide it with a mass appeal.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Alternative for the Spretz spray doesn’t exist; however, an alternate method of getting rid of bad smells couldn’t be easier than simply washing it off with soap and water.
Our Final Thoughts
The Spretz business doesn’t seem to have taken advantage of their appearance on Shark Tank since there hasn’t been much growth. The product is sold on Amazon and through their website, which also lacks substance.
While the Spretz founders had a wonderful pitch, a lot of enthusiasm, and a modest valuation for their business, their product just wasn’t something people needed, hence the failure and disappointment.
