SXSW dispatch: What's next for Addison-based Pourri
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Suzy Batiz records her "Holy Shit!" podcast during SXSW 2024 in Austin. Photo: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Pourri
A five-star bathroom experience, a 30-foot-tall inflatable poop: Addison-based Pourri made a splash at its South by Southwest debut.
State of play: Pourri, which dropped the "poo" from its name in 2022 to take on a wider variety of odor-elimination products, partnered with Rolling Stone for several days of events scattered around the festival.
Why it matters: It's a buzzy marketing moment for the 17-year-old Texas company and founder Suzy Batiz as she maneuvers Pourri into its next chapter.
What they're saying: On Batiz speaking on a panel last week about marketing, she said, "Honestly, I told them I don't know what I'm doing."
- "I'm not trained in marketing, but we love to have fun and share with our consumers," Batiz told Axios in an interview at Pourri's Funk Factory last weekend. "Humor and fun is the genesis of this brand, and the products really work. ... It's sort of a magic recipe."
- Batiz attributes Pourri's longevity to its "authenticity," adding: "The more you can stay true to your own values and roots as a brand the more timeless it is if you don't try to change it."
Between the lines: Companies like Pourri see SXSW as a massive stage to capture consumer attention and showcase their brands.
- Brand "activations," as they're called at SXSW, are known for headline-grabbing stunts at various venues, with big musical acts and free swag to drive attendance. It's common to see a line down the block to get inside.
Zoom in: It seemed like Pourri was everywhere at South by Southwest.
- Attendees were encouraged to pick up tap-enabled Poo-Pourri pocket sprayers in the convention center's registrant lounge. The sprayers served as a pass to Pourri x Rolling Stone events and featured a "bathroom finder" with an option to review public bathrooms in the area and be notified of daily giveaways.
- Meanwhile, the 3o-foot poo sanctuary loomed over Lady Bird Lake at the brand's Camp Funk experience, and Batiz hosted podcast recordings and performances by DJ Johnny Jane aka Janelle Monáe and DJ Questlove at The Funk Factory near the Texas Capitol.
Of note: Batiz told Axios she was also using SXSW as a test bed for the launch of a new media and technology company and for her upcoming "Holy Shit!" podcast with Rolling Stone.
What's next: Batiz said she expects Pourri's Dallas-area headquarters to continue growing as the brand moves into other categories, and she has no plans to call it quits.
- "We're in a major expansion phase, and I can see that expansion keep happening," Batiz said. "People always ask me, 'Would you sell the company?' and I'm like, well, somebody needs to come run it better than me or do a better job. It's not that I think I'll have Pourri forever, but it's my child. She's growing."