GillaGilla.
The germ killa.
In the height of the pandemic, my partner and I invested in and launched a disinfectant. From naming to branding, to creating the storefront on Shopify and Amazon, we learned a lot about being a small business… and the EPA.
The developers of the disinfect came to us with an unbranded mixture of non-toxic, highly effective disinfectant and sanitizer. Over time, germs build resistance to disinfectants. This formula killed germs in a way so they couldn’t. It was completely safe to use around kids and pets.
It would “kill germs, not the planet.”
Naming, branding, Amazoning.
The first step was naming this formula.
We called it Zsolt’s Formula, after the late chemist who discovered it.
We then named the product. We wanted a name that felt strong (because this stuff works) and memorable enough to stand out from other disinfectants out there.
We named it Gilla.
Gilla = The Germ Killa.
The talented design team at Grand Army created the branding, and photographer Josh Dickinson created a mini world to showcase when to use Gilla.
We built a Shopify store, and put our product on Amazon to 5 star reviews.
After two years of navigating EPA regulations, the logistics of Amazon’s 3PL solutions and customer service, we decided to pull the product from the consumer space.
Zsolt’s formula will be applied elsewhere, heading towards commercial and industrial use. It’s a great formula and it will be out there killing germs – just not as Gilla.