Hismile is a Gold Coast-based business, famous for its teeth-whitening strips and fruity flavoured toothpaste. They have used their paid social media marketing efforts, which recruited reality TV star and cosmetics mogul Kylie Jenner as one of Hismile’s first big-name endorsees to claim their early stages business success.
But how do you complete with top name brands like oral care titans Colgate-Palmolive and Listerine-maker Kenvue for market share?
“If you want to compete with the biggest category giants, in any kind of category, you have to be doing something very different to what they’re doing,” Hismile general manager Justin Gaggino told SmartCompany. “What got them to where they are will not get you to where they are currently.”
Hismile is claiming victory over Colgate and Listerine with the launch of its new mouthwash, as the Australian oral care innovator balances traditional retail sales and its social media operation. Hismile’s Stain ID broke Chemist Warehouse sales records upon launch.
It sold more units in its first week at Chemist Warehouse than any other mouthwash had, across any other week, Gaggino said on Tuesday.
Without disclosing precise sales figures, Gaggino said “it’s probably our most successful launch of a product ever,” surpassing even its teeth-whitening kits or the clamour for its pistachio-flavoured toothpaste.
In 2017, the founders claimed to spend 50% of the company’s revenue on platforms like Instagram.
More recent financial reports show that is changing. Hismile financial documents, obtained by The Australian, show the business cut its marketing expenses by $102 million in 2025 compared to the year before.
Its sales through Shopify and Amazon also dropped, but the reduction in marketing spend contributed to the privately-held business turning a $13 million net profit.
Gaggino said Hismile was adapting for long-term success, both for its online operations and retail partners.
“We’re always testing and learning to see what works,” he said, with the business “making sure that our investments are done in the right ways, to protect the longevity of the long-term strategy”.
Despite the reported cuts to its digital marketing budget, Gaggino said social media videos showcasing the new Stain ID mouthwash have racked up more than 100 million views since launch.
Digital marketing remains “a big component of what we are doing now”, he said.
Full read / Smart Company