Tag Archive for: 2005

September 2005: Times & Transcript (2)

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All it takes is Just’a drop.
Inventor says no bathroom should be without new product that neutralizes unwanted odours before they happen.
Luc Jalbert can smell success. He says it has a hint of lime.
Luc Jalbert is the vice-president of Prelam Enterprises Inc., which had made the Moncton Industrial Park Home to a product Jalbert says no bathroom should be without.

Just’a Drop is a new kind of air freshener developed by the local company.
“Right before you sit down, you just put in one drop and you’ll see a film created on top of the water.”
Jalbert says, explaining the biodegradable product almost completely eliminates bathroom odours.
Prelam started running commercial featuring Just’a Drop on the Weather network and Météomédia at the end of August and just started a local campaign.
The company started selling the product nearly a year ago, and got their big break this spring when it appeared in Wal-Mart stores nation-wide, but Jalbert says it’s the television commercials that have made a big difference in sales.
« Now we’re feeling the momentum, » he says. « Sales were slow, but nobody knew what it was… We saw our two biggest days (at Wal-Mart) in the last three days. »
Jalbert came across the formula while in China on a business trip. He brought it back and gave it to partner Don Goguen to test.
Goguen didn’t mention the product again for some time. « One day he just walked into my office and said ‘hey, that stuff really works! » Jalbert says. They knew they had a winner but they also had a dilemma.
« The challenge was to create a marketing strategy. You are talking about poop, » he says, « We had to get the consumer talking about something nobody talks about. »
They also needed a way to let people know how the product works.
« Everything else you buy is for after, ours is for before, » he says. « Normally you would just spray the can (of freshener) and hope nobody goes in, whereas this actually fills the air with a nice, clean smell and neutralizes odours. »That`s where the TV spots have come in handy – that, and a deal with Irving Tissue to package samples of the product with their Majesta brand toilet paper.
Jalbert says once they get people to try their product once, they’re hooked. « I tested with my dentist, my doctor, my accountant. People were still using it six months later, » he says. « The question was how do I get the mass population to test it without going broke? So we made a deal with Irving Tissue and they put samples in 25,000 packages which got distributed to Wal-Mart. »
Now Just’a Drop is poised to go global. Jalbert says he’s already working with interested parties in Japan, the UK and the US.
« That tells me we really have a winner. It’s a heck of a healthy sign, » he says. « We`re still the little guys, but we are starting to be proud of that… We are going to revolutionize the way people got to the bathroom. »
Jalbert says they are also working on two spin off products – a smaller, even more portable product and an automatic dispenser that would add a drop to the water when you sit on the seat.

September 2005: Times & Transcript

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A scoop on poop with no stink

Some days my job is worth waking up for.
Those are the days when you head home at night and feel you’ve had some kind of positive impact on the world. The days when you write a piece and it “sings” as we say in the “biz”, meaning you have written prose that would be Pulitzer-worthy if those Pulitzer folks would just pick a copy of Times &
Transcript.
They are the days when stories you tell are gripping and gritty, when you hit a source that can articulate their story in a compelling way.
And then there are the interviews, and these are often my favorite ones of all, when you hang up the phone and think “well, I won’t soon forget that one!”
They’re few and far between, but I had one of those last Friday when I had the pleasure of doing a halfhour interview about poop. No, that was not a typo. I did an interview about poop. Actually not so much about poop per se as about how a local company’s new product helps eliminate the unpleasant odours associated with said action.
I can somehow picture these folks dreaming up this product with some king of Eureka’s moment and then the excitement slowly draining from them as they realize their conundrum: they’ve come up with a product that everyone wants to use, but no one wants to talk about.
I mean, how do you explain it nicely?
Luc Jalbert, the vice-president of Prelam Enterprises, the company that makes Just’a Drop, the indelicate product in question, has had a lot of practice. He’s become refreshingly frank about the whole thing. After all, he explains philosophically, it’s something everyone has to do.
True, but paradoxically, the product is aimed directly at those who would rather the rest of us never know they just did what everyone has to do.
Faced with this dilemma, what does a good company do? Prelam has apparently decided to tackle thing head on.
Their TV commercial does not feature courtesy flowers floating in the air as a well-dressed family (mom dad, one girl, one boy and a dog) breathe deep in the sweet smelling sanctity of their bathroom.Nope, Prelam has gone with an ostrich sticking its head in the sand as an announcer intones “Is this what you do after your husband uses the bathroom?” and a raccoon praying no one will use the facilities right after him (and for deliverance from the stench one assumes.)
Their packaging features a little cartoon man sitting on the potty, then standing with his smiling family members afterwards.
Mid-interview I get the giggles as Mr. Jalbert explains their excitement over a deal with Irving Tissue to include samples of the product in 25,000 packages of toilet paper. “Twenty-five thousand people are going for a poop with our product “he says.
I’m sorry, but poo is funny. I bet you’re laughing right now.
Luckily I am doing a phone interview so he doesn’t have to watch as I lose it and I sound admirably in control by the time I ask my next question.
I’d love to hear someone interview him live on television or radio.
But the real challenge come post interview. How does one write up a story about going to number 2? What does one call it, for instance, so as not to offend the delicate sensibilities of one’s readres.”
But then, this is the kind of challenge that makes my job worth getting up for. It may not change the world ( well, actually it might help make it smell better), but it’s already got me smiling and sometime that’s changes enough.

June 2005: Canadian Business

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The sweet smell of success
Everybody stinks,that’s not a putdown, just a fact of everyday life. And we devote a lot of time and money proving we don’t.Canadians spent $144 millions on air freshners, including sprays, plug-ins, oils and, in the case of Procter and Gamble, a disc player that doesn’t spin music, but scents, among them Shania Twain’s wishes for Spring. The companies sugar-coat these products by using words like “disinfect” and “cleanse”, but all customers really want is get rid of horrifying odours before someone else runs into them.
read more

May 2005: Globe and Mail

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Moncton company a breath of fresh air

A Moncton business with an innovative bathroom air freshener has been named finalist in a national competition for new products.

The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors management team of the Canadian Grand Prix New Products Awards has named Prelam Enterprise’s ‘Just a Drop’ Magic Odor Neutralizer a Grand Prix finalist in the non-food category for 2004-05.

Prelam Enterprises, owned by Don Goguen and Luc Jalbert recently introduced the product promoting it as innovative and revolutionary. According to Jalbert “It is quite unlike traditional air fresheners.”

He explained “A drop of the liquid freshener in the toilet bowl before use immediately seals in any offensive odors, which are flushed away leaving a clear, minty scent. The product is different from any we have seen and we are extremely pleased to have it along side other Prelam
air fresheners.”

Just a Drop is being sold in Walmart stores across Canada and is expected to be in other retailers nation-wide over the coming weeks. The two Moncton men will travel to Montreal for a Gala awards night Sunday May 29. Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Ben Mulroney.

March 2005: L’alimentation Magazine

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Perfume the taboos

Extract from “ Le grand ménage : entre les fleurs et les germes »- Denyse Perrault- L’alimentation

Fortunately for our nostrils and for the ego of inconvenienced people, the market is full of products that help us overcoming this issue, at least when there is a real bathroom. Among those discoveries, we see Prelam’s odour neutraliser Just’a Drop. This small company based in Moncton New Brunswick, offers a non-toxic, biodegradable and safe for septics product. Portable, it comes in a small plastic bottle which contains 15 ml of an almost miraculous solution with a travel case. One drop of Just’a Drop in the toilet bowl prior to use eliminates foul odours while leaving a light and fresh scent.

“We believe this product will revolutionize the way people use their bathroom, says Luc Jalbert, Prelam co-owner and vice-president. It will particularly improve the life of people who have to wear a stoma bag, those who have Crohn’s disease or other ailments. This product was introduced to the Atlantic market last September. Since then, I met people claiming before Just’a Drop, they did not dare to get out. Now they feel free to go wherever they want. Until now, consumers had to purchase costly sprays to eliminate odours. I think we are the first in North America to offer this kind of product that we discovered in South-East Asia. There is a lot of Asian who don’t appreciate foul odours, just like us. We adapted the formula using plant extracts, a little bit of disinfectant and perfume, nothing harsh. In addition, this water treatment fights germs.”

Specialised in air care, Prelam’s owners chose China to produce their product line to keep their competition with big companies. They also bet on innovation to entice the category. Prelam’s Aromatherapy product line contains a liquid air freshener with deodoriser in a fancy bottle which the
look reminds more of an ornament than a convenient basic spray. The available fragrances are Green Apple, Orange and Lavender, made from a mix of natural essential oils. Aromatherapy incense stick line has four scents: Lavender burst, Tranquility, Forest Mist and seashore. The packaging looks like a jewel case and contains twelve incense sticks and a holder. Each stick burns for 25 minutes.

For cars, the company suggests its new Cutie Fresh, a Pink Lavender, French Vanilla or Fresh Air fragrances dispenser in the form of a teddy bear. In 2005, they will launch Funky Monkey with the same scents as Cutie Fresh. With a new addition to the line, Sachet will be available in a pack of two or six, with the same scents. They can be used anywhere around the house, even in the garbage or closets. They will also introduce the decorative air freshener Flower scent, which contains refillable crystals scents.

The air purification in the vehicle’s fans was not forgotten. Prelam introduce two air fresheners which can be hooked on the fan to eliminate embarrassing odours like vomit, cat urine or tobacco. Eclypse the odour neutraliser contains scented oil which last two months. In the stores, you can find Mountain Fresh, French Vanilla, Fresh Air as well as anti-tobacco, Fresh Oranges and Lavender. Three scents are available for Aerofresh SX which diffuses a scented oil of Tropical Fresh, French Vanilla and AntiTobacco.

Prelam is in the fourth place in a very competitive market.

June 2005: Moncton Company Launches the Next Advancement in Air Care.

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Contact Information:
Luc Jalbert, VP Sales & Marketing
Ph: (506) 857-0499 ext. 222
Cell: (506) 856-0252
E-mail: pr******@nb***.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2005
Moncton Company Launches the Next Advancement in Air Care.
Moncton, New Brunswick – Prelam Enterprises of Moncton has officially brought household air care to new heights with the addition of an innovative new automatic air freshener to their product lineup in many retail stores across Canada.
The Easyfresh Metered Spray Dispenser hit the shelves and is now available in many retail stores, becoming the first of its kind in Canada. The new and innovative smart aerosol air freshener works automatically to continuously neutralize malodors leaving your home with a pleasant aromatic scent all day long.
This revolutionary new dispenser contains a smart chip, programmed to release a light burst of long lasting fragrance at regular time interval all day long. A light sensor gives customers a broad choice of settings, allowing the dispenser to operate with settings for day, night and 24 hours a day.
Luc Jalbert and Don Goguen, the owners of Prelam Enterprises, announced that Easyfresh starter kits and refills would be available July 23rd at Jean Coutu stores across eastern Canada. Refills are available in two fresh new fragrances – Spring Blossom and Clean N’Fresh.
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May 2005: Prelam Recognized For Bringing Innovation To Household Cleaning Category Montreal,

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Contact Information:
Luc Jalbert, VP Sales & Marketing
Ph: (506) 857-0499 ext. 222
Cell: (506) 856-0252
E-mail: pr******@nb***.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2005
Prelam Recognized For Bringing Innovation To Household Cleaning Category

Montreal, Quebec – Prelam Enterprises goes up against large corporations like Proctor & Gamble and S.C. Johnson at the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) 12th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards.
Prelam Enterprises of Moncton was among the list of finalists competing in the Household Cleaning Category with their new product, Just a Drop Magic Odor Neutralizer at the Grand Prix Awards Gala held Sunday night.
Others companies competing in this category were S.C. Johnson, Proctor & Gamble and Prolav Soap Inc. walking away with the prize.
The selection was based on several criteria, including innovation, packaging and design, labeling, pricing and overall benefits to the consumer. Grand Prix products were to be innovative and demonstrate exceptional value and quality compared to other products in their category.
A crowd of over 800 delegates was present at the Awards Gala, an exciting industry event where the master of ceremonies was Ben Mulroney, host of Canadian Idol and etalk Daily.
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May 2005: Moncton Business Named National Award Finalist

in

Contact Information:
Luc Jalbert, VP Sales & Marketing
Ph: (506) 857-0499 ext. 222
Cell: (506) 856-0252
E-mail: pr******@nb***.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2005
Moncton Business Named National Award Finalist
Moncton, New Brunswick – A Moncton business with an innovative bathroom air freshener has been named finalists in a national competition for new products.
The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors management team of the Canadian Grand Prix New Products Awards has named Prelam Enterprise’s ‘Just a Drop’ Magic Odor Neutralizer a Grand prix finalist in the non-food category for 2004-05.
Prelam Enterprises, owned by Don Goguen and Luc Jalbert recently introduced the product promoting it as innovative and revolutionary. According to Jalbert “it is quite unlike the traditional air fresheners.
He explained “A drop of the liquid freshener in the toilet bowl before use immediately seals in any offensive odors, which are flushed away leaving a clear, minty scent. The product is different from any we have seen and we are extremely pleased to have it along side other Prelam air fresheners.”
Just a Drop is being sold in Walmart stores across Canada and is expected be in other retailers nation-wide over the coming weeks.

The two Moncton men will travel to Montreal for a Gala awards night Sunday May 29. Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Ben Mulroney.
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Febuary 2005: Prelam Launches Revolutionary “Just A Drop” Bathroom Odor Neutralizer

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Contact Information:
Luc Jalbert, VP Sales & Marketing
Ph: (506) 857-0499 ext. 222
Cell: (506) 856-0252
E-mail: pr******@nb***.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 8, 2005
Prelam Launches Revolutionary “Just A Drop” Bathroom Odor Neutralizer
Moncton, New Brunswick – Two entrepreneurs in Moncton, NB, have literally taken time to smell the roses and are on their way to parlaying the moment into a multi-million dollar business against the likes of well recognized names like S.C. Johnson and Proctor & Gamble. Their new product: Just A Drop, a tiny sweet smelling item that will revolutionize what we’ve come to think of as bathroom air fresheners.
Luc Jalbert and Don Goguen, owners of Prelam Enterprises Inc., are convinced this product, which they introduced at a major trade show in Toronto last November, will revolutionize the way people use the bathroom! It has just hit the shelves of Wal-Mart stores across Canada and re-orders are already coming in.
What makes this product unique is both what it does and how it is packaged and used.
Unlike air fresheners that mask bathroom odors, Just A Drop- virtually suppresses them at the source. One drop of the product is put in the toilet bowl before use. It immediately creates a seal trapping in any smells before they are flushed away.
According to Jalbert, “the results we have gotten from early focus testing of this product tell us we have a winner. It is in a small, unobtrusive bottle, is remarkably easy to use and is sufficiently portable it can be taken with you when you travel. It is also extremely helpful to suffers of Crohn’s Disease and similar ailments.”

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