How 25,000 bars of soap rallied UAE community to save home-grown business

Two months after Iran war began in February, entrepreneur Stevi Lowmass faced the prospect that her 13-year-old Dubai business, Camel Soap Factory, might not survive the sharp drop in tourism. Lowmass had built her business from a home operation into a manufacturer whose products were sold across the UAE, but the decline in tourism led to a significant drop in sales.

In an attempt to cut costs, she terminated Lucy Bradley, a marketing consultant, who had been working with Lowmass for several years to promote the brand. Bradley, however, decided to use her remaining time to help save the company. She came up with the idea of asking the community for help and launched the Save Our Soap campaign, which aimed to sell 25,000 bars of soap in three months.

To make the campaign work, Lowmass had to publicly acknowledge the company's struggles and share her story on social media. The campaign received an overwhelmingly positive response, with over 22,500 bars of soap sold, putting the company within reach of its goal. Businesses and individuals from all over the UAE stepped in to offer their support, demonstrating the value they placed on home-grown businesses.

For Lowmass, the campaign was not just about saving her business but also about uniting the community and highlighting the importance of local enterprises. The campaign was a marketing success, relying on direct communication with the company's existing customers and using a database of about 7,500 contacts. While the 25,000 target was ambitious, it was achievable and would provide the Camel Soap Factory with the time it needed to shore up its business.

Lowmass's journey from a non-entrepreneur to a successful businesswoman was marked by an unlikely start during a family holiday in Australia, where she discovered the potential of camel milk as a unique ingredient for soap. The Camel Soap Factory had previously sold nearly 3.5 million products and generated over $2 million in annual revenue before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, causing a significant drop in sales.