HCPA Mid-Year Meeting held at new venue… IMPACT 2019
The Household & Commercial Products Association
(HCPA) hosted more than 400 attendees for
IMPACT2019, the association’s Mid-Year Meeting, at
The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on May
1–3. As part of the program, attendees met with approximately 40
offices in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for the
second annual HCPA Capitol Hill Day.
This year’s keynote speakers included Mark Vergnano, President
& CEO of the Chemours Co. and Dr. Jonah Berger of the University
of PA Wharton School of Business and New York Times and
Wall Street Journal best-selling author of “Contagious: Why Things
Catch On.”
Additionally, the Federal, State and Regulatory Advisory
Councils held a joint program to discuss priority issues, including
ingredient communication, and the ongoing implementation of
the 2017 California Cleaning Product Right to Know Act.
“The HCPA Mid-Year Meeting is a great opportunity for our
industry to come together to address emerging trends and align on
priority advocacy issues,” said Steve Caldeira, President & CEO of
HCPA.
“We had very productive discussions about ingredient communication—
one of the most significant issues currently affecting
household and commercial product manufacturers,
suppliers and distributors.”
Aerosol Products Division
The Aerosol Products Division (APD)
Program was kicked off by Jed Seay of The
Chemours Co., who is Chair of the APD
Program Committee.
APD Executive Board Chair Mike Pleus
of RB presented “APD Committee Re-Alignment.”
There is a new APD strategic mission to promote, protect
and enhance the aerosol products industry and the lives of consumers
and workers who use member companies’ products. New
18 Spray August 2019
New to this year’s program was a Trade Association CEO Panel Session,
featuring Heidi Brock, President & CEO of the Aluminum Association
(AA); Cal Dooley, President & CEO of the American Chemistry Council
(ACC); Geoff Freeman, President & CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers
Association (GMA) and moderated by HCPA’s President & CEO Steve
Caldeira. The industry leaders discussed how the current political climate
impacts the interests of the household and commercial products industry and
business-related trade associations, specifically the issues of tariffs, ingredient
communication, industry coalitions and sustainability-related initiatives.
Pictured L to R: Freeman, Dooley, Brock and Caldeira.
APD strategic priorities include Advocate (create
an environment that enables aerosol product
innovation, promotes sound scientific reasoning
and fosters competition); Communicate (solidify
the APD as a trusted voice of the aerosol products
industry with policymakers, the media and the
public) and Connect (serve as a global forum to
build relationships, share industry best practices
and provide meaningful programs, events and resources
that strengthen the value proposition for
members). Suggested possible re-alignment of the APD includes:
Suggestion 1:
• Aerosol Industry Connection Committee
• Aerosol Regulatory, Advocacy, Environmental Committee
• Aerosol Scientific Committee
Suggestion 2:
• Aerosol Development Committee
• Aerosol Harmonization and Atmospheric Committee
• Aerosol Scientific Committee
• Aerosol Survey Committee
• Aerosol Sustainability Committee
Pleus reminded attendees that these options were presented as
thought provokers and a final plan would be outlined at a later
date.
Scott Smith of Procter & Gamble presented “100% Polymeric
Aerosol Containers.” Innovation is needed to grow the aerosol
industry; consumers want sustainable products and packages.
According to Smith, P&G believes an all-polymeric (plastic) system
Keynote Speaker was Wharton School of
Business Professor Jonah Berger, author of
“Contagious: Why Things Catch On” and
an expert on social influence and consumer
behavior. He presented on building better
relationships with consumers, noting that
a McKinsey study found that consumer
word-of-mouth generates more than twice
the sales of paid advertising for a range of
consumer products. Companies can build
trust with consumers that ultimately turn
them into advocates for products and services.
His six key “STEPPS” include Social Currency (people talking about
things to make themselves look good); Triggers (people talking about things
that are on the top of their heads); Emotion (the more people care about
a piece of information the more likely they are to pass it on), Public (when
people see other people doing something, they’re more likely to imitate it),
Practical Value (sharing information to help others) and Stories (people
share things that are enmeshed in stories or narratives).
Berger
Seay
Pleus