Gift Focus - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue 118)

98 Wellbeing for all Ubiety, the ethical bodycare and wellbeing company, exists wholly to generate funding for Dorothy House Hospice Care. Co-founder Marianne Cantelo tells us more about this amazing venture When and how did Ubiety start? We launched locally in February 2019 at the elegant and emerging Always Sunday House on Bathwick Hill, Bath. The launch, however, was just part of a challenging journey. A meeting with Arcania Apothecary in 2018 resulted in the company’s incredible commitment to give us all the research and development for a new product line and brand, to raise funds for our charity, Dorothy House Hospice Care. Never having ventured into this market before, we undertook a market research project and developed the brand proposition, only then approaching other local partners, experts and critical friends to develop our first collection of natural, ethical and vegan products. Tell us a bit about Ubiety and the charity you work with. Ubiety doesn’t just make a contribution towards Dorothy House, it exists wholly to generate more funding for the work of Dorothy House Hospice Care, caring for people with a life-limiting illness and supporting their families and carers. Added to this, the beautifully designed Ubiety products promote well-being and calm, reflecting a genuine Dorothy House passion for looking after others. Where does the name come from? We were lucky enough to find this beautiful name by commissioning Taxi Design Studio in Bristol’s Junior team. These creative whizz-kids gift their design brains over their lunch periods to support good causes! Ubiety means being grounded in the moment – in one definitive space – and our products are designed to deliver just that. Each product promotes wellbeing and mindfulness through calming and empowering formulations inspired by the wild woodlands around our Hospice and their energy – the antidote to chaotic, modern life. What products and gift lines do you offer? Our first capsule body collection was launched with our frankincense and lavender body salve, a rich cream for stressed out skin, our lemongrass and cedar hand lotion, which instantly smooths and revives the hands, our refreshing but moisturising clementine and spearmint hand wash, our cooling birchwater and neroli facial mist and our nourishing red mandarin and lavender vegan lip balm. To complement the body range, we offer three candles and diffusers. What challenges did you overcome as a new company? What many don’t realise is that this brand has been founded from scratch by a team of energetic and often relentless Dorothy House employees who have never done this before, but pulled it off, with 100 per cent of Ubiety’s profits going to the Hospice. With the support of local businesses and experts who truly value the Hospice’s work, we’ve worked together to create something that makes you ‘feel and do good’. Our biggest challenge so far is spreading our message as widely as possible but publications like this help us to connect with new customers. Has the current economic climate affected yourself as a start-up? When we designed the brand, we did a lot of research into buying trends in difficult economic climates. There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that when money is tight, consumers still want to treat themselves. So, for example, a Chanel lipstick instead of a piece of designer clothing. As we offer a product that is sustainable but also gives back to charity, we allow for customers to indulge themselves and donate to a good cause at the same time. Consumers educate themselves to make sure that their purchases count and we’re confident that as they experience us, they will repurchase and spread the word! Are you planning on expanding into other product areas? Ubiety is a lifestyle brand. Not only do we hope to expand our body range with more spa-type options but we’ve started thinking about cosy, tactile textiles and homewares that are locally made and sustainable, which bring warmth into the home. How do you market your business? Do you attend any trade shows? We have attended Home & Gift at Harrogate and Top Drawer in London. We’ve found that trade shows are a great way to meet buyers, as well as new partners in product design. Our hotel accounts offer the opportunity for our products to be tried in gorgeous surroundings, which is invaluable. As a charity, collaboration is key, as we need to make the most of our resources. What’s your proudest achievement to date? We’ve just found out that we’re finalists in the Bath Life Awards in the charity category. We wouldn’t have been able to launch without local support and Bath is a fantastic city for new and independent brands. Our packaging has already won internationally-recognised design awards including Bronze at the Pentawards and Silver at the Fresh Awards. For more information, email info@findubiety.com or visit findubiety.com