Suzy Batiz records her "Holy Sh!t" podcast during SXSW 2024. Photo: Rick Kern/Getty Images for Pourri
A five-star bathroom experience, a 30-foot-tall inflatable poop: Addison-based Pourri made a splash at its South by Southwest debut.
Why it matters: It's a buzzy marketing moment for the 17-year-old company and founder Suzy Batiz as she maneuvers Pourri into its next chapter.
State of play: Pourri, which dropped the "poo" from its name in 2022 to take on a wider variety of odor-elimination products, partnered with Rolling Stone for events scattered around the festival.
Between the lines: Companies like Pourri see SXSW as a massive stage to capture consumer attention and showcase their brands.
Brand "activations," as they're called at SXSW, are known for headline-grabbing stunts at various venues, with big musical acts and free swag to drive attendance. It's common to see a line down the block to get inside.
Zoom in: It seemed like Pourri was everywhere at South by Southwest.
Attendees were encouraged to pick up tap-enabled Poo-Pourri pocket sprayers in the convention center's registrant lounge. The sprayers served as a pass to Pourri x Rolling Stone events and featured a "bathroom finder" with an option to review public bathrooms in the area and be notified of daily giveaways.
What's next: Batiz said she expects Pourri's Dallas-area headquarters to continue growing as the brand moves into other categories, and she has no plans to call it quits.
"We're in a major expansion phase, and I can see that expansion keep happening," Batiz told Axios. "People always ask me, 'Would you sell the company?' and I'm like, well, somebody needs to come run it better than me or do a better job. It's not that I think I'll have Pourri forever, but it's my child. She's growing."
