OAKLAND - In the early 20th century, the Electro-Alkaline Company, now known to us as Clorox, teetered on the brink of failure. Its inception in 1913 by a diverse group of five investors who plunked down $100 each was marked by innovation, yet public unfamiliarity with liquid bleach nearly led to its demise. Enter Annie Murray, whose vision and determination played a pivotal role in the company's turnaround.
In 1916, with the company struggling, her husband, investor William Murray, took charge and Annie stepped into an informal but crucial role. She recognized the potential of liquid bleach not just as an industrial product but as a household necessity. Annie ingeniously proposed a less concentrated version suitable for home use, a move that not only revolutionized the product line but also directly engaged potential customers. Her strategy of distributing free 15-ounce sample bottles at the family's grocery store in Oakland was nothing short of marketing genius. This grassroots approach built customer demand from the ground up, transforming Clorox into a household name and today boasting $7 billion annual gross revenue. Annie Murray's intuition and entrepreneurial spirit essentially saved the company.