DTC has changed the playing field for personal care brands. Shaving has Harry's; men's wellness has hims; contact lenses have Hubble. Well, now toothpaste has its own pioneer: Twice. Here, Julian Levine, co-founder and CEO, Twice, who set up the company with his brother Cody, and in partnership with Lenny Kravitz, tells DTC Daily why Twice opted for a DTC model, the uses of influencers, and what the future has in store for the brand. 

Can you introduce Twice, and why a direct-to-consumer business model suits the company?

Twice is a new purpose-driven smile-care company. We manufacture and sell premium toothpaste that reinvents brushing your teeth with a delicious morning- and night-inspired offering that provides a variety of innovative benefits to your smile.

DTC is very well-suited for oral care. For the consumer, the convenience of affordable and on-time subscription delivery to avoid an unnecessary trip to the drugstore is very meaningful; no one likes running out of toothpaste. Furthermore, the decision-making process in the toothpaste aisle can be confusing and difficult. There is a lack of consumer education as to what toothpaste is needed, and there is a seemingly never-ending assortment of toothpaste products to choose from. Twice’s Duo of toothpastes collapse all benefits into one powerful formula and two amazing flavours, making the consumer decision one they can trust and have confidence in.

How have you driven customer acquisition since being founded in 2017? As you look to grow further, what advertising channels will be crucial to growing brand exposure?

It has been a mix of press, partnerships, word-of-mouth, influencer seeding, and a variety of social media activities.

We are continuing to invest behind the power of social as well as influencers and press. Growing a groundswell of support and building our community is key. When people learn about our mission, hear the feedback and results and learn more about Twice, they get excited! Thus far, these efforts have resulted in growing awareness further through word-of-mouth.

Julian Levine (right), with co-founder Cody Levine and partner Lenny Kravitz

Twice is significantly more expensive than other toothpaste brands. Why are customers willing to pay this higher price point?

In general, prices of toothpaste vary greatly depending on where you buy them (Costco/Amazon versus Walgreens versus boutique pharmacy, for example).

As for Twice, we spent almost two years making our toothpaste from scratch with a team of world-renowned experts and one big goal: to create the world's best toothpaste. Twice is affordably priced as low as USD$8 per 3.4 oz tube and this price point is lower than several drugstore offerings, and certainly lower than comparable toothpaste that you would find at a department store. Our customers are willing to pay this as they recognise the benefit of a thoughtful formulation with healthier ingredients, and a higher standard of packaging, responsibility, philanthropy and experience. Not to mention, it is delivered to them without the hassle of a store visit.

What does the future hold for Twice, and how will you continue to grow?

The future is bright! We’re so excited about the response to our first two products, and so we are going to continue pushing those and getting more and more people around the country to experience Early Bird and Twilight, our toothpaste duo. Our community is everything! Twice was started after an inspiring trip with Glo Good Foundation providing dentistry for people in need – and the result of this was seeing first-hand how truly life changing a healthy smile is. We are committed to always giving back like this. The more we grow, the more we give. Beyond the Duo, you will see other innovative products debut, each with a mission to get you more excited about taking care of your smile! One day, and one smile at a time, Twice is going to keep moving forward!