Call of Doody: Porcelain Pursuit

Photos by Emma Highfill, Rose Wheat Photography

$4K FOR POO

When we were little, our parents would o en give us a prize for going poo. Porcelain Pursuit thinks you should still get a prize. But only if you do your business in a local restaurant.

Created to support local eateries, the Porcelain Pursuit is the brainchild of Chase Brill, a senior international business and marketing major at Washburn University, who hatched the idea with a few friends.

The concept is simple: go into a participating bathroom, then scan a QR code with your phone. Each scan gives the “pursuer” points that can be cashed in to earn prizes, like t-shirts or coupons. Each scan also gives the user some immediate gratification: a poop joke.

“Originally, I just thought it was a funny idea,” said Chase.

But after talking to his professors, Chase realized the idea had traction. His instincts were proved right when Porcelain Pursuit won $4,000 in the Fall 2019 Washburn University Pitch Competition.

The Porcelain Pursuit team is made up of other college-age students Chase knows from various walks of life. The team includes a web developer, sales person, designer and social media manager.

Right now, Porcelain Pursuit is web-based. But eventually, they hope to build an app using feedback from the initial pursuers.

“We don’t want to waste time developing random features that may not be necessary for the user experience,” said Chase.

BETA TEST

Over winter break, Porcelain Pursuit launched a beta test with five restaurants in Chase’s hometown of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where local places are on the rise.

Supporting small businesses is personal to Chase, who didn’t experience much beyond chain restaurants while growing up.

“I think there is so much you can get from going to local places,” Chase said. “The atmosphere and the food are incredible.”

Within six weeks of launching the beta test, 100 people scanned the QR codes. The most active users scanned in three of the five participating restaurants.

e results not only encouraged the Porcelain Pursuit team, they also intrigued the restaurant owners.

“I think, at first, the businesses just wanted to help out a group of college students,” Chase said. “But a er seeing the reports, they were kind of impressed.”

The participating restaurants don’t pay the Porcelain Pursuit anything— yet. But once they launch into a fully incorporated business, they hope to make revenue by charging restaurants for helping bring customers in.

“It would’ve been a tough sell to ask them to pay in the beginning. We’re just trying to prove the concept and make sure it works,” said Chase. “Once we can show business owners we’re bringing people in, it will be a much easier sell.”

BATHROOM HUMOR

Porcelain Pursuit uses social media to build their brand. And make no but(ts) about it: Chase and his friends have no qualms about digging into their subject matter. For example, in one meet-the- team-style video, followers learned Marcus, the designer, is the team’s fastest pooper.

“We want to push the envelope and take people a little out of their comfort ones without going over the line,” Chase said.

Steeped in bathroom humor, their content reinforces how to participate while also giving followers a glimpse into the brand’s charm: a bunch of friends making each other laugh.

Chase and his team members live in different states, so, right now the laughter happens via web conference when they hold their weekly meetings to talk strategy.

“We’re making it work right now,” Chase said. “But it makes it difficult to enjoy the process together.”

Upon graduation, Chase said most of the team expressed interest in continuing with the Porcelain Pursuit. But Chase also hopes to gain experience at an ad agency a er graduation before focusing on it full time.

“I want to get some experience on some of the creative aspects of the marketing stuff,” he said.

No matter where Chase lands post-graduation, he and his team plan to keep toilets running in Oklahoma while gearing up for launching in their next city: Topeka.

Interested in getting a QR code in your Topeka restaurant’s bathroom? Reach out to the Porcelain Pursuit.
Then get your toilet Instagram-ready.