How Procter and Gamble Survived Through Innovation A Case Study Innovation at Procter and Gamble A Case Study

dy Procter and Gamble has capitalized on innovation and creativity to lead the consumer and household product industry. This paper will explore some strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats that Procter and Gamble had utilized to sustain its success and competitiveness. This case study will also explore some characteristics of innovative organizations and why they have chosen to be innovative. LinkCitationEmailPrint FavoriteCollect this page

William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, formed this global and Fortune 500 Corporation in 1837 (corporate profile). Procter and Gamble (P&G) is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. These two entrepreneurs and inventors were immigrants from England and Ireland respectively; who have chosen for some reason to settle in the Cincinnati area. The company manufactures a wide variety of consumer goods including beauty, household, health and wellness products. According to CNNMoney.com in the early parts of 2007, P&G was the 25th largest U.S Company by revenue, 18th largest by profit, and 10th in Fortunes Most Admired Companies list. Touching Lives, Improving Life is the corporate motto which is exemplified in their 138,000 employees and loyal customers worldwide. The worldwide demand for P&Gs products and services has forced management to focus on global marketing and innovation. This worldwide marketing and innovation success was achieved by making sure that what they produce is of highest quality and most importantly is what customers need. P&G is very adaptable to changing customer demands by carefully and clearly defining its innovative strategies; however, it almost lost its market dominance to competition in the mid 80s had it not been its aggressive play-towin strategy. (Davila, Epstein, & Shelton, 2006, p.73). Senior P&G management admitted that they had not had a breakthrough innovation since 1985, and the companys continued market dominance in the years ahead was in question (Davila et al., 2006 p.73). The play-to-win innovation strategy had helped P&G to regain its industry leadership as stated by (Davila et al.,) in the companys case study: Management had planned to create a more nimble organization and to increase the

speed and quality of innovation. They also focused on improving the speed of commercialization of new products. In addition, they wanted to move the companys focus to higher growth, higher margin businesses such as health care and personal care. (p.73) Another innovative play-to-win strategy that P&G management had adopted was the acquisition of its domestic and foreign competitors. P&G acquired a number of other companies that helped diversified its product line and increased profits significantly. In order to foster this aggressive strategy, management had integrated and reorganized all the manufacturing processes of the companies they acquired. Manufacturing processes of companies like Folgers Coffee, Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals, Richardson-Vicks, Noxell, Shultons Old Spice, and many others. Innovation must be encouraged, carefully implemented within an organization at all times (Hesselbein, Goldsmith, & Somerville, 2002, p. 82). The pre-dominant leadership or management style in P&G is that of participatory, delegating, and empowerment. Management has decentralized decision making process in such a manner that middle level management most at times do not have to wait for headquarters approval and funding; in order to embark on certain key innovative projects. Because of the empowerment given to mid and senior level management within this multinational corporation, it is much easier for management to customize products and customer services internally. It is abundantly clear that, the success of this giant corporation can be closely tied to its management and leadership style. He restored focus on leading brands and reminder everyone in P&G that the measure of success was not innovation per se, but the consumer (Davila et al., p.74). This is a clear customer focus leadership style of a CEO who was brought in within the corporation to strengthen employee morale and to refocus employees attention to providing the needs and wants of customers in this ever changing global market. P&G has demonstrated that its success depends on its customers, people, and innovation. Each and every employee is brought together by the companys common culture, values, and goals. The company recognizes its diversity as a unique characteristic and strength and its been able to maximize the talents and creativity from these people. P&G has also demonstrated that it is not just in business to maximize shareholders wealth but its also a social responsible company. This is illustrated in its summer camp program that is open to community youth. We developed our Summer Camp program as a way to seek

out the best and brightest. But, it's also a way for us to give these candidates a head start, not only on their schooling, but also their careers. (P&G Management Camp Program) Characteristics of Innovative Organization By describing the landscape of unmet customer needs and analyzing where new offering have worked before, you can chart a path that will produce successful innovations time after time (Anthony, Eyring, & Gibson p.104). Understanding customer needs and building lasting relationships are important in helping an organization innovate. Businesses innovate through unmet customer needs. Customers express their needs that have not been met and organizations innovate to meet those needs. This is why P&G is still leading the domestic product industry because, it listens to customers unmet needs and innovates aggressively to meet those needs. For instance, when babies were wearing cloth diapers, they were very leaky and labor intensive to wash; at that time, mothers needed an innovative product on the market to help fix the labor intensive part of washing the cloth diapers as well as the leakage. P&G answered this innovative call by introducing a revolutionary product called Pampers into the market. Pampers helped simplified the diapering process by resolving the leakage and the labor intensive washing. Innovation means change and to change you must know why you are changing, that is to say you must understand the pros and cons of the change process. In addition, you must understand the characteristics of innovation or change and its implication organization wide. According to Kinicki (2007); Why are organizations going through change? Simple. Globalization. International competition. The spread of information technology. All of these factors have escalated competition and the need to change in order to maintain competitive advantage. Organizations have to be faster, more responsive, and produce higher quality. All told, there is more pressure than ever, on everyone, to be able to change (p.1) The aforementioned are the primary features of change and P&G management has recognized that. Sometimes, what employees do not understand is the impact of change on their professional and family lives; and it is the responsibility of management to communicate this impact to employees both positive and negative; but mostly, management overemphasizes on the positives and pays little attention on the negative impact. Kinicki mentioned further:

Managerial changes viewed as good and necessary can be seen by employees as intimidating and even terrifying. But when companies don't take this into account, and force changes that employees aren't prepared to handle, those companies risk alienating their workers, losing money and, in the end, seeing those great strategic changes fall flat. This is a communication strategy that P&G has been successful in implementing corporate wide. The company ensures that the length and breath of all its units understand the impact of any change mostly at the professional level. Management ensures that everyone involved is interested in the change process. The more employees are interested in the change process the greater the success of the change or innovation. The most important element here is motivation. Management must let employees see a win-win situation in the change process. Another case in point here was the mismanagement of the change process in the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Forest Service management didnt recognize the importance of communicating their reorganization plan to employees ahead of time; and this had resulted in a loss of great talents and good teams; because, some of them felt intimidated, terrified, and alienated. Change must be carefully managed to ensure success. It is impossible to address all the characteristics of innovation in this paper however; the salient features will thoroughly be discussed. Organizational culture must be nurtured to accept change at all levels. The nurturing of the organizational culture relies on the fundamental responsibility of management to plan, direct, motivate, and control the day to day operations of the organization. Innovative cultures must be built and supported by management. To begin with, anything that gives a corporation a competitive advantage over the other is a characteristic of innovation. Most companies are described as first movers into some specific industries and once they get in, they make it very difficult for others to get in due to a specified or unspecified characteristic of innovation. This could be innovation in technology, innovation in financial management (capital acquisition), innovation in customer service and what have you. One main innovation characteristic of P&G is to move innovation to commercialization faster than any other competitor in the industry. Defining the

innovation strategy and the resulting portfolio characteristics (play-to-win or playnot-to-loose and the associated mix of incremental, semi-radical, and radical innovations) are the first major responsibility of a companys leadership (Davila et al., p.85). Secondly, anything that creates a situation that people had to deal with is a characteristic of innovation. When innovation is implemented, it changes peoples attitude toward the new process. It makes people think and act different from the way they used to. It creates different vision and mission that people have to focus on; and this gives rise to altering behaviors and attitudes. All this is because of innovation. Whenever P&G introduces a new product line, it alters situations and behaviors. Anything that creates a problem or resolves a problem is a characteristic of innovation. When Listerine mouth wash was introduced into the market, it solved the problem of bad breath but than people had to deal with the burning sensation. Keeley (2006) has found that: Innovations can have both positive and negative implications. A few years ago, people were discussing the revenge of technology. Now there are a few people that are warning us about the pursuit of technology. Whatever the pundits say, the future is probably going to happen anyway. So here is my initial list of characteristics of innovations that might change the world: Anything that provides a service or solves a problem in a significantly better way, anything that changes how society works or plays, anything that eliminates a major problem (or cost) for people and or organizations. (p.1) The reason why leadership hype is critical for innovation, creativity and change in an organization is that; at P&G innovation or change occurs from top down. This sends a clear message to everyone that if the entire leadership has changed to accommodate innovation, its about time for them to change also (employees). Management makes employees creative and innovative by hyping innovation and making it a priority. To encourage creativity and innovation within an organization, leadership must hype it; institute a reward system to compensate creative employees and link innovation and creativity to the broader mission and vision of the organization. P&G Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis One strategic management tool that P&G uses to stay ahead of its competition is the effective and efficient utilization of SWOT analysis. This involves specifying the goals and objectives of the business as well as identifying the

internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable in achieving the goals and objectives. These analyses are based on the companys case study as well as the industry trend. Because of the segmentation and size of the company, P&G faces a lot of domestic and foreign regulatory threats and distribution systems where foreign competition tries to imitate P&Gs brand names for the seek of misleading consumers for self profit. This threat of foreign brand imitation is due to weak foreign business laws and regulations. P&Gs strength includes: strong financial position both in the domestic and foreign markets. The company was the 25th largest U. S company by revenue in the early part of 2007, and the 18thlargest by profit. This is why the company is one of the most admired companies in the United States. Also, the company has the ability and capability to push innovation to commercialization faster than any other competitor in the industry; even though it faces competition from Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, and Unilever, its been able to move products and services from the innovation phrase to commercialization faster; P&G has effective and efficient manufacturing processes which include total quality management as well as just in time inventory systems; this has enabled the company to save on inventory costs; and this cost saving is generously passed on to consumers in a form of high quality and lower prices of goods and services. Another unique strength of P&G is its pool of skilled labor. In a Congressional briefing luncheon hosted by the Athena Alliance and the Congressional Economic Leadership Institute held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC in June 2006; P&Gs Corporate Director of Innovation Capability mentioned, P&G has 9,000 R&D associates including 1,100 PhDs. This clearly explains the tremendous success of the company. The companys pool of highly skilled employees in the industry has given it the edge to lead in the innovation of over 40 product categories for which it holds more than 27,000 patents. The Director of Corporate Innovation Capability added Our research and development organization is fluent in a broad range of competencies including chemistry, engineering, materials science, biological sciences, medicine, and mathematics. Also, P&G has a track record of producing high quality products which is very difficult to match or beat. Consumers want high quality products at reasonable and affordable prices, and this is the main reason why P&G is the driver of the consumer product industry worldwide. P&Gs innovative products and services have helped consumers save a lot of money on dental hygiene and on other health care products.

Just about everyone wants a bright healthy smile, but not everyone can spend $600 for the dental visits needed to achieve whiter teeth. And unlike the stereotypical eureka moment, a lone P&G scientist didnt accidentally stumble onto the Crest White Strips formula late one night at the lab. What we did do was work backward from the consumer need for a convenient, affordable solution to whiter teeth. We brought together a diverse team of experts across our technology centers who were at the leading edge of their fields from our flexible films group, adhesive group, dental experts from our oral care organization and bleaching experts from our laundry business. And through solution focused R&D, we delivered Crest Whitestrips with a level of tooth whitening that surpasses anything else available in the retail market, and consumers pay only $35. (P&G Corporate Director of Innovation Capability). Some weaknesses of P&G include: Lack of effective distribution system in some segment as well as poor location in some foreign countries and high cost of inputs. Another area of weakness is the employment of foreign based local management who doesnt have any international business experience. This makes collaboration with headquarters a little difficult because of their inexperience in the global business arena. P&Gs opportunities include: Well defined market niche, just in time manufacturing technology, wide range of demography, and the removal of trade barriers in some foreign countries. The removal of trade barriers in some foreign countries has enabled the company to operate competitively without much government intervention. Trade barriers historically has been known to be one of the biggest threats for most multinational businesses because of hostile takeovers by some foreign governments, difficulty of entry, corruption among government officials and bribery, and unhealthy business environment. Threats include: New entry into the household product industry, use of substitute products, increased trade barriers in some developing nations, unfavorable business laws and political instability. Investors do not like uncertainty. They want to ensure that there is democracy and stable government in whatever country they invest and most importantly, they should be able to repatriate their profits without much restriction. This has been a threat to most businesses as well as P&G. A series of innovation systems that are now common practices in corporations across America including extensive market research, the brand-management system, and employee profit-sharing programs, were first developed at P&G;

however, two key innovation systems will be discussed. These include the AskMe Enterprise and the Corporate Standards System. It is important to analyze and contrast these two key innovation systems within P&G. I have decided to choose the AskMe Enterprise innovation system because innovation begins with ideas or brainstorming sessions among the subject matter experts, and AskMe Enterprise innovation system provides that capability. In July of 2001, P&G acquired the second installment of AskMe Enterprise from AskMe Corporation, one of the leading providers of enterprise knowledge sharing solutions in order to increase and strengthen its innovation net. AskMe Enterprise is one of the most important and the largest innovation systems in P&G. It is an intranet site that facilitates greater employee collaboration and enables more consumer-driven innovations. AskMe Enterprise reaches 18,000 key knowledge workers in P&G as well as in departments such as R&D, Engineering, Purchasing, Consumer and Market Knowledge, and knowledge sharing. (Qu, 2001). According to Delphi Group study (as cited in Qus 2001) Nearly 88% of a companys knowledge resides in the minds of its employees. But most companies lack an efficient system that enables them to tap into that knowledge in ways that provide a strong return on investment. With AskMe Enterprise, employees can identify qualified individuals with relevant expertise, submit questions or business problems to individuals and receive solutions from colleagues in order to take appropriate and effective actions. Solutions transferred via AskMe Enterprise are captured in a knowledge database so other employees can reuse them in the future. The most interesting aspect of this innovation system is its inclusiveness. It takes into consideration all personality types within the corporation (introverts and extroverts). Introverts and Extroverts can use the system effectively without any feelings of intimidation or alienation. The AskMe Enterprise system brings the best out of individuals, leadership, and groups, because it challenges employees at all levels of the organization to be innovative and think creatively within and outside the organization. The leadership stimulates the minds of employees by putting them in the position of customers with real problems that need immediate solution. That is why the success of every organization or system depends on good leadership. Organizational culture is the personality of the organization and how it learns. In implementing this innovation system, it is very important for the leadership to have a better understanding of the culture and how to incorporate the system with the culture. The culture at P&G is

totally different from the culture at Johnson & Johnson and so on. Different cultures learn at different pace at a time and the leadership must not lose sight of this differences. Corporate culture and learning are particularly important when managing an organization wide change. Learning organizations turn weaknesses and threats into strengths and opportunities by not getting frustrated and quitting when confronted with difficult situations and challenges. This is how P&G learns and more importantly, builds its culture to understand that quitting is not an option in the innovation process. Several challenges and factors confront management when leading and managing innovative change processes in a multicultural and diverse organization like P&G. Dooley and OSullivan (2001) have found the following to be the fundamental challenges of leading and managing innovative change process Poor alignment between goals and actions, poor participation in idea generation and problem solving, poor planning and control of action implementation, poor management and monitoring of overall process and more importantly poor leadership of the innovation process. (p. 179). This reemphasizes on the importance of good leadership in every problem solving situation. The diversity and multiculturalism of P&G needs leadership that will accept responsibility and move change throughout the organization by stressing on the importance of the change to individuals and groups; as well as the organization as a whole. When individuals and groups understand both the positive and negative impact of change on their lives, and are involved on each step of the process, they will be more willing to accept it and work diligently to ensure its success even when bad decisions are bad by management in the innovation and change process. Individuals and groups may work in the short run to turn the bad decision into a positive one provided they are involved in each process and also understand the ramifications. Montgomery, 1996 (as cited in Dooley & OSullivan 2001) Change is a slow process where direct relationships between specific actions and performance improvement can be difficult to establish. Sometimes even the implementation of a bad solution can have positive effects for the organization in the short term-term (p.179). The role of ethics and responsibilities in leading innovation and change in P&G cannot be overemphasized. This is due to the fact that unethical decision making in the innovation and change process may have a detrimental effect on innovation because, the innovation output may be rejected by consumers and the

general public. Consumers may feel and sense unethical behaviors in the output of innovation and change and this may lead to failure and waste of scarce resources. Therefore, management must take the responsibility to ensure that innovation and change processes are guided by ethical and moral principles. In practicing and implementing innovative change processes organization wide, certain fundamental principles must be adhered in order to ensure successful implementation. First, innovation begins when groups and individuals convert problems into ideas. New ideas are born through questions, problems and obstacles. The process of innovation is indebted to the trouble that comes about when we are surrounded by that which is not solved, not smooth and not simple. (Dominic, 2007). Second, innovation needs a system. All organizations have innovation systems. Some are formal, designed by the leadership, and some are informal, taking place outside established channels. A good example of formal innovation system is AskMe Enterprise used by P&G for the collaboration of subject matter experts within the organization. Third, passion is the fuel, and pain is the hidden ingredient. Ideas do not propel themselves; passion makes them go. This is why it is important for groups and teams to constantly work together and get to know each other well. With this principle in mind, teams will bury their individual differences when conflict arises and focus on the innovation issue at hand. The final innovative principle is closely tied to the third principle. This is where differences must be leveraged at all times. The differences that normally divide people such as language, culture, race, gender and thinking and problem solving styles can be an obstacle to innovation. This is why P&G has a sensitivity training system to train all its leadership team and subject matter experts about cultural, language, and religious differences with the organization and how each of this can derail the implementation of innovation and change. The systems and innovative processes and theories are applied to individuals and organizations as well as leadership in different ways. Organizations establish these systems for individuals to utilize in brainstorming innovative ideas and solutions. When the right decisions are made and implemented as a result of the brainstorming session, it benefits the individuals, the leadership, and the organization because it may lead to profits for the organization, promotions for the individuals and a sustained competition in the industry. So, the application of a successful innovative change process may lead to a win-win situation for all parties involved. Organizations must embrace change and creativity in order to stay

competitive in this ever changing global market arena. You innovate, or be forced out of business. Management must encourage and motivate employees to think creatively. To achieve this, the broader vision of the organization must be tied to innovation and creativity systems within the organization; and a reward system instituted to reward employees who think creatively. Appropriate measures must also be instituted to deal with conflicts when or if they arise. Conflicts may be turned into opportunities if properly managed. Speaking of innovation and change, I heard on a nationally syndicated radio that an unidentified company is innovating to design a bullet proof back pack for students at all levels in our educational system. This, the company believes will help save lives in school shootings which is the order of the day in our school system today. Innovation, innovation

Procter & Gamble

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods.[3] In 2011, P&G recorded $82.6 billion dollars in sales. Fortune magazine ranked P&G at fifth place of the "World's Most Admired Companies" list, which was up from sixth place in 2010.[4] Procter & Gamble is the only Fortune 500 company to issue C Share common stock.

[edit]History William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, emmigrated from England and Ireland respectively. They settled in Cincinnati initially and met when they married sisters, Olivia and Elizabeth Norris.[5] Alexander Norris, their father-in-law, called a meeting in which he persuaded his new sons-in-law to become business partners. On October 31, 1837, as a result of the suggestion, Procter & Gamble was born. In 18581859, sales reached $1 million. By this point, approximately 80 employees worked for Procter & Gamble. During the American Civil War, the company won

contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles. In addition to the increased profits experienced during the war, the military contracts introduced soldiers from all over the country to Procter & Gamble's products. In the 1880s, Procter & Gamble began to market a new product, an inexpensive soap that floats in water. The company called the soap Ivory. William Arnett Procter, William Procter's grandson, began a profit-sharing program for the company's workforce in 1887. By giving the workers a stake in the company, he correctly assumed that they would be less likely to go on strike. The company began to build factories in other locations in the United States because the demand for products had outgrown the capacity of the Cincinnati facilities. The company's leaders began to diversify its products as well and, in 1911, began producing Crisco, a shortening made of vegetable oils rather than animal fats. As radio became more popular in the 1920s and 1930s, the company sponsored a number of radio programs. As a result, these shows often became commonly known as "soap operas".

Procter & Gamble headquarters inDowntown Cincinnati, Ohio

The company moved into other countries, both in terms of manufacturing and product sales, becoming an international corporation with its 1930 acquisition of the Thomas Hedley Co., based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Procter & Gamble maintained a strong link to the North East of England after this acquisition. Numerous new products and brand names were introduced over time, and Procter & Gamble began branching out into new areas. The company introduced "Tide" laundry detergent in 1946 and "Prell" shampoo in 1947. In 1955, Procter & Gamble began selling the first toothpaste to contain fluoride, known as "Crest". Branching out once again in 1957, the company purchased Charmin Paper Mills and began manufacturing toilet paper and other paper products. Once again focusing on laundry, Procter & Gamble began making "Downy" fabric softener in 1960 and "Bounce" fabric softener sheets in 1972. One of the most revolutionary products to come out on the market was the company's "Pampers", first test-marketed in 1961. Prior to this point disposable diapers were not popular, although Johnson & Johnson had developed a product called "Chux". Babies always wore cloth diapers, which were leaky and labor intensive to wash. Pampers provided a

convenient alternative, albeit at the environmental cost of more waste requiring landfilling. Procter & Gamble acquired a number of other companies that diversified its product line and significantly increased profits. These acquisitions includedFolgers Coffee, Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals (the makers of Pepto-Bismol), Richardson-Vicks, Noxell (Noxzema), Shulton's Old Spice, Max Factor, and the Iams Company, among others. In 1994, the company made headlines for big losses resulting from leveraged positions in interest rate derivatives, and subsequently sued Bankers Trust for fraud; this placed their management in the unusual position of testifying in court that they had entered into transactions that they were not capable of understanding. In 1996, Procter & Gamble again made headlines when the Food and Drug Administration approved a new product developed by the company, Olestra. Also known by its brand name Olean, Olestra is a lower-calorie substitute for fat in cooking potato chips and other snacks that during its development stages is known to have caused anal leakage and gastrointestinal difficulties in humans. Procter & Gamble has dramatically expanded throughout its history, but its headquarters still remains in Cincinnati. In January 2005 P&G announced an acquisition of Gillette, forming the largest consumer goods company and placing Unilever into second place. This added brands such as Gillette razors, Duracell, Braun, and Oral-B to their stable. The acquisition was approved by the European Union and the Federal Trade Commission, with conditions to a spinoff of certain overlapping brands. P&G agreed to sell its SpinBrush batteryoperated electric toothbrush business to Church & Dwight. It also divested Gillette's oral-care toothpaste line, Rembrandt. The deodorant brands Right Guard, Soft & Dri, and Dry Idea were sold to Dial Corporation.[6] The companies officially merged on October 1, 2005. Liquid Paper, and Gillette's stationery division, Paper Mate were sold to Newell Rubbermaid. In 2008, P&G branched into the record business with its sponsorship of Tag Records, as an endorsement for TAG Body Spray.[7] P&G's dominance in many categories of consumer products makes its brand management decisions worthy of study.[8] For example, P&G's corporate strategists must account for the likelihood of one of their products cannibalizing the sales of another.[9]

On August 24, 2009, the Ireland-based pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott announced they had bought P&G's prescription-drug business for $3.1 billion.[10][11] P&G exited the food business in 2012 when it sold its Pringles snack food business to Kellogg's. They had previously sold Jif peanut butter and Folgers coffee in separate transactions to Smucker's Procter and Gamble is a tier one sponsor of the London's Olympic Games 2012 and sponsors 150 Athletes. [edit]Operations As of July 1, 2011, the company's operations are categorized into two "Global Business Units" with each Global Business Unit divided into "Business Segments" according to the company's 2011 Annual Report. Dimitri Panayotopoulos is Vice Chairman of Global Business Units[12]

Beauty segment Grooming segment Health Care segment Snacks & Pet Care segment Fabric Care & Home Care segment Baby Care & Family Home Care segment

[edit]Management

and staff

The board of directors of Procter & Gamble currently has eleven members: Robert A. McDonald, Angela Braly, Meg Whitman, Johnathan A. Rodgers, Ernesto Zedillo, Scott Cook, Patricia A. Woertz,Susan D. Desmond-Hellmann, Maggie Wilderotter, W. James McNerney, Jr. and Kenneth Chenault.[13] In March 2011 Rajat Gupta resigned from the board after an SEC accusation of Galleon Groupinsider trading.[14] In October 2008, P&G was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Later that month, P&G was also named one ofGreater Toronto's Top Employers, which was announced by the Toronto Star newspaper.[15] In May 2011 Fortune editor-at-large Patricia Sellers praised P&G's board diversity, as five of the company's eleven current directors are female and have all been on Fortune's annual Most Powerful Women list.[16]

Procter & Gamble is a member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a Washington D.C.-based coalition of over 400 major companies and NGOs that advocates for a larger International Affairs Budget, which funds American diplomatic and development efforts abroad.[17] On November 19, 2011 the Associated Press and USA Today reported that a company spokesman confirmed Dr. John Smale, former CEO, has died at age 84. [18] Online memorial page for Dr. John Smale [19] [edit]Brands
Main article: List of Procter & Gamble brands

24 of P&G's brands have more than a billion dollars in net annual sales, according to the 2011 Annual Report. Leadership Brands

Ace is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid available in numerous forms and scents. Always is a brand of feminine care products. Ariel is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid available in numerous forms and scents. Bold is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid. Bounce is a brand of laundry products sold in the United States and Canada. Bounty is a brand of paper towel sold in the United States and Canada. Braun is a small-appliances manufacturer specializing in electric shavers, epilators, hair care appliances and blenders. Cascade is a brand of dishwashing products. CoverGirl is a brand of women's cosmetics. Crest/Oral B is a brand of toothpaste and teeth whitening products. Dash is a brand of laundry detergent/liquid. Dawn/Fairy is a brand of dishwashing detergent.[20] Dolce & Gabbana is a brand of fine fragrances. Downy/Lenor is a brand of fabric softener. Duracell is a brand of batteries and flashlights. Eukanuba is a brand of pet food. Febreze/Ambi Pur is a brand of air fresheners. Fixodent is a brand of air denture adhesives.

Fusion is a brand of men's wet shave razors and is the quickest P&G brand to have reached $1 billion in annual sales. Gain is a brand of laundry detergent, fabric softeners and liquid dish soap. Gillette is a brand of safety razor and male grooming products. Head & Shoulders is a brand of anti-dandruff shampoo and conditioners. Herbal Essences is a brand of shampoo and conditioners. Hugo Boss is a brand of fine fragrances. Iams is a brand of pet food. Luvs is a brand of baby diapers. Mach3 is a brand of safety razor and male grooming products. Max Factor is a brand of women's cosmetics. Mister Clean is a brand of multi-purpose cleaner, and spray sold in the United States and Great Britain. Olay is a brand of women's skin care products. Old Spice is a brand of men's grooming products. Oral-B is a brand of toothbrush, and oral care products. Pampers is a brand of disposable diaper and other baby care products. Pantene is a brand of hair care products (conditioners/styling aids). Prestobarba/Blue is a brand of safety razor and male grooming products. Prilosec is an over the counter drug. Puffs is a brand of tissues. Rejoice/Pert is a brand of hair care products (conditioners/styling aids). Safeguard is a brand of soaps. Secret is a female anti-perspirant brand. SK-II is a brand of women's skin care products. Swiffer is a brand of house-cleaning products. Tampax is a brand of feminine care products. Tide is a brand of laundry detergent. Venus is a brand female hair removal products. Vicks is an over the counter medication. Wella is a brand name of hair care products (shampoo, conditioner, styling, and hair color).

Most of these brands, including Bounty, Crest, and Tide, are global products available on several continents. Procter & Gamble products are available in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Manufacturing operations are based in the following regions:

United States Canada Mexico Latin America

Europe China (31 wholly owned factories) and other parts of Asia Africa Australia

[edit]Productions

The P&G production logo used from early 1985 to 2007.

Procter & Gamble produced and sponsored the first radio soap operas in the 1930s (Procter & Gamble's being known for detergents - soaps - was probably the genesis of the term "soap opera")[citation needed]. When the medium switched to television in the 1950s and 1960s, most of the new serials were sponsored and produced by the company. The serial The Young and the Restless is currently broadcast on CBS and is still partially sponsored by Procter & Gamble. When As the World Turns left the air on September 17, 2010, The Young and the Restless, became the only soap left that is partially sponsored by Procter & Gamble. These past serials were produced by Procter & Gamble:

Another World As the World Turns The Brighter Day The Catlins The Edge of Night The First Hundred Years From These Roots

Guiding Light Lovers and Friends / For Richer, for Poorer Our Private World Search for Tomorrow Somerset Texas Young Doctor Malone

Procter & Gamble also was the first company to produce and sponsor a prime-time show, a 1965 spinoff of the daytime soap opera As the World Turns called Our Private World. PGP also producedShirley, a prime-time NBC series starring Shirley Jones, in 1979; it lasted thirteen episodes. They also produced TBS' first original comedy series, Down to Earth, which ran from 1984 to 1987 (110 episodes were produced). They also distributed the syndicated comedy series Throb. Procter & Gamble Productions originally co-produced Dawson's Creek with Sony Pictures Television but withdrew before the series premiere due to early press reviews. It also produced the 1991 TV movie A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story, which was co-produced by The Landsburg Company. It also produces the People's Choice Awards. In addition to self-produced items, Procter & Gamble also supports many Spanishlanguage novellas through advertising on networks such as Univision, Telemundo, Telefutura, and Azteca America. Procter & Gamble was one of the first mainstream advertisers on Spanish-language TV during the mid-1980s.[citation
needed]

In 2008, P&G expanded into music sponsorship when it joined Island Def Jam to create Tag Records, named after a body spray that P&G acquired from Gillette. In April 2010, after the cancellation ofAs the World Turns, PGP announced they were officially phasing out of the soap industry, and expanding into more family appropriate programming.[21][22] Procter & Gamble (P&G) also gave a $100,000 contract to the winners of Cycle 1 through 3 of Canada's Next Top Model, making Andrea Muizelaar, Rebecca Hardy and Meaghan Waller won the prize. [edit]Controversies [edit]Price

fixing

In April 2011, P&G was fined 211.2m euros by the European Commission for establishing a price fixing cartel in Europe along with Unilever, who was fined 104m euros, and Henkel. Though the fine was set higher at first, it was discounted by 10% after P&G and Unilever admitted running the cartel. As the provider of the tip-off leading to investigations, Henkel was not fined.[23]