A New Odd Couple: Google, P&G Swap Workers to Spur Innovation†

Wall Street Journal, November 18, 2008 — At Procter & Gamble Co., the corporate culture is so rigid, employees jokingly call themselves "Proctoids." In contrast, Google Inc. staffers are urged to wander the halls on company-provided scooters and brainstorm on public whiteboards.

Now, this odd couple thinks they have something to gain from one another — so they've started swapping employees. So far, about two-dozen staffers from the two companies have spent weeks dipping into each other's staff training programs and sitting in on meetings where business plans get hammered out. The initiative has drawn little notice. Previously, neither company had granted this kind of access to outsiders.

A Plan for Spanning Silos†

No Need to Blow Them Up, but CMOs Must Foster Communication and Cooperation

Advertising Age, November 10, 2008 — Autonomous silos defined by products, countries or functions, often operating in isolation if not in competition with each other, are no longer a viable option. They can be monumentally inefficient, limit the creation of silo-spanning offerings, lead to wasteful and non-optimal resource allocation, be barriers to marketing that has scale, and create brands that are inconsistent and confused both internally and externally. In tough economic times, such inefficiencies and barriers can mean the difference between business success and disappointing marketing performance, or even failure.

However, that does not mean the answer is to blow them up, or even that the goal of the organization should be to centralize or standardize. Rather, silo-driven problems... continue reading

The Newest Ad Agencies: Major Media Companies†

Marketers Increasingly Bypass Traditional Business Model

Advertising Age, November 3, 2008 — When Procter & Gamble Co. brought hundreds of suppliers to Cincinnati earlier this month for its first "supplier summit," among them were 40 media companies. The message from Chairman-CEO A.G. Lafley, according to one attendee: "We want your ideas, and if we use them, we'll give you a piece of the action."

It should be no surprise that media companies are among the partners P&G is looking to tap for ideas that range from new products to new ways of marketing them. Though it may be the largest, it's far from the only marketer soliciting marketing advice from media companies these days.

Veteran Marketer Promotes a New Kind of Selling†

Outgoing P&G Adman Sets Up New Shop, Hoping to Persuade Clients They Need to Show How They Can Improve People's Lives

Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2008 — Jim Stengel, the outgoing global marketing chief at Procter & Gamble, is moving from a big advertiser to a small start-up, hoping to remedy some of what he thinks is wrong with the industry.

Starting Monday, the 25-year P&G veteran is opening Jim Stengel LLC, which will try to persuade companies to buy into a newfangled way of selling. It's called "purpose-based marketing," which Mr. Stengel says is about defining what a company does — beyond making money — and how it can make its customers' lives better.

General Mills, Kraft Launch Word of Mouth Networks†

Brandweek, October 5, 2008 — Recognizing that a consumer's two cents are well worth their dollars, General Mills and Kraft have both launched new word-of-mouth networks.

For General Mills, it is "Pssst . . . ," an online network that gives members the scoop on the latest product news and offerings. The site, pssst.generalmills.com, currently has 100,000 members after a quiet launch last month.

Pssst uses an initial survey to help gauge product preferences. Once registered, users can voice their opinions via blog posts, share online coupon offers and recipes, and test new sample kits via the mail.

Kraft, meanwhile, kicked off Kraftfirsttaste.com last week, which lets consumers share the newest coupon and sampling offers, but also includes features such as a member spotlight, product... continue reading

P&G Takes Laundry Brands In New Directions†

Dry Cleaning, Youth-Oriented Products and Tim Gunn Figure in Latest Initiatives

Advertising Age, August 25, 2008 — Procter & Gamble Co.'s Tide is branching into dry cleaning, fashion and more as it looks to innovate in new areas amid an economic downturn and changing consumer demands regarding laundry. Tide has launched a three-store test of a dry cleaner under its brand name in Kansas City, Mo. The test includes construction of a new company-owned store and partnership in two other stores with a local dry cleaner, GreenEarth Cleaning, which uses a dry-cleaning solvent it says is environmentally safer than traditional chemicals.

P&G Changes Its Game

How Procter & Gamble is using design thinking to crack difficult business problems

BusinessWeek, July 28, 2008 — "Design thinking" may seem like just another new buzzword in the lexicon of innovation, but Procter & Gamble (PG) is using the approach to change its culture. Leadership is listening, learning, and deploying; cross-functional teams are cracking vexing problems across its business landscape; and visualization, prototyping, and iteration are facilitating communication internally and with customers like never before. Here's a look inside one of the most intriguing change management efforts going on in Corporate America today.

Stengel on Leadership, New Media and the Purpose Institute†

Q&A: P&G's Departing Global CMO Talks About His Legacy, His Future and What Changes, If Any, His Successor Has in Store

Advertising Age, July 21, 2008 — After seven years as perhaps the most visible, outspoken and successful Procter & Gamble Co. chief marketer in decades, Jim Stengel has announced he's leaving the post Aug. 1 and the company Oct. 31, after some special project work. In this interview with Advertising Age's Jack Neff, he discusses his legacy, what the transition to Marc Pritchard as global marketing officer means and whether he really does love the media as much as, say, Madonna does.

Dispelling the Myths about Open Innovation

Prophet, June 24, 2008 — When it comes to seizing the power of innovation to drive business growth, one of the best routes to success — based on practices of leaders on this front — is through Open Innovation. But while the concept is increasingly familiar and many organizations are eager to position themselves to harness its potential, considerable confusion exists around what Open Innovation is and what it isn’t.

Innovation Quest: Catalytic Leaders Set the Pace

Marketing News, June 24, 2008 — Innovation appears to be the holy grail of our times: Miraculous things will be wrought

when you find it, from an expanding cadre of continuously delighted loyal customers to a powerful, valuable brand, to sustained and healthy growth.

But the innovation quest is long, laborious andnot for the faint of heart. And success requires strong leadership setting the pace: a catalyst and change agent who has the vision, desire and ability to enlist and inspire others to the cause.