Tide Turns 'Basic' for P&G in Slump†

Wall Street Journal, August 6, 2009 — Procter & Gamble Co., under assault by penny-pinching consumers, has quietly rolled out a version of Tide detergent that the company freely admits isn't "new and improved."

The product, Tide Basic, is currently for sale in about 100 stores throughout the South. It lacks some of the cleaning capabilities of the iconic brand — and costs about 20% less. Its very existence is one of the most telling signs to date of how the sour U.S. economy is forcing mass marketers to shift course.

Why We Will Remember Tide Thursday†

P&G Expected to Trim Prices, Boost Ad Dollars to Fight Off Value Brands

Advertising Age, May 25, 2009 — Analyst conferences are rarely exciting, but when P&G Chairman-CEO A.G. Lafley appears at one this week, some believe the near-term future of package-goods marketing — and the long-term future of Procter & Gamble — may hang in the balance.

P&G Gives Its Marketers a Crash Course in Social Media†

Twittering Digerati Descend on Cincinnati HQ for 'Digital Hack Night' Charity Event

Advertising Age, March 12, 2009 — Procter & Gamble Co. paired 40 digital media and agency executives with 100 of its North American marketing directors in a contest to sell Tide T-shirts for charity last night as its much-awaited "Digital Hack Night" became a four-hour reality show aired largely in social media.

Retail as Habitat

The retail environment is a hothouse for national brands

Hub, December 15, 2008 — We now stand at the crossroads of perhaps one of the greatest economic declines in recent American history. It is fitting to reassess one of the more volatile questions faced today in the retail landscape: do store brands pose a significant threat to traditional brands in new ways, and if so, are brands destined to accelerate their decline, disappear in their current form, or evolve with new strategies?

Yes — this is a controversial discussion, but it is even more important now because of changes in the underlying market foundation and because of strategic implications for manufacturers in their approach to being seen by shoppers at retail.

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.

Ads for Respected Brands Hit Racy Sites†

Brandweek, November 4, 2008 — As celebrity slip-ups continue to serve as fodder for a slew of gossip sites and blogs, more mainstream brands are finding their way onto these sites, despite their often-racy content. The big question is whether content of this variety is simply becoming more acceptable for marketers given its popularity, or whether negligent ad networks are placing messages on sites many brands would rather avoid. Both could be the case, said several media executives.

A Way to Save and Still Have Crisp Clothes

New York Times, October 9, 2008 — A new partnership between the retailer Ann Taylor Loft and Procter & Gamble is turning stores into launching pads for two new products, Tide Total Care and Downy Total Care. Both products claim to cut down on dry cleaning bills by helping clothes look new for a longer time.

The store chain is handing out free samples and coupons to customers who buy machine washable clothes, while posters and decals throughout the stores alert customers to the products’ benefits. The retailer has also produced an eight-page magazine, available free in its stores, that provides tips on how to keep clothes looking fresh (hint: they require Tide or Downy Total Care).

“The partnership between Loft and P.& G. is not typical, and we admit that at first we had concerns,”... 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.