Melissa Conlon

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has been a longstanding multinational corporation since 1837. Throughout its almost 200 years in operation, they have witnessed monumental moments throughout American history including the Civil War, the Great Depression, and both World Wars. Somehow, P&G has been able to grow into the world’s largest consumer goods company that has expanded its specialties well beyond its origins of soap making. Today, they manage approximately 65 brands divided into 10 product categories.

Since 2014, P&G has dropped over 100 brands from its portfolio to focus its efforts towards the 65 brands that generate almost 95% of their annual profits. Many of the brands we know and use on a daily basis are owned by P&G, without many consumers realizing it.

I have decided to focus my work on P&G because I’m interested in researching the ethics around a company with a net worth of over 300 billion dollars, serving over 5 billion consumers around the world. As seen in the graphic below (from 2016, which may need to be updated), it can be overwhelming to think that these many brands are housed under one company: Procter & Gamble.

On its website, P&G promotes its sustainability efforts and its mission to give back to the environment. Keeping this in mind, I want to create a product (or a brand under P&G?) that is sustainable and all-natural. Perhaps either a cleaning or beauty product. Sustainable efforts are more important than ever, and sustainable products are well-sought out for by consumers today.

I’m thinking of creating a product that is targeted towards new moms: a non-irritating laundry detergent, all-natural baby care product, or a beauty product that allows new moms to feel like themselves again after a major, beautiful life adjustment. I want this to be an all-natural product that is at an affordable price point that is targeted towards 25-35 year old women.

With all of this in mind, I want to research the existing markets for P&G and their all-natural products. Two competitors that come to mind for this new product will be Burts Bees and Seventh Generation. I will also research my competitors and their markets to see how they differentiate from P&G’s, and who their target audiences are.

My research will also include Unilever and Clorox, who own many of the brands that we shop as well, including Burts Bees. I would be interested to see what their sustainable efforts are in comparison to P&G’s. These corporations also place emphasis on innovation, so I would love to see where I can incorporate that into my all-natural product.