Hi! Managers: Touching and improving lives - the way to create Great Brands

Back in 1999, P&G was named “Marketer of the Century” by Advertising Age, a leading international business magazine. When the magazine’s reporter asked a simple question of Pepper – “What do you believe was the greatest contribution P&G made to marketing over the course of the century?” – his answer to the reporter was straightforward: “The unrelenting emphasis we place on creating and sustaining great leadership brands.” He also believed that what sets P&G apart is our neverending commitment to our brands as living, dynamic entities that we can and must keep strong and growing. Besides, at the heart of P&G’s success, we laid our focus on innovation to improve consumers’ lives and our ability to communicate product benefits with relevance and conviction.
I was really inspired by his sharing his thoughts in his book and would love to share his ideas on how P&G brands can remain dynamic and also be successful in today’s global market. Here I’ll share with you the first two brand-building success factors he mentions in his book and I will share the remaining factors in subsequent articles.
Firstly, he said that P&G has the ability to create so many world famous brands and keep them young and fresh year after year, decade after decade by having a passion for providing new benefits to consumers. This passion is driven by two motivations: to improve the lives of consumers through our brands, and to know that doing this is the foundation of our ability to lead and to grow based on its 172 years of history. And, this passion must exist at every level right up to the CEO. For instance, P&G people around the world are working to get the PUR water purification brand to consumers knowing we can improve – indeed save – the lives of millions of people and create a whole new business in the process. Our sales team’s women and men are building new businesses for P&G by making sure that our brands are taken to consumers in the most remote areas everywhere.
Edward G Harness, a former chairman of the board and ex-CEO of P&G from 1974 to 1981, used to say that, “Experience has taught us it is not enough to invent a new product. The real payoff is to manage that brand with such loving care that it continues to thrive year after year in a changing market place.” Hence, the second factor that brings success to our brands is the commitment to thoroughly and intimately understand consumer needs. P&G continues to find ways to improve how we conduct research to get more in-depth understanding of our consumers and shoppers so that we can delight them with greater benefits and promises year after year. In 1924, P&G was the first company to conduct broad-based, reliable consumer research. 
In the next article, I will share with you the remaining success factors that Pepper mentioned which really matter for today’s marketing practitioners in bringing success to their brands.

Medhee Jarumaneeroj is senior marketing/corporate communications manager at Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Co. Follow his article every fourth Wednesday of the month.