P&G and Developing Countries

Proctor and Gamble is a company that I greatly admire.  It is a large company with numerous brands, and each brand has its own unique purpose and serves to advance P&G's overall goals.  The company has established itself well in developed countries, but it is currently focusing more on the developing countries of the world.

The January edition of Fortune wrote about P&G's goal of raising sales from developing regions to 50% of total sales.  The author of the article, Jennifer Reingold, writes "Yet P&G, realizing that its future success lies in the developing world, has concluded that it must compete at the lower end of the spectrum as aggressively as it does at the higher one."  The article goes on to explain the R&D strategies used by P&G to achieve its goals, but I would like to examine the marketing implications of this article.

As a aspiring marketer, goals set by top management affect marketing strategies and implementation.  The marketing required for luxury goods in developed countries differs considerably from basic products in developing countries.  Given the P&G example, consumers will need to be given a reason to purchase the P&G products.  Local marketers from the developing regions will play in integral part in learning the characteristics of their market. 

Going back to the principles set out in The Global Brand CEO, P&G needs to make sure the marketing strategy for brands used in developing markets have a universal truth, purposeful positioning, and a total brand experience.  There are many strategies available to marketers at P&G, but they must keep in mind their target market and the position their brand occupies globally.

Aaron Roecker