Businesses and entrepreneurs everywhere aim to create positive change through innovations. Global powerhouse Procter & Gamble uncovers how to meet consumer needs through constructive disruption.
P&G Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard speaking on the C Space stage at CES 2019.Procter & Gamble (P&G), a CES® 2022 exhibitor, is no stranger to leading change. More than half a century ago, the global consumer products company was the one that addressed consumer complaints about broken, greasy chips and air in potato chip bags in 1956 — disrupting the world of the classic snack by creating the saddle-shaped chips and tubular cans of Pringles.
The aerodynamic break-proof chip is only one solution in P&G’s history of change, an example of what P&G Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard described at CES 2020 and 2021 as constructive disruption.
“Constructive is a carefully chosen word,” Pritchard said. “The last decade is littered with value-destructive disruptions. But the harder task, and our job as market leaders, is to disrupt in a way that drives growth and creates value for the consumers we serve and in the markets in which we compete.”
As consumer expectations of personalization and privacy evolve, and as these customers focus on social responsibility, businesses must be agile to meet — and even anticipate — those demands.
The Customer as the Foundation
For P&G, this mission means understanding consumers to make sure that new products and services are serving consumers better and responding to current events.
Capturing data across the board — from stores, from product data, from engaging with people in their homes — the team can, through analytics, understand pain points and drive improvements.
As consumers turn to sustainability and place loyalty behind brands they see as doing good, authentic and values-based innovations are the ones driving growth and positive results.
“Our job as market leaders is to disrupt in a way that drives growth and creates value for the consumers we serve and in the markets in which we compete. MARC PRITCHARD CHIEF BRAND OFFICER, P&G “
Innovate How We Innovate
Changing the way they think about disruption and development across the entire supply and value chain will help brands refine offerings and adapt to consumer desires.
For example, Secret, a P&G brand, brought advertising creation and media planning in-house, significantly cutting content production time and communication costs. This has allowed the brand to be flexible and react nimbly to consumer responses, in turn adjusting its ads and products.
Extending beyond traditional ideas of innovation as well, P&G has led efforts to champion diversity and inclusion through its products and voice.
“Once we’re aware of bias, we can do something about it,” said P&G Chief Communications Officer Damon Jones. “With that in mind, we’re using our talents as storytellers and our voice as a leading advertiser to inspire people to reflect on these issues, have constructive conversations, challenge their own biases and become advocates for change.”
Initiatives such as the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing or the #SeeAll campaign benefit retailers and enable them to create compelling ads that resonate with worldwide audiences, helping them tap into new markets.
By constructively disrupting how products are created and how brands advertise, companies can drive growth while creating positive change and taking a stand for their authentic brand voice.
