P&G (Procter & Gamble) is one of the world's largest daily consumer goods companies, with nearly 100,000 employees worldwide, and has factories and branches in more than 80 countries around the world. The products of more than 300 brands are sold in more than 160 countries and regions, including shampoo, hair care, skin care products, cosmetics, baby care products, feminine hygiene products, medicine, food, beverages, fabrics, home care and personal cleaning products. In China, P&G's Rejoice, Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Safeguard, Olay, Shubao, Bilang, Tide and Crest have become household names.
WILLIAM PROCTER, an English immigrant, engaged in the candle-making business in Cincinnati, USA. At the same time, Irish immigrant James GAMBLE was also learning to make candles in the city. Later, they happened to marry two sisters, and their father-in-law persuaded the two sons-in-law to become partners. On April 12, 1837, they began to jointly produce and sell soap and candles. On August 22, the two parties each invested US$3,596.47 to formally establish the partnership, and signed a partnership contract on October 31 to establish Procter & Gamble (named after the two partners) in Cincinnati.
The "Stars and Moon" logo became the company's unofficial trademark in the 1850s. By the 1960s, the star and crescent logo appeared on all company products and documents. In 1859, P&G's annual sales exceeded $1 million for the first time, and the company's employees grew to 80 people.
In the early 20th century, in order to meet the growing domestic market demand, P&G began to set up factories outside Cincinnati. In 1915, P&G established its first manufacturing plant outside the United States in Canada. In 1930, P&G purchased Thomas Hedley Ltd. in the UK and established its first overseas branch.
By 1931, Procter & Gamble established a specialized marketing agency, with a group of specialized personnel responsible for the management of a certain brand, and there was competition between brands. This system enables each brand to have an independent marketing strategy, and P&G's brand management system was officially born.
In 1933, the radio series "Ma Perkins" sponsored by P&G was broadcast across the United States and became very popular, hence the name "soap opera".
In 1937, the 100th anniversary of P&G's founding, annual sales reached US$230 million.
In 1946, P&G launched Tide, known as the "laundry miracle". Tide used a new formula that washed better than any other product on the market at the time. Excellent washing effect and reasonable price made Tide become the No. 1 laundry detergent brand in the United States in 1950. Its success gave the company the capital it needed to expand into new product lines and new markets. In the years after Tide was launched, P&G expanded into many new product areas. Crest, the first fluoride toothpaste, received the first certification from the American Dental Association and quickly became the premier toothpaste brand. The company's pulp manufacturing process has facilitated the development of paper products such as tissue paper. P&G invented disposable baby diapers and launched Pampers in 1961. The company continued to strengthen its original business and began to enter the food and beverage market - the most important move was the acquisition of Folger's Coffee in 1961 and the launch of Downy, the first fabric softener. In order to expand its global business, P&G began to set up branches in Mexico, Europe and Japan. By 1980, Procter & Gamble was operating in 23 countries around the world, with sales approaching US$11 billion and profits increasing 35 times compared to 1945.
In 1980, P&G had developed into one of the largest multinational companies in the United States. Through the acquisitions of Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals (1982) and the Richardson-Vicks Company (1985), the company was active in the personal care products industry; through the acquisitions of Noxell, Max Factor, and Ellen Betrix in the late 1980s and early 1990s, P&G became active in cosmetics and fragrances. Industry plays an important role. These acquisitions have also accelerated P&G's globalization process.
In order to give full play to the advantages of multinational companies, P&G has established a global research and development network, with research centers located in the United States, Europe, Japan, Latin America and other places. P&G's Pampers, Comfort, Pantene, Tide, Blue Wave, Crest, Vicks and Olay have become world-renowned brands and are leaders in the market.
In 2001, Procter & Gamble acquired the Ecalu series, the world's leading hair dye and hair care brand, from Bristol-Myers Squibb. In 2003, P&G acquired the German company Wella.
In 1988, Procter & Gamble established its first joint venture in China, Guangzhou Procter & Gamble Co., Ltd., in Guangzhou, which began the process of P&G's investment in the Chinese market. At present, P&G has successively established more than a dozen joint ventures and wholly-owned enterprises in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Tianjin and other places. P&G's total investment in China has exceeded US$1 billion and it has approximately 4,000 employees.
The products currently sold by Procter & Gamble in China include: Rejoice, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Sassoon shampoo and hair care series, Safeguard soap, Olay soap, Safeguard shower gel, Olay shower gel, Refreshing soap, Shower gel, Olay skin care series, SKII, Shubao sanitary napkins, Crest toothpaste, Crest toothbrush, Bilang, Tide laundry detergent, Pampers diapers, Pringles potato chips, Depot paper towels, etc.
The current chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble is A.G. Lafley, and the company is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Currently, P&G has thirteen brands with annual sales exceeding US$1 billion. In the 2002-2003 fiscal year, P&G's annual sales were US$43.4 billion, ranking 86th among the 500 largest companies in the world in the 2003 Fortune magazine.