In a highly competitive environment, a team of professionals becomes the key to a successful business. It is the team that is able to effectively, efficiently and in the shortest possible time to solve the tasks assigned to it, since each member of the team knows how to "work for the result." Therefore, any manager will sooner or later have to learn what team building is and how team interaction skills are formed.

The concept of team building became widespread and began to be actively used by managers in the 80s in America and Western Europe. There are several reasons why the team and everything connected with it began to attract the attention of corporate leaders, managers at all levels and professors from famous business schools. One of the reasons, of course, is the "Japanese miracle", which forced American and Western European corporations to seriously think about their competitiveness and to revise the way they organize business and manage personnel. It quickly became clear how strikingly the business culture of the Japanese, oriented towards joint action and the spirit of collectivism, differs from the culture of Americans and Germans, who from childhood absorb the spirit of competition and individualism.

Japanese economic miracle- the historical phenomenon of record growth of the Japanese economy, which began in the mid-1950s and lasted until the 1973 oil crisis. The growth of the economy during the period of the economic miracle was almost 10% annually, these were the highest growth rates among the developed capitalist countries of that time.

The distinctive features of the Japanese economy during the period of the "economic miracle" were:

• the grouping of manufacturers, resource providers, product distributors, and banks into closely related groups called keiretsu;
• guarantee of lifetime employment in large corporations;

an active trade union movement.

For many years, the spirit of "brute individualism" allowed companies to prosper and develop successfully, but already in the early 70s, a sense of unease and uncertainty began to appear in US business circles. The threat of defeat in the competitive struggle forced to mobilize forces and resources in order to answer a simple question: What needs to be done so that America can compete? One of the answers to this question was the emergence of team building.

A Brief History of Procter & Gamble

The company "Procter & Gamble" was founded by William Procter, an Englishman and James Gamble, a native of Ireland, in 1837 in Cincinnati (USA). Initially, the partners simply made candles and brewed soap with their own hands, then distributing their products in Cincinnati. Thoroughness and a forward-looking approach to business allowed a very modest business not only to survive the civil war, unprecedented financial, economic and political storms in the USA in the middle of the last century, but also to develop by the end of the century into one of the most advanced American companies. Sacredly following the "corporate spirit" and the traditions laid down by the founding fathers,
By 1890, Procter & Gamble was selling over 30 different types of soap throughout the country, including the famous Ivory. Growing demand allowed the company to build a new plant in Kansas City, Kansas, and after some time expand its activities outside the United States (the first was a plant in Ontario, Canada). To date, "Procter & Gamble" has branches in more than 50 countries around the world.
The rapid globalization of the company has led to the creation of a worldwide network of research and development institutes located in the US, Europe, Japan and Latin America. The company's global R&D spending has exceeded one billion dollars a year and employs more than 7,000 people in this field. In Russia, cooperation programs have been carried out since the early 1980s with the Ministry of Science, the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, the Institute of Biological and Medicinal Chemistry, the Dental Association (All-Russian), as well as St. Petersburg University in such areas as health care, chemistry and biochemistry. The company is continuously expanding the scope of projects carried out jointly with Russian research institutions.
The Company is currently a world leader in the production and marketing of consumer and industrial products. "Procter & Gamble", headquartered in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA), sells its products in more than 140 countries. In the 160 years since its founding, Procter & Gamble has grown into a company with over $35 billion in annual sales. The number of its employees worldwide is about 110 thousand people. The company manufactures over 40 product groups, and its product range includes more than 300 items.
In the early 1990s, Procter & Gamble offered a comprehensive service to solve the problems of Central and Eastern European laundries at all levels of production. Procter&Gamble has built a laboratory in Rakovnik, which analyzes the parameters of linen (ash content, the presence of magnesium ions, iron, fabric wear, composition, etc.). Based on laboratory analyzes, the company generates recommendations for all laundry processing processes. Procter&Gamble works closely with independent organizations - the Hohenstein Institute in Germany and the TZU Institute in Brno, Czech Republic. In the 2000s, the process of interaction with laundries became two-way - laundries actively cooperate with Procter & Gamble, exchange information and follow our recommendations. This led to the strengthening of the position of laundries collaborating with Procter & Gamble and the development of a new universal line of detergents - Ariel Expert SYSTEM - which can be used on both washer-extractors and washing production lines. The highest washing quality of the Ariel Expert System has been proven in practice in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, the Baltic States, Slovakia, etc.) and RUSSIA.

This story begins in 1837. It was a difficult time for America: hundreds of banks closed, crowds of people roamed the streets in search of work, panic reigned in the financial markets, rumors agitated society - “the country is on the verge of bankruptcy ....”

However, despite rumors of an impending civil war, two entrepreneurs chipped in for $3,500 to start a small candle and soap company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Later, solidity and a forward-thinking approach enabled the modest business not only to survive the unprecedented financial, economic and political storms in the United States in the middle of the last century, but also to quickly develop into one of the world's most advanced companies.

Today, the names of the founding fathers, William Procter and James Gamble, have confidently entered the world history of business development. Sacredly following the traditions laid down by the founding fathers, Procter and Gamble made the company's employees shareholders of its shares back in 1887 and was one of the first in American industry to invest large sums in research and development activities at the end of the 19th century. .

Among the products that revolutionized the consumer market at one time were those developed in the laboratories of Procter & Gamble and first introduced by the company: Ivory soap - the first floating soap, then the first serial synthetic washing powder "Dreft", the predecessor of the famous "Tide", released in 1946 d. Tide was followed by Ariel and Dash washing powders, which are popular all over the world. At the same time, Crest fluoride toothpaste, the market leader after the war, became the first toothpaste officially recommended by the American Dental Association due to its unique qualities, and Blend-a-Med, made in Germany, is its direct successor. disposable baby diapers have occupied P & G products in recent decades. Having released the first series of their famous Pampers in 1961, the company's specialists actually invented a new category of consumer goods.

P&G's rapid globalization has resulted in a worldwide network of 17 research institutes located in the US, Europe, Japan and Latin America. The company annually spends more than $1 billion on research and development, and the number of employees (with Ph.D. degrees) in this area exceeds six thousand people.

The head office of P&G is still located in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA). P&G has subsidiaries and operations in more than 140 countries. Today products from P&G (and these are Ariel, Tide, Myth detergents, Ace bleach, Comet, Fairy cleaners, Pampers diapers, Always, Alldays, Tampax sanitary pads, Head & Shoulders shampoos, Pantene Pro V, Wash & Go, Safeguard soap , Camay) have become just a part of the life of more than 2 billion consumers around the world, because with the call “Let Cleanliness, Beauty and Health always reign in your home!” hard to disagree, right?

175th anniversary of the joint work of the soap maker and candle maker

The common business of soap maker James Gamble and candle maker William Procter for 175 years has become the largest company in the world. Procter & Gamble currently has about 300 brands on the market in more than 160 countries. the site decided to trace the history of the company, which is inextricably linked with discoveries in household chemicals.

The history of Procter & Gamble begins in 1837. It was in this year that candlemaker William Procter met soapmaker James Gamble. Soon they began to work together - on August 22, a formal contract was signed. Each invested $3,596.47 in the common cause.

Already in 1859, the company's sales reached 1 million US dollars. The staff of Procter & Gamble at that time is 80 people.

Interestingly, during the American Civil War of 1861-1865, Procter & Gamble received large contracts to supply soap and candles to the northern army.

In 1879, the son of the company's founder, James Noris Gamble, a trained chemist, developed a formula for an inexpensive white soap similar in quality to imported high-quality olive oil-based soap. The soap was named Ivory.

The first national weekly newspaper, The Independent, began publishing advertisements for Ivory soap in 1882. It is the credit of Harley Procter, son of William Procter, who persuaded the partners to allocate $11,000 for soap advertising nationwide. It was then that the whole country learned about the purity of Ivory soap and its ability to stay afloat.

In 1915, the company expanded beyond the American market for the first time by building its first manufacturing facility in Canada. The team of the Canadian plant has 75 people. It markets products under the brand names Ivory and Crisco.

In response to the rapidly growing popularity of perfumed cosmetic soaps, the company introduced Camay soap to the market in 1926.

It is with Procter & Gamble that the popular expression "soap opera" is associated. The fact is that in 1933 the radio series “Ma Perkins” was released on the American air, sponsored by Oxydol washing powder from Procter & Gamble. The series' popularity leads the company to sponsor other soap operas as well. Fans of radio shows become loyal shoppers of Procter & Gamble products in stores.

At the same time, Dreft appears - the first synthetic detergent (SMC) for domestic use. The invention of CMC was the basis for a real revolution in the field of cleaning and washing technologies.

In 1937, Procter & Gamble celebrates its centenary. The company's sales volume is 230 million US dollars.

Just 5 months after the advent of television in the US, P&G placed its first TV ad during the broadcast of a baseball game, it was an ad for Ivory soap.

1946 - the year of the appearance of the "magic laundry detergent" - washing powder Tide. Tide's new formula delivers the best wash performance on the market. By 1950, thanks to a combination of excellent quality and reasonable price, Tide becomes the market leader in detergents.

In 1955, Crest, the first fluoride toothpaste, appears, clinical trials of which confirm that the paste protects teeth from caries.

Procter & Gamble reached $1 billion in sales in 1956.

1961 - the year of the introduction of Pampers diapers. In Peoria, Illinois, a trial batch of baby diapers appears. After some improvements, better and cheaper disposable diapers appear on the market. Gradually, they become the most convenient way to swaddle babies, replacing traditional gauze diapers.

P&G enters the global coffee market with the acquisition of the Folgers brand in 1963.

In 1967, Ariel washing powder appears on the market, which over time becomes one of the company's leading products among SMS on a global scale.

In 1983, the company launched Always/Whisper, an excellent quality feminine sanitary napkin, on the market. After 2 years, the product takes a leading position in its category.

In 1986, P&G invents the same product for washing and caring for hair - Pert Plus / Rejoice (shampoo and balm 2 in 1). This product is quickly becoming the world leader among shampoos.

In 1987, the company expands its presence in the personal care category in the European market by acquiring the Blend-a-Med and Blendax toothpaste lines.

Two years later, P&G enters the perfume and cosmetics market with the acquisition of Noxell and its world-famous brands Cover Girl, Noxzema and Clarion. The company's sales volume reached the level of 20 billion US dollars.

In 1990, the company expanded its presence in the men's personal care market by acquiring the Old Spice brand.

A year later, the acquisition of Max Factor and Beatrix strengthened the company's presence in the global market for beauty products and prestigious perfumes.

In 1991, Procter & Gamble enters the Eastern European market, opening offices in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Russia in 1991.

In 1992, P&G introduces Pantene Pro-V to the market. Acquired from Richardson Vicks, this small brand soon becomes the fastest growing shampoo brand in the world.

In 1993, for the first time in the history of the company's development, more than 50% of sales were made outside the United States.

The company is expanding its presence in the category of feminine hygiene products. In 1997, the Tampax brand was owned by P&G.

In 1999, P&G expands its pet food portfolio by acquiring Iams, a world leader in premium pet food.

In 2001, P&G acquires the Clairol business from Bristol Myers Squibb Co. The Clairol brand is one of the world market leaders in the category of hair coloring products.

In 2002, P&G celebrates its 165th anniversary. The company has achieved sales of 40 billion US dollars and has 12 brands in its portfolio with a turnover of more than 1 billion US dollars each. These brands account for more than half of the company's sales and revenues. Among them are Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Pantene Pro-V, Charmin, Bounty, Iams, Crest, Folgers, Pringles and Downy.

In 2003, P&G acquires a majority stake in Wella AG, the world's hair care market leader, giving P&G a strong presence in the rapidly growing professional hair care segment.

In 2005, Procter & Gamble and Gillette merged. The P&G family of brands has been expanded to include world-famous brands such as Gillette, Braun, Duracell and Oral-B.

History in logos:

Illustrations courtesy of P&G

Today, the company's portfolio includes more than 300 brands. Of these, 22 brands have a turnover of over US$1 billion each (Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Pantene Pro-V, Charmin, Bounty, Iams, Crest, Folgers, Pringles, Downy, Gillette Mach 3, Dawn, Oral-B, Olay, Wella, Actonel, Duracell, Gillette series, Head&Shoulders, Braun). P&G brings Gillette Fusion ProGlide to market and acquires air freshener brand Ambi Pur. Ace is P&G's 23rd billionaire brand. Procter & Gamble products are presented in 38 categories of consumer goods. More than 135,000 employees work in 80 countries around the world where P&G offices are located.

P&G in Russia

Since its opening, the Russian division of P&G has become one of the most dynamically developing in the global P&G system. Today the company sells more than 70 brands in Russia and has a leading market share in 3/4 of the product categories.

P&G was one of the first companies to enter the Russian market after the fall of the Iron Curtain. In his new book Procter & Gamble. Road to success in Russia” John Pepper, ex-President of Procter & Gamble, described the development of P&G business in Russia in the difficult 1990s. The author was directly involved in the planning and implementation of the company's entry into the Russian market, he repeatedly visited Russia and, as he repeatedly emphasizes in the book, fell in love with the country, its people and culture.

The official representative office of the Procter & Gamble Company was registered in Moscow in 1991, and a few months later a joint venture Procter & Gamble USSR appeared, the participants of which were St. Petersburg State University and Procter & Gamble EE Inc.

Vidal Sassoon Wash&Go is the company's first product to enter the Russian market. One of the primary tasks at that time was the organization of its own production in Russia, as a result of which the first contacts were established with the Novomoskovskbytkhim plant in the city of Novomoskovsk, Tula Region.

Vidal Sassoon Wash&Go

When entering the Russian market, Procter & Gamble decided to rapidly pursue a regional rather than a country strategy, in contrast to its previous international initiatives. In implementing a regional penetration strategy, P&G has categorized Eastern European regions based on their commercial appeal. Moscow and St. Petersburg entered the most attractive group for the company along with Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland.

In early 1992, just weeks after the collapse of the Soviet Union, P&G opened an office in Moscow. Since the opening of its first representative office, the Russian division of P&G has become one of the most dynamically developing corporations in the global system.

One of the problems that the company faced at the very beginning of its work in Russia was the lack of retail stores and the standard distribution system for P&G. To sell products, P&G used open-air markets, where aspiring entrepreneurs sold goods directly on trays, in tents or stalls.

Soon sales of P&G products began in Moscow. According to the agreement with P&G in December 1992, the Novomoskovskbytkhim plant began contract manufacturing of detergents. In 1993, sales go beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg. P&G wins an investment tender and acquires the first block of shares in JSC Novomoskovskbytkhim. In Dzerzhinsk, the production of shampoos and balms under the Wella brand has begun.

In 1994, the company's office moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow. By the mid-1990s, P&G represented 15 brands on the Russian market. In 1997, a new distribution center was built on the territory of the Novomoskovskbytkhim plant. A regional sales office is opened in Yekaterinburg.

In 1998, the investment program in Novomoskovsk was completed. Novomoskovskbytkhim starts production of Ace liquid bleach. A regional sales office is opened in Rostov-on-Don and Novosibirsk. However, P&G was forced to cut production and staff during the 1998 crisis. Despite all the difficulties, the company returned to profitability ten months after the start of the economic crisis and was able to fully recover by 2000.

Tide or boil

Find and decontaminate

By the end of the 90s, P&G already owns a controlling stake in the Novomoskovskbytkhim plant. In 2003, an agreement was signed with Svoboda OJSC (Moscow) for the contract production of Camay toilet soap and Safeguard antibacterial soap. By the mid-00s, more than 30 trademarks were already represented in Russia. The volume of investments in the Russian economy exceeded $150 million, and in 2005 the volume of investments already exceeded $200 million. In 2006, after the merger with Gillette, the Gillette, Duracell, Braun, Oral-B trademarks joined the P&G family. The merger of P&G Prestige Beaute with Cosmopolitan Cosmetics in Russia forms a new representative office of P&G Prestige Products Russia.

Last year the company celebrated the 20th anniversary of its presence in the Russian market.

This story begins in 1837. It was a difficult time for America: hundreds of banks closed, crowds of people roamed the streets in search of work, panic reigned in the financial markets, rumors agitated society - "the country is on the verge of bankruptcy ..."
However, despite rumors of an impending civil war, two entrepreneurs chipped in for $3,500 to start a small candle and soap company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Later, solidity and a forward-thinking approach enabled the modest business not only to survive the unprecedented financial, economic and political storms in the United States in the middle of the last century, but also to quickly develop into one of the world's most advanced companies.

Today, the names of the founding fathers, William Procter and James Gamble, have confidently entered the world history of business development. Sacredly following the traditions laid down by the founding fathers, the company back in 1887 made the company's employees shareholders of its shares and was one of the first in American industry to invest large sums in research and development at the end of the 19th century.

Among the products that revolutionized the consumer market at one time were those developed in the laboratories of Procter & Gamble and first introduced by the company: Ivory soap - the first floating soap, then the first serial synthetic washing powder Dreft, the predecessor of the famous Tide, released in 1946 d. Tide was followed by Ariel and Dash laundry detergents, which are popular all over the world. At the same time, Crest fluoride toothpaste, the market leader after the war, became the first toothpaste officially recommended by the American Dental Association due to its unique qualities, and Blend-a-Med, made in Germany, is its direct successor. Disposable baby diapers have taken a special place in P&G products in recent decades. Having released the first series of their famous Pampers in 1961, the company's specialists actually invented a new category of consumer goods.

P&G's rapid globalization has resulted in a worldwide network of 17 research institutes located in the US, Europe, Japan and Latin America. The company annually spends more than $1 billion on research and development, and the number of employees (with Ph.D. degrees) in this area exceeds six thousand people.

The head office of P&G is still located in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA). P&G has subsidiaries and operations in more than 140 countries. Today products from P&G (and these are Ariel, Tide, Myth detergents, Ace bleach, Comet, Fairy cleaners, Pampers diapers, Always, Alldays, Tampax sanitary pads, Head & Shoulders shampoos, Pantene Pro V, Wash & Go, Safeguard soap , Camay) have become just a part of the life of more than 2 billion consumers around the world, because with the call " Let purity, beauty and health always reign in your house!"It's hard to disagree, isn't it?

The site reviewer studied the 178-year history of Procter & Gamble Corporation, which owns such famous brands as Pantene, Gilette, Always and Pringles.

There are not many companies in the world that can withstand change for a hundred years, and even Procter & Gamble, which appeared in the middle of the 19th century, stands out among them. This is an example of a brand that is able to survive any difficulties and, even after 178 years of its history, remains innovative and modern.

Procter & Gamble was founded in America in 1837 - at a time of crisis associated with the formation of a young state. Having declared independence from Britain and tried to build a free country, the Americans found themselves in a severe crisis, which was caused, among other things, by the so-called cotton bubble. Few people thought about starting their own business - people rather cared about survival. At this very time in Cincinnati, two entrepreneurs William Procter and James Gamble decided to create a company together.

The co-founders' wives, Elizabeth and Olivia Norris, were sisters. Their caring father, who considered it his duty to ensure the future of his daughters, persuaded William and Joseph to start a family business. Gamble already had his own soap factory, which allowed him to somehow earn a living. Procter, before coming to America, tried to do business in his native England, but went bankrupt. Aspiring entrepreneurs heeded the advice of their father-in-law and created a company, combining their names in the name.

A small enterprise was engaged in the manufacture of candles and soap. The initial scale of operations and business model were not very impressive: Procter and Gamble simply used a soap factory and a small cart in order to provide Cincinnati with their goods. However, soon the entrepreneurs, having divided powers, began to increase production and look for new channels for sales. Trade soon spread to Hamilton and Butler, where it was easy to ship goods along the Ohio River.

By the way, according to legend, this is how the first logo of the company appeared: porters in the port, in order to somehow designate boxes with soap and candles, put a cross on them. Procter, brought up by a priest, drew attention to the mark and considered it sinful. He suggested replacing the cross with an asterisk. P&G partners were so accustomed to the label that they mistook products without it as counterfeit and refused to accept them. Later, a moon with a human face will be added to the logo, and there will be thirteen stars.

There is another version of the origin of the logo: the company allegedly produced "star" candles (the word star was made from the combination of stearic acid, which means "stearic acid") and marked its products with asterisks immediately after production. As usual, it is not known which version is true, but the first one is more popular in Runet.

The star would be the company's trademark until 1980. Then there were speculations that the brand logo is a satanic symbol. Society easily believed in the myth, but it turned out that two Amway consultants spread the rumors, and they were awarded a fine of $ 20 million. Even before the end of the conflict, the brand changed its logo to the letters P & G that are familiar today.

But let's go back to the 19th century, to Procter and Gamble, who continued to look for new markets. They were lucky: Cincinnati had become an important railroad junction, and Procter & Gamble could now ship to almost every city in the Eastern United States. Along with the growth of the consumer audience, we had to think about increasing production volumes. In 1851, entrepreneurs opened a factory, which nine years later employed about 80 people. By the end of the decade, the company's sales reached $1 million.

But the main achievements of Procter & Gamble were ahead. In 1861, the American Civil War began. While the fighting was going on, Procter & Gamble was reaping the fruits of its own foresight: before the war, the partners bought out huge stocks of tar at the pre-war price of $ 1 per barrel. The deal was pulled off by the sons of the founders, who over time will enter the family business and even introduce several important innovations into it.

After the start of the war, tar prices increased significantly. Almost all of Procter & Gamble's competitors were forced to downsize, and P&G became the main supplier of candles and soap to the Allied army, which helped it earn big money and make the brand recognizable in outlying states. Pre-war stocks were still not enough for the entire war, and the company was forced to look for new technologies for production.

By the end of the war, Procter & Gamble was known throughout the United States. Gradually, the company's products diverge in most states, overtaking local manufacturers, and for the first time encounters imported products. In 1879, James Gamble Jr., in an attempt to beat foreign competitors, created a new kind of soap, the so-called floating soap. It was called Ivory Soap (Ivory means "ivory"), which was to emphasize the uniqueness of the product and its ability to provide purity.

Inexpensive white soap was in no way inferior to competitors, but it was necessary to convince the audience of this. Harley Procter, the son of another founder, offered to take an original step for that time - to order advertising. The idea was discussed several times and in the end they gave the go-ahead. The advertising campaign, which received $11,000, began in 1881. For a period of time, the company advertised its soap in the Independent newspaper. This had a positive effect on the sales of the product, and manufacturers were delighted with how many sellers and ordinary customers tried to contact them.

Due to the growth in demand, it was necessary to expand production again, and in 1885 the company opened another plant in Cincinnati - Ivorydale. Several experienced chemists were hired here to set up a research laboratory to improve products. It was here that another soap brand, Lenox, was created, which was also advertised in the press throughout America. By the end of the decade, P&G sales reached $3 million. In the future, a significant number of research laboratories will open, which will become an important factor in the development of the company.

However, the leitmotif of the work of Procter & Gamble in the late 19th century was not the development of new products. During this time, the company faced increasing dissatisfaction with labor movements, which was caused by difficult working conditions at the brand's factories. It wasn't just Procter & Gamble that had this problem - strikes began all over America. The management of the company needed to find a way out of the situation.

The grandson of one of the founders, William Procter, who recently graduated from college and took his first steps in the family business, tried to solve the problem. According to relatives, William - young, with a clear look - should have better understood how to build relationships with workers and prevent their discontent. The young man suggested introducing several loyalty programs for workers, one of which was a shortened working day on Saturday. The success was, but temporary.

The solution was found in 1887 when Procter & Gamble executives offered employees a share of the company's profits in order to unite everyone with one goal. At first it seemed that the idea worked: the workers were delighted with the dividends. However, they soon got tired of work and discontent began to grow again. Then the program was modernized: dividends from profits began to be paid only to the best employees. After the change was passed, even the most zealous complainers about working conditions were eager to do more. With such a tough method, Procter & Gamble solved their problems with strikes.

What's also worth learning about this period in Procter & Gamble's history is that the executives launched a mailing list that included a sample of Ivory soap and a small booklet encouraging them to support the manufacturer and purchase the product. Other companies began to use such mailing lists.

The early 1890s saw the continued growth of the company as a nationwide brand. Procter & Gamble already had more than 30 types of soap, which were advertised in major magazines and newspapers in the United States. Gradually, the brand switched to color advertising, which significantly distinguished its products from the rest. The growth of P&G's popularity led to another expansion of production: a new plant appeared in Kansas City.

The company continues its own research, which in the future will ensure the growth of the product line - however, customers received most of the innovations in the next century. After lengthy research, in 1911 another product appeared - an edible fat based on vegetable oil, called Crisco. To create the technology needed for this production, the company bought a patent for the hydrogenation of liquid oils, and in 1912 to increase sales of Crisco, published a cookbook of the same name.

Many Western sources indicate that the company suffered from a shortage of raw materials during the First World War. But for this period, much more important is the fact that in 1915 Procter & Gamble opened a factory in Canada. It is also worth noting that with the beginning of electrification, Procter & Gamble gradually moved away from the production of candles and completely retrained into the creation of household goods.

The development of the company began to be significantly influenced by scientific and technological progress. At the beginning of the 20th century, washing machines appeared in Europe, and gradually they gained popularity in the United States. William Procter saw a new niche and initiated the development of a corresponding product. In 1919, Ivory Flakes appeared, followed three years later by Chipso, the first soap designed for use in washing machines.

In the 1920s, the company began producing another important product, Camay soap, as well as Oxydol washing powder. Innovations were introduced for a reason - the beginning of development and entry into the market was preceded by a study of the current needs of the consumer and the effectiveness of existing products.

In the late 1920s, P&G, which included many brands of products, changed the concept of managing them. Each brand of the company was separated into a separate division within Procter & Gamble, and all of them had to compete with each other in the market. According to management, this could help make the sales and production strategy more flexible.

An expansion of the product line and a new global strategy allowed the company to get through the Great Depression almost unscathed. In the early 1920s, the brand's approach to advertising changed: it ceased to focus only on print publications and saw a new source of promotion in radio. At first, P&G promoted Crisco with a radio cooking show. In the 1930s, radio shows became the main method of advertising the brand product: during the break, there was an advertisement for the company's products.

The sponsor of the productions and the promoted product led to the appearance of the expression "soap opera", which has survived to this day. Most of all then the already mentioned Oxydol was advertised, which became the official sponsor of the first such series called Ma Perkins. This approach was soon adopted by other companies, and such broadcasts received additional funding.

In the same period, the release of Dreft detergent began. It allowed clothes to be washed even in hard water without leaving a residue, but was too weak to deal with serious stains.

Television has become a new channel for promoting Procter & Gamble products: just a few months after its appearance, the first advertising of the brand appeared on the screens.

After entering the United States in World War II, the company took an active part in providing assistance to the military. This time, the business was not limited to the supply of soap accessories - the government was much more interested in the chemical developments of the brand, and especially glycerin. Until the end of the war, Procter & Gamble was the largest supplier of this substance to the US and British armies.

After the end of the war, P&G continued to expand its product line. In 1946, Tide washing powder appeared on store shelves, which gained fame due to its properties and a successful advertising campaign in which it was called "magic". And most importantly, Tide became the first synthetic agent on the market. Marketers guessed to start promoting this product in the wake of the popularization of washing machines. In addition, Tide was able to enter the market ahead of competitors, including Colgate. All these factors have allowed the product to change the detergent industry and take the lead.

Procter&Gamble continues to integrate into the international market. The company has already achieved market leadership in the US and Canada and has begun expansion into European countries, the first of which was the UK.

In 1955, the first Crest toothpaste appears. The company drew attention to this market back in the 1930s with the creation of Teel, a special tooth care soap, but it was not very effective, and besides, customers' teeth stained after use. After 20 years, P&G began to finance developments in this area, which led to the appearance of fluoristane, which became an important component of Crest paste.

To test the effectiveness and safety of the new tool, Procter & Gamble conducted special tests and only after that ventured into the global market. In addition, the paste received approval from the American Dental Association - however, along with some prescriptions for its proper use. The association insisted that the paste does not defeat caries, but is a good enough tool to prevent it. All of these efforts paid off and Crest was voted the number one toothpaste in the US, beating out Colgate.

At the same time, Procter & Gamble is starting to grow rapidly, using a method that has long been proven by other brands - the acquisition of smaller companies. By the early 1960s, WT Young Foods, Mills Company, Clorox Chemical Company, Charmin Paper and many others were bought. In 1956, the company's turnover reached a record high of $1 billion.

In 1961, Procter & Gamble launched another well-known product - Pampers diapers. The story goes that one of the brand's chemists, Victor Mills, came up with the idea of ​​creating this product: while caring for his grandchildren, he drew attention to the inconvenience and waste of time in the process of changing diapers. The word Pampers is derived from English to pamper, which means "to cherish". It is also worth noting that the first Pampers disposable diaper was created from sawdust.

Keeping in mind the case with Teel soap, the brand's management did not immediately start selling all over America and first conducted special studies. After them, Pampers began to be sold in the city of Peoria, and at the same time the company collected information about the pros and cons of the product. Only then the product was finalized and launched into the global sale. In the future, diapers will undergo many changes and improvements, becoming, in fact, the industry standard.

To ensure a high level of sales, the right pricing was important. At first, Pampers cost 10 cents, but the buyers felt that it was too expensive, and the price was reduced to 6 cents.

At the same time, Procter & Gamble decided to strengthen its position in the food market. To this end, the Folgers coffee company was acquired. For this acquisition in the late 1960s, the brand was accused of violating antitrust laws. He managed to defend it, but on difficult terms: Procter & Gamble pledged not to acquire food-oriented companies for seven years.

A similar story happened with Clorox, bought back in the 1950s and by the end of the decade it became the main topic of antitrust hearings. According to the relevant authorities, this brand could give P&G dominance in the whitening market. Hearings took almost ten years, and in the end the purchase was still canceled.

In 1970, P&G invented the cylindrical packaging for Pringles chips. By the way, a rumor (or maybe not a rumor) is still circulating on the Internet that the creator of this package was buried in a similar box. The first Pringles chips appeared back in the distant 1950s, but their promotion dragged on for several decades, during which the product was even threatened with withdrawal from sales. Only in the mid-1960s was it possible to develop a suitable recipe, at the same time the company started advertising on national channels. By the mid-1970s, Pringles had captured 25% of the US market.

After several years of product success, a decline began, caused by the transition of the audience to more natural products. In the mid-1980s, the brand had to be restarted again: new flavors were added, recipes changed, and, most importantly, the price dropped. As a result, the popularity of the product was restored again. In the 1990s, the brand's advertising campaign was launched, focused on maximum adaptation to any changes in the youth subculture. In addition, a mandatory rule was introduced - to release at least two new flavors per year.

It is worth mentioning another interesting fact about these chips. In 2008, Procter & Gamble, in order to avoid paying a 17.5% tax in the UK, tried to prove that the chips were not potato chips (there were about 40% potatoes in the product). The court eventually sided with the company, but the appeal put everything in its place: Pringles - potato chips.

In addition to antitrust cases, the late 1960s were remembered for problems with environmentalists. All manufacturers of soap products were under attack. The essence of the claims was that phosphates are used in the manufacture of products, polluting water. For some time, companies tried to resist, but in the end they were forced to look for a replacement for this substance.

Speaking of this decade, one cannot fail to mention the release of another product that is especially known to European users - Ariel. Initially, it was positioned as the first powder that removes organic stains. In the future, the line of products under the name Ariel will expand significantly, but, as before, will be aimed at washing.

The 1970s saw the expansion of several brands of laundry detergent. In addition, the Sure antiperspirant has gone on sale. At the end of the decade, sales of Rely tampons began, preceded by an advertising campaign designed to arouse the interest of a female audience. The product was popular until the early 1980s, when it became known that the use of tampons could cause toxic shock syndrome in women. After assessing the situation and the level of public outcry, the brand decided not to defend Rely, and had to remove it from sales.

In 1973, Procter & Gamble Nippon Sunhome starts operating in the Japanese market. Along with this, in 1977, the brand launches the drug Didronel, intended for the treatment of Paget's disease (chronic osteitis deformans, in which bone volume increases). In 1979, the company broke its own record - the turnover reached $10 billion.

In the early 1980s, many companies faced a severe crisis. Procter & Gamble also had its problems. Distribution difficulties for Rely arose, there were no new high-profile products after the release of Pampers, and the company's reputation as a revolutionary company in its industry had to be restored. As is usually the case in such cases, the corporation had to go through certain personnel changes.

The post of CEO was taken by John Smale, who adopted the global dominance of the brand as a strategy. It was quite difficult to implement this approach due to the fact that in each market the brand had serious competitors. The new direction of work was built on three principles: reducing costs, introducing new products, and acquiring useful companies. It was necessary to save on each element of production, in connection with which a partial restructuring and replacement of some components of the goods was carried out, for example, instead of glass packaging they began to use plastic.

The release of new products was also not long in coming. In 1983, the company tested as many as 22 new products - though not all of them were eventually approved. Manufacturers themselves had high hopes for Duncan Hines biscuits and Always pads. The appearance of the first on the market ended in a "cookie war". Duncan Hines' specialty soft biscuits were in development for four years before they went on sale, but unfortunately, similar products were launched at the same time as the brand's competitors Nabisco and Keebler. Procter & Gamble lost out in a tough competition: it was let down by the lack of a well-established bakery supply chain.

Always's entry into the US market was more successful. To get ahead of the competition, Procter & Gamble was forced to shorten the test period. The company did not stint on a global advertising campaign, which described the key features of Always and their benefits. After that, a study of consumer reaction began, as a result of which a new version of Always Plus pads with well-known wings was released. A year and a half after the release in the US market, Always became available in other countries, receiving rave reviews from the audience.

At the same time, P&G entered the stage of acquisitions. The first purchase was the mineral water producer Crush International, and later the juice producer Ben Hill Griffin Inn was bought. The corporation made changes to their product line, in particular to the recipe, hoping to become a serious competitor for Sunkist. For the same purpose, the Citrus Hill brand was created, which produced juices. In the end, the corporation reached a share of 12% of the market.

In addition, P&G became interested in the production of drugs. In 1982, Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals was acquired, which, of course, strengthened the brand's position in this market. The purchase became possible after winning the auction, and the value of the company amounted to $371 million. The acquisition paid off: the turnover of P&G in the following year amounted to about $235 million. Norwich's profit for the year amounted to $15 million, and the company received most of it from the markets of other countries.

To gain a foothold in the industry, over the next few years, Procter & Gamble acquired two more companies - Richardson-Wicks and Dr. Seale & Co. The first had to be seriously fought for: at the time of the purchase, it was under the threat of a hostile takeover.

Procter & Gamble's "shopping" didn't end with the acquisition of drug manufacturers. In 1987, the corporation takes over Blendax, which is known to everyone as the manufacturer of Blend-a-Med paste. In addition, the brand created the first children's toothpaste, as well as toothbrushes.

Procter & Gamble also begins integration into the cosmetics market and acquires Noxell Corporation for $1.5 billion. The company's two most famous products are Noxzema Cleansing Cream and CoverGirl Foundation. The brand was sold in 2010, but on the Internet you can still find advertisements for the above-mentioned creams with a release date of 2011 and the manufacturer Procter & Gamble.

In the 1980s, Procter & Gamble experienced perhaps the first significant crisis, which was expressed primarily in a 28% decrease in revenues. According to analysts, the main reason was that the company was not adapted to the dynamic changes of the market. The advertising system was changed, and a flexible system of discounts was introduced, which, however, affected wholesale buyers. In addition, most of the divisions of the corporation were restructured. CEO Smale believed that the corporation's main problem was the dominance of bureaucracy and excessive competition between its own brands.

In the mid-1980s, P&G began working with the Wal-Mart chain. It was easy for the brands to agree on cooperation, but it was not easy to achieve success in joint activities. Wal-Mart was the exact opposite of Procter & Gamble, with its complex structure and ossified supply chain. However, the management of the network, which saw P&G as a strategic partner, proposed to implement the exchange of experience between employees. According to its results, the top management of P&G realized its shortcomings.

The supply chain became an integral mechanism that began with the acquisition of raw materials and ended with advertising and sale. In addition, the brand began to pay much more attention to customers: carefully analyze their preferences, study social processes and analyze the arguments of each buyer for purchasing a particular product or against it.

At the same time, an important event took place in the history of the company - the introduction of a new product in the line of hair conditioners. This launch was largely due to the fierce competition. Before 1970, Procter & Gamble had two main brands in the industry - Head & Shoulders, which appeared in the 1960s, and Drell - which provided the company with more than 40% of the market. But in the early 1980s, the hair care industry changed: shampoos with various nutrients became popular, and if the company had previously presented unique products, now competitors have caught up with it. In general, it became clear that something completely new had to be released.

The company's chemists were urged to hit the market. The new product was created by a group led by Ray Bolich, with the goal being to create a new shampoo-conditioner. A huge amount of research has been carried out to create a product that would cleanse and condition hair while retaining beneficial substances. In search of the necessary ingredients, Bolich turned his attention to silicone oil, which had to be turned into a more viscous resin. The resulting component remained on the hair, as befits a conditioner, but was too viscous.

To solve this problem, silicone resin and silicone oil were combined into one mixture, which proved to be thin enough to become an ingredient in Pert Shampoo Conditioner. Before the launch, it was improved several more times and tests were carried out, according to the results of which the audience approved the product. A little later, the resulting formula was used in Pantene shampoos.

In the early 1990s, it seemed like all of P&G's problems were in the past. In 1990, the brand recorded a profit of $ 1.6 billion, while revenue was 24.1 billion. There were changes in the company's management: Jurgen Artz replaced John Smale, who had previously headed the international department of the brand and had a good reputation in this field. The new head announced a gradual restructuring of the company.

Artz wanted every P&G brand to become a leader in its industry. Some of them - Tide, Ariel, Always, Pantene - have already occupied this position. If the brand was not a key one or its prospects looked vague, it was sold. So Procter & Gamble got rid of Citrus Hill, Fisher Nuts, as well as dead weight enterprises engaged in the production of cotton lint and wood pulp. In 1991, the company began to increase its capacity in the cosmetics market. As before, this happened through the acquisition of major brands - Max Factor and Betrix Lines.

At the same time, the company made a revolution in pricing. First in the US, and then around the world, the brand stopped valuing products based on the cost of their production - it was replaced by a concept in which the cost of a product was determined based on its value to the client.

Despite all the innovations, Procter & Gamble remained a rather complex structure with a huge number of brands and factories, many of which did not bring the desired result, but required financial injections. A global reconstruction of the corporation began, during which all internal processes were studied and steps were taken to improve the work of the giant.

As a result of the reconstruction, about 30 factories were closed and more than 12,000 employees were laid off. The changes made the brand's revenue forecasts look quite optimistic, but the harsh personnel purge has negatively affected the entire staff of the company. Each employee began to feel insecure, because the next time he could be on the street only because some committee wanted to improve work efficiency.

After such dubious achievements, Artz began to establish the process of introducing innovations, for which a special council was created. He had to review all innovation projects within the various brands and make judgments about their necessity. Another structural element under the control of this council was created - a project development group. This bureaucratic element eventually began to pay off, noticing several important innovations in various industries.

In the mid-1990s, corporate processes came to the fore. The giant Procter & Gamble gradually lost contact between its various divisions. In fact, the corporate culture of the brand was in decline, besides, the reconstruction caused serious damage to it. Artz realized that in order to get out of this situation, it is necessary to introduce new methods of promoting one's own culture among employees. For this, the General Electric method was used - the creation of training centers. The P&G College was opened, which began to work with both novice employees and top managers. Now about 4 thousand people a year are trained here.

In 1995, Artz, who had retired, was replaced by John Pepper. Like the previous head of the company, he worked for Procter & Gamble for a long time. Pepper announced an ambitious new goal of reaching $70 billion in sales by 2005. He did not cancel most of his predecessor's initiatives, instead announcing that he would seek further optimization.

The first changes were aimed at strengthening the position in the market for feminine hygiene products, where the brand, thanks to Always, secured its leadership. At the same time, it became known that the company Tambrands, which produces Tampax tampons, feels confident in the tampon market, making a profit of about $ 100 million. Procter & Gamble did not manufacture them after the failure with Rely. In order not to get a competitor in this area, the head of the company decided to absorb Tambrands, thereby getting rid of the opponent and expanding his own line of products.

Pepper's further goals were related to the simplification of the structure of the corporation, which in ten years has turned into a real monster with complex management. Pepper and company president Dirk Jaeger were forced to try several models of operation in different regions. As a result, P&G was divided into seven global business units (GBUs), which deal with all aspects of the company's brand management, as well as the introduction of innovations, and into eight market development organizations (MDOs) - they were entrusted with the functions of working with clients, recruiting local staff, as well as strategic planning for market development.

The rearrangements did not end there and two more services were introduced. The first is CF, which deals with the corporate features of the conglomerate and oversees the integration of innovations, and the second is GBS, which provides information services, including reporting on competitive success, as well as tracking the cost of individual segments of the brand's activities and determining employee bonuses.

Having introduced structural innovations, in 1998 John Pepper decided to transfer control to Dirk Jaeger. The new head actively participated in all these changes, so they were not unusual for him. As a progressive executive, Yager turned his attention to a direction that past heads of the brand did not seek to develop - the Internet. With the advent of the new head, the brand's online services began to work, which not only offered to purchase products, but also provided recommendations and articles on this topic. For example, on the Pampers website, you could find information about child care.

Among other things, the brand became one of the investors of the Reflect.com project aimed at helping women in the selection of cosmetics. His main feature, which quickly attracted customers, was a personal approach, and in addition, the site had the opportunity to order a suitable cosmetic set. True, this investment did not bring any special dividends and Reflect.com was eventually closed.

In the late 1990s, the brand made another major acquisition with the Iams Company, which was a leader in pet food. The purchase cost Procter & Gamble $2.3 billion.

It seemed that the company was stable, but at the beginning of 2000 a crisis awaited it. At this time, Procter & Gamble was in merger talks with Warner-Lambert and American Home Products. Success in this field would have greatly increased the potential of the brand as a manufacturer of medical drugs, but the deal did not take place, which reduced the value of P&G shares.

At the same time, another economic crisis began. The decrease in brand profits led to the introduction of emergency measures related to the temporary cessation of the development of projects. At the same time, the company's shareholders, instead of supporting the CEO, attacked Yager with criticism. He did not feel trust on their part and was tired of the pressure, so he resigned. His place was taken by another top manager of Procter & Gamble - Alan Lafley.

The new head of the company immediately ran into problems generated by previous changes in the structure. The division of powers was not effective enough, in addition, in some regions the structures described above had different functions. The system of relationships between the leaders of different elements was also complex and confusing. Often one structural unit did not have enough information to make a decision.

In addition, the desire to increase turnover led to a massive increase in prices, which, in a competitive environment, backfired. Before the crisis, all these problems did not look so critical, but with the onset of difficulties, the situation became more complicated, and the structure prevented it from being quickly corrected.

Instead of a well-developed and successful company with a clear division of powers, Lafley, having entered a new position, got a mess. Therefore, first of all, he began to restore order in the structure. Thus, the number of GBUs was reduced, some of which were merged into one. MDO finally got their own single chapter, which simplified the structure of puffiness: for example, before statistics around the world were virtually unavailable.

Reductions began again, under which about 10 thousand employees who worked in unprofitable and unpromising areas fell under. Lafley himself called this process rather painful, but business is business. Changes began in the top management of the company. In the past, at Procter & Gamble, promotions were often based on seniority. With the advent of Lafley, everything changed. In an attempt to restore the brand's position in the global market, the CEO decided to increase the number of young executives.

At the same time, the procedure for meetings, which used to take place in the huge Council Hall, where each top manager, depending on the rank, had his own place, also changed. Lafley moved meetings to a conference room with a regular round table, where everyone could express their own opinion without feeling constrained by their rank. Honesty and initiative were welcomed in the discussions. All these changes have made the company much more modern in terms of structure and corporate culture.

In 2002, Lafley had a reason to rejoice: he could announce to shareholders that the brand's profits began to show a steady growth of 6% - this clearly indicated the end of the crisis stage.

The corporation returned to stability not only by improving its structure: it continued to innovate products and acquire companies. The Tide formula was improved, the Crest line was expanded, and Clariol (the manufacturer of Herbal Essences shampoo) and Wella were also acquired. At the end of 2003, 13 brands of the corporation received more than $1 billion in revenue each, which was a kind of record.

However, in 2003 the company was at the epicenter of the scandal. Vidal Sassoon, head of the P&G-owned brand of the same name, sued the company, citing the intentional destruction of his offspring by replacing it with Pantene. The main requirement for the corporation was the termination of the contract and the return of the company to the founder. After reviewing the documentation, the court considered the claim fair. As a result, the lawsuit ended with an agreement between the parties, information about which was not disclosed.

This was not the first and not the last time that Procter & Gamble was involved in a scandal. In 2002, for example, the famous advertisement for the brand's powder, Bonux, became widely known. As is often the case, it was based on comparison, with the "common waste powder" emblem depicting a pig, like one of the product's competitors, Dosia. The public easily picked up on the idea, and P&G had to explain itself: company representatives made the dubious argument that the pig symbolized savings.

There have also been scandals due to unfair competition: it was once discovered that detectives hired by Procter & Gamble were pulling discarded documents from bins outside Unilever's office to uncover the secret of Sunsilk shampoo. The company has been regularly criticized for testing products on animals, deforestation in Indonesian forests and false promises in advertising ("shampoo 100% eliminates dandruff").

One of the biggest scandals was the poisoning of pets (mainly cats and dogs) with melamine in 2006. Several thousand pets have died. True, at the same time, Nestle and several manufacturers of baby food in China found themselves in a similar situation, and children suffered there.

Among other things, in 2011 the European Commission established the participation of Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Henkel in a cartel aimed at setting prices for washing powder and dividing the market. By the way, Henkel reported about the collusion, and only she was not fined - the rest were forced to pay €306 million each.

This period was not without acquisitions. Of particular note is the famous takeover of Gillette in 2005, which cost the brand $ 57 billion. Together with it, the brands Gillette, Braun, Duracell and Oral-B fell into the possession of P&G. The company's turnover grew - however, it reached the desired figure of $ 70 billion only in 2007.

In 2008, the turnover exceeded $80 billion. At the same time, there was a scandal in the Russian market: the granddaughter of the children's writer Korney Chukovsky, who was paid by P&G for using Moidodyr in advertising, sued the company's management. According to her, the contract was concluded in 1997, but in 2005 they stopped paying her. The plaintiffs did not keep the contract, and they lost the case. In 2012, it became known that P&G would patent the character, albeit under a different name.

In 2009, information appeared that the company intends to sell the pharmaceutical business, which, according to Lafley, has ceased to be promising. Thus, the same work strategy was promoted - only profitable industries and the rejection of everything superfluous.

A year later, Alan Lafley announced his retirement, his position was taken by Robert McDonald. Unfortunately, the new head has not coped with the complex mechanism of Procter & Gamble. Under his leadership, the famous brand, as before, introduced product innovations and acquired companies - but, faced with declining profits from large brands and the global crisis, began to suffer losses.

McDonald's main achievement was a cost-cutting program that saved the brand $10 billion. However, the decline in revenue effectively devalued all his actions and forced individual brand shareholders to start a behind-the-scenes fight to remove McDonald from management. The CEO was not given the opportunity to return the brand to its previous positions, but instead was fired, accusing him of incompetence and the worst performance in the last decade. In 2013, it became known that the company would again be headed by Alan Lafley, which immediately led to an increase in brand shares by 0.4%. Lafley was given the task of restoring the corporation's competitiveness, reshaping it based on the requirements of the times, and preparing a successor for itself.

In 2014, the CEO announced a major change that he intends to make. First of all, it was a significant reduction in the number of brands: about a hundred of them were decided to be sold or closed. In addition, Lafley explained the product promotion strategy that was launched last year. Diapers and baby care products began to be promoted, offering them to new mothers as a test even in maternity hospitals. This approach made it possible by the end of 2014 to regain lost ground in this direction. The company has acted in a similar way before, sending Gilette brand razors to men as an 18th birthday gift.

In the same year, it became known that the corporation intends to significantly cut the advertising budget, as it considers modern advertising to be expensive, but not an effective means of promotion. At the same time, it cannot be said that the company has leveled its position: despite the fact that revenue in 2014 amounted to $83 billion, this indicator was unstable during the year and remained so in 2015. There was information that Lafley would be replaced by David Taylor, which happened in November 2015.

Procter & Gamble is one of the oldest companies in the world, which in its more than 175-year history has managed not only to turn into a huge conglomerate, but also to make a lot of important innovations in all directions in which it was presented.

At the moment, the corporation is still struggling with the crisis. At the same time, the level of its revenue remains a dream for many companies. Procter & Gamble's problem is not only the presence of unprofitable brands, but also a complex structure that only a sufficiently qualified leader can handle. As the situation showed, with the departure of Lafley, P&G does not have a person capable of effectively performing the functions of CEO. Much depends on the shareholders, who are not inclined to trust new people at the head of the brand. It is not yet clear if David Taylor can handle the burden of managing Procter & Gamble. If he succeeds, then the well-known brand will most likely become completely different, but if not, Lafley will have to be returned again.