Products & United States Essay

The product selected for this particular study is Crest whitening toothpaste. Crest has been one of Proctor & Gamble’s major global products since it was launched in the United States in 1955. Since then the product has changed in a few ways, namely in the active content of the product, and how it is marketed. This study will look at whether these changes were successful, and what strategies were used by Proctor & Gamble to initiate these changes. In the last five to ten years, the Crest range of toothpastes has been expanded to include a variety of products which promote the whitening element of the core toothpaste product. These include the development of a long lasting mouthwash to complement Crest toothpaste as well as whitening strips which can be applied to teeth after brushing and mouth washing. The core product has also been changed, with a wider variety of Crest products, from sensitive whitening to weekly cleaning cream. These changes and the excellent brand management at Proctor & Gamble have allowed the product to be developed slightly but clearly and concisely, without moving away from the core strategic elements of their corporate strategy, to deliver products which improve the lives of everyday people around the world. These changes have been made using a simple brand management strategy, which was not to try and develop the next big thing, but to focus on what Proctor & Gamble are good at, and maintain the market share of the old staple products, such as Crest.   This strategy was implemented by the CEO Alan Lafley, who was appointed in 2000. He wanted to streamline the business around its core products, and Crest was one of those products. This brand building strategy was very successful and has helped Proctor & Gamble become one of the biggest companies in the United States today.