"Jager's Gamble" Economist, October 30 - November 5, 1999

Synopsis:
As the case in Chapter 7 indicates, Procter & Gamble (P&G) realized the importance of modifying its product, packaging, and advertising strategies to successfully compete in foreign markets.

This article explains why Durk Jager, P&G's new chief executive, wants to turn a marketing giant into a nippy innovator. It was more than 15 years ago when P&G's last big innovation was launched; its global market share has shrunken by 10% for the past five years; volume this year will grow by 2% at best. This article also explains how Jager is changing P&G's organizational culture that has stifled innovation and prevented new ideas from getting to market quickly.

Full-text Article:
http://www.economist.com/editorial/justforyou/current/index_wb8724.html
For a summary of comments recently made by Durk Jager on Procter & Gamble's corporate strategy, see http://www.pg.com/investor/.

Case connection:
"Procter & Gamble in Japan: From Marketing Failure to Success" in Chapter 7 (pp.530-532).