The Moment of Truth

Congratulations to Procter & Gamble! In Beauty Packaging’s annual poll, readers selected the world’s largest manufacturer of household products as Company of the Year: Excellence in Packaging. P&G’s success is built on the precept that the consumer is boss. Following this is a corporate focus on two critical instants of time during which consumers interact with P&G products: The first moment of truth (when the consumer reacts to the product on the shelf); and the second moment of truth (when the consumer actually uses the product). P&G holds that success comes only by winning over the consumer at both moments.
  
Innovation is another cornerstone of the foundation on which P&G has built its success. In P&G’s 2007 annual report, A.G. Lafley, P&G’s chairman of the board and CEO, says that “innovation has always been P&G’s lifeblood,” and that the company has invested more than $1 billion in research since 2001. To that end, P&G relies on more than 8,500 researchers within the company, as well as another 1.5 million working externally in partnerships throughout the world to build a remarkable number of products, including 23 billion-dollar brands—and counting.
  
This commitment to R&D enables P&G to develop products based on multiple technologies. For example, Crest Whitestrips were created by combining bleach technology from laundry care with film technology from R&D; combining paper from family care with skin conditioning and cleansing from beauty led to Olay Daily Facials.
  
Much of P&G’s focus on future growth comes not only from innovation, but also from expansion in Asia and developing regions. Asia is poised for the largest sales growth potential in the global cosmetics
market in the next five years, and in “Gateway to Asian Beauty”, Paula Farquharson looks at where the opportunities lie.
  
Also at BeautyPackaging.com, Leah Genuario reveals how beauty and fashion are merging in the fragrance industry and Christine Esposito examines the latest trends and regulations in labeling. The moment of truth is here. We hope you enjoy the site.

Jamie Matusow
Editor