Always/Whisper
Problem
Procter & Gamble is faced with the decision to change the name of their feminine pad/napkin products from “Always” to “Whisper”. The Singapore operation increasingly depended on P&G Japan, which used Whisper since P&G was blocked from using Always. The strategies for name change come in three alternatives: (1) the name change would be introduced swiftly; (2) the name change could be phased in for different items at different times; and (3) Whisper products could be introduced and co-exist with Always.
Analysis
To better evaluate the case, P&G’s marketing mix will be used to identify the internal and external factors that will affect the business.
Customer
The customer for this type of product would be women beginning in their puberty stage to their adult lives (ages 15 to 50 years old). It was also mentioned in the case that the product Always tended to be used by younger and highly educated women. It would be worthy to note that the population comprise more of women. Thus, there are great potentials in the catamenial market. Given these details, it would be an important factor to consider the behaviour and lifestyle of this market segment. As mentioned in the case, the market was affected by demographic trends and social values since women bought and used the product discreetly. Always is only second to Kotex in terms of market share in Singapore, thus, much emphasis should be given to maintaining customer loyalty for this market segment. Since P&G distributes its products to 180 countries all over the world, it would be essential for the company to customize its marketing strategies for each country.
Collaboration
The collaborators here would be the wholesalers and retailers. These comprise of supermarkets, mini grocery stores and convenience stores. Since feminine pads are products continuously used by women on a monthly basis, product availability would be an important factor to consider. With