When Procter & Gamble set out to sell Pampers in India five years ago, it faced a daunting marketing challenge. Use-and-throw diapers were just not part of the cultural norm and women believed it was only lazy mothers that switched from cloth nappies to diapers.
P&G realised it had to change that mindset. A female member of the Pampers marketing team, drawing on her skills as both a marketer and a mother, suggested that they market it on the lines of the baby's health. When you put a baby in Pampers, she said, the wetness doesn't spread; the baby remains dry for several hours and therefore has less chances of contacting a fever or a cold. P&G decided top act on this insight today Pampers is India's largest selling diaper brand.
P&G's former chairman AG Lafley often said: everything starts and ends with understanding and serving consumers better. Given that about 70% of P&G's target audience is women, the promotion of women executives translates into a real competitive advantage. But P&G is taking it beyond the most obvious marketing connection.
A year ago, it put in place its first ever 'corporate diversity and inclusion' strategy, spearheaded by CEO Bob McDonald, which clearly outlines the policies and practices that encourage women's advancement. The goals are clear: P&G aspires to have half of the company's leadership as women. At the helm of this initiative sits Linda Clement-Holmes, P&G's new global diversity officer who reports directly into McDonald.
According to a recent Accenture survey, a diverse workforce helps put companies ahead. The research shows a significant correlation between both gender and the international diversity of a company's executive board and stock market performance. Five out of 12 members of P&G's global board are women.
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