Procter & Gamble, there is no ambiguity, the company is merchant

Procter is a typical example for someone who wants to understand a World… and even a case of first grade because this World is easy to get.

I would like to remind you that a World is described trough words used by its members. Let’s analyze together how Bob Mc Donald, CEO of P&G, explains his strategy in an interview on the 4^th of July 2011 to the Figaro (French newspaper).

Bob MCDONALD. – Procter & Gamble has products in 38 categories, but not all of them are everywhere where we have a business. We only have 15 categories in China, 20 in Mexico and just as much in France. I set up an objective in 2009 to reach until 2015-2016 to have 19 to 24 categories on average per countries and to be more active on an international basis. Therefore we will be able to jump from 3,8 to 5 billion consumers reached every day, to increase from 12 to 14 dollars per year their average expenses per product and to boost from 77 to more than 100 billion dollars our worldwide net revenue.

13 numbers in 8 lines, who can say more?

The strategy? Objectives based on numbers, precise, detailed and with milestones.

Let’s admire these numbers together. There are not numbers for financial guys but more for operational guys. They are concrete enough for everyone, either for experience managers or not, to be able to know what to do.

P&G is merchant and his CEO is a symbol of its World.

In this merchant World, one of the 6 “pure” World established by Boltanski and Thévenot, these numbers are obvious criterion and the greatness will be the benefit.

It was the first time that Bob McDonald came to visit his French branch… no manager should have been surprised with the conversation he had with his boss.

Bruno Jourdan