The company generates 48% of its sales in the United States and 52% of its sales in other countries.[2] The company manufactures 90% of its merchandise in the United States.[3][4]
CandlemakerWilliam Procter, born in England, and soap makerJames Gamble, born inIreland, both emigrated to the US from the United Kingdom. They initially settled inCincinnati, Ohio, and met when they married sisters Olivia and Elizabeth Norris.[7] Alexander Norris, their father-in-law, persuaded them to become business partners, and in 1837, Procter & Gamble was created.
From 1858 to 1859, sales reached $1 million. By that point, about 80 employees worked for Procter & Gamble. During theAmerican Civil War, the company won contracts to supply theUnion Army with soap and candles. In addition to the increased profits experienced during the war, the military contracts introduced soldiers from all over the country to Procter & Gamble's products.
In the 1880s, Procter & Gamble began to market a new product, an inexpensive soap that floated in water.[8] The company called the soapIvory.[8] William Arnett Procter, William Procter's grandson, began aprofit-sharing program for the company'sworkforce in 1887. By giving the workers a stake in the company, he correctly assumed that they would be less likely to go on strike.
The company began to build factories in other locations in the United States because the demand for products had outgrown the capacity of the Cincinnati facilities. The company's leaders began to diversify its products as well, and in 1911 the company began producingCrisco, ashortening made ofvegetable oils rather thananimal fats.[8]
Beginning in the 1880s, P&G advertised its wares in full-page advertisements in many general-interest magazines. By 1921, it had become a major international corporation with a diversified line of soaps, toiletries, and food products; in that year, its annual advertising budget reached $1 million. In the 1920s, P&G advertised its products on the new medium of radio and, from 1932 forward, was one of the biggest sponsors of daytime serials, which soon became known assoap operas.[9] In the television era, P&G sponsored and produced some twenty soap operas across six decades; the division went on a hiatus after the end ofAs the World Turns in 2010 beforeThe Gates launched on CBS in 2025 as a co-production with P&G.[10]
The company moved into other countries, both in terms of manufacturing and product sales, becoming an international corporation with its 1930 acquisition of theThomas Hedley Co.,[8] based inNewcastle upon Tyne, England. After this acquisition, Procter & Gamble had their UK Headquarters at Hedley House in Newcastle upon Tyne, until quite recently, when they moved to The Heights,Brooklands. Numerous new products and brand names were introduced over time, and Procter & Gamble began branching out into new areas. The company introducedTide laundrydetergent in 1946,[11]Prell shampoo in 1947[12] and Joy, the first liquid synthetic detergent in 1949.[13]
In 1955, Procter & Gamble began selling the first toothpaste to containfluoride, known asCrest.[8] Branching out once again in 1957, the company purchasedpaper mills fromCharmin and began manufacturingtoilet paper and othertissue paper products. Once again focusing on laundry, Procter & Gamble began makingDowny-brandedfabric softener in 1960 and Bounce fabric softener sheets in 1972.[14] From 1957 to 1968, Procter & Gamble ownedClorox, the leading American manufacturer of liquid bleach; however, theFederal Trade Commission challenged the acquisition, and the U.S. Supreme Court decided against P&G in April 1967.[15]
One of the most revolutionary products to come out on the market was the company's disposablePampers diaper, first test-marketed in 1961, the same year Procter & Gamble came out withHead & Shoulders.[16] Prior to this point,disposable diapers were not popular, althoughJohnson & Johnson had developed a product called Chux. Babies always wore cloth diapers, which were leaky and labor-intensive to wash. Pampers provided a convenient alternative, albeit at the environmental cost of more waste requiringlandfilling. Amid the recent concerns parents have voiced on the ingredients in diapers, Pampers launched Pampers Pure collection in 2018, which is a "natural" diaper alternative.[17]
Procter & Gamble acquired a number of other companies that diversified its product line and significantly increased profits. These acquisitions includedFolgers Coffee, Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals (the makers ofPepto-Bismol), Richardson-Vicks, Noxell (Noxzema), Shulton'sOld Spice,Max Factor, theIams Company, andPantene, among others. In 1994, the company made headlines for big losses resulting from leveraged positions ininterest rate derivatives, and subsequently suedBankers Trust for fraud; this placed their management in the unusual position of testifying in court that they had entered into transactions that they were not capable of understanding. In 1996, P&G again made headlines when theFood and Drug Administration approved a new product developed by the company,Olestra. Also known by its brand name 'Olean', Olestra is a lower-calorie substitute for fat in cookingpotato chips and other snacks.
In August 2009,Warner Chilcott acquired P&G's prescription-drug business for $3.1 billion.[25]
P&G exited the food business in 2012 when it sold itsPringles snack food business toKellogg's for $2.75 billion after the $2.35 billion deal with former suitorDiamond Foods fell short.[26] The company had previously soldJif peanut butter, Crisco shortening and oils, andFolgers coffee in separate transactions to fellow Ohio-based companySmucker's.
In April 2014, the company sold itsIams pet food business in all markets excluding Europe toMars, Inc. for $2.9 billion.[27] It sold the European Iams business toSpectrum Brands in December 2014.[28]
On August 1, 2014, P&G announced it was streamlining the company, dropping and selling off around 100 brands from its product portfolio in order to focus on the remaining 65 brands,[29] which produced 95% of the company's profits.A.G. Lafley, the company's chairman and CEO until October 2015, said the future P&G would be "a much simpler, much less complex company of leading brands that's easier to manage and operate".[30]
In March 2015, the company divested itsVicks VapoSteam U.S. liquid inhalant business toHelen of Troy, part of a brand-restructuring operation. This deal was the first health-related divestiture under the brand-restructuring operation. The deal included a fully paid-up license to the Vicks VapoSteam trademarks and the U.S. license of P&G's Vicks VapoPad trademarks for scent pads. Most Vicks VapoSteam and VapoPads are used in Vicks humidifiers, vaporizers and other health care devices already marketed by Helen of Troy.[31]
Later that same year in July, the company announced the sale of 43 of its beauty brands toCoty, a beauty-product manufacturer, in a US$13 billion deal. It cited sluggish growth of its beauty division as the reason for the divestiture.[32][33][34] The sale was completed on October 3, 2016.[35]
In December 2018, Procter & Gamble completed the acquisition of the consumer health division ofMerck Group (known as EMD Serono in North America) for €3.4 billion ($4.2 billion) and renamed it as Procter & Gamble Health Limited in May 2019.[37][38]
In November 2018, P&G unveiled a simpler corporate structure with six business units that will be effective from July 2019.[39]
In 2023, the company began optimizing its product offering. As part of this strategy, it plans to eliminate the bottom 25% ofSKUs, which contribute very little to absolute retail sales. According to other comparable companies, a similar share of SKUs represents between 2% and 2.5% of its turnover at a global level.[40][41]
For the fiscal year 2018, Procter & Gamble reported earnings of US$9.750 billion, with an annual revenue of US$66.832 billion, an increase of 2.7% over the previous fiscal cycle. The company's shares traded at over $86 per share in 2017, and itsmarket capitalization was valued at over US$221.5 billion in October 2018.[42] The company ranked No. 42 on the 2018Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.
In May 2011, the company was noted for having 11 female directors that were all on the Most Powerful Women list byFortune.[45]
In May 2013,Robert A. McDonald announced his retirement and was replaced byA.G. Lafley, who returned as chairman, president, and CEO.[46]
Jon R. Moeller succeeded Lafley as CEO in 2021.[47][48] In July 2025, Procter & Gamble announced Shailesh G. Jejurikar would succeed Jon R. Moeller as CEO in 2026.[49]
Procter & Gamble is a member of theU.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a Washington, DC–based coalition of over 400 major companies and NGOs that advocates for a larger international affairs budget, which funds American diplomatic and development efforts abroad.[50]
Fortune magazine awarded P&G a top spot on its list of "Global Top Companies for Leaders", and ranked the company at 15th place of the "World's Most Admired Companies" list.[52]Chief Executive magazine named P&G the best overall company for leadership development in its list of the "40 Best Companies for Leaders".
In October 2013, the company was named the fourth-most in-demand employer in the world according to analytic data sourced by LinkedIn.[54]
In August 2013, P&G was named the 14th-hardest company to interview for by Glassdoor.[55] In November 2013, Glassdoor also named them as a top 25 company for career opportunities.[56] In February 2014, Glassdoor placed P&G 34th on their annual Best Places to Work list.[57]
In November 2015, P&G was named the Careers in Africa Employer of Choice 2015 following a survey of over 13,000 African professionals from across the globe. P&G was also recognized as the most desirable FMCG business to work for in Africa.[58]
P&G was recognized as one ofForbes World's Most Reputable Companies in 2016, 2017, and 2023.[59][60][61]
As of 2015, 21 of P&G's brands have more than a billion dollars in net annual sales.[62] Most of these brands – including Bounty, Crest,Always, and Tide – are global products available on several continents. In 2005, Procter & Gamble made a $57 billion deal to buy Gillette, which combined some of the world's top brands including, signature razors, Duracell batteries, Braun, and Oral-B brands.[63] P&G's products are available in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
In 2018, P&G'sfabric and home care division accounted for 32% of the company's total net sales, the highest of all its divisions. The division includesDowny,Gain,Tide,Febreze, andDawn.[64]
According toAdvertising Age, Procter & Gamble spent $4.3 billion advertising various brands in the United States in 2015, making it the top advertiser in the country.[65]
Manufacturing operations are based in these countries:
Procter & Gamble produced and sponsored the first radio serial dramas in the 1930s. As the company was known for Ivory soap, the serials became known as "soap operas". With the rise of television in the 1950s and 1960s, most of the new serials were sponsored, produced and owned (20 series) by the company (includingThe Guiding Light, which had begun as a radio serial, and made the transition to television lasting 72 years).[75] The end ofAs the World Turns in 2010[75] resulted in the company's absence from the soap opera genre for almost fifteen years, which lasted untilBeyond the Gates (a co-production withCBS Studios and theNAACP) premiered on CBS in 2025.[76]The Young and the Restless, produced bySony Pictures Television and also broadcast on CBS, is also partially sponsored by Procter & Gamble.
These past serials were produced by Procter & Gamble:
Procter & Gamble also was the first company to produce and sponsor a prime-time serial, a 1965 spin-off ofAs the World Turns calledOur Private World. In 1979, PGP producedShirley, a prime-timeNBC series starringShirley Jones, which lasted 13 episodes. They also producedTBS' first original comedy series,Down to Earth, which ran from 1984 to 1987 (110 episodes were produced). They also distributed the syndicated comedy seriesThrob. In 1985, they produced a game-show pilot calledThe Buck Stops Here withTaft Entertainment Television in 1985, hosted byJim Peck; it was not picked up. Procter & Gamble Productions originally co-producedDawson's Creek withColumbia TriStar Television but withdrew before the series premiere due to early press reviews. They also produced the 1991 TV movieA Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story, which was co-produced byThe Landsburg Company,[77] and they continued to produce thePeople's Choice Awards[75] until the show was sold to E! channel in April 2017.[78] In 2007, PGP teamed up with the now-defunctCookie Jar Group to produce the Flash-animated children's seriesWill and Dewitt, which featured the character Dewitt, the mascot for the Pampers baby product line's former sub-brand, Kandoo.
In 2013, PGP rebranded itself as Procter & Gamble Entertainment (PGE) with a new logo and an emphasis on multiple-platform entertainment production.
P&G funded a six-episode series,Activate, on National Geographic in 2019 focusing on extreme poverty, inequality and sustainability in conjunction with not-for-profit Global Citizen and production company Radical Media.[81] The company agreed to a longform series deal with Stone Village Television in January 2020. In February 2020, P&G joined Imagine Documentaries' five project slate includingMars 2080, the project closest to production.[82]
In addition to its self-produced items through PGE, Procter & Gamble also supports many Spanish-language novellas through advertising on all networks:Azteca América,Estrella TV,Galavisión,Telemundo,UniMás andUnivisión. P&G was one of the first mainstream advertisers on Spanish-language TV during the mid-1980s.[83][84] By the late 1990s, P&G was established as the largest advertiser on Spanish-language media.[85]
In 2008, P&G expanded into music sponsorship when it joined Island Def Jam to create Tag Records, named after a body spray that P&G acquired from Gillette.[86][87] In 2010, after the cancellation ofAs the World Turns, PGP announced they were phasing out soap opera production and expanding into more family-appropriate programming.[88]
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a disease caused by strains of the bacteriaStaphylococcus aureus. Most people have these bacteria living in their bodies as harmlesscommensals in places such as the nose, skin, and vagina. The disease can strike anyone, not only women, but the disease is often associated withtampons. In 1980, 814 menstrual-related TSS cases were reported; 38 deaths resulted from the disease. The majority of women in these cases were documented as using super-absorbent synthetic tampons, particularly theRely tampon created by Procter & Gamble.[95] Unlike other tampons made of cotton and rayon, Rely used carboxymethylcellulose and compressed beads ofpolyester for absorption.
In the summer of 1980, theCenters for Disease Control released a report explaining how these bacterial mechanisms were leading to TSS. They also stated that the Rely tampon was associated with TSS more than any other brand of tampon. In September 1980, Procter & Gamble voluntarily recalled its Rely brand of tampons from the market.[96] Since the 1980s, reported cases of TSS have dramatically decreased.[97]
In 2002, P&G was sued for its ads falsely suggesting to the consumers that the drugPrilosec could cure heartburn in a day.[98] In December 2005, the Pharmaceutical division of P&G was involved in a dispute over research involving its osteoporosis drugActonel. The case was discussed in the media.[99]
Procter & Gamble has received criticism from animal advocacy groupPETA for the practice oftesting on animals.[100]
On June 30, 1999, Procter & Gamble announced that it would limit its animal testing practices to its food and drug products which represented less than 20% of its product portfolio.[101] The company invested more than $275 million in the development of alternative testing methods.[102]
In April 2011, P&G was fined €211.2 million by theEuropean Commission for establishing a price-fixingcartel for washing powder in Europe along withUnilever, which was fined €104 million, andHenkel. Though the fine was set higher at first, it was discounted by 10% after P&G and Unilever admitted running the cartel. As the provider of the tip-off leading to investigations, Henkel was not fined.[103]
According to a 2016 report byAmnesty International, palm oil providerWilmar International, the world's biggestpalm oil grower in 2016 and supplier of raw materials to Procter & Gamble, profited from 8 to 14-year-oldchild labor andforced labor. Some workers were extorted, threatened, or not paid for work. Some workers also suffered severe injuries from toxic banned chemicals.[104]
Former P&G logo, which was accused of being a Satanist symbol. In 1989, its details were simplified, to avoid further unfounded accusations.
P&G's former logo originated in 1851 as a crude cross that barge workers on theOhio River painted on cases of P&G star candles to identify them. P&G later changed this symbol into a trademark that showed a man in the Moon overlooking 13 stars, said to commemorate the originalThirteen Colonies.[105]
The company received unwanted media publicity in the 1980s due to rumors, spread largely byAmway distributors, that the Moon-and-stars logo was asatanic symbol. The accusation was based on a passage inthe Bible,Revelation 12:1, which states: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven;a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of 12 stars." Until 1985, P&G's logo consisted of a man's face on the Moon surrounded by 13 stars. Some claimed that the logo was a mockery of the heavenly symbol alluded to in the aforementioned verse, thus construing the logo to be satanic. Where the flowing beard meets the surrounding circle, three abstracted curls were said to be a mirror image of the number666, or thenumber of the beast. At the top and bottom, the hair curls in on itself and was said to be the horns like those of a ram. In 1991, details of the logo were simplified, and the moon-and-stars logo was completely replaced by a text-only logo in 1995 in a failed attempt to quash the conspiracy theory, though in 2013 it unveiled a new logo with a hint of a crescent moon behind the text.[106][107][108]
These interpretations have been denied by company officials and no evidence linking the company to theChurch of Satan or any occult organization has ever been presented. The company unsuccessfully sued Amway from 1995 to 2003 over rumors forwarded through a company voice-mail system in 1995. In 2007, the company successfully sued individual Amway distributors for reviving and propagating the false rumors.[109] The Church of Satan denies being supported by Procter & Gamble.[110]
In March 2013, P&G was found by aWorld Intellectual Property Organization panel to have engaged inreverse domain hijacking in an attempt to obtain thedomain name "swash.com" from Marchex in aUniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy proceeding. P&G originally stated it had generated more than $40 million in sales of itsSwash laundry products over four years, a figure it later revised to $60,000.[111] After losing the case P&G purchased the domain name from Marchex.[112] In 2013 attorney John Berryhill suggested that P&G did not intend to use the swash.com domain to market its existing range, as it had said, but rather a new product described in a 2011 trademark application as "An appliance for domestic use in the nature of a garment steamer for the purpose of removing wrinkles and odors from clothing and linen". Berryhill's theory was shown to be accurate after swash.com went live in June 2014.[113]
In 2017, as part of the "My Black is Beautiful" platform, P&G released an advertisement called "The Talk".[114] It showedAfrican American mothers throughout the decades giving their children "the talk" aboutracism.[115] The advertisement garnered controversy for several different reasons.[116] Some criticized it for not showing any fathers giving "the talk", while others accused it of being anti-white.[117] One scene depicted a mother warning her daughter about beingpulled over by the police. The daughter responds by saying that she is a good driver so her mother doesn't need to worry about her getting a ticket. The mother then implies that she might experiencepolice brutality by beingracially profiled and killed.[118] Several police officers and groups accused that part of the advertisement of being anti-cop.[117][119]
The company has been criticized for its social stances, some of which were criticized for being "woke".[124]
In November 2014, P&G came out publicly in support of same-sex marriage.[125]
In January 2019, CEO David Taylor said in Switzerland: "The world would be a better place if my board of directors on down is represented by 50% of the women. We sell our products to more than 50% of the women." Also in January 2019,The Wall Street Journal noted the company's board of directors had more than twice as many men as it does women.[126] As of mid-2020, the board of P&G consisted of an equal number of men and women.[127]
The ad led to calls forboycott of Gillette and Procter & Gamble.[131][132][133][134][135][136] Later in the year, its Gillette shaving business took an $8 billion write-down in value, although the company and analysts pointed to accumulated currency fluctuations, the entrance of strong rivals and decline in the demand for shaving products since the division's previous valuation in 2005, rather than fallout from the ad.[137][138][139][140][141][142][143][excessive citations]
^Allen, Robert C. (1985).Speaking of Soap Operas. Chapel Hill, N. C.: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 107–110,115–116.ISBN0807841293. RetrievedJuly 11, 2021.
^Mugan, Alexander (December 2, 2015)."2015 Careers in Africa Employer of Choice Awards".CareersInAfrica.com.Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2016.The results of the inaugural Careers in Africa Employer of Choice Study, in association with Towers Watson, drawn from more than 13,000 survey responses by African professionals representing every market on the continent, have been revealed.
Kominicki, John, "James Gamble's Candles and Soap Lit Up Profit: Do It Right: He Helped Put P&G on an Ethical Path to Top", Los Angeles:Investor's Business Daily, March 6, 2015, p. A3.
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