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Joy of BrandingOnce color and design began winning out over history and value, Procter & Gamble knew that selling its Joy dishwashing liquid would take more than a lemony scent and 55 years of experience.
It would take, as its marketing experts put it, something to "delight" the harried customer.
Joy's heritage alone certainly wasn't cutting it. As staunch rivals added perks and private brands improved on quality, Joy ran on auto-pilot. Sales at non-Wal-Mart stores declined 10 percent in the year ended Oct. 3, according to Information Resources Inc. (The entire dishwashing category declined about 6 percent.)
Procter, a company that prides itself on growing brands, doesn't tolerate such numbers for long. If Joy wanted to survive, it had to improve.
"Joy got to the point where it became critical," said Tara Kenneway, a vice president at the Cincinnati offices of Interbrand, a global brand consultant that works with Procter. "When consumers are shopping, they're looking at your product a few seconds at best. They figure you out or they move on."
It is a challenge faced beyond Procter's towers, as consumers become more savvy and cynical. Beverage companies are forever testing drinks in brilliant hues, and General Electric, for example, launched a light bulb whose only selling point is that it enhances color quality. These are f
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10/11/2004 | Viewed 5,594 time(s)
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