• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, October 23, 2024

P&G's new Old Spice campaign

Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer Marc Pritchard told attendees at this year’s ANA Masters of Marketing conference that while marketing may be complex, it’s not complicated. The best campaigns drive growth by finding a critical insight and then expanding it over and over. “You don't get that from sitting behind your computer, “he said. “You get that by connecting with people directly, one on one.” And by translating those insights into multicultural marketing, brands can find outsized growth.

He illustrated his presentation, which was both virtual and in-person, with examples from the CPG leader’s brands. Those included the largest brands, such as the way Safeguard’s “let’s wash hands and eat” message has helped the soap sales climb 30% in the past five years, and smaller brands, like Native deodorant, which has seen sales increase eight times over.

He also highlighted the success of the Ariel detergent “Share the Load” campaign in India. The effort targets a cultural norm: at the beginning of the campaign, 79% of men believed that laundry is women’s work.g. Today, just 25% of men still hold that view. Ariel’s sales have reflected this shift, with an 11% compound annual growth rate for the past five years, doubling the brand’s size since the campaign began.

Pritchard emphasized that marketers need to get back to basics: Step away from their screens, engage directly with consumers, and extract real human insights that resonate across cultures.

Great advertising comes from understanding those connections, not endless data analysis, was the message..

Growth increases once those insights are deployed and amplified through a multicultural lens. For example, the current Crest "Reality Check" campaign resonates with diverse consumer groups, increasing market share across Black, Hispanic, Caucasian, and Asian American audiences. This growth came from representing multicultural insights and using diverse media targeting to achieve 75% to 80% reach across all groups.

Pritchard emphasized that such success stems from deeply understanding consumer needs across cultures, using in-home visits, data segmentation, and behavioral observations to craft campaigns that reflect various consumer segments' unique habits and values.

For instance, an upcoming Old Spice hair-care campaign plays off the insight that many young men care deeply about their hair but feel lost when it comes to managing it. This humorous yet relatable campaign will position Old Spice as the hero that helps these young men -- aka "dude-lings dude-lings” ­-- navigate the world of hairc are, focusing on products designed specifically for men’s needs.

This campaign is not just about selling shampoo—it’s about “rescuing the man beneath the hair,” a tagline that encapsulates Old Spice’s playful brand voice.

“Our job is to deeply understand who we serve -- and what matters to them in their everyday lives," Pritchard said.

By staying true to the basics  -- understanding consumers and translating those insights into relevant brand campaigns -- marketers can continue to thrive in an increasingly crowded and digital world.