A corporate structure
featuring dual presidents was so unwieldy that the senior president finally stepped aside. A forced move for Oral-B employees from Boston to Crest's Cincinnati home led to an exit of talent. Then
there were culture clashes: Oral-B favored meetings, while Crest liked memos; Oral-B made relatively quick decisions, Crest deliberated more. Meanwhile, the sales forces gunned for each other's
jobs.
One merged P&G group had little problem integrating: the scientists. P&G's oral research and development team visited Oral-B's technological center in Germany, and then hosted the Germans in Cincinnati. Now, the two groups are trying to develop an Oral-B toothbrush and Crest toothpaste designed to work best together.
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