P&G Leverages Emerging Markets To Grow Global Laundry Market Share

With a 30% share of the 2009 global market, Procter & Gamble leads the laundry detergent sector and continues to grow its share though innovation, acquisitions and aggressive marketing; industry analyst Trefis expects this share to grow to 35% by 2016. As its traditional markets of Western Europe and the US become saturated, P&G continues to focus attention on the developing markets of Latin America and Asia, and particularly populous countries like India and China, where incomes are growing and an increasingly affluent middle class provides the potential for strong sales growth. The company's focus on the specific consumer needs and cultural characteristics in different markets is seen as the main reason for its continued success in emerging markets, with the launch of products such as low water usage detergents for countries where water consumption is a real issue. Other P&G initiatives such as its US-based Future Friendly campaign raise awareness of greener products and greener practices.