“SUPERIOR PRODUCTS” is a unique, FIRST-EVER coverage of the technical innovation behind the world’s greatest leadership consumer brands….as well as the systems, culture, and leadership principles that produced the products and sustained innovation.
Gordon Brunner and his co-author and chief of staff, Bill James, spent their entire careers encompassing 75 years in active research and top level management of R&D at Procter & Gamble. Brunner worked for four CEO’s, and was the first and only R&D employee on the Company’s Board of Directors.
Procter & Gamble has consistently, and very uniquely for its 187 year history, pursued a business strategy that demanded consumer-preferred products. The importance of demanding, rewarding and celebrating superior products, along with strong top-level leadership, and organization structures and processes to achieve them are detailed.
Innovations behind great brands like TIDE, PAMPERS, ALWAYS, BOUNTY, CHARMIN, CREST, PANTENE, SWIFFER, FEBREZE, PRINGLES, & OLAY…including the skilled inventors behind them, and the challenging paths they faced, are described by the authors first hand observations.
The book is not all “good news” stories. It covers failures, and “if we only had done” examples. This includes the failure of what was probably the greatest P&G technical achievement in history. This was the invention of a “no-calorie fat”, OLESTRA, and its launch as “WOW’ potato chips.
Several major leading-edge R&D structure and strategic changes, which were undertaken, provide outstanding learning:
-The formation of a novel internal NEW VENTURE program internally in the Company, which produced 10 new brands, including multi-billion dollar SWIFFER and FEBREZE brands.
-The establishment of the Company’s first individual recognition society for researchers, as well as an industry widely-acclaimed technologist career path.
-The movement to common Euro-products from eight individual country products in the 1970’s. Then the creation of global products and structure in the 1980’s & 1990’s, and the advantages gained from both these moves on product superiority, efficiency, and speed to market.
-The movement from a 100% Company secret working environment to “Open Innovation”, and the broadening of “Research & Development” to encompass “Connect & Develop” to actively search for the best ideas available anywhere in the world.
Overall , this book provides the first-ever detailed look at P&G’s 187 year “superior products” strategy, which was critical to becoming the largest and most successful global consumer products company.