Chemical Products
‘Whatever your manufacturing focus - cosmetics, shampoos, food, pharmaceuticals, detergents, lubricants, coatings, rubber or plastics products - we (P&G) have the capability to deliver the high-quality oleochemicals you need just the way you need them, when and where you need them. For more than 50 years, P&G has supplied high-quality oleochemicals to the chemical processing industry.’ [19]

P&G chemicals include Fatty Alcohol, Methyl Ester, Light Cut Fatty Acid, Glycerine, Tertiary Amines and Speciality Chemicals. See: www.pg.com/docChemicals/mainmenu.htm

Pharmaceutical products
P&G also has a relatively young, but expanding pharmaceuticals division which began in the US in the late 1970s. See: http://www.pgpharma.com

Soap Operas
P&G has invented the concept of ‘soap operas’ as a way of reaching consumers with their products. See the Corporate Crime section.

Research and Development
P&G about its achievements in this field:

‘Last year, P&G invested over $1.7 billion [£1,177 billion] in research and development at 19 technical centres and nearly 100 universities around the world.’[20]

‘P&G credits its success in product innovation to deeply understanding consumer needs and desires and bringing these to reality through leading edge science and technology.’[21]

Above all, P&G spends billions of dollars a year using focus groups and testing markets. ‘Before rolling out a new product, the company typically spends several months and millions of dollars to conduct field tests in a handful of midsize, middle-American cities.

Basic model: Research secretly, and carry a strong brand.’[22]

P&G owns dozens of patents (some 27,000 at last count, July 2001) [23], and dozens of domain names for use on the Internet [24]. P&G has just started licensing out its intellectual property [Opening the patent portfolio fits in P&G’s strategy to alter the trajectory of the company's secretive culture, and accelerate innovation]. Now every patent in the P&G portfolio is available for license to any outsider, as long as it has existed for at least five years or has been in use in a P&G product for at least three years [less than 10% of the 27,000 patents are currently being used in P&G products], whichever comes first. [25]

See also the section on ‘Influencing Research and Education’ and the ‘Corporate Crime’ section below. P&G has an impressive record with regard to involvement in Research and Education.