Procter and Gamble (P&G) says it will increase investment in its digital capabilities, as it admits it needs to have “stronger” brand positioning online.

The FMCG company behind brands including Always and Gillette released its full year results today (27 July). Net sales stand at $65.1bn (£49.7bn), which is unchanged from the year before and includes a two percentage point impact from foreign exchange. Organic sales increased 2%.

Speaking on a results call, the company’s CEO David Taylor started by saying the company has been focusing on having higher ad quality standards by focusing on “brand performance claims”, and by looking at the creative talent within its agencies and production.

This, he said, links back to P&G’s new ‘Irresistible Superiority’ mindset, which means it wants to take a more holistic approach to its brands. And the hope is that as a result, consumers will see that its products are so good they don’t need to use any others.

“Exceptional brand messaging is advertising that makes you think, talk, laugh, cry, act and buy. And that drives growth in the categories in which we compete. It has been proven that effective ads such as ‘Like A Girl’ increase brand awareness and equity scores,” Taylor said.

It is also keen to react to changes in the digital sphere. P&G said it will do this by focusing on search and showing up in the right places such as Amazon or brick-and-mortar retailers’ websites.

“The online shopping experience demands executional excellence. We are committed to winning in this fast-growing segment,” he added.

Taylor claimed the business recognised that it needs to build “stronger positioning” for its brands online, which is why it is determined to up investment in its digital capabilities. He pointed to the ‘Skin Advisor’ app it launched for Olay as an example (see image above), which makes personalised product recommendations based on a consumer’s skin type.

“Digitisation helps improve the presence of our brands online, while digital search can help us identify changes and trends, and help us modify how we present our brands online,” he said.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.marketingweek.com