P&G’s Marc Pritchard On Creativity That Grows Markets

Growing markets is necessary and crucial to all stakeholders in the business. The Chief Brand Officer of P&G, Marc Pritchard, reminded this in a conversation at the ongoing Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where he explained that delighting consumers not only with products that make a difference to them but also connect with them is the only route to grow markets. 

For Pritchard, the ‘next reset’ can only be via creativity and it has certain contours to ensure it is done in a manner that connects and grows consumer databases. 

Insights, Inclusion, Impact

“We have to reset the bar across every aspect of creativity and this begins with creative insights that can be turned into creative brilliance,” says Pritchard. He cites how analytics with human intuition can elevate creativity for consumer engagement.

Another important element of this is consumer inclusion. Even though some products can be used by all, around 50-70 per cent of people have access to media and advertising, leaving significant room for growth. “But precision is also needed because everyone’s needs are different. We have to serve people in ways that are relevant to each,” says Pritchard.

To reset the bar for creative impact, every individual must not only feel like the brand knows her or him well but the message should also communicate the superior product value. 

The Highest Benchmark

Pritchard points out that one of the best ways to achieve this is through partners, the creative MVPs (the most valuable players). His advice is to not only work with diverse, multicultural people but also ‘widen the screen’ to include talent from different walks of life.

In his address, he cited examples from the brand around period education in India. Around 23 million girls in India miss school due to a lack of knowledge. Creative education can come into play and that is what led to Whispers ‘Keep Girls in School’ campaign.

He cited the example of the dishwasher brand Cascade which can not only change habits to grow a market but also move towards sustainability. 

“The next reset is about creativity that grows markets. We have all the tools at hand that make the possibilities endless,” the global brand officer says.