P&G Bets on Two Big Names at Once

NEW PRODUCT

Tide laundry detergent and Downy fabric softener are two of Procter & Gamble's "billion dollar brands." They are iconic names with strong reputations that are jealously guarded.

Thus, deciding to join the brands in a combination detergent-plus-fabric softener product would seem a risky move. After all, the performance compromises that result from mixing anionic surfactants with cationic softening agents have tarnished premium brands in the past.

Undaunted, P&G launched in August what it calls a "milestone in laundry care,"Tide with a Touch of Downy. According to J. Keith Grime, vice president of R&D for P&G';s global fabric and home care business, the company was able to surmount the performance compromise with innovative softener chemistry—a patented ion pair combination of an alkyltrimethylamine with a fatty acid.

Grime says the new ingredient required many inventions and close interfaces with chemical company partners. For example, with one partner, P&G developed a new process for minimizing the odor associated with cationic amines; with another, it developed a compatible perfume system.

The major problem of achieving good deposition of the new ingredient was solved by the development of a "triple polymer system" with yet another supplier partner. "With all of this innovative technology and formula development," Grime says, "Tide with a Touch of Downy delivers the cleaning and softening performance that warrants the Tide and Downy brand names."