These P & G brands compete with one another on the same supermarket shelves. Why would P & G introduce several brands in one category instead of concentrating its resources on a single leading brand? The answer lies in different people wanting different mixes of benefitsfrom the products they buy. Take laundry detergents as an example. People use laundry detergents to get their clothes clean. They also want other things from their detergents - such as economy, bleaching powder, fabric softening, fresh smell, strength or mildness and suds. We all want someof every one of these benefits from our detergent, but we may have different prioritiesfor each

benefit. To some people, cleaning and bleaching power are most important; to others, fabric softening matters most; still others want a mild, fresh scented detergent. Thus there are groups - or segments - of laundry detergent buyers and each segment seeks a special combination of benefits. Procter & Gamble has identified at least nine important laundry detergent segments, along with numerous sub segments, and has developed a different brand designed to meet the special needs of each. The nine P & G brands aim at different segments:

Adopted from Kotler, P. (1999): Principles of Marketing.

QUESTION ONE

Explain in paragraphs, why there are many independent detergent and soap producers in Kenya yet from the text it was a predominant of giant companies like Procter and Gamble. (10mks)