USA: P&G and Unilever reach agreement

By Press Release | 7 September 2001

The Procter & Gamble Company said yesterday it reached an agreement with Unilever to settle all issues related to disclosure of competitive business information. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

P&G chairman John E. Pepper said, "We believe the agreement protects both P&G's and Unilever's business interests. I have been personally involved in ensuring that none of the information has been or will be used in any P&G plans. This agreement will have no impact on the effectiveness of our product or marketing plans and will not inhibit fair and vigorous competition in the marketplace."

Pepper continued, "This was an unfortunate incident. The activities were not in keeping with P&G principles and policies. We're convinced we did the right thing by voluntarily and promptly making Unilever aware of this incident, quarantining the information and working with them to protect their interests. We expect this agreement will bring this situation to an end so we can focus fully on serving consumers and building our business."

P&G markets more than 250 brands including Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Whisper, Pantene, Bounty, Pringles, Folgers, Charmin, Downy, Lenor, Iams, Olay, Crest, Vicks and Actonel. P&G employs nearly 106,000 people in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Companies: Unilever, Pringles