How can Procter & Gamble extend the reach of Tide, which already claims about half the U.S. detergent market? Create an anti-wash brand, Swash, that carries the Tide logo. Swash products, including a stain-removing pen and arn"smoothing" spray, are designed to get rid of odors, stains, and wrinkles without using water. Some prime customers: college kids. In October, P&G, which sells the items at Swashitout.com ("Keep the clothes you love to rewear feeling clean"), opened a pop-up Swash shop near Ohio State University in Columbus. The company declines to give details. But Elizabeth Crawford, a vice-president at Iconoculture, a consumer trend firm, says it's wise to go after young adults this way. A loyalty to Tide may pay off later, when their domestic skills kick in, she says.
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