Stuart Elliot writing in NY Times: Madison Avenue is responding to the planned acquisition of Gillette by Procter & Gamble with a mix of anxiety and eagerness.
There is anxiety because the deal will turn Procter, the world’s largest advertiser, into the biggest marketer of consumer products, with total sales at $60 billion a year, overtaking its longtime rival, Unilever. Procter’s growing clout is being regarded warily because the company has long been known as a tough customer that demands the best – and more – from its many advertising, media and promotional agencies.
“Procter wants to win in every category it’s in,” a senior executive at an agency said Friday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because Procter dislikes outsiders talking about its business to reporters. “It never enters a category just to compete.”
