P&G puts focus on innovation
P&G Korea CEO Lee Sue-kyung speaks to reporters at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Busan, Thursday. She said the company will develop innovative products through the convergence of information technology. / Courtesy of P&G Korea
By Park Si-soo
BUSAN ― Procter and Gamble (P&G) Korea has pledged to develop innovative products through the convergence of information technology.
P&G Korea CEO Lee Sue-kyung said the company will invest more in an “e-commerce channel” to increase its online sales here. But she didn’t elaborate, citing the secretive nature of the plan.
“We are always trying to see the future. But it’s hard to give specific information about trends that will affect our business. What I can say at the moment is that we are paying attention to information technology and digitalization,” Lee said during a press meeting at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Busan, Thursday.
She pointed out the firm’s latest electric toothbrush, branded Oral-B SmartSeries, as an example of innovation made with the convergence of information technology.
The Bluetooth-supported electric toothbrush records user’s tooth brushing habits and sends them to his or her primary dentist.
“Dentists are able to suggest ideas for tooth brushing with the data,” she said.
The CEO said her company has huge growth potential in online sales.
“Sales of P&G products sold online in Korea are the second-largest after China in Asia. This is why P&G sees Korea as an important market,” Lee said. “We see constant growth in sales in Korea as P&G has posted an average of 20 percent sales growth in the past three years.”
Meanwhile, the CEO flatly denied allegations that P&G will sell its high-end cosmetics brand SK-II.
She called SK-II “a very important brand” for P&G. News reports have it that SK-II is one of P&G’s beauty brands that will be sold amid declining sales.
Sales of SK-II that is manufactured in Japan have plunged in Korea due to lingering fears of the radiation leak from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
“SK-II is safe. It was proven several times by creditable research centers,” Lee said.