P&G makes connection between consumers, green products with Future Friendly initiative

Procter & Gamble has expanded its Future Friendly program — a multibrand initiative aimed at helping shoppers save water, waste and energy at home — and is bringing the environmental responsibility and educational platform to the store level as it kicks off a full media platform in an effort to reach at least 50 million U.S. households by the end of the 2010. But what kind of research is behind the design and deployment of Future Friendly, and what does it mean for retailers?

To answer these questions and more, Ken Clark, editor-in-chief of Drug Store News' sister publication, Home Channel News, talked with P&G executives Maurice Coffey and Duncan Love during their recent trip to New York City to discuss the initiative. 

Future Friendly is an educational platform designed to help educate consumers on how to use leading P&G products, such as Tide, Pampers, PUR and Duracell, to achieve savings in water, waste and energy. For example, nearly 80% of the energy used in the typical load of laundry is in heating water at the consumer’s home. By washing in cold water with a detergent formula for that application, like Tide Coldwater, consumers can conserve energy and help reduce their utility bills. So now Tide Coldwater will carry a Future Friendly seal to indicate their energy-savings capabilities.

P&G now is deploying a full media platform and consumers will begin to see Future Friendly-labeled products on store shelves in early April. More than 15,000 retail locations will participate in the initial phase of the initiative.