A 6 page paper. In the early 1980s, rumor began floating that Proctor & Gamble's Trademark represents the devil and Satanism. The Trademark was designed in the mid-1800s; it includes 13 stars and a bearded man-in-the-moon. The writer explains what the Trademark really represents and relates the company tried to modify the depiction in the early days only to have drastic results. The paper also discusses the revival of these absurd rumors in the mid-1990s and what the company did. The paper then goes on to discuss integrated marketing communication approaches and how P&G could use these tools to mitigate the negative impact each time these rumors surface. Bibliography lists 9 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: MM12_PGpgrmr.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
trademark presented a picture of thirteen stars and a depiction of the man-in-the-moon (P&G Network, 2003). The stars were white cast against a blue background. Some individuals with warped minds,
alleged that it was the symbol of the devil and that Proctor & Gamble executives, specifically, the chief executive officer were Satanists, devil-worshippers. Here is the true story, though.
The Trademark was designed and presented on Proctor & Gamble products in 1851 when few companies had an official trademark or logo or any other visible means to identify the
brand (P&G Network, 2003). A familiar trademark in P&G products told everyone who the company was, whether or not the person could read (P&G Network, 2003). The star was
selected as a trademark because, at that time, the company sold popular star candles (P&G Network, 2003). Originally, it was just a star but later the company added the man-in-the-moon
looking over a field of thirteen stars commemorating the original American colonies (P&G Network, 2003). The man-in-the-moon was a very "popular decorative fancy" in the 1800s (P&G Network, 2003).
In the 1860s, Proctor & Gamble actually removed the man-in-the-moon character from their Trademark but a merchant refused shipment of the companys Star Candles (P&G Network, 2003). The merchant wrote
a letter to the company telling them they should not send imitations (P&G Network, 2003). Proctor & Gamble quickly put the man-in-the-moon back into the Trademark and officially registered it
with the U.S. Patent Office in 1882 (P&G Network, 2003). In the very early 1980s, Proctor & Gamble became the object of preposterous rumors charging that the companys trademark is
a symbol of the devil, of Satanism (P&G Network, 2003). That rumor was revived in 1996 (Company Profiles : Procter & Gamble, 2003). Some believe that companies as successful as