Companie cu Principii, moncher...

Spionaj în gunoaiele Unilever

Concurenţa pentru ocuparea primului loc pe piaţă poate fi incorectă. Angajaţii companiei Procter&Gamble au investigat produsele pentru îngrijirea părului ale principalului rival, Unilever, ajungând până în stadiul de a scormoni prin gunoaiele sediului din Chicago al companiei.
Operaţiunea saltului prin gunoaie era un program de spionaj industrial de vreo 3 milioane de dolari, iniţiat în anul 2000. În urma acestei activităţi de cercetare, P&G a fost obligată să plătească competitorului ei suma de 10 milioane de dolari.
Cercetătorii-gunoieri au fost daţi afară şi au fost trimişi să se spele, având ocazia de a compara şamponul de la Procter&Gamble cu cel de la Unilever.

P&G, Unilever settle trashy matter
Spy case terms not released by either company
September 07, 2001|By From Tribune news services.
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever said Thursday they reached a settlement of P&G's admission that it had rifled through a trash bin to obtain competitive information about its hair-care rival.
The companies declined to reveal any terms of the deal, which ended an embarrassing and likely expensive admission by P&G.
Unilever officials said the trash-digging took place outside its U.S. hair-care headquarters in downtown Chicago.
According to published reports, terms of the settlement could have involved a payment from P&G of at least $10 million to Unilever.

P&G admits Unilever garbage search
Regrets voiced about spying on hair-care unit
September 01, 2001|By Ameet Sachdev, Tribune staff reporter.
Talk about a bad hair day.
Procter & Gamble Co. has confessed to rifling through the trash to gain information on rival Unilever's hair-care business. A Unilever official confirmed Friday that the dumpster diving took place outside its U.S. hair-care headquarters at 325 N. Wells in downtown Chicago.