Procter & Gamble launches REJOICE in India

Company press release, January 20, 2004

Mumbai

Procter & Gamble announces the launch of Asia's No. 1 shampoo - REJOICE, in India. REJOICE with its patented 'Micro-Silicone' conditioning technology gives twice as smooth, and easy to comb hair versus ordinary shampoos, at an affordable price of Rs. 39 for a 100 ml bottle and Rs. 2 for a 7.5 ml sachet.

REJOICE has a strong global heritage. It is the No. 1 i.e., the largest selling shampoo in Asia (China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc.). It is loved by consumers in 85 countries, and on an average 1,000 bottles of REJOICE are purchased per minute across the globe. In 2002-03, REJOICE notched global sales of US$ 500 Million annually and over the years has enjoyed the endorsement of Tennis Star Michael Chang, and leading Asian Celebrity Hair Stylists such as Gusnaldi (Indonesia) and James Cooper (Philippines). Historically, REJOICE was the world's FIRST Shampoo-cum-Conditioner launched in 1987, and in 1995, it was awarded a Gold Medal for Technology by Former US President - Bill Clinton for its innovative technological breakthrough of the 'shampoo + conditioner' formula specially designed for making hair softer and smoother.

REJOICE has been launched by P&G to specifically meet the unique needs of Indian consumers. Firstly, P&G in association with market research firm ACNielsen, spoke to a cross-section of 1500 consumers across the length and breadth of India and found that 'smooth, detangled hair' is one of the top unmet needs by ordinary shampoos. Hair tangles are a problem more acute in India because majority of Indian women keep their hair long, and the longer the hair the more it tangles. REJOICE's patented 'Micro-Silicone' conditioning technology gives twice as smooth, detangled and easy to comb hair than ordinary shampoos or the combination of home remedies such as henna, amla, reetha and shikakai. Secondly, given the diversity of Indian consumers and their varied hair needs, P&G has launched REJOICE in three unique variants: Rich, Complete, and Silky Clean. For example, REJOICE shampoo's low conditioning Silky Clean variant is specially suited for heavy-oiling consumers in South and East India; while the Rich variant is more suited for dry climatic conditions of North India. Thirdly, quality products at the right price are of special concern to the discerning majority of Indian masses. Keeping this in mind, REJOICE shampoo is available at an affordable Rs. 2 for 7.5 ml sachets, Rs. 39 for a 100 ml. bottle and Rs. 75 for a 200 ml. bottle.

Sharing perspective on the launch, Mr. Shantanu Khosla - Managing Director (P&G India) said, "P&G is the world leader in hair care and we are launching REJOICE in India because one of the biggest unmet needs of Indian women is smooth, detangled, and easy to comb hair. Its patented 'Micro-Silicone' conditioning technology ensures twice as smooth and easy to comb hair versus ordinary shampoos. We have customized the product into unique variants to suit the diverse needs of Indian consumers, and are making them available at affordable prices so that majority of Indians can experience the unbelievably smooth hair REJOICE has to offer."

So how does the REJOICE technology work? When shampooing the hair with REJOICE, only the cleaning agents or surfactants, begin to work. They first clean the hair by removing dirt and oil from the hair surface and scalp area. At this stage, the conditioning agents stay suspended in the lather. Only while rinsing the hair, do the patented Micro Silicone particles in REJOICE come into action, seeking out rough surfaces on the hair smoothening them strand-by-strand. Due to the micro-size and low viscosity of the silicone particles present in Rejoice, they spread easily and uniformly on hair, leading to full coverage of the hair fiber and twice the smoothening versus ordinary shampoos.

The shampoo's unique high-tech suspension system holds the surfactant and conditioner together, thus ensuring both wet and dry conditioning. Wet conditioning makes it easy to comb hair when wet, while dry conditioning ensures that hair remains smooth even after it has dried up, thus making tangles a thing of the past. REJOICE is mild enough for everyday use with and has a fresh floral fragrance that leaves hair pleasantly scented for several hours after use.

Rejoice is being endorsed by the All India Beauticians' & Hairdressers' Association (AIBHA). According to AIBHA President - Ms. Lily Madhok, "One of the biggest hair complaints of Indian women is 'tangles'. How many of us experience a smooth glide of the comb through our hair every day? I have tried REJOICE myself and on some of my clients, and it did give very smooth hair that was a pleasure to comb through. What's even better is that with REJOICE's inbuilt Micro Silicone Conditioning technology you don't even have to use a separate conditioner! In the vast array of hair care products available today, I have yet to come across a more effective and affordable product than REJOICE to get smooth, tangle free hair. "

REJOICE is available at all general and chemists stores in attractive neon green packaging, supported with attractive point-of-sale materials, mass media advertising and house-to-house sampling to close to two million households. Priced at Rs. 75 for a 200ml. bottle, Rs. 39 for a 100 ml. bottle, and Rs. 2 for 7.5 ml sachets, Asia's No.1 shampoo - REJOICE is available at parity with other popular shampoo brands in India.

About P&G Beauty Care

P&G's beauty business is over $10 Billion in global sales, making it one of the world's largest beauty companies. P&G leads the global hair care business with all its brands occupying the top three slots of shampoo brands: its Pantene is #1, Herbal Essences is #2, and New Rejoice is #3. Separately, its Head & Shoulders is the world's #1 anti-dandruff shampoo. The beauty business sells more than 50 different brands in over 130 countries worldwide. Some of its other beauty brands include Olay®, SK-II®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, Joy®, Hugo Boss®, Herbal Essences® and Clairol Nice 'n Easy®.

About P&G

P&G is celebrating 165 years of providing trusted quality brands that make every day better for the world's consumers. Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. Globally, P&G has a turnover of over US$ 43 Billion, has on-the-ground operations in over 80 countries and offers over 300 superior quality brands to the worlds consumers. P&G invests US$ 1,600 Million in R&D ahead of most of its global competitors, to ensure innovative and superior quality products. It has over 7,500 scientists working in 22 research centers in 12 countries around the world. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands

About P&G India

P&G India is one of India's fastest growing Fast Moving Consumer Goods Companies that has in its portfolio P&Gs Billion dollar brands such as Tide, Ariel, Pantene, Pampers Whisper - India's leading Feminine care brand, Vicks - India's No. 1 Cold & Cough brand and Head & Shoulders India's leading Anti Dandruff shampoo. With a turnover of Rs. 800+ cr. and employee strength of 500, the Company has carved a reputation for delivering high quality, value-added products to meet the needs of consumers. P&G India takes pride in being voted India's Best Employer 2003 in a survey of 200 companies conducted by International HR Consultancy Hewitt Associates in association with Business Today magazine. Earlier, the Company was voted India's 2nd Best Employer in previous editions of the survey in 2001 and 2002. Notably, there are over 200 Indian employees with P&G Subsidiaries abroad.

Procter & Gamble is committed to making every day in the lives of its stakeholders better through the quality of its products and the sincerity of its service.

For more information, please contact:

Shweta Shukla

Manager - Public Affairs

Procter & Gamble

+91 22 2826 7341

shukla.s@pg.com