Chew on This, Wrigley Teams Up with P&G

P&G is the latest household and personal care company to take a bite out of the chewing gum market. The company today announced it has reached an agreement with the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company to introduce innovative chewing gums with dental benefits to consumers. The agreement combines Wrigley’s worldwide distribution, consumer research and retail marketing prowess and P&G’s oral care research and development capabilities.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Wrigley Company will license from P&G various trademarks and oral care technologies, using them to develop, distribute, and market confectionery products with oral care benefits around the world. Royalties and others terms were not disclosed. The companies said that new Wrigley products with P&G technology could be introduced within a year.

Michael Kehoe, P&G’s vice president and general manager, global oral care added, “This agreement will focus two industry leaders on creating something better than either of our companies could do alone – it’s a perfect fit. On the heels of Crest Whitestrips and Crest SpinBrush, today’s news is also the latest in a series of category-building moves from P&G. Finally, it’s another example of P&G using strategic licensing partners to commercialize innovations faster and more broadly. We are delighted to be working with Wrigley,” said Mr. Kehoe.

P&G is the latest company to enter the oral care chewing gum category. Church & Dwight created the segment a couple of years ago with the launch of Arm & Hammer Dental Care Gum. More recently, at the company’s annual shareholder’s meeting, Colgate-Palmolive chairman Reuben Mark said C-P was looking closely at the chewing gum segment.