P&G's CEO on Pricing Pressure, Brand Loyalty, and AI Strategy

Procter & Gamble's newly installed chief executive, Shailesh Jejurikar, is confronting a familiar but intensifying dilemma for consumer-goods giants: how much of rising input costs can be pushed onto shoppers before brand loyalty begins to erode. In a wide-ranging conversation, Jejurikar addressed the calculus behind pricing decisions and the limits of what even well-established household names can ask consumers to absorb.

The executive acknowledged that cost pressures remain a central challenge for the company, which markets products ranging from Tide detergent to Pampers diapers. P&G has repeatedly leaned on its brand equity to justify price increases in recent years, but the strategy carries risk as budget-conscious consumers increasingly weigh store-brand alternatives against premium-priced staples.

Read more Brands Rethink Marketing as AI Agents Take Over Shopping →

Jejurikar also pointed to artificial intelligence as a competitive lever the company is actively deploying. While specific applications were not fully detailed, the suggestion was that AI is being used to sharpen everything from supply-chain efficiency to consumer targeting — areas where scale players like P&G can potentially widen their advantage over smaller rivals.

The interview reflects a broader tension playing out across the consumer-staples sector, where companies that thrived by passing inflation along to buyers are now navigating a more skeptical and price-sensitive marketplace. Whether brand strength alone can sustain premium positioning — or whether P&G must find other ways to deliver value — is a question the new CEO will face throughout his tenure.

Continue reading at NYT > Business.