Design Management Group

Case study - Crest Spinbrush

The SpinBrush is a novel, low-cost battery-operated toothbrush. The basic model sells for $5. Although a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) product, it was in fact developed elsewhere. This is in line with P&G's recently stated objective to source more of its innovation from outside the company.

The SpinBrush was developed in 1998 by a startup (Dr Johns' Products) which was formed by entrepreneur John Osher, along with the principals of a Cleveland industrial design firm and their in-house patent lawyer. Ironically, it had its origins in the 'Spin Pop', a lollipop with a battery-operated handle that twirled the candy in the eater's mouth. Since the electric toothbrush had previously been a premium product, this low cost platform proved to be a significant benefit.

After successfully test-marketing the product in October 1999, early the next year Osher persuaded Wal-Mart to buy 240 - they sold out over the weekend. By July 2000, he was talking to P&G. Osher sold the idea to Proctor & Gamble who rather than take over the lead immediately, ran the SpinBrush relationship with a light touch, concentrating on marketing & distribution and retaining Osher and his team for a year to oversee the transition. (Osher completed the sale of the company to P&G in January 2001).

Osher and his team were granted significant license to 'bend the corporate rules' in order to achieve a rapid commercialistaion of the product. They insisted on shipping product in the early days before P&G's customary 90-day inventory had been built up so as not to lose momentum. And P&G had to compromise on pricing policy - traditionally, it would have expected to sell at a premium - but SpinBrush started out with an aggressive price. To keep the cost down, they didn't even advertise the product fro the first seven months.

SpinBrush quickly became the best-selling toothbrush in the US. It is sold in a see-through plastic package with a 'try-me' feature, so that shoppers can press the button in the store and see the head spin. There are now several different models, including a kids' range.

P&G introduced the initiative called "Connect & Develop" in 1999/2000, (cf "Research & Develop") to emphasise that not all innovations need come from inside the organisation. An initial target/vision was set to source 50% of innovations from outside the company within 5 years (up from around 10%).

In a further new P&G policy, internally generated ideas are offered to outside firms if they are not taken up internally within three years.

Further information

• Anon (2003) Toys and spinning brushes: How John Osher found his way to profits, Knowledge@Wharton, November 19, 2003
• Berner, R. Why P&G's smile is so bright, BusinessWeek online, August 1, 2002
• Chesbrough, H. (2003) The Era of Open Innovation. MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 44(3): 35-41
• Sakkab, Nabil Y. (2002) Connect & Develop complements Research & Develop at P&G. Research Technology Management, Mar/Apr2002, Vol. 45 Issue 2, pp. 38-45
• P&G Connect and Develop website
• SpinBrush website www.spinbrush.com

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