The Top 50

Economic weakness in most parts of the world, rising raw material costs, heated global competition…for most companies in The Top 50, 2011 was a year to forget. The only problem is, that when the books were closed last year, companies couldn’t exactly turn the page on their problems. We’re halfway through 2012 and the global economy appears more precarious than ever.

Multinationals are anxiously awaiting word out of Europe to find out if the crises in Greece, Spain, Italy and elsewhere will continue to worsen. Meanwhile, in China there’s evidence that the economy is sinking from a double-digit growth rate to a high single-digit rate to maybe something worse. Now, in most countries, 5% growth would be lauded, but when it happens in China that’s cause for alarm.

The US, too, is in a tight spot, as consumer confidence remains anemic. As we went to press, Moody’s Investor Services had cut ratings on several major global banks including Bank of America and CitiGroup, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was getting hammered. Couple sliding consumer sentiment with the uncertainty that always surrounds a US Presidential election and there’s more than enough reason to worry about the rest of 2012 and 2013.

Marketers are certainly worried. Procter & Gamble, which was, is, and probably always will be, No. 1 on The Top 50, sent shock waves through the household and personal products industry when it issued a warning for fiscal 2013 and slashed its growth estimates in half. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround soon, you can bet that other companies will follow suit as the third quarter gets in full swing.

Yup, there’s a lot of uncertainty out there, but one thing’s for sure. If it’s July, it must be time for The Top 50—Happi’s annual look at the leading US companies in the global household and personal products industry. Breeze through the write-ups on the following pages to see what’s new at industry leaders like Estée Lauder, Avon and Ecolab. And don’t forget to read The International Top 30 next month. This annual feature provides all the news and data you need to keep up with marketers with headquarters outside the US.