Reckitt Benckiser Officially Launches ' poweRBrands ' Social Media Game

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Reckitt Benckiser (RB), the leading global household, health and personal care company (with U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, NJ) and parent of Clearasil, Lysol, Woolite and other iconic brands, today announced the official launch and corresponding advertising/marketing campaign around its social media game, poweRBrands™.    

Aimed at 18-30 year olds, poweRBrands™ was beta-tested in July on Facebook.  It's designed to mirror the real-life experience of being a marketing executive in a cutting-edge company such as RB.  The first social media game of its kind, poweRBrands™ gives players the unique opportunity to test their marketing and business ability, learn strategy and decision-making skills, and be introduced to the unique culture and challenges that face RB marketers every day.   RB is the first FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company to bring such a game to market.  

poweRBrands™ has been live on Facebook since July.   During its first month, poweRBrands™ boasted 40,000 players, 120,000 visits, and 5,800 Facebook fans.   poweRBrands™  is now also featured on the Careers section of Yahoo.com, and is the first game ever to be featured here.  

The poweRBrands™ online U.S. marketing campaign officially kicked off this week.  This campaign includes ads on leading online properties such as Facebook, Adknowledge, Yahoo!, Yahoo! Hotjobs and LinkedIn.  

Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, RB's global communications director, said:  "Over the last 2-3 years we have been placing increasing emphasis on recruiting top talent, and have developed a series of initiatives to reach out to gifted students and people early on in their career. We aim to show them how RB operates, demonstrate the global nature of our operation, and underline the RB culture and how it differs from most FMCG companies. We are looking to push the boundaries and find innovative, effective ways to communicate – particularly with the 18-30 age group.  poweRBrands™ is a great way to demonstrate, in a fun environment, the exciting opportunities that RB offers. The game is the logical 'next step' in building a strong online presence and it's totally in keeping with our commitment to continuing innovation."

Concurrent with the launch of poweRBrands™, RB is kicking off its Campus Brand Manager program, whereby its former MBA interns descend upon campuses such as Columbia University, Penn State and the University of Michigan.  Their charge is to market the RB brand on campus, and create buzz among students about what it's like to work at RB.  Such an emphasis on reaching young people is unparalleled in the FMCG realm.

About poweRBrands™

poweRBrands™ was developed in partnership with Euro RSCG Riley and Nudge Social Media.

The game is supported by a Facebook fan page, also developed in partnership with Euro RSCG Riley, where players will be able to exchange news, and catch up on game changes and innovations. They'll also be able to give feedback, provide ideas for new themes, and get all the latest information on poweRBrands™.   Players who want to learn more about RB can link to the careers website at www.rb.com. 

About Reckitt Benckiser

Reckitt Benckiser is a world leader in household, health and personal care. Headquartered in the UK with operations in 60 countries, it is a FTSE top 25 company and since 2000 net revenues have doubled and the market cap has quadrupled.

Today it is the global #1 or #2 in the majority of its fast-growing categories, driven by an exceptional rate of innovation – near 40% of revenue comes from innovations launched in the prior 3 years. It has a strong portfolio led by 17 global Powerbrands which include:  Lysol, Finish, Woolite, Clearasil, Mucinex and French's.  Reckitt Benckiser's 17 global Powerbrands account for two-thirds of its net revenue.

SOURCE Reckitt Benckiser (RB)