By 1993, P&G's product lines included a wide assortment of products, with the company
organized into five product sectors: Health/Beauty; Food/Beverage; Paper; Soap; and Special
Products (e.g., chemicals). Each sector was organized into product categories, and each category
was responsible for a group of brands. Most new-brand introductions were based on improvements or
extensions of existing products. Several new products, such as Pampers disposable diapers and
Pringles potato chips, were developed to meet basic consumer needs not yet served by existing
products. Extensive market research, low-cost and effective advertising, and aggressive R&D
investments enabled P&G to increase sales in the U.S. market from $1 billion in 1955 to almost $9
billion by 1985.