Once upon a time, innovation at Procter & Gamble flowed one way: from the United States outward. While the large Cincinnati-based corporation was no stranger to foreign markets, it usually sold them products that were already familiar to most Americans. Many Japanese families, for instance, swaddle their babies in Pampers diapers, and lots of Venezuelans brush their teeth with Crest. And of course (company executives assumed) Americans at home wanted these same familiar, red white-and-blue brands. We might buy foreign-made cars, or chocolates, or cameras—but household cleaners and detergents.9
Recently, however, P&G broke with this long-standing tradition. Ariel, a P&G laundry detergent, was born overseas, and is a familiar sight on store shelves in Europe and Latin America. Now bilingual packages of Ariel Ultra, a super-concentrated cleaner, are appearing on supermarket shelves in Los Angeles.
Ariel’s appearance in the United States reflects demographic changes making Hispanics the nation’s fastest-growing ethnic group. Ariel is a hit with this population. In fact, many Mexican immigrants living in southern California have been " importing" Ariel from Tijuana, Mexico. "Hispanies knew this product and wanted it," says P&G spokeswoman Marie Salvado. "We realized that we couldn’t convince them to buy our other laundry detergents. " P&G hopes that non-Hispanic consumers will give Ariel a try too.
Ariel’s already p presence in Europe may provide a springboard for the company to expand into other markets as well. Recently P&G bought Rakona, Czechoslovakia’s top detergent maker. Ariel, currently a top seller in Germany, is likely to be one of the fast new brands to appear in Czech supermarkets. And Ariel is not tile only foreign idea that the company hopes to transplant back to its home territory. Cinch, an all-purpose spray cleaner similar to popular European products, is currently being test-marketed in California and Arizona. Traditionally Americans have used separate cleaners for different types of surfaces, but market research shows that American preferences are becoming more like those in other countries.
Insiders note that this new reverse flow of innovation reflects more sweeping changes at Procter & Camble. The firm has hired many new Japanese, German, and Mexican managers who view P&G’s business not as a one-way flow of American ideas, but a two-way exchange with other markets. Says Bonita Austin of the investment fin Wertheim Schroeder, " When you met with P&G’s top managers years ago, you wouldn’t have seen a single foreign face; today, they could even be in the majority. "
As Procter & Gamble has found, the United States is no longer an isolated market. Americans are more open than ever before to buying foreign-made products and to selling U S-made products overseas.
Which of the following is true about Ariel（）
A. Ariel was born in Los Angeles
B. It results in demographic changes in America
C. It first appears on store shelves in America
D. It already enjoys popularity in Europe
参考答案：D
解析：
Ariel一词在文中出现多次，因此本题也考虑用排除法。A选项说Ariel起源于Los Angeles，这与第二段说它起源于海外不相符，所以排除；B选项说Ariel“引起”了人口统计上的变化，而第三段说它“反映”了人口统计上的变化，所以B也可排除；C选项说Ariel最早出现在美国超市的货架上，而第二段说它起源于海外，现在才出现在Los Angeles的货架上，同样排除C；D选项说Ariel在欧洲很流行，第二段说在欧洲货架上的Ariel让人觉得眼熟，由此可知它在欧洲很流行。故正确选项为D。