Alberto Culver, the well known manufacturer of such brands as Alberto VO5,  and Tresemme and owner of Sally Beauty Supply is rumored to be acquired by consumer product giant Procter & Gamble. Helen of Troy, another producer of hair care products is also rumored to be picked up by one of its competitors. Both companies also have popular hair care lines sold in drug stores worldwide.

     Since 1955, Alberto Culver has been producing hair care products for men and women at affordable prices. Their current lines include: Alberto VO5, Tresemme, Consort, Motions, Just for Me, Soft & Beautiful and TCB. These lines address basic hair care needs for both caucasian and African American men and women of all ages. One area that sets Alberto apart from its competition is its presence in the salon hair care products industry. As the owner of Sally Beauty Supply, Alberto Culver sells salon quality products available to the public at affordable prices. Procter & Gamble currently offers its Infusium 23 line of products, which is comparable to salon quality brands. A merger would allow P&G to have a greater presence in the salon products market.

     As a consumer, I find that Alberto’s line of hair care products are reasonably priced and work well for my hair. I have curly, hard to maintain hair, and when using their curl collection product line, my hair is easier to manage with more volume and better curls. I have tried many high priced salon brands, but I often switch back to Alberto for my basic mousse, gel and hairspray as these products work the best.

     Procter and Gamble’s line of products include Herbal Essences, Pantene Pro V, Infusium 23, Clairol, Pert, Head & Shoulders, Physique, Daily Defense and Aussie. In drugstores, P& G controls most of the market share, with a wide variety of brands for consumers. They also use a variety of marketing strategies, including their famous Herbal Essences commercials which feature women making obscene noises.

     Procter & Gambles products are usually pricier than those of Alberto Culver, and they rarely go on sale. After trying most of P& G’s hair care products, I found my hair to be dry, damaged and hard to maintain. The only line of products suitable for my hair is the Infusium 23 line, as it offers lots of conditioning and moisture for the hair.

     If Procter & Gamble were to acquire Alberto Culver, it would be a positive move for P&G. Alberto Culver covers markets not already explored by P&G such as hair care for African American consumers and salon quality products. The main hair care line, Alberto VO5, would fit well into the P&G lineup of products, as a lower priced alternative to Herbal Essences or Daily Defense hair products. Alberto Culver is notably smaller than its competitor P&G, which would make a merger between the two ideal for both parties.