Just Askin': Why are there a bunch of flags outside of Procter & Gamble?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google.
I saw a strange sight about a year ago while driving home from work.
Outside of Procter & Gamble's downtown Cincinnati offices, flags from different countries hung on tall poles and flapped in the wind.
To me, these flags felt like they should belong outside of a government building − not a company building in Ohio. And yes, I know Procter & Gamble, also known as P&G, does work internationally. But there were only a handful of flags. There's no way the flags represented all the different places P&G, a global powerhouse, manufactures or sells its consumer products.
So, what gives? What's the significance of these 10 or so countries represented by international flags outside of P&G's Downtown office? The questions stayed with me, even after my commute ended.
Question: Why are there a bunch of flags outside of Procter & Gamble?
Answer: Well, turns out, I was on to something. The flags do have to do with P&G's international work.
First of all, there are 11 flags total. Six flags are in front of the General Office Towers. Five flags are across the street in front of the Central Building.
Nine flags represent nine of the 70 countries where P&G has operations, according to the company. The other two flags are American flags. There is one American flag in each set.
But how did P&G select which international flags to wave? It's random! The nine flags change each month and are chosen at random, the company said. P&G ensures they're in good condition before choosing them.
The flags currently on display in March include:
Finland.
Sri Lanka.
Colombia.
Dominican Republic.
Italy.
Germany.
New Zealand.
Malaysia.
Puerto Rico.
As of the last week of March, P&G had not yet selected the nine flags for April.
I also asked the company why they only choose to fly nine international countries' flags at a time and why there is an uneven number of flags in the two sets. The company said they're not sure there's any significance behind these decisions.
Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at localnews@enquirer.com.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why there a bunch of flags outside of Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati
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