Fundamentals of Risk Management

Colgate Palmolive: Damage to reputation
Damage to our reputation could have an adverse effect on our business. Maintaining our strong 
reputation with consumers and our trade partners globally is critical to selling our branded products. 
Accordingly, we devote significant time and resources to programmes designed to protect and 
preserve our reputation.
Third parties sell counterfeit versions of our products, which are inferior or may pose safety risks. 
As a result, consumers of our brands could confuse our products with these counterfeit products, 
which could cause them to refrain from purchasing our brands in the future.
Adverse publicity about us or our brands regarding health concerns, legal or regulatory 
proceedings, environmental impacts, including packaging, energy and water use and waste 
management, or other sustainability issues, whether or not deserved, could jeopardize our reputation. 
In addition, negative posts or comments about us on any social media website could harm our 
reputation. Damage to our reputation or loss of consumer confidence in our products for any of these 
reasons could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, 
as well as require resources to rebuild our reputation.
If one of our products, or a raw material contained in our products, is perceived or found to be 
defective or unsafe, we may need to recall some of our products. Whether or not a product liability or 

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false marketing claim is successful, or a recall is required, such assertions could have an adverse 
effect, and the negative publicity surrounding them could harm our reputation and brand image.
Furthermore, if we suffer a loss or disclosure of confidential business or stakeholder information 
as a result of a breach of our information technology systems or failure of third-party service providers, 
we may suffer reputational, competitive, and/or business harm.
Edited extract from Colgate Palmolive Company
Form 10-K (Annual Report) 2013