Unilever (UL)

Unilever shows solid progress in first quarter 2012

Thursday April 26th 2012 03:00:10 AM

Strong growth in a difficult economic environment

Today (26 April), Unilever released its results for the first quarter 2012. A good start to the year underlines the progress that has been made in transforming Unilever into a sustainable growth company.

Highlights

• Turnover increased by 11.9% to €12.1 billion

• Underlying sales growth* was 8.4% with emerging markets up 11.9% and developed markets up 4.2%; all categories contributing to growth

• Underlying volume growth was 3.5%, with pricing up 4.7%

• Quarterly dividend up 8% to €0.243

The first quarter results reflect solid performance in challenging market conditions. Despite sluggish economies, weak consumer confidence in many markets and sustained levels of competitive intensity, all of our Categories grew strongly with a positive contribution from volume. Commenting on the company’s performance, CEO Paul Polman said: “Emerging markets, now 56% of the business, have again delivered strong growth and while the good performance in developed markets was against a weak prior year comparator, our performance is pleasing given struggling economies, continued fragile consumer confidence and competitor activity.”

Personal Care

In Skin Cleansing we grew ahead of our markets with Dove reflecting the continuing success of Dove Nutrium Moisture shower gels and the roll-out of Dove Men+Care. Lifebuoy also progressed strongly, helped by the ’10 seconds germ-kill’ campaign and the introduction of Lifebuoy Clini-Care10 in India. Radox performed well in the UK, and the launch of Simple in the US along with a strong performance from Fair & Lovely also helped drive growth. Vaseline performed well, continuing to benefit from the Essential Moisture hand & body range which is now in 14 markets.

Hair benefited from the roll-out of our brands into new markets and strong innovation performance. TRESemmé growth is being driven by the success of the launch in Brazil and the new split ends range. Dove Damage Therapy continues to perform well and the premium Style and Care styling range has just been introduced in the US. Clear is growing rapidly across Asia and Latin America and Axe hair is now being rolled out across Europe with good initial acceptance.

Deodorants performed well, driven by our market development activities in emerging markets, with Dove growing double digit reflecting success in both the male and female markets. Rexona Maximum Protection is being rolled out to new markets and Axe Anarchy is performing strongly. Oral growth was driven by market development activities and trading up through premium innovations, such as the recent introduction of Signal Sensitive Expert in France.

Foods

Growth in the Savoury category reflected the continued success of the Knorr baking bags and the extension of the jelly bouillon technology into gravy. Our Knorr ‘Side-Kicks’ range is performing well in the US and we have launched Knorr Rice-Mate in the Philippines.

Spreads and Dressings both grew strongly. The new Flora margarine made with cool-blend technology is now being rolled out across Europe. Liquid margarine ranges are doing well and the growth of the Hellmann’s brand continues to be driven by the campaign to encourage new uses of mayonnaise.

Home Care

Robust laundry growth reflects the ongoing focus on improving the quality of our products, impactful advertising and sustained delivery from our key innovations, such as Omo with built-in pre-treaters. White space launches also contributed with successful launches of Comfort fabric conditioners in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Philippines.

Household cleaners benefited from the rapid growth of Sunlight hand dishwash products in South Asia and South East Asia, the success of the Domestos Toilet System range and the introduction of Domestos in Argentina, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and of Cif in China.

Refreshment

Ice cream growth was helped by the successful launches of Magnum in North America, Malaysia and the Philippines and the introduction of the Magnum Infinity range in Europe. The earlier seasonal pipeline fill in Europe accompanied a good sell-in for Cornetto Devils & Angels and Cornetto Enigma Cookie.

Beverages growth was slower. In Brazil we saw weak volumes in soy beverages following recent significant price increases. However, the recently relaunched Lipton brand is performing well in Russia and we have just started shipments of Lipton Tea & Honey in the US.

Go to the Investor Centre to read the full first quarter 2012 Trading Statement. Download the Unilever Investor Relations iPhone and iPad app for further information. Find out more on Unilever in the About Us section of this website.

*Underlying sales growth is calculated by excluding the effect of acquisitions, disposals and currency movements.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Unilever reports on first year’s progress against ground-breaking sustainable living plan targets

Tuesday April 24th 2012 05:00:10 AM

London, 24 April 2012 – Unilever has published a report on the progress it is making towards meeting its Unilever Sustainable Living Plan targets.

Unilever reports on first year’s progress against ground-breaking sustainable living plan targets.

• Sustainable palm oil target to be reached three years ahead of schedule 

• New goal announced to buy 100% palm oil from certified traceable sources by 2020

• Advanced discussions with Indonesian government for investing over €100m in plant to help achieve new target

The plan, published in November 2010, broke new ground by committing to take responsibility for the company’s impacts right across the value chain, from the sourcing of raw materials all the way through to the consumer’s use of its  products to cook, clean and wash.

As part of the update, Unilever announced that by the end of 2012 it will reach its target of 100% certified sustainable palm oil covered by Green Palm Certificates, a full three years ahead of schedule.  Whilst this is strong progress, the company recognises that the Green Palm Scheme is only a step along the road towards sustainable palm oil, not the end game. Although it will be even more difficult to achieve, Unilever has now set a new target of purchasing all its palm oil from traceable sources by 2020. This means it will be able to track all the certified oil it buys back to the plantation on which it was originally grown.

To help achieve this goal, it announced that it is in advanced stages of discussions with the Indonesian government for investing over €100m in a large processing plant for palm oil derivatives in Sumatra. This plant will not only cut back on transport and save money but it will make it easier to trace the sources of the palm oil used. 

Unilever’s performance against its sustainable living plan targets fall into three categories: 

1. Areas where we are making genuinely good progress, such as: 

• Sustainable sourcing – 24% of total agricultural raw materials now being sourced sustainably, versus 14% in 2010.

• Nutrition – over 90% of Unilever’s leading spreads now contain less than one-third saturated fat. 

• Renewable energy now contributes 20% of Unilever’s total energy use. 100% of electricity purchased in Europe is now from renewable sources, and we have increased our use of biomass to fuel boilers in India and China.  

• Safe drinking water – 35 million people have gained access to safe drinking water from Pureit water purifier since 2005.

2. Areas where we have had to consider carefully how to reach our targets, but are now ready to scale up.  These include health and hygiene:

• Lifebuoy soap’s hand washing programme reached 48 million people by the end of 2011, and new partnerships such as our ‘train the trainer’ approach in Indonesia will help us to go to the next level.

3. Areas where we are finding it difficult to make progress and will need to work with others to find solutions.  This applies particularly to targets that require consumer behaviour change, such as reducing the use of heated water in showering and washing clothes, or encouraging people to eat foods with lower salt levels.

Unilever CEO, Paul Polman said:

“In a world where temperatures are rising, energy is costing more, sanitation is worsening and food supply is less secure, companies can no longer sit on the sidelines waiting for governments to take action. We have to see ourselves as part of the solution to these problems. In Unilever, we believe that our future success depends upon being able to decouple our growth from our environmental footprint, while at the same time increasing our positive social impacts.

“Many of our goals look as daunting now as they did when we announced them, but you have to set uncomfortable targets if you are to really change things. Sustainable growth will be the only acceptable model of growth in the future, which is why we have put the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at the heart of our business strategy. And far from being a hindrance to our progress, we are now seeing increasing evidence that it can drive business growth.  Unilever grew well in 2011, but what is encouraging is that the brands which put sustainability at the centre of their propositions, like Lifebuoy soap or Persil/Omo Small & Mighty, grew faster than the average.

“It is also becoming ever clearer that we cannot tackle the big issues alone: much of our progress to date has come where we have worked with others. And at the end of the day, if we achieve our own sustainability targets but no one else follows, we will not have been truly successful. For that reason we are working with other organizations such as the Consumer Goods Forum, World Economic Forum, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, governments, NGOs and others to drive change. At Unilever we believe collaboration will become the only way of doing business in the future.”

For more information and the full first year progress report, please visit www.unilever.com/sustainable-living

Unilever Sustainable Living Plan

In November 2010 the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan was launched. Unilever publicly committed to a ten year journey towards sustainable growth, with around 60 specific targets embedding this new thinking into our business. What makes the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan different is that it applies right across the value chain. Unilever is taking responsibility not just for its own direct operations but for their suppliers, distributors and – crucially – for how consumers use brands like Dove, Knorr, Lipton, Lifebuoy and Pureit.

The plan sets out that by 2020 Unilever will:

• help more than one billion people improve their health and well-being 

• halve the environmental footprint of the making and use of our products 

• source 100% of our agricultural raw materials sustainably

February 2012: Unilever joint sector leader in 2011 Forest Footprint Disclosure Annual Review

Tuesday April 17th 2012 11:38:24 AM

Unilever’s efforts towards creating sustainable supply chains for palm oil, paper and board, and soy have been recognised in the Forest Footprint Disclosure’s (FFD) third Annual Review.

Rasing the bar

In 2011, 87 companies responded to the FFD’s annual Disclosure Request, up from 35 in 2010. FFD named Unilever, along with Nestlé, joint leader of the Food Products and Soft Drinks sector in its 2011 Annual Review which includes the results of its analysis of companies’ responses.

The Review highlighted how the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan is raising the bar for others to follow, with its commitment to sourcing 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainably.

“The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commits us to halve the greenhouse impacts of our products by 2020. Since deforestation is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, it is critical that we eliminate any trace of deforestation from our supply chain. Surveys such as the Forest Footprint Disclosure Project give us an objective assessment of how our management of this complex issue compares with our peers,” said Gavin Neath, SVP Sustainability at Unilever.

FFD called on more global trading companies to respond to the Disclosure Request in its analysis of the Food Products and Soft Drinks sector, adding that companies across the full value chain need to address the current challenges of global food security, increasing consumption and the effect of climate change on food production.

About the FFD

Initiated in 2008, the FFD engages with private sector companies on behalf of more than 70 financial institutions who manage over $7 trillion in assets. Its annual Disclosure Request asks companies to disclose their current understanding of their ‘forest footprint’ based on their exposure to five key commodities - soy, palm oil, timber, cattle products and biofuels - in their operations and/or supply chains. Investors use the results to benchmark companies for investment decisions, assess the quality of their supply chain management and identify best practice.

See related links to find out more about the FFD and read its third Annual Review.

Ben & Jerry’s seeks sustainability entrepreneurs in €10,000 competition

Thursday March 8th 2012 10:14:01 AM

13/02/12: Ben & Jerry’s "Join Our Core" competition aims to find the best sustainability start-up companies in Europe.

Ben & Jerry’s seeks Europe’s brightest business brains

The "Join Our Core" competition offers bright sparks an opportunity to pitch their sustainable business plans to a panel of industry leaders.

The first 100 candidates to submit their ideas will win a year’s supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Once all the entries are in, 25 semi-finalists will be invited to share their proposals with judges representing charities such as Ashoka, VSO and the Fairtrade Foundation. Ben & Jerry’s founder Jerry Greenfield will also be on the panel.

A group of 15 shortlisted finalists will then visit rural communities in Uganda with VSO. There they’ll have a unique opportunity to see social business ideas brought to life, and will spend time with the Fairtrade vanilla farmers who supply Ben & Jerry’s with one of their key ingredients.

Mentoring, marketing & money to invest

The final five overall winners will scoop €10,000 to invest in their business plans, and their name will be promoted on Ben & Jerry’s tubs across Europe in 2013. They will also win mentoring from global entrepreneurship organisation Ashoka.

“When we set up the company in 1978, Ben and I always believed giving back to the community was as important as making great-tasting ice cream. That’s why I’m so excited about this competition to find business models with those same values that still lead us today,” says Jerry.

“Join Our Core is about driving positive change that could help individuals around the world,” adds Ilaria Ida, Ben & Jerry’s European Social Mission Manager.

“We would love to see more socially minded start-ups making a difference and showing that values-led businesses can prosper, even in tough economic times.”

Core Concoctions flavours

Join Our Core opens for entries as Ben & Jerry’s launches its new range of Core Concoctions flavours.

The three new options are: Karamel Sutra™ with a sensuous sweet caramel core surrounded by chocolate & caramel ice creams delightfully laced with fudge chips. Berry White, a soft chocolate truffle core surrounded by vanilla & raspberry ice creams with white chocolatey chunks & raspberry pieces. And Dough-ble Whammy, a soft chocolate fudge core surrounded by chocolate & cookie dough ice creams with cookie dough chunks.

Find out more and enter the competition.

The competition closes on 15 April 2012.

February 2012: Unilever joint sector leader in 2011 Forest Footprint Disclosure Annual Review

Thursday February 23rd 2012 11:20:48 AM

Unilever’s efforts towards creating sustainable supply chains for palm oil, paper and board, and soy have been recognised in the Forest Footprint Disclosure’s (FFD) third Annual Review.

Rasing the bar

In 2011, 87 companies responded to the FFD’s annual Disclosure Request, up from 35 in 2010. FFD named Unilever, along with Nestlé, joint leader of the Food Products and Soft Drinks sector in its 2011 Annual Review which includes the results of its analysis of companies’ responses.

The Review highlighted how the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan is raising the bar for others to follow, with its commitment to sourcing 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainably.

“The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commits us to halve the greenhouse impacts of our products by 2020. Since deforestation is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, it is critical that we eliminate any trace of deforestation from our supply chain. Surveys such as the Forest Footprint Disclosure Project give us an objective assessment of how our management of this complex issue compares with our peers,” said Gavin Neath, SVP Sustainability at Unilever.

FFD called on more global trading companies to respond to the Disclosure Request in its analysis of the Food Products and Soft Drinks sector, adding that companies across the full value chain need to address the current challenges of global food security, increasing consumption and the effect of climate change on food production.

About the FFD

Initiated in 2008, the FFD engages with private sector companies on behalf of more than 70 financial institutions who manage over $7 trillion in assets. Its annual Disclosure Request asks companies to disclose their current understanding of their ‘forest footprint’ based on their exposure to five key commodities - soy, palm oil, timber, cattle products and biofuels - in their operations and/or supply chains. Investors use the results to benchmark companies for investment decisions, assess the quality of their supply chain management and identify best practice.

See related links to find out more about the FFD and read its third Annual Review.

Unilever launches Global Foundation

Friday January 27th 2012 01:30:00 AM

Partnership with five global organisations to deliver sustainable change worldwide launched today at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

London/Rotterdam/Davos 27/01/2012:  Unilever today announced the launch of The Unilever Foundation, dedicated to improving the quality of life through the provision of hygiene, sanitation, access to clean drinking water, basic nutrition, and enhancing self-esteem.

To help achieve the Foundation’s mission, Unilever has formed partnerships with five leading global organizations that are committed to creating sustainable change worldwide: Oxfam, PSI, Save the Children, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

The Unilever Foundation is a key action that Unilever is taking to help achieve its goal of helping more than one billion people improve their health and well-being, and in turn, create a sustainable future.

“We live in a rapidly changing world. One where populations are growing, water is becoming increasingly scarce, and where food security is a growing issue. Unilever is committed to addressing the unmet social needs that our business can play a unique role in helping to solve. This is especially true in developing and emerging markets where we have deep roots,” said Keith Weed, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Unilever.

“We aim to double the size of our business while reducing our environmental impact and deliver increased social value. Together with our partners, we will deliver life-saving solutions as we work toward achieving these ambitious goals,” he added.

The challenges of the 21st century are increasingly complex:

• Over 1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water. 

• More than 3.5 million children under 5 die annually from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. 

• One child dies every four seconds from preventable and treatable diseases. 

• 2.6 billion people lack access to improved sanitation. 

• An estimated 925 million people suffer from chronic hunger.

“Two billion times a day, somebody, somewhere, uses a Unilever brand. Our global reach and scale, coupled with a deep understanding of what triggers consumer behaviours that can lead to a sustainable future, uniquely enable us to drive long-term scalable and systemic change,” added Weed.

The Unilever Foundation will be working with its Global partners on a number of life-saving initiatives:

• The Unilever Foundation’s partnership with Oxfam will improve lives around the world through programmes designed to empower individuals and deliver good nutrition and clean, safe drinking water.  According to Barbara Stocking, Oxfam Chief Executive, “Unilever and Oxfam have been working together across the world for quite a number of years so we are pleased to be working with Unilever with the new Foundation as it is set up. The first way that we are going to work together is in the UK, providing food parcels to the very poorest people and helping them move from surviving to thriving. We are looking forward to extending that worldwide, focusing on two pillars core to Oxfam’s work on tackling poverty and inequality – the rights of women and access to clean drinking water.”

• In supporting PSI, the Unilever Foundation is making a tangible contribution to improving the health of children and families through delivering behavioural change interventions focused on hand washing, clean drinking water and sanitation. "The launch of the Unilever Foundation represents the best of what is possible in Davos," said Karl Hofmann, President and CEO of PSI. "By pooling ideas and resources, private companies and health organizations can improve the health of millions of children and families worldwide.  PSI is excited to be working with Unilever, a company that recognizes - and values - the economic impact of good health."

• The Unilever Foundation is working with Save the Children to save and improve the lives of children around the world. This will involve improving access to health workers and life-saving vaccines, and ensuring more children and mothers are reached with high-impact health and nutrition programmes. The partnership will also provide a platform to catalyse a global movement and generate the public and political will for a global breakthrough on child survival. Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive of Save the Children International, said "Save the Children is proud to be selected as a partner for the Unilever Foundation. This partnership will help us to deliver transformational change to millions of children's lives around the world through our EVERY ONE campaign. Each year 7.6 million children die needlessly of preventable illnesses. The support from Unilever will bring us a step closer to ensuring that a health worker is within reach of every child, life-saving vaccines are available for all, and children have enough food to grow up healthy. Combining our global reach and joint mbition - we can give children the chance to fulfil their potential."

• The Unilever Foundation and UNICEF are partnering to improve sanitation in developing countries through UNICEF’s Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (‘CATS’) initiative, a behaviour change program that promotes good hygiene practices, helps create demand for access to toilets, and raises awareness of the sanitation crisis. “By investing with communities in sanitation, this  partnership is helping us break one of the last taboos in public health – open defecation – and demonstrating real leadership for the private sector,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF’s Executive Director. “Improved sanitation could prevent the deaths of over one million children each year so these investments have enormous potential for the future health and strength of their societies.”

• The Unilever Foundation is also partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Project Laser Beam, a public-private partnership that aims to create a scalable and sustainable model to improve nutrition, health, and livelihoods in Bangladesh and Indonesia. “With millions of children around the world suffering from malnutrition, there has never been a better time to take action on this truly solvable problem,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. “Project Laser Beam is investing in the next generation by ensuring that our children grow up healthy and strong. The knowledge and expertise of partners like the Unilever Foundation help make this goal a reality.”

Additionally, the Unilever Foundation is also working with other organizations worldwide by providing a combination of direct funding, expertise, products and employee support that help to help address country-specific needs primarily aligned with the Foundation’s mission.

ENDS

About the Unilever Foundation Partners

Oxfam

Oxfam is a global humanitarian, development and campaigning organisation working with others to overcome poverty and suffering.  Since its Oxford-based beginnings in 1942, it has grown into a worldwide force.  Oxfam is now working in nearly 60 countries on a diverse range of projects, from providing emergency water sources to supporting community health projects.

Oxfam has one million supporters in the UK. For every £1 donated to its general funds, 83p is spent on emergency, development and campaigning work, 10p is spent on support and governance and 7p is invested to generate future income.  Oxfam has more than 700 high street shops across the UK selling donated fashion, books, music, homewares and new ethical products. It is supported by a workforce of 22,000 volunteers.  Oxfam also launched the UK’s first online charity shop in 2007.  

Oxfam GB is affiliated to Oxfam International, a global confederation of 15 independent Oxfams which share the same purpose.   Visit www.oxfam.org.uk

PSI

PSI is a global non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of people in the developing world by focusing on serious challenges like a lack of family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal health, and the greatest threats to children under five, including malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition.   Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/PSIHealthyLives; Blog: http://psihealthylives.com/

UNICEF

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

Save the Children

Save the Children works in more than 120 countries. We save children's lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfill their potential. For more information visit: www.savethechildren.org.uk

World Food Programme

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting malnutrition and hunger worldwide. Each year, on average WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries. WFP has prioritized reaching children in the first 1000 days, when their brains and bodies are subject to permanent stunting due to a lack of micronutrients. WFP procures 80 percent of food and nutrition supplies it purchases from the developing world. WFP now provides RSS feeds to help journalists keep up with the latest press releases, videos and photos as they are published on WFP.org. For more details see www.wfp.org/rss

For additional information, please contact:

Kate Redman
Save the Children
 +44 (0) 78999 02886
+33 (0) 60 204 9345
k.redman@savethechildren.org.uk

Leona Everitt
Oxfam
+44 (0)1865 472498
leveritt@oxfam.org.uk

Marshall Stowell
PSI
+1 202 785 0072
mstowell@psi.org

Larissa Schlotterbeck
UNICEF
Ph: +41 22 909 5477
lschlotterbeck@unicef.org

Molly Slotznick
UN World Food Programme
Ph: +39 06 65 13 3873
Mob: +39 345 644 3105
Molly.slotznick@wfp.org

Axe launches its fragrance for women

Wednesday January 25th 2012 06:43:00 AM

Axe is launching a new fragrance – Anarchy – which will be marketed in different versions for men and women.

Axe anarchy

Since Axe was first launched in 1983, it has been targeted at young men. But now the brand is introducing a new fragrance – Anarchy – which will be marketed in different versions for men and women.

The Anarchy women’s variant is being released as a limited edition.

Consumers involved in marketing

A TV ad campaign using the strapline ‘Unleash the chaos’ is scheduled to begin running in North America, Latin America and Europe at the end of January, supported by digital and outdoor activity.

A teaser campaign called ‘Axe: Anarchy is coming’ launched online at the start of the month. This includes a graphic novel created with consumers’ suggestions incorporated into the plotline, and with some fans being depicted in the comic.

Most original campaign ever

Global Brand Manager Ali Kashani explains why the team came up with the concept behind the launch: “To build Axe's iconic brand status, we have to surprise young people again and again. This is possibly the most original Axe campaign ever. With a fragrance that’s also for girls, the idea is that we will generate so much attraction it will turn into chaos.”

Female Facebook fans

Ali adds: “This story resonates with the real life of young people where both guys and girls are actively involved in the mating game.” This is backed up by the fact that, of Axe’s 2.3 million ‘likes’ on Facebook in North America, about a quarter are by women. Axe has over 10 million Facebook fans worldwide.

Global roll-out

Following the launch, Anarchy will be rolled out in more than 80 countries. Axe – known as Lynx in the UK – is one of Unilever’s most global brands and the biggest male deodorant brand in the world. Axe/Lynx has become famous for its witty commercials about attraction.

Timotei launches first certified organic range, free from parabens, colourants and sulphates

Friday January 13th 2012 06:54:00 AM

13/01/12: Timotei has long been renowned for its natural credentials. Now forty years after the launch of its natural herb extract shampoo, it’s introducing the first certified organic range from a prominent mass-market brand.

Timotei Organic Delight is free from parabens, silicones, colourants and sulphates, and contains 100% natural fragrances and 99% natural ingredients.

Up to 15% of these ingredients are from certified organic farms, enabling Unilever to secure certification from Ecocert*. This confirms the shampoo conforms to the COSMEBIO** charter, guaranteeing consumers the most authentic organic products.

Organic extracts for normal & dry hair

The new range includes two shampoos. A version for normal hair is infused with organic green tea leaf extracts to leave hair feeling weightless and hydrated.

And an option for dry and damaged hair includes extracts of Brazilian nut oil, to nourish and soften hair.

Taking naturals to the next level

“True to Timotei’s heritage and roots, but fresh, modern and distinctive, Timotei Organic Delight takes naturals to the next level,” says Senior Marketing Manager Kim Duchayssoy.

Timotei Organic Delight launched nationwide in France and in Rossman drugstores in Poland in December 2011. It’s set to reach further countries across Europe in 2012.

* Ecocert

An inspection and certification body established in France in 1991 by agronomists aware of the need to develop environmentally friendly agriculture and the importance of recognising businesses committed to this method of production.

** COSMEBIO

A French not-for-profit professional association for ecological and organic cosmetics. Founded in 2002, it represents more than 300 French and foreign members including ingredients suppliers, manufacturers and retailers.

Shower study could help cut waste

Monday January 9th 2012 06:41:00 AM

09/01/12: New study shows a shower can use more water and energy than a bath

Unilever shower study reveals bathroom habits

An eight minute power shower can use twice as much water and energy as an average bath, according to a new study by Unilever UK and Ireland into showering habits.

The information – from 2,600 showers by 100 families over ten days – shows that the average shower lasts eight minutes, much longer than previous studies suggested.

The results will enable scientists to design ways for people to save money by conserving energy and water.

According to the data, an eight-minute shower uses 62 litres of hot water compared with an average bath’s 80 litres.

With a power shower – an appliance that adds extra pressure to the water flow – the eight-minute shower would require twice as much water and energy as a bath.

Saving money

The survey suggested that taking eight-minute showers costs an average UK family £416 (€484) a year; using a power shower increases the bill to £918 (€1,068).

“Around 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our shampoos, soaps and shower gels come from consumers using hot water, especially in showers,” said Hilde Hendrickx, an R&D behavioural scientist.

“We have a responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of our products but first we need to build an accurate picture of how people shower.”

The study revealed that boys aged 12 and under spend longer than anyone else in the shower, around ten minutes on average. It also showed that men and women spend a similar amount of time but women undertake multiple activities such as cleaning their teeth, while men just seem to enjoy the experience.

Previous research that asked households to complete questionnaires was inaccurate because most people aren’t very good at estimating time taken to do a particular activity.

Catalysts for changing consumer behaviour

This study used an innovative sensor developed at Port Sunlight to record when the shower was in use – by picking up the noise of the water running through the pipe – and changes in temperature. Researchers could then extract information about people’s behaviour from the raw data.

Hilde added: “The study will help us understand what some of the catalysts are for changing consumer behaviour and enable our scientists to design new products and other solutions to deliver savings in energy, water and money.”

How to save energy, water & money today

• Check your water temperature (ideally it should be 55–60 degrees Celsius)

• Install a low-flow shower head

• Turn the shower off while applying shampoo, conditioner or soap

• Try out the ‘Shower Ballad’ Facebook application 

• Check if your water company gives away free shower timers

Unilever’s new Durban plant a model of sustainable savoury dry food production

Friday December 9th 2011 10:45:00 AM

Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Rob Davies, today officially opened Unilever’s R670-million state of the art savoury foods plant at Riverhorse Valley in Durban, and endorsed it as one of the largest private investments in South Africa since the 2010 World Cup.

The new plant is named Indonsa, meaning “Morning Star” in IsiZulu, and produces renowned brands such as Knorr, Robertson’s, Knorrox, Aromat and Rajah. It is in start-up phase and will be in full production by the first quarter of next year.

The Indonsa plant has the ability to become the biggest dry food site in Unilever world-wide. It has been designed to produce 65 000 tonnes of product per year and has an expansion capability of up to 100 000 tonnes. The 22 000 square metre factory is equivalent to three soccer fields and is situated on 78 000 square metres of land.

Minister Davies said the investment resonates well with the objectives and priorities of South Africa’s Industry Policy Action Plan (IPAP).

”It is also the first major green field investment since the World Cup, giving a boost to manufacturing investment, production and building local capacity for such products. Such investments confirm that South Africa is indeed a preferred destination for investment.”

Davies added that investments such as Indonsa clearly demonstrate the confidence in South Africa as an investment destination and our manufacturing capability.

“Our National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) has confirmed that government sees the manufacturing sector continuing to play a pivotal role in ensuring that South Africa achieves higher rates of economic growth that we need. Unilever has been a critical part of the process and we look forward to it continuing to play a role in ensuring that South Africa becomes an even more globally competitive manufacturing location, especially through increased investment in modern plant and energy efficiency, as well as skills development” he added.

Indonsa is a global first for the group in terms of advancing its focus on advanced sustainable “green” technology. It is Unilever’s second largest plant in the world and its 5th plant in South Africa. Globally Unilever operates 250 plants selling about 170 billion products in 180 countries annually.

The global Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) and local chapter, aim to reduce the environmental impact of its entire products by 50%, source 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably, and assist a billion people to improve their wellbeing and general health. Indonsa is an example of the USLP delivered in practice.

“The advanced technology in operation at Indonsa sets new global standards in responsible and sustainable dry food production. It embodies our resolve to simultaneously improve the lives of people and to entrench respect for the environment,” said chairman for Unilever South Africa, Marijn van Tiggelen.

He added that Unilever viewed sustainability as a strategic economic and business imperative and vital element of its vision. “For us sustainability now implies responsibility, integrity and moral obligation,” he said. In line with this, the group plans to redress the needs and priorities of South Africa, while contributing to its global targets through its operations and brands.

According to Unilever’s chief supply chain officer, Pier-Luigi Sigismondi, the group aims to globally reduce CO2 emissions from manufacturing and logistics by over 40% by 2020 from its 1995 baseline, at a rate of almost 5% a year.

“It is imperative for Unilever to respond positively to growing global demand for sustainably sourced products. We will continuously reduce our impact across the entire lifecycle of our products and intensify the advancement of new technologies such as used here at Indonsa to achieve our global sustainability objectives,” Sigismondi said.

Carbon reduction is achieved by using energy efficiently controlled zoned lighting throughout the plant, while innovative insulation methods reduce heat loads from the sun to minimise air conditioning requirements.

Super-efficient motors drive mixers and air compressors, reducing energy requirement levels substantially.

Rain falling on the 22 000 square meter roof is channelled into a 1,5 million litre tank, treated and added to recycled water. The application of smart water efficiency technology virtually eliminates municipal supply, enabling the recovery of 70% of all water used in production phases.

Other examples of water saving include capturing and treating condensate from air-conditioning, and using it to clean toilets. All process and shower water is recycled via biological and reverse osmosis treatment.

Indonsa’s solid waste is recycled to levels where nothing goes to landfill. This achieved by using recoverable packaging materials. Product waste will be designated for composting in local gardens that support poor communities, while excess is converted by a waste energy plant and the resultant energy is fed back into the national energy grid.

Unilever directly employs 2 700 people full time in South Africa. Head office is in Durban with manufacturing plants in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Boksburg. It currently has a level 6 BBBEE rating and in 2011 was ranked as one of the country’s best employers, best FMCG employer and best large sized employer. For further information, visit: www.unilever.co.za

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This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Unilever tops Climate Counts Company Scorecard

Thursday December 8th 2011 05:44:00 AM

08/12/11: Unilever has topped this year’s Climate Counts Company Scorecard, a global league table which rates businesses on their environmental initiatives.

Top performer in sustainability ranking

This is the first time Unilever has led the poll, tipping Nike from the top spot – a position it has held for the past three years.

"Unilever is delighted to have emerged as the top performer in the Climate Counts company ranking for 2011,” said Gavin Neath, Senior Vice President, Sustainability.

"The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan forms the basis of our sustainable growth model, and commits us to reducing dramatically the water, waste and greenhouse gases generated by our factories, halving the overall environmental impact of our products.

"We are making solid progress towards these goals, and attaining the standard of excellence set by Climate Counts is an important indication of how we rate with respect to our peers."

Identifying opportunities to reduce emissions

Climate Change Project Director Mike Bellamente added: "We’re witnessing a remarkable shift across the corporate community. As risks associated with climate change continue to grow, sustainability has gone from being a buzz word to a concept embraced at the highest levels of business."

The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan was hailed by Climate Counts for enabling Unilever to identify every opportunity to increase efficiency and reduce emissions.

Climate Counts scores the largest companies (by revenue) in 16 industry sectors on their actions to address climate change. Companies are rated on a 0-to-100 point scale. Unilever was awarded 88 points, an increase of five points on its 2010 score.

Unilever launches innovative corporate app for investors

Thursday December 1st 2011 08:30:00 AM

01/12/2011: Unilever unveiled today a breakthrough corporate app for investors, at its annual Investor Relations seminar, in Turkey. The app, developed by The App Business, is the first of its kind to offer investors live access to split-screen live results videos and presentations, interactive share price charts and a customisable investor dashboard.

James Allison, Head of Unilever Investor Relations and Head of M&A, comments: "This app is a great way for investors and analysts to get hold of key information, especially when on the move. It allows us to convey a huge amount of complex data in a very clear and accessible way. And it’s leading the way – this is the first IR app on the market to offer live video streaming."

The multi-touch powered interactive charts allow for detailed share price comparisons and analyses, with an option to capture screen shots and forward on to contacts. The PDF reader is fast, intuitive and packed with essential business features, including offline document viewing and quick sharing of individual pages or entire documents.

"The Unilever app not only offers financial information; it also includes updates on Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan as well as the latest news about the company, giving investors a comprehensive overview of the company’s performance, as we aim to double size of our business whilst reducing our environmental footprint," concludes Allison.

Other features include financial highlights, annual reports and company press releases.

High blood sugar levels make you look older, new research suggests

Thursday December 1st 2011 06:45:00 AM

Long term exposure to high levels of glucose causes people to look older than they really are, new research suggests.

A study jointly carried out by Leiden University Medical Center and Unilever R&D has identified, for the first time, a relationship between people's blood sugar levels and their perceived facial age.

The study found that people aged 50-70 with high non-fasted blood sugar levels consistently looked older than those with lower blood sugar levels. The results demonstrated that for every 1 mmol/litre increase in blood sugar levels, perceived age increased by five months.

The research also found that the perceived facial age of diabetics - who have had long-term exposure to high blood sugar levels - looked older than non-diabetics. Crucially, these results remained after taking into account factors which are known to influence facial ageing such as smoking, sun exposure and BMI.

Diana van Heemst, associate professor at the Leiden University Medical Center said: “The results from this study further underscore how important regulation of blood glucose levels is for well-being and health in advanced middle age. The associated benefit of looking younger might provide an extra motivation to bring about healthy lifestyle changes in 50-to-70 year olds.”

David Gunn, Senior Scientist at Unilever's R&D laboratories based at Colworth Science Park said: "This is the first time that a relationship between high blood sugar levels and facial ageing has been identified. While there’s an extensive body of research which shows that consistently high levels of glucose in people's blood stream is bad for their health, this study suggests that it's also not going to help them keep a youthful appearance.

“Although there are known routes through which high glucose could be influencing facial ageing, further research is required for us to identify the true underlying cause."

This study, now published in AGE, was run as part of the Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing initiative which aims to understand how health can be preserved as individuals age. The study involved testing the non-fasted blood sugar levels of more than 600 men and women in the Netherlands, who were then photographed. Their actual age was then compared to their perceived facial age, as assessed by 60 independent assessors. www.healthy-ageing.nl

The research paper is available at http://bit.ly/t0GO9w.

ENDS

Notes for the editor

For more information on this study, please contact Paul Matthews, Unilever Corporate Media Relations Manager on 0207 822 6605 / 0775 276 8888 / paul.matthews@unilever.com

About Leiden University Medical Center

As a center of medical innovations the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) strives towards an (inter)nationally recognized leading role in the improvement of quality of health care. Core business of the LUMC are patient care, research, education and training. The LUMC is part of the Dutch Federation of University Medical Centers (NFU). The NFU is a collaboration of the 8 University Medical Centers of the Netherlands www.lumc.nl

Safe Harbour

This document may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Unilever Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Unilever Group are described in the Unilever Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Unilever Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Unilever Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Unilever Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Protecting employees with HIV

Thursday December 1st 2011 02:45:00 AM

01/12/2011: In recognition of world AIDS day on 1 December Unilever reinforces its commitment to the care and protection of employees living with the disease.

Protecting employees with HIV

In recognition of world AIDS day on 1 December Unilever has launched new global standards to reinforce its commitment to the care and protection of employees living with the disease and to help prevent new infections.

Getting to zero

The standards underline Unilever’s approach to prevent discrimination against employees based on their HIV status and to offer appropriate care and support when needed.

"Unilever is committed to 'Getting to Zero – Zero discrimination, Zero New Infections and Zero New Deaths with reference to HIV/AIDS' says Doug Ballie, Chief HR officer.

"Our global standards are based on the principle of treating HIV/AIDS like any other chronic disease and providing appropriate steps to combat it. On the occasion of World AIDS Day we reinforce our commitment to employee health and wellbeing."

Raising awareness

Unilever’s Medical and Occupational Health teams are also running an HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign across the business. A particular focus is on sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence of infections.

According to Frank Braeken, EVP, Unilever Africa: "HIV/AIDS is one of the major threats to our continent, yet it is one thing that we can prevent, control and ultimately eliminate. Unilever is recognised globally as being leading edge in terms of its policy and approach to HIV/AIDS.

"We are committed to ensuring that employees who are living with the disease have access to antiretroviral drugs, are treated with respect and dignity, and have the knowledge to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease."

Activities across Unilever Africa include voluntary HIV testing, disease management registration, distribution of condoms, ribbons and educational booklets.

Continuing efforts

Speaking on the importance of the new standards, Dr. Thirumalai Rajgopal, VP, Global Medical and Occupational Health says: "While the number of infections and AIDS related deaths are coming down globally, we cannot take our foot off the pedal and must continue with our efforts in spreading awareness, ensuring voluntary detection is supplemented by antiretroviral treatment to help us control this condition."

Unilever Completes Sale of Culver Specialty Brands to B&G Foods, Inc.

Thursday December 1st 2011 02:00:00 AM

LONDON & ROTTERDAM, November 30, 2011 – Unilever announced today that it has completed the sale of its Culver Specialty Brands division to B&G Foods, Inc. for the previously announced price of $325 million (EUR 240 million) in cash. Culver Specialty Brands include Mrs. Dash salt-free branded seasoning blends, Molly McButter branded flavored sprinkles, Sugar Twin branded sugar substitute, Baker’s Joy branded baking spray and Static Guard branded anti-static spray in the US and Canada.

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About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180. Consumers buy 170 billion Unilever packs around the world every year, and our products are used over two billion times a day.

Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known and most loved brands including twelve €1 billion brands, and global leadership in many categories in which we operate. The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Dove, Vaseline, Persil, Cif, Marmite and Pot Noodle.

We have around 167,000 employees in over 100 countries, and generated annual sales of €44.3 billion in 2010. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com

Unilever is Leader in the Food Producers sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 13th year running. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. We are also ranked 7th in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, a list compiled by Corporate Knights Magazine. We achieved Platinum Plus standard in the UK’s Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index 2009, were named Company of the Year in 2010.

About B&G Foods, Inc.

B&G Foods and its subsidiaries manufacture, sell and distribute a diversified portfolio of high-quality, shelf-stable foods across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. B&G Foods’ products include hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, spices, seasonings, hot sauces, wine vinegar, maple syrup, molasses, salad dressings, Mexican-style sauces, taco shells and kits, salsas, pickles, peppers and other specialty food products. B&G Foods competes in the retail grocery, food service, specialty, private label, club and mass merchandiser channels of distribution. Based in Parsippany, New Jersey, B&G Foods’ products are marketed under many recognized brands, including Ac’cent, B&G, B&M, Brer Rabbit, Cream of Rice, Cream of Wheat, Don Pepino, Emeril’s, Grandma’s Molasses, Joan of Arc, Las Palmas, Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, Ortega, Polaner, Red Devil, Regina, Sa-són, Sclafani, Trappey’s, Underwood, Vermont Maid and Wright’s.

Safe Harbour

This document may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Unilever Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Unilever Group are described in the Unilever Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Unilever Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Unilever Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Unilever Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Unilever’s CMO speaks about making sustainable living commonplace: “we need to walk ahead of our consumers”

Tuesday November 29th 2011 06:09:00 AM

Speaking at the Marketing Society annual conference, and a year on from the launch of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, Keith Weed, Unilever Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, stressed the importance of foresight and the role that brands and marketing can play in making sustainable living commonplace.

“The role of marketing is to create sustainable growth which, in a business like ours, is consumer demand-led growth. But sustainable growth in a resource-constrained world is, for Unilever, not just about economic sustainability but also about environmental and social sustainability. We all need to grow our business not just for today, but for the generations to come,” Weed said.

It is estimated that by 2050 there will be 2.7 billion more people on earth than today; with urbanisation rising from 50% to 69%. By 2015, half the population of developing countries will live in urban areas:  0.6 bn of the 0.7 bn population increase in developing markets will be in urban homes, and 1.3 bn people will live in urban slums with increased hygiene needs.

This increased population and urbanisation presents opportunities for companies like Unilever, but as the company has made public its ambition to double its size whilst reducing its impact, it also presents challenges. The answer to how to grow a business while helping people and protecting the environment, said Weed, is with the consumers – and with the brands and companies that engage with them.

Weed warned, however, that the key to harnessing the power of brands to drive change is not in consumer insight. He said, “Great brands, and great companies, have always walked ahead of consumers. They have a point of view. They don’t just respond to current needs – what consumers say they want now - they anticipate what consumers will need, or might need in future, and they shape markets accordingly. As Henry Ford allegedly said, if he’d asked people what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse. It’s about imagining a different future and designing for it. I want the Unilever brand to be the quality mark for Sustainable Living.”

Just because a consumer can’t articulate a need or a worry doesn’t mean that it isn’t there, and that there isn’t a big opportunity. For example, some of the countries which are the most important for Unilever’s laundry business, such as India, China and Turkey, are becoming increasingly water-stressed.  One of the biggest uses of domestic water is laundry: currently people wash in one bucket of water and rinse with three; Chinese consumers rinse with five. To address this, Unilever developed a new technology and product – Comfort One Rinse – which delivers great cleaning performance with just one bucket of rinsing water.

 “We are currently in challenging and volatile times – but they are also times of powerful opportunities and the best time to lead for a better future. Marketers have a key role here: if we take the lead, we can create sustainable growth. But it requires us to think and act differently, and develop new business models if we are to make the sustainable growth agenda mainstream. With sustainability as a source of growth and innovation, we can collectively make sustainable living commonplace,” concluded Weed.

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Safe Harbour

This document may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Unilever Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Unilever Group are described in the Unilever Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Unilever Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Unilever Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Unilever Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

For further media information contact:

Unilever CEO calls for consumers to be part of the movement for sustainable change

Thursday November 24th 2011 08:14:00 AM

Unilever CEO says a commitment gap between what governments say and what they deliver on sustainability provides an opportunity for business, NGOs and society to step up to the challenge.

Speaking at a debate in London on mainstreaming sustainability, watched live by more than two thousand people in over 50 countries on The Guardian website, Paul Polman described the current challenging economic situation as a “moment to get a different type of growth” by making sustainability “a part of the business model”.

With two billion consumers worldwide using a Unilever product on any given day, Polman urged consumers to “join the movement” not “stay on the sidelines” because their “small actions can make a big difference.” Combining the efforts of businesses, governments, NGOs and consumers “to work differently together” would be the only way, he said, to help find solutions to the sustainability challenge.

The debate was prompted by recent studies showing that while most people say they are concerned about sustainability issues and want to live sustainable lifestyles[1], there is a gap between good intentions and taking action.

Unilever used the occasion to publish ‘5 Levers for Change’, a set of principles and techniques its marketers use to inspire behaviour change habits, such as more frequent hand washing and brushing teeth twice a day instead of once. “We have been working hard to distil those critical areas of behaviour change insight that we all need to use to engage consumers. We are publishing our approach because we think that there are wider benefits from sharing our work with others.” said Polman.

Also taking part in the debate were Malini Mehra, CEO of India-based NGO Centre for Social Markets, Rainforest Alliance Executive Director Tensie Whelan and David Jones, CEO of advertising agency Havas and co-founder of One Young World.

The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, announced in November 2010, has three big goals to be achieved by 2020: Helping over 1 billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, halving the environmental footprint involved in making and using its products, and sourcing 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably. Commenting during the debate on how a large proportion of Unilever’s water footprint comes from consumers using water to take showers, Paul Polman issued a challenge to people watching the event to come up with simple ideas to encourage people to take more efficient showers.

[1] The Futures Company 2011 Global Monitor. (Concerned in Asia: 54%; Western Europe 64%; Latin America 73%)

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Note to editors:

‘Unilever’s Five Levers for Change’

‘Unilever’s Five Levers for Change’ contains the behaviour change model its marketers use to encourage sustainable changes in consumer living habits.

Based on Unilever’s long history of research and insights into consumer behaviour, the tool is based on a set of key principles, which, if applied consistently to behaviour change interventions, increases the likelihood of having an effective and lasting impact. Unilever has published the model in the hope that others will find it helpful and use it to inspire people to turn their concerns about sustainability into positive actions.

The booklet also contains a series of personal perspectives on sustainable living by leading experts on sustainability and behaviour change from around the world. To download the book, please visit www.unilever.com

Safe Harbour

This document may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Unilever Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Unilever Group are described in the Unilever Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Unilever Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Unilever Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Unilever Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Unilever and World Toilet Organization partner for the World’s First Toilet Academy

Monday November 14th 2011 03:28:00 AM

Ho Chi Minh: With 2.6 billion people across the world without access to clean toilets, Unilever is proud to announce the world’s first Toilet Academy that will address the global sanitation issue.

To celebrate World Toilet Day (19^th November), Unilever’s health and hygiene brand Domestos (also known as Vim) has announced the global roll-out of Domestos Toilet Academies, starting with a pilot Academy in Vietnam opening next year, that will help provide sustainable and long-term solutions to sanitation that benefit local societies and help stimulate the local economies.

The Domestos Toilet Academy, developed in conjunction with the World Toilet Organization, will run month-long training courses for local people interested in setting up their own businesses to source, sell and maintain toilets, and educate local communities on the importance of sanitation.

Lack of sanitation is a serious health risk to the billions of people with no toilet facilities, particularly those who are forced to engage in the demeaning practise of open defecation [1]. The lack of functioning toilets in schools is also a major cause of school dropout by adolescent girls [2].

In Vietnam, only half the population has ‘some sort’ of sanitation facility, and 82% do not have access to facilities that meet the hygiene standards of the country’s Ministry of Health [3]. By addressing these issues, the Domestos Toilet Academy will help accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation; to halve the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015, and therefore contribute to Millennium Development Goal 4, to reduce child mortality. Currently the MDG for sanitation is the goal lagging the furthest behind.

“It is unimaginable that in 2011, 2.6 billion people, two fifths of the global population, do not have access to a clean toilet. We know that better sanitation saves lives, which is why we at Unilever have committed to sustainably improve sanitation through the Domestos Toilet Academy programme. We are working with the World Toilet Organization and local communities to not only help millions of people get access to clean toilets, but also help them create sustainable businesses, to give them a better life,” said Keith Weed, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Unilever.

Jack Sim, Founder of the World Toilet Organization added, “Having access to a clean and functioning toilet is something that many people take for granted. In the past few years, progress has been made in Vietnam towards improving sanitation; however there is still a long way to go. Only 12% of schools actually have hygienic toilet access, with rural areas suffering the most. By working in partnership with Unilever’s Domestos, we can effectively pool resources and expertise to work towards a shared goal for improved sanitation and create a long-term, focused solution that reaches the people that need it most.”

Weed added, “For Unilever this project emphasises the importance of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. It is a true demonstration of our commitment to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020. Additionally, Unilever will be partnering with UNICEF to help address the sanitation crisis and promote health through improved hygiene and access to toilets.”

[1]Unicef.org/wash/index_statistics.html

[2]Unicef.org/wash/index_schools.html

[3]Unicef.org/vietnam/wes.html

- Ends -

Notes for the editor

About the Domestos Toilet Academy (will be known in Vietnam as the Vim Toilet Academy)

The Domestos Toilet Academy will open in 2012 in Vietnam. It will be the first of several Domestos Toilet Academies as part of a global roll-out. The Domestos Toilet Academy will train anyone interested in setting up their own business to source, sell and maintain toilets as a sustainable and long-term approach to improving sanitation in Vietnam. It is modelled on the World Toilet Organization’s Sani-Shop training programmes in Cambodia. The Academy will run month-long accredited courses which will give students the skills and funding they need to set up self-sustaining enterprises that install and maintain toilets.

About the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan

In November of 2010 Unilever made a company-wide commitment to:

• Help more than 1 billion people take action to improve their health and well-being

• Halve the environmental footprint of its products

• Source 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably

Unilever aims to achieve these goals by 2020.

About the World Toilet Organization

The World Toilet Organization was set up in 2001 by social entrepreneur Jack Sim. The organization’s mission is to improve sanitation conditions for people globally through powerful advocacy, inventive technology, education and building marketplace opportunities locally. The World Toilet Organization has partnered with Unilever’s Domestos since 2009.

About World Toilet Day

In 2001, the World Toilet Organization declared 19th November World Toilet Day (WTD) to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis, highlighting the health, emotional and psychological consequences the poor endure as a result of inadequate sanitation. Domestos has been working with the World Toilet Organization for three years as the exclusive partner for World Toilet Day.

UNICEF

UNICEF works in more than 90 countries around the world to improve water supplies and sanitation facilities in schools and communities and to promote safe hygiene practices. To help address the sanitation crisis and promote health through improved hygiene and access to toilets, UNICEF will be partnering with Unilever. More information on the partnership will be announced in January, 2012.

Unilever CEO Paul Polman elected Vice Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Wednesday November 9th 2011 07:44:00 AM

09/11/2011: Unilever CEO Paul Polman has been elected Vice Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Solutions for a sustainable world

Paul's appointment was announced at the Annual Council Meeting in Munich, Germany, on 2 November 2011.

Starting in 2012, Paul will serve a two-year term on the council's Executive Committee, which comprises 14 CEOs from some of the globe's leading companies. Paul is also Chair-Elect, and will lead the WBCSD from 2013.

Paul said: "The work of the WBCSD and its members has never been more necessary than it is now. It is an honour to be able to deepen my involvement at this important time."

"The most influential voices in sustainability"

Outgoing WBCSD Chairman Jorma Ollila, Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, added: "The ability to attract high-calibre figures, who are also the most influential voices on sustainability, to the WBCSD's leadership is a reflection of the dedication business has to driving sustainable development.

"Paul's invaluable knowledge and expertise will help propel the sustainable business agenda further benefiting the WBCSD and its global membership."

Charles (Chad) O Holliday Jr, Chairman, Bank of America, was elected Chairman of the WBCSD. Atsutoshi Nishia, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Toshiba, has also been elected Vice Chairman of the organisation.

The WBCSD provides a forum for 200 member companies to share best practice on sustainable development issues and to develop innovative solutions to create a sustainable future for business, society and the environment. 

Fortune magazine names Unilever among the 25 Top Companies for Leaders

Friday November 4th 2011 12:04:00 PM

4/11/2011: The business magazine interviewed executives from 182 businesses around the world to find out how they inspire colleagues to reach their full potential

Top rating for talent-spotting

Unilever ranks among the 25 Top Companies for Leaders in a new global poll by Fortune magazine.

Leadership strategies, succession planning and programmes in place to identify high-potential junior employees were all scrutinised by a panel of judges, in a bid to understand each firm's commitment to nurturing talent.

Career development

Unilever was placed 19th in the list. A policy where the company's 100 top leaders are encouraged to share two-page career plans with CEO Paul Polman was among the initiatives praised by judges.

In the regional results, Unilever also featured prominently, winning third place in Europe. And Hindustan Unilever came second in a survey of firms in the Asia Pacific region. Unilever Brazil received a special mention from the Latin America judging panel.

Hindustan Unilever also made it on to the global list at number six, winning recognition for an initiative where management trainees on the Unilever Future Leaders Programme experience a taste of life in India's rural villages, allowing them to better understand the needs of low-income consumers.

"This is a very strong result for Unilever around the globe," says Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Baillie. "It represents external recognition of our capabilities in leadership development and the importance we place on it."

Strong growth for all categories in third quarter 2011

Thursday November 3rd 2011 04:00:00 AM

Another good quarterly performance against the backdrop of a continuing tough economic environment.

Today (3 November), Unilever announced its results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2011.

• Turnover was €12.1 billion in the third quarter and €34.9 billion at nine months
• Underlying sales growth* was 7.8% in the third quarter and 6.5% at nine months
• Underlying volume growth was 1.9% in the third quarter and 2.1% at nine months

Emerging markets were up 13.1% in the third quarter and strong growth was reported across all categories, in particular Personal Care at 11.3%.

A strongly positive contribution to turnover growth, of 2.2% in the quarter, came from bolt-on acquisitions with the integration of the Sara Lee body care and Alberto Culver businesses largely complete.

The recently announced acquisition of Concern Kalina – the leading local personal care company in Russia – will significantly strengthen the business in this important market.

Commenting on the results, CEO Paul Polman said: “I am pleased to report another good quarterly performance, with particularly strong growth in Personal Care and the emerging markets, reinforcing our position as the emerging markets consumer goods company.

“Growth was strong across all categories and helped by technology-based innovation, now routinely rolled out quickly to multiple markets. In addition we are increasingly driving the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan as an integral part of the way we do business.”

Categories

Personal Care and Home Care delivered the strongest nine month underlying sales growth at 7.5% each. Ice cream & Beverages followed at 5.5% and Savoury, Dressings & Spreads at 5.4%.

Regions

Asia Africa CEE: Third quarter underlying sales growth was 12.4% with underlying volume growth at 5%. The region delivered strong growth ahead of the market, powered by China, India, Indonesia and Turkey. Natural disasters impacted the Philippines and Thailand while Japan continues to recover after the earthquake and Tsunami earlier in the year. Geo-political uncertainty in North Africa has also had an impact and has slowed growth in the sub-region.

The Americas: Third quarter underlying sales growth was 9.1% with underlying volume growth at 2.1%. Growth in North America was flattered by the impact of the sales brought forward prior to the major SAP upgrade which took place at the end of the quarter. Adjusting for this impact, underlying sales growth was low single digit with positive price offset by negative volumes. Growth in Latin America accelerated to more than 10%, driven by price but also reflecting robust volume growth.

Western Europe: Third quarter underlying sales growth was -0.5% with underlying volume growth at -2.9%. Despite the weak state of many European economies, market share performance was robust both in volume and value terms. Tea, ice cream, deodorants and laundry gained value share. France and the UK continue to perform well in terms of growth and market share. However conditions in southern Europe remain depressed.

In conclusion Paul said: “These results are especially encouraging against the backdrop of very uncertain consumer demand, hugely volatile commodity markets, natural disasters and geo-political uncertainty in many parts of the world.

“Our long term priorities remain: to deliver profitable volume growth ahead of our markets, steady and sustainable underlying operating margin improvement and strong cash flow.”

 *Underlying sales growth is calculated by excluding the effect of acquisitions, disposals and currency movements.

Q3 2011 Trading Statement

Thursday November 3rd 2011 03:05:00 AM

Unilever’s third quarter 2011 results announced today.

Unilever today announced its results for the third quarter, 2011.

Full details can be found in the Quarterly results and reports section of Unilever.com.

Low-carbon cooking in South Africa

Wednesday November 2nd 2011 08:42:00 AM

02/11/11: Unilever brand Rajah has given away thousands of Wonderbag cooking devices, reducing dependency on open-fire stoves.

Helping low-income consumers

The Wonderbag, free with the purchase of three packs of Unilever’s Rajah curry powder bought at Shoprite stores, helps consumers prepare low-cost hot meals while saving energy and reducing emissions.

Food is simply brought to the boil on the stove, then the pot is transferred to the Wonderbag – a heat-retention/insulation cooker – to complete the cooking process.

By reducing dependency on an open-fire stove, the Wonderbag can reduce the fuel consumption needed for cooking by half. South African consumers could save up to €20 on their electricity or paraffin bill per month – equivalent to 10% of the average income in a lower-income household.

With regular use, one Wonderbag can help a household avoid one tonne of carbon emissions every two years. It also reduces the demand for wood as fuel in rural areas, in turn promoting forest regrowth and biodiversity.

Creating jobs & opportunities

Natural Balance, the company behind the Wonderbag is benefiting from the partnership with Unilever and Shoprite too. The bags are made by co-operatives in local communities, creating jobs and offering the women who make them the chance to earn a wage.

Unilever purchased 100,000 bags for the initial Rajah promotion in September 2011, which has created 645 jobs to date. Rajah aims to give away five million bags over the next five years, creating a further 8,000 jobs.

“The Wonderbag bag reduces the health problems associated with smoke from cooking fires and there is a lower risk of shack fires caused by paraffin stoves being either faulty or left unattended,” says Rob Laggar, Unilever’s Vice President Brand Building, Foods.

“At the start of the campaign we estimated that 70,000 bags would be given away over a three-month period. But in the first three weeks since launch, 51,000 were snapped up,” Rob adds. “And since the start of the promotion, Shoprite’s 200g sales of Rajah have tripled.”

Former Unilever Chairman Morris Tabaksblat passes away aged 74

Monday October 24th 2011 08:32:00 AM

24/10/11: Morris Tabaksblat, former Unilever Chairman, passed away on 20 October after a long illness. He was 74.

Unilever Chief Executive Officer Paul Polman said: "We are hugely saddened by the death of Morris Tabaksblat and would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family.

"Morris joined Unilever as a trainee in 1964 and went on to have a long and distinguished career with the company. After spells working for Unilever in the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil and North America, he became Chairman of the Unilever in 1994, five years before his retirement. 

"His contribution to Unilever throughout his career was immense, and his impact on corporate life has been far-reaching. He will be particularly remembered for the valuable work of the Tabaksblat Committee which has redefined much of our thinking on corporate governance.

"Morris will be fondly remembered by those at Unilever who were privileged to have known him. He was a great support to me from the day I started as CEO and I am incredibly grateful for that," concluded Polman.  

Unilever to acquire 82% of leading Russian beauty company Kalina

Friday October 14th 2011 06:25:00 AM

Successful brands enhance presence in attractive emerging market, strengthen Personal Care portfolio and create leading position in skin care in Russia.

Unilever, one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies and Concern Kalina, the leading Russian beauty company, today announced that Unilever has agreed to acquire 82% of Concern Kalina. The transaction, which is pending required regulatory approvals, values the equity of the total business at RUB 21.5 billion (€ 500 million).

Concern Kalina is Russia’s largest local personal care player with leading positions in skin and hair care and an expected 2011 turnover of around RUB 13 billion (€ 303 million). Concern Kalina is headquartered in Ekaterinburg, where its manufacturing facility is situated. The company has a strong, extensive distribution network and sells its products primarily in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It employs around 1,900 people.

Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever said: "We are delighted to be acquiring Concern Kalina. This will transform Unilever’s personal care business in Russia, giving us leading positions in skin care and hair care, as well as establishing a presence in oral care. It will also strengthen and re-balance Unilever’s portfolio and competitive position in Russia, an emerging market with considerable potential and one of our priority countries."

The transaction fulfils a number of key criteria for Unilever. It:

• enhances Unilever’s presence in an attractive, high-growth market with a differentiated portfolio which has grown at above market rates in competitive categories;
• adds to Unilever’s portfolio successful, authentic Russian brands in skin care, hair care and oral care like Pure Line, Black Pearl, Silky Hands, 100 Recipes of Beauty and Forest Balm, complementing Unilever’s own brands such as Dove, Sunsilk, Timotei and Clear;
• provides Unilever with the opportunity to use its technology to take these brands to a new level.

Polman continued, "Personal Care is a strategic category for Unilever and growing rapidly. Ten years ago it represented 20% of Group turnover; strong organic growth has driven it to now reach over 30%, with strong positions in many of the emerging markets.

"Organic growth remains the cornerstone of our ambition to double the size of Unilever whilst reducing our overall environmental impact. Acquisitions such as Concern Kalina supplement organic growth and add powerful new brands to our portfolio."

Timur Goryaev, Chairman of Concern Kalina said: "The agreement reached with Unilever will enable the brands we have built into some of Russia’s best loved and most recognised since we started in 1996 to be taken to new heights.”

Alexander Petrov, CEO of Concern Kalina, added “The coming together of our company with one of the most successful and best-known global companies represents a tremendous vote of confidence in the strength of our brands, the people who have built them and the potential of the Russian market. The combination with Unilever will also provide our employees with opportunities in one of the best companies in the world."

The transaction implies an enterprise value for 100% of Concern Kalina of approximately RUB 25.9 billion (€604 million). This represents a sales multiple of 2.0 and a pre-synergy proforma EBITDA multiple of 11.7. The price per share is RUB 4.098, calculated on the basis of 5.2 million outstanding shares in circulation. The price per share is subject to a number of completion adjustments and the final share price on closing could be different.

Subject to obtaining the required regulatory approvals, the acquisition is expected to complete by the end of 2011. On completion Unilever intends to launch a Mandatory Tender Offer to acquire the remaining shares that are not part of the initial agreement, at such time and on terms mandated by Russian law.

 --- Ends ---

NOTES 

• The amount paid to acquire the 82% stake is approximately RUB 16.7 billion (€390m).
• The figure quoted of 5.2 million outstanding shares does not include 1.2 million shares in Concern Kalina that are currently held by its own subsidiary companies.
• Under the terms of the agreement, the 82% shareholding Unilever will acquire in Concern Kalina includes these additional 1.2 million shares.

About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180. Consumers buy 170bn Unilever packs around the world every year, and our products are used over two billion times a day.

Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known and most loved brands including twelve €1 billion brands, and global leadership in many categories in which we operate. The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Dove, Vaseline, Persil, Cif, Marmite and Pot Noodle.

We have around 167,000 employees in over 100 countries, and generated annual sales of €44.3 billion in 2010.  

Unilever is Food Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 13th year running. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index.

We are also ranked 7th in the Global 100 Most Sus-tainable Corporations in the World, a list compiled by Corporate Knights Magazine. We achieved Platinum Plus standard in the UK’s Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index 2009, and were named Company of the Year in 2010.

About Concern Kalina

Today, Concern Kalina is one of the leading Russian personal care manufacturers offering a wide spread of products to its consumers in Russia and the CIS.

Concern Kalina works to build the leading brands in Beauty sectors of the market. Key pillars to success of the corporate strategy have been consumer-centric marketing; focus on fastest-growing products and growth across key categories and geographies.

Concern Kalina develops strong brands in the key segments of Russian personal care market. The leading brands of the company are Black Pearl, Clean Line, 100 Recipes of Beauty and Silky Hands in skin care, and 32 and Forest Balsam in oral care.

Concern Kalina is a public company and follows advanced international standards of corporate governance. The Company’s shares are listed on the RTS and MICEX stock exchanges, as well as on the foreign over-the-counter market in the form of ADR/GDR.

Forward-looking Statements

Statements in this release that are “forward-looking statements” are based on currently available information, operating plans and projections about future events and trends. They inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: Unilever’s ability to consummate the acquisition of Concern Kalina and to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the proposed acquisition; Unilever’s ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of Concern Kalina and Unilever; and the timing to consummate the proposed acquisition and any necessary actions to obtain required regulatory approvals.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Sanitation for South Africa’s schools

Thursday October 13th 2011 11:58:00 AM

13/10/2011: A school toilet refurbishment project in KwaZulu-Natal means that learners no longer have to skip lessons because of substandard sanitation.

Domestos restores school toilets in South Africa

Unilever’s Domestos brand is working in partnership with the World Toilet Organization to refurbish facilities at schools in South Africa.

Research indicates that the provision of hygienic toilet facilities contributes directly to the standard of education received by pupils. There are more than 24, 000 public schools in South Africa but fewer than 8,000 have flushing toilets.

"Lack of sanitation is the world’s biggest cause of infection and one of the problems that continues to keep many of our children out of school," says Domestos Marketing Director Sue Stringer.

“Substandard toilet facilities result in absenteeism and especially girls then struggle to complete the curriculum, resulting in missed lessons and lower grades,” she adds.

Sustainable sanitation

As part of Domestos’ global campaign to raise public awareness of good health practices, the refurbishment scheme launched in 2010. Since then five schools have received new toilets in KwaZulu-Natal.

The pupils at Ekuthuleni Primary School are among the beneficiaries. Pupils, parents and teachers are now committed to ensuring the facilities remain clean and hygienic.

Find out more on the Domestos South Africa Facebook site, which is constantly updated by supporters of the project including South African Idols finalist and avid ambassador Lloyd Cele.

Working together to change lives

“The Ekuthuleni project is a fine example of business and education working together to change lives. Educators, learners and parents have all been informed about toilet hygiene and the school will continue with a proper maintenance plan to keep the toilets hygienically clean.

“As an international leader in home hygiene, Domestos is continually committed to public awareness of good health practices and this is another way of delivering an important message and uplifting not only the schools but also the surrounding communities,” sums up Sue.

September 2011: Leading the way in sustainability

Friday September 30th 2011 08:10:34 AM

Unilever has been named sustainability leader in the Food Producers sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the 13th consecutive year.

Thirteen years as sector leader

Unilever once again leads the Food Producers sector with an overall score of 81%, substantially ahead of the average sector score of 45%. Unilever received full marks for its record in Health & Nutrition and Packaging.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) track the financial performance of the leading companies worldwide. Unilever has participated in the annual assessment since its inception in 1999 and has achieved Foods Producers sector leadership every year since.

However, in 2011 Unilever lost its position as leader of the combined Food and Beverages ‘super sector’, which the company had held for 12 years.

“We’re very proud of having retained our position as leader of the Food Producers sector for the 13th consecutive year,” says Gavin Neath, SVP, Sustainability at Unilever. “And especially pleased that we maintained a 100% score in Health & Nutrition and Packaging and improved our scores in a number of other measurement criteria.

“But we are disappointed that having led the Food & Beverage ‘super-sector’ for 12 consecutive years, we’ve been knocked off the top spot. We congratulate PepsiCo and will use this disappointment as a spur to do even better next year.”

About the DJSI

The sustainability scores are based on an analysis of economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as climate strategy, supply-chain standards and labour practices, with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.

While the Indexes provide a way for companies to measure their progress in sustainability, they also have an important financial dimension. Investors perceive sustainability as a catalyst for enlightened and disciplined management and thus a crucial business success factor. They have become a tool for those seeking to support companies that are committed to creating and adopting sustainable business practices.

As a result of its performance, Unilever is a member of both the DJSI World and DJSI Europe Indexes.

September 2011: Leading the way in sustainability

Saturday September 24th 2011 06:34:00 AM

Unilever has been named sustainability leader in the Food Producers sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the 13th consecutive year.

Thirteen years as sector leader

Unilever once again leads the Food Producers sector with an overall score of 81%, substantially ahead of the average sector score of 45%. Unilever received full marks for its record in Health & Nutrition and Packaging.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) track the financial performance of the leading companies worldwide. Unilever has participated in the annual assessment since its inception in 1999 and has achieved Foods Producers sector leadership every year since.

However, in 2011 Unilever lost its position as leader of the combined Food and Beverages ‘super sector’, which the company had held for 12 years.

“We’re very proud of having retained our position as leader of the Food Producers sector for the 13th consecutive year,” says Gavin Neath, SVP, Sustainability at Unilever. “And especially pleased that we maintained a 100% score in Health & Nutrition and Packaging and improved our scores in a number of other measurement criteria.

“But we are disappointed that having led the Food & Beverage ‘super-sector’ for 12 consecutive years, we’ve been knocked off the top spot. We congratulate PepsiCo and will use this disappointment as a spur to do even better next year.”

About the DJSI

The sustainability scores are based on an analysis of economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as climate strategy, supply-chain standards and labour practices, with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.

While the Indexes provide a way for companies to measure their progress in sustainability, they also have an important financial dimension. Investors perceive sustainability as a catalyst for enlightened and disciplined management and thus a crucial business success factor. They have become a tool for those seeking to support companies that are committed to creating and adopting sustainable business practices.

As a result of its performance, Unilever is a member of both the DJSI World and DJSI Europe Indexes.

Paul Polman speaks at One Young World

Thursday September 1st 2011 08:31:00 AM

01/09/2011: CEO outlined Unilever’s commitment to building a better world at the One Young World Summit 2011.

Inspiring top talent

The One Young World Summit aims to inspire the top talent of the future and create a network of ambassadors that will develop projects to help change the world for the better.

It is supported by inspirational figures including activist and former Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu, singer Bob Geldof, who is widely recognised for his efforts fighting poverty in Africa and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, well-known for his charity work and campaigning against obesity.

Changing the world for the better

Paul Polman, Unilever CEO, attended this year as one of the counsellors and delivered a keynote speech that focused on the company’s commitment to building a better world through its Sustainable Living Plan.

 “We decided to embrace a radical business model that not only would reduce our negative impact on society, but actually contribute positively to society as a result of our activities.

“Simply said, whilst most companies ask themselves how to use society and the environment to be successful, we flipped the question around 180 degrees and asked ourselves: how we can contribute to society and the environment to be successful.

“The answer is found in what we call the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan,” said Paul. See more in the video below.

Unilever to sell VO5 in the USA

Wednesday August 24th 2011 11:56:00 AM

Unilever to sell the Alberto VO5 brand in the United States and Puerto Rico, and the Rave brand globally to Brynwood Partners VI L.P.

London & Rotterdam: Unilever announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell the Alberto VO5 brand in the United States and Puerto Rico from the Alberto Culver portfolio and the Rave brand globally from the Unilever portfolio to private equity firm Brynwood Partners VI L.P. The deal is subject to approval by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). It is expected to be completed by the end of August. Terms were not disclosed.

The divestiture is required by the US DOJ in conjunction with Unilever’s $3.7 billion acquisition of the Alberto Culver Company, which was completed on May 10, 2011.

The Alberto VO5 brand in the US and Puerto Rico includes shampoos, conditioners and hair-styling products, and the Rave brand consists of aerosol and non-aerosol hairsprays. Outside the United States and Puerto Rico, the Alberto VO5 brand will remain in Unilever’s portfolio.

The Alberto Culver acquisition included brands such as TRESemmé, Nexxus, Motions, St. Ives and Simple, which complement Unilever’sportfolio of iconic brands such as Dove, Clear, Suave, TIGI (Bed Head, Catwalk and SFactor) and Sunsilk in hair care and Pond’s and Vaseline in skin.

-Ends-

Media contacts:

Englewood Cliffs, NJ (USA): Anita Larsen +1 201 894 7760
London: Trevor Gorin +44 20 7822 6010 or Paul Matthews +44-01372-945925
Rotterdam: Flip Dötsch +31 (0) 10 2174844

About Brynwood Partners

Founded in 1984, Brynwood Partners is an operationally-focused private equity fund that makes control investments in lower middle market companies. Brynwood Partners targets companies operating in the following sectors: (a) consumer products, (b) light manufacturing with low capital intensity, and (c) businesses services.

Brynwood Partners is currently managing over $500 million of private equity capital for its limited partners who include U.S. and international pension funds, fund-of-funds, endowments, high net worth family investment offices and financial institutions. For more information on Brynwood Partners, please visit www.brynwoodpartners.com.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Pureit launches in Mexico and Brazil

Tuesday August 23rd 2011 08:06:00 AM

23/08/2011: Pureit, Unilever’s in-home water purifier, is now bringing safe, affordable drinking water to homes in Mexico and Brazil.

Pureit is already well established in India, where the filter is used by more than 20 million people. Its launch in Latin America follows its introduction in Bangladesh and Indonesia at the end of 2010.

Pureit’s affordable and effective germ-removing technology, which works without the need for electricity or pressurised tap water, took Unilever scientists five years to develop.

Safe water for 500 million people

The innovative, low-cost filter is now proving its potential to help fulfil Unilever's goal of making safe drinking water available and affordable to 500 million people by 2020.

One billion people around the world still don’t have access to safe drinking water, and many others struggle to meet the financial costs of boiling water or buying bottled water. As the world’s population rises, the number of people who aren’t drinking safe water could double by 2025, according to UN estimates.

Making safe drinking water easy & affordable

"We launched Pureit in Mexico in March 2011, with a pilot test in the city of Toluca,” explains Vanessa Mora, Pureit Manager.

"This is a market in which water purifiers barely existed – and most people only used bottled water. So the initial response has been very positive: consumers can now obtain safe water without the hassle and expense of buying ‘garrafones’ (locally-sold 20-litre bottles).”

Q2 and half-year 2011 results

Thursday August 4th 2011 03:05:00 AM

Unilever’s second quarter 2011 results announced today

Unilever today announced its results for the second quarter and half year, 2011.

Full details can be found in the Quarterly results and reports section of Unilever.com.

Magnum nets one million Facebook fans

Tuesday July 12th 2011 08:00:00 AM

12/07/2011: Magnum’s Facebook page is dedicated to celebrating pleasure and has won fashionable fans around the world.

Magnum nets one million fans

Magnum’s Facebook page gained more than a million fans in just five months after launching in 20 countries in February 2011.

The pleasure icon

The indulgent ice cream brand’s Facebook page is devoted to celebrating pleasure in all its forms, and invites fans to share their views on Magnum and their own ideas about a variety of decadent delights.

Alper Eroglu, Magnum Brand Development Manager, said: “We want to be the pleasure icon on Facebook – the place where pleasure-seekers go to share their latest indulgences and find out about new ones.”

The page links to the groundbreaking Magnum Pleasure Hunt , an online game which took the internet by storm earlier in 2011 by allowing the character to leap across luxury brands’ websites.

Magnum's passion for fashion

The Facebook hub also keeps Magnum fans posted with the brand’s news. Recent headlines include a US competition with the Polyvore high fashion blog where the prize was a chance to attend a glittering film premiere in New York.

Another big story was the unveiling of the glamorous Magnum Chocolate Suite in Paris. Dreamt up by Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld, the hotel suite was made from 10 tonnes of chocolate and attended by ‘pleasure-fixers’ such as top hotel concierges from around the world.

The chic suite was created to celebrate the launch of Magnum Ecuador and Magnum Ghana – both made using Rainforest Alliance-certified sustainable cocoa beans.

Lipton’s sustainable tea in Turkey

Tuesday July 12th 2011 05:00:00 AM

12/07/2011: Unilever’s Lipton brand has launched a Sustainable Tea Agriculture project in Turkey, benefiting farmers and consumers.

Sustainable tea in Turkey

Lipton has launched a Sustainable Tea Agriculture project in Turkey – the world’s fifth-largest producer of tea, and fourth-largest tea market.

Enriching local soil 

Turkey is one of Unilever’s main centres of tea agriculture, with more than 15,000 farmers and three factories based in the country. 

Now Unilever’s Lipton tea brand is working in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance to introduce measures aimed at improving the social, economic and environmental impacts of tea production.

Consumers in Turkey will soon be able to buy Lipton tea bearing the Rainforest Alliance seal on the pack. And by 2018, Lipton aims to have all the tea sold in Turkey sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.

The project launch represents a major landmark in the brand’s journey towards sustainability. In the first half of 2010, we achieved our interim target of sourcing all the tea for our PG Tips and Lipton Yellow Label tea bags sold in Western Europe from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. This is set to improve thousands of lives as well as boosting biodiversity and enriching local soil quality.

Training tea growers in sustainable practices

Under the initiative, 15,000 Turkish tea growers will receive one-to-one training to help them move to sustainable agricultural practices by 2014 – and eventually become Rainforest Alliance certified.

In addition, 2 000 training sessions will provide tea growers with information on sustainability-related topics such as erosion control, waste management, work safety, record-keeping, biodiversity, fertilisation and pruning.

Poor fertiliser use is one of the biggest challenges facing tea production in Turkey. To facilitate accurate diagnosis of soil condition – and determine corrective measures – Lipton will join forces with the Regional Chamber of Agriculture to establish a soil analysis laboratory in the country’s tea-growing region (near the Black Sea).

Tea growers’ health will also come under the spotlight, with Lipton set to provide around 5,000 women growers with health services targeting back, spine and joint pain.

Making a major impact

With 60,000 people directly or indirectly affected by Unilever’s tea operations in Turkey, the impact of the initiative will potentially be huge. And another major beneficiary will be the soil itself – which the project aims to restore to a rich, fertile state so as to protect the future of tea agriculture for years to come.

İzzet Karaca, CEO of Unilever Turkey, notes that the project is fully aligned with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. He says: “It is a strong example of how Unilever develops new ways of doing business that will help protect the world’s resources, whilst expanding our business at the same time, because we cannot accept the approach of ‘growth at no cost’.” 

Michiel Leijnse, Lipton Global Brand Development, adds: “I do believe Turkey’s importance is cardinal. It is the fifth-biggest tea-producing country in the world. This announcement is particularly exciting as Turkey is now going to be the first tea-producing country where tea from local Rainforest Alliance-certified farms will be available to consumers. That is a major milestone.”

Improving access to banking in India

Wednesday June 29th 2011 08:18:00 AM

29/06/11: Unilever is partnering the State Bank of India to bring entry-level banking to low-income people across the country.

The Shakti Ammas programme

Hindustan Unilever’s Shakti Ammas programme supports thousands of women in small villages across India to earn a sustainable income by selling branded products to their communities.

Now the network of Shakti Amma retailers is helping introduce basic banking services to low-income people in their areas, enabling them to benefit from the security a bank account can offer.

A pilot project in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka has so far seen 12 Shakti Ammas help open 1,000 bank accounts for villagers. And with 43,000 registered Shakti Ammas, the potential for expansion is huge.

‘Vital to sustainable growth’

“We’re potentially looking at three million bank accounts being opened thanks to this project – so it’s set to have a huge impact on life in rural India,” says Hemant Bakshi, Executive Director, Hindustan Unilever Sales and Customer Development.

“Interestingly, over 80% of people who’ve opened a bank account through the project are women,” adds Hemant. “The involvement of the Shakti Ammas brings a female-friendly and accessible face to the whole initiative.

“Bringing villagers into the financial system is vital to sustainable growth. It will help Hindustan Unilever grow its business in rural India by improving people’s disposable income, while boosting their financial prospects for the future too.”

The Indian government has also made it a priority to widen access to banking in poor rural communities. At present, only 40% of the country’s population has a bank account.

Sourcing sustainable tea in China

Wednesday June 29th 2011 08:01:00 AM

29/06/11: Unilever is set to support tea farmers in China’s Yunnan province through sustainable trade and training.

Developing regions

Under the new agreement, we will source black tea from two regions which have huge potential but are currently underdeveloped.

As well as buying up to 30,000 tonnes of tea from local farmers, we have pledged to provide expertise to help those farmers improve their yields, increase the quality of their green leaf tea plants and assist processors to develop black teas more efficiently.

Farm-to-cup sustainability

The move comes a year after Unilever agreed to partner the Vietnamese government in an initiative to drive sustainable agricultural growth. Such campaigns are part of our commitment to improving sustainability across the business – in this case promoting ethically and environmentally sound principles from farm to cup.

As Martin Huxtable, Unilever’s Foods Procurement Director for the region, says: “China is the world’s largest producer of green tea but does very little in the way of black tea. In China and in Vietnam, the production from traditional tea gardens has remained relatively flat for many years. Both countries now have ambitious plans to increase output and we intend to be an integral part of that journey.”

Unilever announces reorganisation to further drive growth

Thursday June 23rd 2011 05:55:00 PM

London/Rotterdam - Unilever today announced changes to its category and go-to-market structure to further support its growth plans, especially in its fast-developing businesses in the emerging markets. The new structure allows for a more efficient rollout of increasingly bigger and more scalable innovations, and the optimization of resources behind strategic priorities.

“Unilever now has over half its turnover in the emerging markets, where, over the last 10 years, growth has been close to double digits. We have an opportunity to better support this footprint of the business, to keep our strong momentum, with a more globally aligned country and category organisation.” said Unilever CEO Paul Polman.

As part of these changes Harish Manwani will be appointed as Chief Operating Officer, with effect from 1^st September, and will take responsibility for all markets, in order to drive speed-to-market behind further simplification and efficiency.

"Over the past few years we have seen a significant step-up in our innovation success rate and our speed to roll them out across markets. The new structure will further accelerate this," added Polman.

The Category organisation will be broadened to four categories reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer Paul Polman.

Dave Lewis, currently President , Americas, will be appointed as President, Personal Care consisting of Skin, Deodorants, Oral and Hair.

Kevin Havelock, currently Executive Vice President Ice Cream, will be appointed as President of the newly established Refreshment category which includes Ice Cream and Beverages.

Antoine de Saint Affrique, currently Executive Vice President Skin, will be appointed as President, Food which includes Savoury, Spreads and Dressings.

In the Home Care category, Randy Quinn, currently Executive Vice President Laundry, and Sean Gogarty, Senior Vice President Household Care, will report directly to Paul Polman.

The new structures will be put in place during the third quarter and will be fully operational before year-end.

Michael B. Polk, currently President, Global Foods, Home and Personal Care and member of the Unilever Executive has announced his intention to leave Unilever after eight successful years with the company to become President & CEO of Newell Rubbermaid with effect from 18^th July.

Paul Polman said: “Mike is a great leader and has had a very successful career with Unilever since joining from Kraft eight years ago. In his current role, he has made a major contribution in sharpening our portfolio strategy and developing bigger and better innovations. He will leave a lasting impact on the company. I wish him success in his future endeavours.”

Mike Polk said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my time at Unilever, especially the last few years working with Paul and the rest of the executive to really transform the company. Our global category organisation is now a real powerhouse that combines global brand and technology scale with local knowledge and execution.”

-ends-

Notes to editors:

Harish Manwani

Harish is currently President, Asia Africa, Central and Eastern Europe. He joined Hindustan Lever (HLL) in 1976, becoming a member of the HLL board in1995 as director responsible for the Personal Products business. As category leader for Personal Products, he also held regional responsibility for the Central Asia and Middle East business group.

In 2000, he moved to the UK as senior vice president, Global Hair Care and Oral Care, and in 2001 was appointed president, Home and Personal Care, Latin America business group. He also served as chairman of Unilever’s Latin America Advisory Council.

In 2004, he was appointed president and CEO of the HPC North America business group, and in April 2005 joined the Unilever Executive as president, Asia Africa. He is also non-executive chairman of Hindustan Lever and is currently a member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business.

Dave Lewis

Dave Lewis is currently President, Americas. Dave joined Unilever straight out from university in 1987, starting as a UCMDS trainee for Lever Brothers, based in Kingston, UK. He held various brand marketing and customer management roles in home and personal care, which included launching Dove in the UK in 1992, before becoming company operations manager in 1993.

In 1996, he moved to South America, to be Marketing Director of River Plate (Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). Heavily involved in the defence of the southern cone laundry business, he also led the regional innovation for household care.

His next move was to Indonesia in 1999, where he was Managing Director of Unilever Indonesia’s personal care business and regional innovation leader for personal care South East Asia. Political unrest and hyperinflation made business conditions particularly challenging, but the business continued to innovate under his leadership and saw an average growth of 30% per year.

Dave took the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard University and then served as Senior Vice President for Home and Personal Care, Central and Eastern Europe for three years. He then returned to the UK and his Kingston roots in 2005 as Managing Director of the UK home and personal care business. In 2007 he became Chairman of Unilever UK and Ireland, as the company consolidated its three separate operating companies – foods, home and personal care and ice cream into a single business as part of its One Unilever programme. He was appointed President of the Americas in 2010.

Kevin Havelock

Kevin Havelock is Executive Vice President Global Ice Cream category, with overall responsibility for Unilever’s ice cream business.

Kevin joined Unilever in 1985 as a Marketing Manager, moving on to management roles in Germany and in the UK. In 1994, he was appointed Marketing Director Van Der Bergh UK, and charged with developing a strategy to build a third pillar for the business in the growing Savoury category. In this role, he also turned around the UK tea business through the innovation and launch of PG Tips Pyramid tea bags, regaining share leadership.

In 1997, Kevin was appointed Chairman France Foods and Chairman Beverages Europe, building global growth platforms for the Unilever Beverages category. In 2000, he took on the role of Chairman Unilever Arabia and Category Chairman Skin, Deodorants and Beverages Arabia Middle East and Turkey, regenerating growth in a business previously declining at 6%. In 2004, he led a similar turnaround as Managing Director for Unilever UK Foods, arresting sales decline, developing the IncsChrysalis concept from initial vision to Execution.

In 2007, Havelock was appointed Executive Vice President Unilever North America and Caribbean, delivering organic growth of 4% during recession, while divesting $2bn of non-core assets in Household Care and Foods, building customer relationships and building the first CiiC centre. In this role, he also executed Unilever’s bigger ever business systems and IT transformation project.

He has been in his current role heading up the ice cream business since 2009.

Before joining Unilever, from 1979 to 1985, he held Marketing and Sales management roles with Guinness UK.

Antoine de Saint Affrique

Antoine de Saint Affrique, currently Executive Vice President Skin Category, leads Unilever’s skin cleansing, skin care and face care categories.

Antoine started his career in Unilever in 1989, within Elida Gibbs Faberge. He then moved on, in 1995 to Chesebrough Pond's USA where he held various roles, the latest being to lead the company’s Oral Care business.

In 1997, Antoine left Unilever to become Marketing VP of Liebig Maille Amora (Group Danone) and taking part in mid-1997, of the LBO of Amora-Maille. The company was run for three years as a private business (Paribas Affaires Industrielles and Lazard being the main shareholders), before being sold to Unilever in 200.

Antoine rejoined Unilever and was appointed European Category Director – Dressings at Unilever Bestfoods Europe. In 2002, he was named Chairman and National Manager, Unilever Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia.

In 2005, Antoine was appointed Executive Vice President Unilever Central & Eastern Europe, overseeing 21 countries. He was appointed to his current role as head of Skin in 2009.

Michael B. Polk

Michael is currently President Global Foods, Home & Personal Care, having been President of Unilever Americas with responsibility for Unilever’s business in North America and Latin America. He is a member of the Unilever Executive reporting to the Chief Executive. He also serves as the Functional Executive for Global Customer Development and the recently acquired TIGI Global Professional Haircare business unit. Prior to his current assignment Polk was President, Unilever United States.

Polk joined Unilever in 2003 having spent the 16 prior years at Kraft Foods where he was a member of the Management Committee. His last assignment was as Group Vice President, Kraft Foods North America and President of the Biscuits, Snacks, and Confections business. In that role, he led the integration of Nabisco into Kraft. He held a variety of other leadership positions at Kraft including President, Asia Pacific Region, Executive Vice President and General Manager Cereals, and Vice President Category Sales Management & Strategy. Prior to joining Kraft, Polk spent three years at Procter & Gamble in Manufacturing and Research & Development.

Michael is a Non-Executive Director of Newell Rubbermaid and a member of the Boards of Directors of  the Pepsi-Lipton Partnership, the Grocery Manufacturers of America,  and the Students in Free Enterprise. Michael is a former member of the Boards of The Yankee Candle Company, Ajinimoto General Foods, and Dong Suh Foods.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Solar heaters for South African homes

Friday June 17th 2011 08:20:00 AM

17/06/11: A Unilever sustainability initiative is providing solar water heaters for 2,000 low-income homes near Durban.

Affordable hot water

The teams behind Unilever’s Sunlight brand in Durban, South Africa, are leading a programme to fit solar water heaters at homes in a local low-income community. In partnership with Inti Solar, manufacturers of solar water heating and lighting systems, the Sunlight Solar initiative is installing low running cost domestic water heaters in a bid to reduce energy consumption, promote renewable energy and provide a reliable source of hot water for households. And the move makes business sense too.

Providing more solar heaters

According to Chris Loxley, from Unilever Research & Development and part of the team responsible for the initiative, “This is of interest to us because we sell products that rely on heating water and because the majority of our carbon footprint comes from the use of our products rather than in their manufacture.”

Every heater installed equates to a saving on carbon-based fuels or electricity. In South Africa, this equates to about 1.2 tonnes of carbon emissions per home per year. This can be traded as ‘carbon credits’.

Carbon credits are tradable certificates representing the right to emit a tonne of carbon. Under a mechanism established as part of the Kyoto Protocol, these credits can be traded privately, through a broker or on spot markets like any stock. They are used to ‘offset’ emissions that cannot currently be avoided by helping to fund a reduction in emissions somewhere else.

Because we are involved in facilitating the installation of the Sunlight Solar water heaters, we get a 50% share of the carbon credit generated. This means that, by year two or three, we will begin to see a significant return on our investment, which can be reinvested to provide further solar heaters.