Unilever 2006 Annual Report Download - page 24

Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2006 21
Report of the Directors (continued)
Operating review – categories (continued)
In the Asia skincare market, Pond’s launched Age Miracle, a
breakthrough patented innovation containing a plant extract
called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which helps reduce signs
of ageing and yields exceptional results in Asian complexions.
Age Miracle has gone on sale across Asia, helping build Pond’s
profile in fast-growing D&E markets.
We also developed Surf Excel,which enables consumers to
achieve the same laundry cleaning results with less rinsing – a big
advantage in areas where water supply is limited.
Following the theme of ‘less is more’ in laundry, new technology
helped create all Small & Mighty concentrated liquid detergents,
which were launched in the US. Small & Mighty is three times
more concentrated than regular detergents, so you get a full load
clean with just one-third of the amount. That means fewer
packaging materials, cheaper transport and less space needed
for storage – good news for consumers, retailers and the
environment. During 2007 Small & Mighty will be rolled out
across Europe.
In June we submitted a dossier to the UK FSA (Food Standards
Agency) to seek regulatory approval under the EC Novel Foods
Regulation for the use of Ice Structuring Protein (ISP) in ice cream
products in Europe. This breakthrough ISP technology enables a
multitude of innovations in ice cream, including significantly
healthier options and better quality ice cream.
New Domestos 5x contains a molecule called C-TAC which clings
to the toilet bowl flush after flush, killing germs up to five times
longer than any other bleach or toilet product. As part of its
launch, consumers were supplied with a test strip to prove how
long it remains effective. Domestos 5x is due to be launched in all
key countries for the brand.
Vitality
Our Vitality mission is at the heart of everything we do. It provides
clear direction for meeting consumers’ changing needs, and helps
us identify major growth opportunities for our Foods and Home
and Personal Care brands.
For example, Knorr Vie shots pack lots of nutrition into each
handy 100ml bottle. These smoothie-style products made from
fruit and vegetables provide half the minimum daily intake of fruit
and vegetables recommended by the World Health Organization.
Launched in 2005, they are now available in 12 European
countries – over 100 million bottles have been sold so far.
AdeZ –our soya-based drink with fruit juices – delivers 35% of
the daily recommended intake of vitamins B6 and C, magnesium
and calcium. AdeZ provides the goodness of soya in a great
tasting range of flavours. AdeZ started in South America and,
with the launch in the UK, this successful product has now
been brought to Europe.
When it comes to hygiene, Lifebuoy has already helped around
70 million people in India become more aware of the importance
of hand-washing with soap to control the spread of diarrhoeal
disease and respiratory infections. The brand has been working
in partnership with organisations such as the World Bank and
UNICEF to promote hand-washing in other countries and as part
of its roll-out in Africa.
In early 2005 we made a commitment to reduce the amount of
fats, salt and sugar in our products – a pledge which won the
praise of the European Health Commissioner. Since then we
have achieved our original targets: by the end of 2006 we had
assessed more than 16 000 products and taken out more than
37 000 tonnes of trans and saturated fats, 3 000 tonnes
of sodium and 17 000 tonnes of sugars – without compromising
flavour. This work continues through our ongoing Nutrition
Enhancement Programme.
Agreat example is the nutritional improvements to our ice cream
products. We have removed artificial colours and flavours,
increased the fruit content and reduced sugar levels in water ices
across our kids’ portfolio in Western Europe. It is an ongoing
improvement process which will extend to more products and
regions in the future.
Through our global partnership with the FDI World Dental
Federation we are helping to improve oral health around the
world with practical, sustainable community programmes.
To support these initiatives we have developed a low-cost
toothbrush, the Pepsodent Fighter,which retails at a price
equivalent to just €0.20 and is proving a great success in India
and Indonesia.
Meanwhile our Choices programme is helping busy shoppers
make quick purchasing decisions for healthier eating. The front-
of-pack stamp helps identify products which are in line with
international recommendations for trans fats, saturated fats, salt
and sugar. The programme has been launched in the Netherlands,
Belgium and the US, and is now being rolled out globally to a
total of 40 countries. We are also encouraging its adoption more
widely in the foods industry.
Innovations in 2006
The following are some examples of our brand innovations and
similar activities in 2006.
Lipton,the world’s biggest tea brand, is creating drinks that help
people live healthier lives. The brand has been rolling out a
communication programme to inform consumers of its
antioxidant health benefits and is influencing the wider tea
industry with its commitments to sustainability – for example,
sustainable farming practices – and education and health. In 2006
Unilever Tea Kenya won a Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
awardfor its work on the education, prevention and treatment
of HIV/AIDS in the workplace and beyond. The brand has shown
consistent high growth over the past few years.