Unilever 2006 Annual Report Download - page 25

22 Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2006
Report of the Directors (continued)
Operating review – categories (continued)
Dove Summer Glow self-tanning lotion keeps a body beautiful all
year round. A great example of how a strong global platform can
help a brand extend into new categories, Dove Summer Glow
was launched in the US and rolled out in four European countries
in a matter of weeks. Its advertising continued to target women
who, through earlier campaigns, already know that Dove is
committed to real beauty for real women. Dove Summer Glow
helps them feel good about their skin, whatever the weather.
The healthy-heart foods market is growing fast. And backed by
our Goodness of Margarine campaign, Flora/Becel continues to
lead the way. Unilever has been a partner of the World Heart
Federation since 2003, and works closely with them to increase
awareness of cardio-vascular disease. Throughout 2007,
Flora/Becel is planning to take the message further than ever
before, with its global Love Your Heart campaign which is
intended to inspire and empower people to make heart-
healthy choices.
Backed by a passion-packed advertising campaign linked to the
energy and excitement of football and the 2006 World Cup,
Rexona scored this year when annual sales passed the €1 billion
mark for the first time. The goal now is to promote the brand’s
market-leading body-responsive deodorant, with its technology-
based ‘won’t let you down’ promise, and turn Rexona into an
iconic brand worldwide for men and women.
Test-marketed in Ireland and Belgium in 2006, Frusì –our new
frozen snack – is proving very popular. Frusì was created to
provide guilt-free pleasure for people who take their health
seriously.With Frusì they have the best of both worlds: real
natural goodness without compromise on taste, pleasure or
convenience. Sales of Frusì have beaten targets for market
penetration and share,and repeat purchases. Following the
success of this test-market, Frusì is being rolled out to more
countries in 2007.
Developed with ‘empty nesters’ in mind and launched in the UK
in January 2006, Comfort Crème has shown thousands of older
women that it’s good to wear softer clothes that help you look
and feel great. With its gold-topped bottles and fragrances of
jojoba and sweet almond oil, Comfort Crème is now used in over
amillion UK households. Its success has overturned the idea
that fabric conditioners are only popular with mothers with
young children.
With each bottle able to dress more salad than a bottle twice its
size – 26 salads in all – Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers are helping
Americans count the calories. The easy-to-use bottles allow
consumers to dress their salads perfectly with just one calorie per
spray. Available in three flavours – Italian, Balsamic Breeze and
Red Wine Mist – Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers are good for salads,
vegetables – and waistlines.
Bad hair dramas are becoming a thing of the past for America’s
20-something women. Launched nationwide in 2006 with a witty,
$200 million campaign, the Sunsilk ‘Get Hairapy’ approach to the
dramas of kinky, flat or frizzy hair is bringing this global brand to
an entirely new market. Backed by innovative marketing, the
campaign has led to more and more women solving their hair
issues with some serious ‘hairapy’.
In 2001, when Unilever signed a joint venture with Indonesia’s
Kecap company,Bango soy sauce had a national market share
of less than 5%. Today, following an imaginative programme
designed to preserve Indonesia’s culinary heritage and enhance
the livelihood of the country’s soy bean farmers, the brand has
sales of around €100 million – and is growing by 10% year on
year. Unilever’sguaranteed market, technical assistance and
access to finance, combined with improved work opportunities
for women and localised community involvement, have all helped
develop the brand.
Right across Asia, from Pakistan to China, the Dirt is Good
positioning with Omo (Rinso)has been washing well with
consumers. Based on the simple premise that, for children, dirt
and stains are a natural part of being active and learning through
play, the campaign promotes the brand through community-
endorsed playgrounds, outdoor games and competitions involving
both children and parents. The campaign’s success has led to
Omo becoming Unilever’s first-ever billion RMB (Renminbi) sales
brand in China.