Unilever 2012 Annual Report Download - page 21

Unlever Annual Report and Accounts 2012
Report of the Drectors About Unilever
WINNIN IN THE MARKET PLAE continued
‘Local jewels’ are offering good value to
consumers and our business. Responding
swiftly to the economic crisis in Greece,
in less than six months from development
we launched Elais, a new value-for-money
food brand, which offers consumers a
high quality product range positioned for
lower incomes.
And it’s not just new or local brands.
In 1894, William Lever launched an
affordable soap called Lifebuoy. Today,
building on its legacy, the global soap
brand is helping to raise hygiene
standards in emerging markets through
the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan
(USLP). Lifebuoy has reached 119 million
people with handwashing programmes
since 2010, while helping the brand
experience double digit growth in the
last three years.
rowng n whte spaces
We are continuing to fill white spaces,
taking our brands into new markets
and expanding into emerging consumer
segments, to create new growth
opportunities. Today, people can buy
Dove and Axe products in more than 70
countries; Cif in more than 60, following its
expansion into China and Mexico in 2012;
Knorr Jelly Bouillon in almost 40; and Clear
in more than 40, after its successful 2012
launch in the US, Australia and Canada.
In 2012, we successfully integrated two
acquisitions, Kalina, the Russian personal
care company, and Alberto Culver, the
global hair and skincare company, and both
are now experiencing double digit growth.
In November 2011, the TRESemmé brand
was launched into Brazil just six months
after the Alberto Culver acquisition was
completed. We have since launched the
brand in Indonesia, India, Thailand and
the Philippines, proving our organisational
capability to roll out a brand with speed
and agility. Moreover, it demonstrates
our ability to transform an acquisition into
a growth opportunity by swiftly launching
its brands into new territories.
We are also looking to reach wide
by accelerating our presence through
three important channels which have
all demonstrated high growth for us in
2012: drug stores; e-commerce; and
‘out of home’ (selling for consumers’
consumption away from home). In drug
stores, for example, we recorded our
highest underlying sales growth of
11% in 2012 in this channel.
Leveragng entre value chan
Leveragng entre value chan
Reaching more consumers is also
about partnering with our retailers to
encourage shoppers to buy our brands
so that we can grow sustainably together
across the value chain. We estimate
that 68% of our greenhouse gas impact
comes from consumers using our
products, so we help customers engage
with shoppers and consumers to adopt
more sustainable lifestyles.
THE NEW
EONOMY
The economic crisis in Greece has led
consumers to switch to cheaper, local brands.
Using our trusted brand, Elais (named after
the goddess of olive oil), we created a range
of value-for-money food products to tap
into consumer needs. Our supply chain,
customer, finance, sales and marketing teams
collaborated swiftly to develop and launch –
within six months – eight new economy
products from olive oil to mayonnaise. At
launch, the range was stocked in promotional
displays to boost awareness and encourage
people to buy. The new Elais range is one of
the fastest growing recent launches in Greece.
More at wwwunlevergr/elas
Unlever Annual Report and Accounts 20121818