Unilever ramps up its "BSR" efforts

We're doing quite a bit of work on "Brand Social Responsibility" (BSR), led by our new partner, Anne Charbonneau. BSR takes some of the things that before was done at a corporate level, and enbedding them in product brands. I posted on this earlier, looking at the pioneer of this approach, Ben & Jerry's.

Unilever are one of the most advanced companies in this area. I was lucky enough to work with a team on the role of the Unilever corporate brand a couple of years ago.  One of the key recommendations was to take some of the many good things Unilever was doing in CSR, but most people didn't know about, and integrate these into the product brands. This way, these initiatives had a much better chance of creating real impact.

For some Unilever brands, the BSR effort is linked to product sourcing and ingredients. This is normally a dull and distant subject for brand teams. But with the rise in food scares, and concerns about ethical trading, this is set to become a big thing. Here are a couple of examples:

1. Hellmann's mayo made with only free-range eggs: nice idea, as this sounds more ethical. It also suggests that Hellmann's have taken real care with the product.


2. Lipton Fair-Trade tea: I posted on this here, saluting the brave and bold decision to make the whole of the brand fair trade, rather than just a single "ghetto" version.

Other Unilever brands have more of a social mission, with the most famous example being Dove and their Campaign for Real Beauty.

Few learnings on what I think Unilever are doing well here:
1. Integrate it into the brand: the initiatives above are not stuck on as an extra. They are fully integrated into the brand

2. Make sure your story hangs together: Unilever have years of proven experience in ethical sourcing, though they are not as famous for it as they deserve to be.

3. Recruit people that really care: the whole Dove campaign was initiated and led by Silvia Lagnado, and you only have to meet her once to see and feel her passion for the issues. For BSR to be authentic, you need people who really feel a connection with the issues.

Comments

[Vanusa]

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Indeed, Greenpeace has become quite good at those spoof ads. They are becoming a bit too systematic I fear, but they have large viral impact. But it is essential brands and corporations continue to walk AND talk in this area, even if they can't be 'squeaky clean' as you say. The risk is there, but it can be managed. Cleaning your own backyard is always a sound starting point but keep in mind that the backyard of a large global brand is, well... large!

Raising an issue like the one Dove has raised with the campaign for real beauty is of course exposing the brand to attacks in other areas. Dove decide to focus on a People issue, and may have left the Planet side unattended for too long, hence the backlash.

A key principle to limit the risk is to focus your efforts and resources on the issue that is most central to your brand's footprint and reputation.

Eventually, what matters is the response and reactivity of the brand and business to such attacks. Since the campaign, Unilever has indeed established new policies on palm oil. Consumers and stakeholders alike, want to know if you really mean it. In turn, if the brand does well, this can work as positive PR. Check out the 'how green is your apple?' campaign on Greenpeace and how Steve Jobs responded and hinted at what should be the next question which should be '...but what are all our competitors doing?'

[David Taylor (brandgym)]

Paul, Thanks for this and the link to the Greenpeace video about palm tree de-forestation.

You are right to flag the risks of promoting your ethical credentials. Also, things get messy when company and brand get mixed up. The Greenpeace film mimmicks the Dove Viral Video style, and references the brand, even though it is only one of many Unilever brands using palm oil. It also seems tough that none of the many other companies using palm oil are mentioned, only Unilever. I guess they picked one high-profile brand to beat up on.

From experience of working with Unilever they seem genuinely to be a company that cares. They are about as close to clean as any major multinational I know. For example, they led the creation of the Marine Stewardship Council that tries to protect the fish stocks. And you can see from the update on the You Tube site from Greenpeace that Unilever have "agreed to support the call by Greenpeace for an immediate moratorium on deforestation for palm oil plantations... and to urgently contact other major companies calling on them to support the moratorium."

I will pass the baton to Anne, our BSR expert to see what she has to add.

[Paul]

hi David, hope you're well. enjoying your blog. What are your thoughts on the video greenpeace did on dove? Is it dangerous for unilever to take high ground on social issues if they are not squeaky clean?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odI7pQFyjso

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