THE VALUE OF CORPORATE
BRANDING
‘The Unilever Story’
Amal Cabraal - August 2008
The Value of Corporate Reputation
A study of FTSE 250 companies shows that,
on average, reputation accounts for 27% of a
company’s market capitalisation
Bell Pottinger and Fortune
More than just a logo
A corporate brand is a product of an
organisation's corporate strategy, mission,
image, and activities that distinguishes an
organisation from its competitors, and creates a
perception of what an organization stands for
Importance of the Corporate Brand
ƒTRUST ( with all stakeholders)
ƒ RELATIONSHIPS
- Rewarding brand experience for the consumer
- Embraces consumer power
- Authenticity
ƒ CARE
Deep rooted engagement with the community
ƒ REWARDS
- Premium pricing “stand out of the pile”
- Creates shareholder value
The Unilever Story
Unilever
The Company
Formed in 1930 by the
merger of Margarine
Union & Lever
Brothers, operating in
150 countries
Market capitalization of
$ 90 bn and $ 55 bn
in Revenues
Fortune 500 ranking 95th in Profits and
122nd in Revenues
Unilever
The Company
Leading global
consumer goods
company in Home &
Personal Care and
Foods
Skin Care
Global No. 1 position
in 8 categories
Unilever Sri
Lanka Ltd
Lever Bros (Thai) Co
Ltd - 1954
Lever Bros Bangladesh Ltd
Lever Brothers
Zimbabwe – 1943, 1947,
1964
Hindustan
Lever Ltd
Lever Ghana - 1787
Niger SPCN
1967
East Africa Industries Ltd
Lever Bros NZ-1899
Unilever South East
Africa – March 2003
Lever
Ghana 1787
Unilever Foods – 1998, Australasia
Unilever Taiwan Ltd
Unilever Foods –
Australasia, 1998
Unilever
Nigeria Plc
Unilever
Arabia
Unilever Philippines
1994
Unilever
Taiwan Ltd
Unilever South Africa
Lever Brothers (Malaya) Ltd
Unilever Vietnam Joint
1947
Venture
Lever Brothers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
1967
Lever Vietnam
Lever Brothers - 1963
Unilever South
Africa
Unilever (Malaysia)
Holdings Sdn Bhd
1994
Unilever Philippines
1997
Unilever Thai
Holdings Co Ltd
1997
Building the Corporate Brand
Shaping the future
Vitality Symbols
A New Mission
Unilever’s mission is to add
vitality to life. We meet
everyday needs for
nutrition, hygiene, and
personal care with brands
that help people feel good,
look good and get more out
of life.
Building the Corporate Brand
The Big Idea
Integrating social,
economic &
environmental
impact of our
business into our
Mission
Unilever
The Brand Today
• Corporate brand firmly embedded in the
Vitality Mission
• Social, economic & environmental impact
integrated into the way we work
• Greater clarity of the corporate brand
• Logo/symbols more distinct and
recognizable
• Deeper trust with customers and
consumers
• Strategic approach to corporate branding
Adding Vitality to Life
Industry
Thought
Leadership
Deep-rooted
Community links
Strong Business
Results
Valued
Employer
Brand
Good
Governance
Unilever Sri Lanka
Corporate Brand Framework
Unilever Sri Lanka
“I have always believed that the
company name is the life of an enterprise”
Akio Morita, founder of Sony
“It takes years to build a reputation. But just 5
minutes to destroy it”
Warren Buffet
Adding Vitality to Life