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Tag: Hindustan Unilever

  • Industry asks: Is #StopTheBeautyTest a sign of regression and hypocrisy?

    Industry asks: Is #StopTheBeautyTest a sign of regression and hypocrisy?

    Mumbai: As the writer of this story, I don’t know if the recent “#StopTheBeautyTest” campaign by Dove is just blown out of proportion or it isn’t. Dove, HUL’s soap brand,  has been in India since the 1990s and one of HUL’s other products, Glow & Lovely (previously Fair & Glow) – a skin-lightening cream, has been around in the country since 1975. So, my question is, has the fair skin obsession been fiercely propagated in India by one of the largest FMCG giants, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), or “#StopTheBeautyTest”? Or is the existence of both the brands at varied timings in the country, just a point to be brushed aside? Time and again when this tug of war between beauty and calibre has occurred, it has only led me to ask more and deeper questions. This time, I spoke to industry veterans who have pondered on the points about the creative and strategy of this campaign which has been conceptualised and executed by Ogilvy.

    He was the first person I called to review this campaign, simply because on my LinkedIn, apart from HUL CEO & managing director Sanjiv Mehta, he was the first person whose post dared to speak something which not many could lend an ear to. Bang In The Middle (BITM) co-founder and chief strategy officer, Naresh Gupta says, “I think it’s very dishonest on the part of HUL to do a campaign like this. That’s where the whole issue is. I understand that you have a brand to sell and nobody has the right to tell you to not sell the brand. But when they try to take this righteous approach – the whole righteousness is wrong, because, from the business perspective, this is not what they’re doing when they’re selling Axe and Glow & Lovely. They’re doing something different – they’re prying on all the insecurities a person has when they’re selling Glow & Lovely and Axe.”

    He further continues to ask – who are these people who would move to buy Dove? “They are actually at one point of time buying Glow & Lovely or are on Axe. So, you made money off them at some stage of life, and now you are continuing to make money off them at another stage of life. The other problem is the way the whole campaign has been executed – it is not executed with a positive tone of voice, which is the deeper issue. My concern is that the campaign should have been executed with a much more positive tone of voice,” he explains.

    Even though many root for HUL’s hypocrisy, on the other hand, FCB India executive creative director Sumitra Sengupta likes the brand’s (Dove’s) work in bits but still feels that it doesn’t strike that spark. “After speaking to the urban target group for so long, I think Dove decided to address the masses. Yes, it’s written beautifully, is fabulously shot, and imparts information emotionally, but doesn’t create magic.”

    Some people recognise that Dove, over the years, has been a trailblazer, breaking beauty conventions and stereotypes and Dentsu Creative chief strategy officer Sumeer Mathur is one of them. This campaign is phase two of an earlier campaign that focused on how women are judged at the time of seeking a life partner. The communication seems to be taking the same position forward. “If anything, it’s more of the same and not entirely new or fresh,” he feels.

    Business strategist and PepsiCo India, Motorola & HP Asia former marketing head Lloyd Mathias finds this campaign interesting and in line with Dove’s core proposition that beauty is not defined by shape, size or colour – it’s authentic and all about self-esteem and confidence.

    “Dove’s current campaign “#StopTheBeautyTest” tries to counter the prevalent stereotypes about beauty that are reinforced early on from darker skin tones to body shaming. It is a hard-hitting campaign bringing to the fore the trauma many young girls go through in India,” he adds.

    Elucidating on the hype and buzz that this ad has created on social media Lloyd explained that the debate is a clear indication that the campaign strikes a chord, which is good for the brand that plays a niche in the soap market. Besides the activism, it inspires and drives consideration which is hugely positive for the brand.

    Talk about being regressive!

    Along with MediaMonks chief content officer, an ex-Ogilvy, an ex-MullenLowe Lintas Azazul Haque many others strongly believe that “#StopTheBeautyTest” is a very elite way of looking at Indian society. It feels like a conversation that happens in high society about how suppressed and regressive our society is. Brands like Dove should inspire women to celebrate real beauty instead of questioning society for suppressing a certain gender.

    A lot of people watching this ad feel that for a brand like Dove which has always stood for true beauty, and has done some commendable work in the past, Azazul thinks that “#StopTheBeautyTest” lacks a deep-rooted insight.

    Naresh firmly stands his ground when he says that the current Indian president Droupadi Murmu doesn’t fit the beauty bill, the way any brand would want to fit the beauty bill – but she has climbed to the top position in the country and you can’t get a more inspirational woman to look up to than her. “So if you look at it that way, society is moving somewhere else, and the brand is stuck somewhere else. This is just dated thinking and execution. And we, advertising people, live in our echo chamber, thinking this is what happens and this is what doesn’t happen,” he asserts.

    Several also feel that the campaign puts Indian society in a poor light by portraying it as regressive even now, which, to be true, isn’t the fact. “To a certain extent, it is true that in Indian society few parents still believe that looking beautiful is a parameter of success. But this ad makes it look like most Indians are stuck in this conservative, parochial mindset. Also, it makes the women, the mother, the family- the villain,” says Azazul.

    Sumeer understands that we seem to live in a world where it’s good to have an opinion and even better to be outraged. “It’s great if a certain section of society feels that we have moved on from judging girls on the beauty parameter and this no longer holds relevance for them. However, it would be interesting to know what the masses think about this ad – right now the criticism seems to come from the progressive English-speaking digital urban classes,” he explains.  

    He has a different stance on this and goes on to add that he thinks many girls even in urban India would find this communication relevant, the fact that teenage girls face unfair scrutiny and feel overwhelming anxiety about their body and looks is a global phenomenon that is well documented by psychologists. Young men seem to be developing similar issues these days in many social pockets.

    “Would husbands get the idea of beating their wives because they saw “Darlings”? Similarly, it would be regressive if it ended in ambiguity on what Dove believes in and that’s not the case, it’s not promoting beauty tests. Merely calling out a social evil does not mean you are propagating it. Could it have been executed with more positivity, would that have worked better at getting people to sit up and notice the issue? Usually, when a brand takes on social evil, its communication needs to hold a mirror to society. On a normal day most brand communication is sun-shiny,” he reveals.

    Lloyd, too, doesn’t consider the campaign to be regressive at all, as it shows a mirror to deeply prevalent social mores, thus bringing them to the fore. “Highlighting social issues will always raise controversies and bring out polarising views but these are inescapable in these times where social media enables everyone to have a view and air it freely. Smart brands harness this to their advantage,” he explains.

    Naresh has believed for a very long time that the advertising guys are out of touch with reality. The world has moved on and the progression has happened to a very large extent. But the advertising folk have gone back on their appeals – they haven’t moved forward.

    “15-16 years ago the advertising appeals were much more progressive. Agencies have been doing far more progressive work – ‘Daag Acche Hai’ (the tagline and brand campaign line for HUL’s detergent brand – Surf Excel) comes from the same company – that is so much progress. But when you do this “#StopTheBeautyTest,” it is not progression, it’s regression. And this is what has happened in advertising for the last 10 years – we have only gone back in time, we have not moved forward,” debates Naresh.

    For business and brand strategist and Harish Bijoor Inc founder Harish Bijoor, the “#StopTheBeautyTest” campaign is unnecessary today. “It is so yesterday! I do believe society has moved on. Reminding it of what it did in the past is an unnecessary stoking of the issue and the pot,” he says.

    Compared to the fabulously progressive work Dove has done with its other social experiments, Sumitra does find this ad to be regressive. She added, “It sets up the problem beautifully, but doesn’t provide a solution. And I think ‘Dove says… stop the beauty test’ sounds a trifle arrogant.”

    HUL’s hypocrisy or just plain marketing?

    With HUL Dove’s “#StopTheBeautyTest” campaign on one end, and its Glow & Lovely and Axe products’ advertising on the other, is this HUL’s hypocrisy or just plain demands of the various products in their portfolio? Every single time, when ads for fairness creams are rolled out, and on the other hand much is spoken about calibre outshining outward beauty, one tends to think that how farce could all this conversation get. Well, ad people, Sumitra and Azazul feel that HUL is doing justice to all its brands.

    “Various brands of HUL stand for various points of view. So one can stand for artificial, outer beauty while the other celebrates real beauty. I don’t see a clash there,” clarifies Azazul.

    Additionally, Sumeer points out, “If you see their actions, across its portfolio Unilever is moving towards more inclusivity, they have dropped ‘normal’ from some 200 beauty products, all these brands (Axe, Glow and Lovely) have moved on to a more progressive, modern worldview. I feel brands and people must be encouraged to evolve, pillorying attempts to evolve serves no purpose, it works against the agenda of change and inclusivity.”

    Naresh, on the contrary, discussing the print execution of this campaign feels that through this campaign, Dove is giving a sense that teachers evaluate students, giving them marks on the way they look, which is blatant cheating. “They are being provocative, that’s the correct thing to do. But it can’t be a mark sheet because, in reality, there is no mark sheet. If a teacher says something like this to a student and if the student complains, the teacher gets sacked,” he says.

    He goes on to add that if HUL has done the research, they should have put the research out in the public domain, mentioning clearly that this is what they have heard from their research and this is why the campaign is happening – that also they are not doing. He is of the thought that the brand is just trying to be clever.

    Lloyd, speaking from a business and brand point of view, elaborates, “Multi-brand and multi-category businesses will always face the criticism of seeming hypocritical as they have different positionings for their various offerings.”

    He strongly believes that in this case the criticism is justified as while Dove walks the higher ground of inner-beauty, there’s little doubt that HUL’s Glow & Lovely, panders to skin lightening. This is a fundamental contradiction.

    On a concluding note, Sumeer discusses that there isn’t a monolith India – different people are on a different scale in terms of attitudes and concerns, and there is always a trend and a pushback against every topic on social media, as it allows everyone to express and share their opinion. It’s hard to gauge where the critical mass of opinion is.

    “Keep your brand audience in mind, if it matters to them it matters to the brand, that’s a good north star to have,” he signs off.

  • HUL MD & CEO’s post on Dove’s #StopTheBeautyTest campaign evokes mixed reactions

    HUL MD & CEO’s post on Dove’s #StopTheBeautyTest campaign evokes mixed reactions

    Mumbai: Dove’s latest campaign questioning society on the beauty-based judgements that young girls are subjected to has been garnering attention, not always for the right reasons however. As was probably discovered by the Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) MD & CEO Sanjiv Mehta when he recently shared a post on the campaign on a social networking platform.

    Sharing the brand film on LinkedIn Mehta wrote: “Ahead of #InternationalDaughtersDay pleased to launch phase 2 of our #StopTheBeautyTest movement. Our new brand communication sheds light on the scrutiny and low self-esteem young girls encounter in society because of unrealistic beauty norms.”

    “As a father to two lovely daughters, I feel deeply for the cause. You would agree that our children’s formative years are critical, and if done right, we set them up for life. Therefore, we must create an environment where girls can feel more confident about themselves and focus on who they are as individuals, not how they look,” he continued.

    Let us pause, reflect and eliminate beauty biases that prevent India’s daughters from achieving their full potential, Mehta added before concluding with the plea “Please let us all #StopTheBeautyTest.”

    While several netizens lauded him and Dove for taking up the cause of women by asking consumers to confront beauty stereotypes laid down by society, there were other voices which questioned HUL’s seemingly contradictory stance when it came to its other flagship brand Glow & Lovely (formerly Fair & Lovely).

    “Fascinating ad from the company that makes Fair & Lovely,” pointed out a user, referring to the ‘skin-lightening’ cosmetic product of Hindustan Unilever introduced to the Indian market in 1975. The user, Savitha Rao, further demanded to know if Unilever would make an ad on how so many companies are marketing products by making the customer feel inadequate. “For decades, Fair & Lovely promoted a solution to dark complexions, which was shown as a problem,” she added.

    The film was also criticised for showing parents and teachers in a bad light ‘to sell a soap.’

    “A campaign ad that shows hardworking mothers, grandmothers, and teachers as the real villains, pushing for unrealistic beauty standards, while not just absolving oneself, but branding oneself as the torchbearer of change. I am yet to come across a better example of hypocrisy,” declared a netizen.

    LinkedIn user Anirudh Kunte while being appreciative of the campaign, did not hesitate to give the company a reality check on it’s ‘not-so-fair’ history. “Good initiative. However, admitting your mistakes is the first step towards correcting them,” he wrote, recalling the tag lines/ narratives propagated by the conglomerate. “These aren’t exact, but the gist is similar: ‘Fairer skin got me a job/ romantic date/groom’, ‘Gora nikhaar laye jeevan mein bahaar’, ‘Get 2 shades lighter skin in 4 weeks’. All of these, perpetuated for decades, by the brand’s parent company (and specifically some of its products) in India,” he stated.

    “All of these, perpetuated for decades, by the brand’s parent company (and specifically some of its products) in India,” he stated.

    Responding to the campaign’s exhortation of ‘Dove kehta hain #StopTheBeautyTest‘, another user wrote, “Sirf Dove kehta hai… But what about Fair & Lovely and all the other brands that have told every little girl to constantly worry about glowing skin/ shining hair / makeup that hides them.”

    “There is demand and there is supply.. I propose you cut the supply of useless confidence shattering products and demand shall wade off. Be the first movers if you really care!! N not just for the Daughters Day campaign,” she emphasised.

    Yet another netizen minced no words while replying to Mehta’s post. After seeing this short film, the first thing that crossed my mind is a popular saying in Hindi language, he wrote. “It goes like this… Sau chuhe kha kar, billi chali Haj ko.”

    He continued,” I’m sorry, no amount of campaign like this can undo the damage that  Unilever  India has done to the psyche and self-confidence of millions of young girls in India in the last several decades, milking their emotions and preying on their low self-esteem with campaigns for brands like Fair & Lovely, Pond’s, Lakme, etc. to make millions of dollars in profit.”

    “And what’s worst is that I have personally contributed to this by selling F&L for over 2.5 years while working for HUL in rural India,” he added.

    LinkedIn user Gautam Pradhan was also scathing of the post even as he lauded the initiative. “Good initiative Sanjiv, But Unilever has actively contributed to believing that fair skin colour is beautiful with massive advertisement campaigns from 1975 to 2020,” he wrote. “The height was when Hindustan Unilever started giving seven shades scale in the pack. I have seen my sisters growing up with the Fair and Lovely brand. And they are comparing skin tone on the scale,” he further shared. 

    “Keep running this campaign on TV until you change the belief system of an Indian household that skin colour doesn’t matter,” he emphasised.

    Dove’s latest campaign claims to bring to fore beauty-based judgements that young girls are subjected to by the society in the guise of advice. 

    Last year, the soap brand launched the #StopTheBeautyTest campaign throwing a spotlight on how beauty biases are amplified during the process of finding a life partner. The campaign showcased how the remarks deeply impacted the self-esteem of prospective brides.

    The second and latest leg of the campaign has shifted its focus on ‘the root of the problem’ – from prospective brides to teenage girls. The film features girls who narrate their stories of how they have been subjected to varied beauty tests based on their appearances and thereby rated by society on their looks instead of their intellect / aptitude. 

    Watch the Dove film here:

    Mehta’s post also faced backlash from a section of users who pointed out how the campaign seemed removed from the reality of today’s times, even as some LinkedIn users responded by complimenting Dove for bringing social issues to light with their ‘wonderful purpose driven campaign’.

    “Something is not right with these ads. Indian mother daughter relationship has changed at least aspirationally. In the households depicted in the ads pressure from mother is for studies and ambitions mothers have for their daughters. The middle class India has changed. The ads looked unreal to me for a  hashtag#realbeauty  brand,” wrote a user in response to Mehta’s post.

    “Our girls have crossed this barrier long back. Ask your team to work on some other strategy to connect with girls,” trolled another, even as another section of users commended the ad for being relatable and true. This prevails in many families, even ‘educated and cultured families’, they noted.

    Some users called the brand’s latest campaign another ‘marketing gimmick’. 

    “Good to see a change, but large questions remain on the way most of Unilever’s products are marketed and pushed into the minds of the vulnerable. Till the bigger change happens, these ads will be viewed by most as a mere gimmick,” wrote a user.

    “It IS a gimmick. An expensive , slick gimmick. What is the locus standi of a company that makes Fair & Lovely , Lakme to preach  #StopTheBeautyTest  to consumers,” insisted another user. 

    Are they asking Dove consumers to not buy Fair & Lovely, Lakme products, a user demanded to know.

  • Weekend Unwind with: Supertails co-founder Varun Sadana

    Weekend Unwind with: Supertails co-founder Varun Sadana

    Mumbai: Saturday’s here, bringing with it the time to unwind yet again with our special series, “Weekend Unwind.” Here we take a peek into the minds of corporate heads through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better. In this week’s edition, we have Supertails co-founder Varun Sadana. Supertails is a one-of-its-kind platform that supports the ever-increasing pet parent community with veterinary care and a one-stop solution for pet food and supplies.

    An MBA from IIM Lucknow, Varun comes with rich experience of building and leading teams across strategy, procurement, production, and sales. His previous stint was as the co-founder and COO of the fresh meat brand, Licious. Armed with a decade-long stint in the FMCG and retail spaces, having worked with brands such as Hindustan Unilever, Snapdeal, and IBM, to name a few, Varun aims to reimagine pet care in India with Supertails. Along with the team, he aims to bridge the accessibility gap in pet healthcare and create an ecosystem of products and services that make pet parenting smooth and enriching.

    So, without further ado here goes…

        A book you are currently reading/plan to read

    “Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kanheman”, reading it for the second time.

        Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic

    45 minutes workout, seven days a week with no cheat day.

        Your comfort food

    Eggs – sunny side up (add mashed potatoes for extra gluttony).

        When the chips are down a quote/philosophy that keeps you going

    Bad times are important to help you understand how good times feel like, embrace them!

        Your guilty pleasure

    Watching cookery videos on YouTube.

        When was the last time you tried something new?

    I recently learned how to code in python.

        A life lesson you learnt the hard way

    Everyone has a different way to respond to things, and it’s important to learn to appreciate the other point of view.

        What gets you excited about life?

    Everything – the fact that one is alive is enough to be excited about.

        What’s on top of your bucket list?

    Chase the northern lights, knowing well that I hate the cold!

        If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

    Do more. There is always time, you just have to find it.

        One thing you would most like to change about the world

    We can live with so much lesser polarisation of our views, without hurting our right to speech.

        An activity that keeps you motivated/charged during tough times

    Talk to a lot of people to get ideas and help, it works. Advices are always easier to give, and almost always free.

        What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

    Tomorrow is a new day, focus on getting a good night’s sleep.

        Your go-to stress buster

    Cooking while listening to stairway to heaven.

        Your mantra for life

    Ambition should always be greater than resources.

  • Prabha Narasimhan takes over as managing director of Colgate-Palmolive India

    Prabha Narasimhan takes over as managing director of Colgate-Palmolive India

    Mumbai: After a stint of over two decades at Hindustan Unilever, Prabha Narasimhan has joined Colgate-Palmolive India as managing director. Previously, she served as an executive director at the FMCG major before moving on from the company earlier this year in May 2022. Narasimhan takes over the reins of the oral care major from Ram Raghavan, who has moved to a global role.

    Narasimhan confirmed the development through a post on LinkedIn: “Everyone deserves a future they can smile about is the core philosophy of the Colgate brand. Today, as I start my new journey with Colgate, this definitely made me smile. Over the last three months, I have had the opportunity to travel across 6 different countries and 7 offices to meet and understand this business and its people, and it has been an amazing experience. I am now excited and eager to work with the Colgate Palmolive team in India on brands that I have grown up with and a business that is an absolute powerhouse,” she wrote.

    “No post of starting would be complete however without a look back at my time with Unilever. I consider myself extremely privileged to have worked for over 2 decades in such a fabulous organisation and more importantly work with such amazing colleagues – many of whom are lifelong friends. I will continue to watch & cheer their progress. Thank you to everyone, far too many to name here, who have helped me get to this position and thanks in advance to my new Colgate colleagues who I am excited to get to know more,” she further added.

    Narasimhan joined Hindustan Unilever as a regional marketing manager in 2006. She worked her way up to become the vice president of the personal care category in 2015, before going on to become the vice president of the skin care category. In 2020, she was promoted to the position of executive director.

    In the past, she has also served a stint with the Aditya Birla Group as general manager – Strategy at Madura Garments.

  • Unilever Professional India eyes portfolio expansion; launches digital distribution network in India

    Unilever Professional India eyes portfolio expansion; launches digital distribution network in India

    Mumbai: Unilever Professional India, also known as UPro, has announced that it will be extending its portfolio under the brand names CIF, Domex, Surf, and Comfort to include products like glass cleaners, air fresheners, degreasers, kitchen hygiene products like dishwasher chemicals, food contact safe surface sanitizers, kitchen sanitizers, laundry care detergents, and fabric conditioners for commercial use.

    The products are designed to meet the daily needs of cleaning experts at an affordable price, providing maximum performance. They are manufactured in India and are suitable for Indian operating conditions.

    It further plans to launch a digital distribution channel through its website to reach small operators in India.

    UPro’s priority would be to tap into food services, hospitality, laundrettes, offices, and schools. The business will also address accessibility issues with how instructions are communicated on the product packs.

    Poor working conditions, lower pay, and societal perceptions make the job of a cleaner less attractive, and it is even tougher for the female workforce. Yet the need for professional cleaning requires an understanding of processes and the right application knowledge of cleaning chemicals. UPro plans to address this issue by making the portfolio simple yet effective and making the guidelines accessible digitally.

    With a product range that is locally manufactured, combined with deep operator insights across geographies and professional usage manuals delivered digitally, UPro promises to make professional cleaning chemicals accessible to all.

  • HUL is working towards building brands with a purpose: Nitin Paranjpe

    HUL is working towards building brands with a purpose: Nitin Paranjpe

    Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) brands are transforming to serve the India of tomorrow. Speaking at the 89th annual general meeting recently, the company’s chairman Nitin Paranjpe said that the India growth journey, which began prior to the pandemic, continues to be strong. He mentioned that India needs growth that is not just transformative, but also inclusive – growth that is both productivity and employment led. Drawing attention to the paradoxical and fast changing world we live in, he highlighted the urgency for businesses to take the lead in addressing the environmental and societal challenges that the world faces.

    In his speech titled ‘Serving India, Today and Tomorrow’, Paranjpe said “HUL has been an integral part of India’s growth story over the years and has always believed that what is good for India is good for the company.” 

    He shared a glimpse of the company’s future-fit strategy. “Our belief that purpose-driven brands and business can indeed deliver sustainable growth and it has been further strengthened over the years.”

    He also mentioned that the company crossed the Rs 50,000 crore turnover mark and over the last decade, HUL has more than doubled its turnover, tripled the Ebitda and quadrupled the market cap.

    Paranjpe said, “At HUL, we are embedding sustainability across the value chain and beyond through what we call the ‘Compass’; our strategy to make sustainable living commonplace. We believe that ‘Compass’ will help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth. We are building technology muscle to serve our customers and consumers even better. We are determined to showcase that there can never be a trade-off between purpose and performance.”

    HUL has the power to impact the lives of consumers

    Paranjpe highlighted that HUL is working towards building brands with a purpose. With more than 9 out of 10 Indian households using one or more of HUL brands. He said “HUL has the power to impact the lives of consumers. The company’s brands strive to bring about positive social change and break barriers to help build a more inclusive society through thoughtful marketing campaigns. Through several initiatives, the company has been addressing challenges like water scarcity, livelihood opportunities, employability, health and sanitation among others.”

    Moving towards a phygital journey

    As the world changes and moves towards digitalization, brands need to be present everywhere and communicate consistently to stay top of mind. On this, he said, “with an increased adoption of digital, the shopper journey has now become phygital.”

    He added that in a nation of paradoxes, critical to unlocking value is deaveraging – we need to win in rural and in urban, in mass as well as in premium, in traditional and on digital.

    HUL’s growth drivers

    He feels that the road ahead holds both challenges and opportunities. “In order to overcome the challenges and realise the enormous opportunities that exist, it is imperative to ensure that the next phase of growth for the nation is both sustainable and equitable. Businesses can play a key role in this transformative journey,” he concluded.

  • The HUL journey: A growth story powered by purpose, says CEO & MD Sanjiv Mehta

    The HUL journey: A growth story powered by purpose, says CEO & MD Sanjiv Mehta

    Mumbai: FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has become a Rs 50,000 crore turnover company, the first pure FMCG firm to achieve this milestone. The company’s revenues for the full year increased 11.3 percent to Rs 51,193 crore, as compared to its revenues of Rs 45,996 crore for FY21, a flat volume growth due to unprecedented inflation notwithstanding.

    Sharing the news on LinkedIn, HUL CEO and managing director Sanjiv Mehta wrote: “The Hindustan Unilever journey has been a growth story powered by our purpose ‘To Make Sustainable Living Commonplace’.”

    Calling the HUL of today “a perfect example of #ProfitsThroughPurpose,” Mehta stated that the results demonstrate how their “values & purpose-led, the future-fit business model delivers superior financial performance.”

    “We have created a water potential of over 1.9 trillion litres by working in thousands of villages in India. Our carbon emissions from manufacturing have reduced by 94 per cent against the 2008 baseline,” detailed Mehta.

    “We achieved plastic neutrality, empowered 1.6 lakh rural women micro-entrepreneurs through Project Shakti and have helped thousands of people living in the slums of Mumbai get a better life through Suvidha, our scalable community hygiene & sanitation centres. And during these last nine years, we have doubled our turnover, tripled our EBITDA, and quadrupled our market cap to over Rs five lakh crores or $70 billion,” he further shared.

    The HUL executive additionally went on to thank all their consumers, stakeholders and employees for ‘believing in and unequivocally supporting’ the company along the way.

    The company released its financial performance for the quarter and year ending 31 March on Wednesday.

    “In challenging circumstances, we have grown competitively and protected our business model by maintaining margins in a healthy range,” Sanjiv Mehta commented, adding, “I am also pleased that we have become a Rs 50,000 crore turnover company in this fiscal. Our consistent performance is reflective of our strategic clarity, strength of our brands, operational excellence, and dynamic financial management of our business. While there are near-term concerns around significant inflation and slowing market growth, we are confident of the medium to long term prospects of the Indian FMCG sector and remain focused on delivering a consistent, competitive, profitable and responsible growth.”

    The FMCG behemoth’s revenue from sales of products during the fourth quarter stood at Rs 13,468 crore, up 11 per cent, as compared to the corresponding period a year ago, HUL said in its regulatory filing.  

    The company now has 16 brands with a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore each and reported a 5.34 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 2,307 crore for the fourth quarter ended in March 2022, a flat volume growth due to unprecedented inflation notwithstanding. The profit and revenues reported by the company were higher than analyst estimates.

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    Home Care growth at 24 per cent was broad-based with a strong performance in fabric wash and household care category. Both categories grew in strong double-digits with all parts of the portfolio performing well. Liquids and fabric sensations continued to outperform driven by effective market development actions, the company stated.

    Beauty and personal Care grew competitively at four per cent, while foods and refreshments grew five per cent on a very high prior-year comparator, driven by solid performance in beverages, foods, and ice-cream.

    Skin Cleansing category delivered double-digit growth driven by pricing and led by strong performance in ‘Lux,’ ‘Dove,’ and ‘Pears.’ A calibrated approach towards price increase in skin cleansing and hair care has helped protect the FMCG’s business model even as vegetable oils continue to inflate at record levels. Skin care and colour cosmetics had a muted quarter with Covid-19 third wave and high inflation impacting discretionary consumption.

    Meanwhile, HUL has consistently remained among the top-ten advertisers on television, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India’s report on advertising trends for week 16 (16 to 22 April). The FMCG giant had an advertising volume of over 4,775 seconds on the medium, which’s nearly equivalent to the sum of the next top four advertisers’ ad volumes.

  • Rin celebrates India’s first Olympic fencer in its latest TVC

    Mumbai: Rin, one of the oldest detergent brands from the house of Hindustan Unilever has unveiled its latest commercial celebrating the rise of India’s first woman fencing champion, C.A. Bhavani Devi. Earlier in March, Devi scripted history by becoming the first-ever Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics to be held in Tokyo next month.

    The TVC dwells on the Chennai-born athlete’s journey of grit and determination through the struggles to keep her sporting dreams alive. Fencing being an expensive sport, she had no access to good equipment during her initial years. The ad conceptualised by Ogilvy India showcases the sacrifices made by her parents so she never had to compromise on her training. In the one-minute-long film, Bhavani, who is the youngest of five siblings recounts how her mother pawned her jewellery when the going got tough so that she did not have to give up on her passion for fencing.

    Narrating her story, the video begins with the fencing champion addressing the viewer with a disarming question ‘Have you ever given away gold to earn gold?’ Hailing from a middle-class background and having chosen a relatively lesser-known sport of fencing, Bhavani had to endure not just financial hindrances but also gender stereotypes and jibes from society on nurturing ‘affluent ambitions’.

    The film showcases Bhavani Devi clinching the gold medal in the Sabre event at the Senior Commonwealth Fencing championship 2018 held in Canberra, Australia. In the process, Devi also became the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth championship.

    The ‘Ab Waqt hai chamakne ka‘ (Now’s the time to shine) campaign concludes with her triumphant, but heartwarming declaration, “Dekho maa, main sona vapis le aayi.” (Look mom, I got your gold back).

    The film, produced by Little Lamb Films and directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji, showcases the athlete’s stubborn confidence in herself and her ability to make it big, despite humble beginnings.

    Commenting on the campaign launch, Hindustan Unilever Ltd Home Care- executive director & VP Prabha Narasimhan says, “Rin has been an integral part of Indian households for over five decades now and has stood for people who are unwilling to be defined by preset roles and have the courage to pursue their dreams, undeterred by their socio-economic backgrounds. The brand stands for supporting and celebrating the progress seeker, individuals who pursue their dreams and demonstrate courage to rescript their destiny. Through our latest campaign, ‘Ab Waqt hai chamakne ka‘, we endeavoured to showcase the glorious journey of Bhavani Devi, her mother’s sacrifices, and their collective success and in the process inspire millions of others to keep persevering in their dreams, despite the odds. The essence of our brand aligns beautifully with such extraordinary stars who have risen from ordinary lives.”

    He adds, “We salute Bhavani for her dedication and wish her good luck as she prepares to represent India in Olympics 2021.”

    Having booked her berth for the Olympics, the champion fencer is now all set to make her mark in the international event.

  • BARC week 22: Dettol products top list of brands

    Mumbai: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has released its week 22 report in which Dettol Range of Products is the advertising brands list topper with 474.53 (000 secs) ad volume. 

    Dettol Toilet Soaps also bagged the second spot with 423.92 (000 secs) ad volume followed by Amazon Prime Video with 385.97 (000 secs) and Veet Hair Removal System with 342.36 (000 secs) holding on to the third and fourth spots respectively. The BARC list for week 22 includes Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, Surf Excel Easy Wash, Horlicks, and Dettol Liquid Soap. 

    Disinfectant cleaner Lizol is in the 10th spot with 273.47 (000 secs) ad volume. It should be noted that Lizol had topped the BARC’s list of most advertised brands last week with 573.05 (000 secs) ad volume. 

    Hindustan Lever Ltd topped the list of advertisers with 4234.36 ad volume. Reckitt Benckiser India which was on the top spot last week is in the second spot in week 22 with 4162.47 ad volume. 

    Other advertises named in this list released by BARC includes, Brooke Bond Lipton India Ltd (722.19), Colgate Palmolive India Ltd (520.71), Procter and Gamble (497.41), Amazon Online India Pvt Ltd (417.89), ITC Ltd (371.22), Wipro Ltd (363.72), Google (354.72), and Pepsi Co (330.45). 

  • Lizol tops BARC’s week 21 list of top brands.

    Mumbai: The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) released its report for week 21, and Lizol has topped the list of brands with 573.05 (000 secs) of ad volume. The disinfectant cleaner is followed by streaming giant Amazon Prime Video which claimed the second spot with an ad volume of 526.66 (000 secs), after holding the sixth position in the BARC listing of most advertised brands last week.

    Veet Hair Removal System and Dettol Toilet Soaps are at third and fourth spots in the list accounting for 437.03 (000 secs) and 427.56 (000 secs) ad volumes respectively. The top list of brands released by BARC for week 21 is also dominated by personal and home hygiene products, where Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, Harpic Bathroom Cleaner, Dettol Liquid Soap, Dettol Intense Cool Soap, and Harpic were ranked fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively.

    Ed-tech platform Byju’s learning app grabbed the 10th spot in the list with 293.99 (000 secs) ad volume.

    Reckitt Benckiser India has topped the list of advertisers in week 21 by registering 4929.33 (000 secs) of ad volume, followed by Hindustan Lever Limited (4669.27 secs), Brooke Bond Lipton India Limited (747.88 secs), and ITC (658.22 secs) holding fort at second, third and fourth spots respectively.

    Amazon Online India Private Limited grabbed the fifth rank on the BARC list with 620.17 (000 secs) of ad volume. Other advertisers who found a place in the top 10 include Colgate Palmolive India Limited (588.01 secs), Procter and Gamble (505.93 secs), Wipro Limited (468.95 secs), Pepsi Co (452.93 secs), and SmithKline Beecham (421.99 secs).