Unilever has signed a new deal with mobile marketing company Brandtone, which will enable its brands to use the power of mobile and big data to build long-term one-to-one relationships with consumers, particularly in emerging markets, where mobile is a key tool to reach them - and to do so at scale.
As part of the deal, which was announced at the Mobile Marketing Association’s SM2 event in New York last night, Unilever will support Brandtone’s expansion into four new markets: India, China, Indonesia, and the US. Unilever will also build on the existing relationship with Brandtone in South Africa, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia and Turkey.
Keith Weed, Unilever chief marketing Officer, commented, “Over half our turnover comes from emerging markets. Mobile provides a direct means of engagement with almost every consumer in those countries, and it is therefore absolutely critical for our brands’ growth.
“People are willing to share information about themselves in order to get more relevant advertising and offers. So the opportunity is there – if we do it correctly. We need to approach people with respect – maintaining trust and ensuring two-way dialogue. The work we do with Brandtone enables us to do exactly that. By building relationships with our consumers and adding something of value to them we can increase both purchase and brand loyalty” adds Weed.
The Brandtone business model is based on meaningful value exchange, providing incentives such as free mobile airtime to reward consumers for interacting with brands and sharing information via their mobile phones, according to Unilever.
Unilever has already run a number of very successful campaigns with Brandtone, including a promotion for OMO washing power in South Africa, which generated response rates of 30%, 'far above the industry averag', according to the company.
Donald Fitzmaurice, co-founder and CEO at Brandtone, said: “This agreement takes our partnership with Unilever to a new level, and sees us partnering to open up key growth markets. There, we will continue to offer Unilever the means to responsibly and sustainably engage consumers in the most important developing and emerging markets."
Fitzmaurice added, "Our state-of-the-art technology platform, available globally through the cloud, with teams of highly experienced marketeers present in each market, allows us to achieve unparalleled results for our clients. We have already delivered some remarkable campaigns for Unilever brands in Russia, Brazil and South Africa, and we're excited about taking this approach into the remaining BRICS - as well as other key growth markets - with their support.”
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
