Unilever is a multinational company founded almost a hundred years ago, in 1929. Its headquarters are in London, but the brand is available in more than 190 countries across the world. Almost 3.5 billion people use Unilever’s products daily, and the company employs nearly 150 000 people.
These are pretty impressive numbers, so let’s analyze what drives the employees toward this great success. Unilever mission statement is “to make sustainable living commonplace.” The company’s vision focuses on a strategy that will lead to achieving even greater success in the future. The core values that drive the people behind the company are integrity, respect, responsibility, pioneering, vigilance, and confidence. Find out more about the details of Unilever mission and vision statement, as well as about its core values.
Unilever official mission statement is “to make sustainable living commonplace” and “to prove that purpose-led, future-fit business model delivers superior performance.” Unilever aims to achieve a “lasting, positive impact on the world and the business.”
There are eight key elements of Unilever approach to achieving this mission. The company strives to meet the consumer’s needs by doing thorough analytics through relevant data. It also focuses on innovation, as the company spends more than $800 million per year on Research and Development yearly.
Sourcing is a big part of operating such a huge company – Unilever partners with more than 50 000 suppliers and spends billions of dollars on necessary equipment yearly. The products Unilever sells are made in 280 factories, so manufacturing is an important part of the process. Operating in more than 190 countries across the world seems like a nightmare when it comes to logistics, so Unilever has 450 logistic warehouses to make the distribution process smoother.
Marketing is also one of the crucial components of operating Unilever, as the company makes world-famous brands, such as Dove, Domestos, and Ben & Jerry’s. Sales are made through different types of shops, such as supermarkets, online shops, and small businesses.
Finally, Unilever values consumer use, as more than three billion people use the company’s products daily.
Unilever Vision Statement
Unilever vision statement is “to deliver winning performance by being the global leader in sustainable business.” Furthermore, Unilever has specific goals, so let’s get into more detail about them.
This company aims to build a high-growth portfolio across five business groups – beauty and well-being, personal care, home care, nutrition, and ice cream.
Unilever wants to win with its brands that are powered by superior products, innovation, and purpose.
Another goal is to accelerate in key growth markets, such as the USA, China, and India.
The company strives towards leading in the channels of the future, such as digital commerce.
When it comes to the second goal – winning with the brands, Unilever has some detailed plans for doing this. Here is what the company wants to do.
Improve the Health of Our Planet
Unilever has plans relating to climate action, protecting and regenerating nature, and contributing to a waste-free world. Some of the goals relating to this vision are:
Net-zero emissions from all the products by the year 2039
Zero emissions in the company’s operations by 2030
Stating the carbon footprint on every product
Fully sustainable sourcing of key agricultural crops
100% biodegradable ingredients by 2030
25% recycled plastic by 2025
100% recycled, reusable, and compostable plastic by 2025
Halve food waste in operations by 2025
Improve People’s Health, Confidence & Well-Being
This part of Unilever’s mission is supposed to be achieved by focusing on positive nutrition, health, and well-being. Here are some of the specific plans:
Double the number of positive nutrition products sold by 2025
95% of ice cream to contain a maximum of 22g of sugar per serving by 2025
70% of products to meet nutritional standards set by the World Health Organization by 2025
Improve health and well-being through the company’s products while focusing, among else, on hygiene, body confidence, self-esteem, mental well-being, gender, race, and ethnicity equity
Contribute to a Fairer, More Socially Inclusive World
Unilever wants to focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, raising living standards, and the future at work. Here are some of the goals relating to this:
Eliminate any bias and discrimination from the company’s policies and practices
5% of the workforce to consist of people with disabilities by 2025
Increase representation of diverse groups in advertising
Ensure that employers are paid at least a living income by 2030
Help equip 10 million young people with essential skills by 2030
Unilever Core Values
Unilever core values are: “Integrity, respect, responsibility, pioneering, and vigilance & confidence.” People who stand behind Unilever share the same five core values.
Integrity
Unilever employees are expected to follow clear guidelines and policies when it comes to the moral and ethical standards the company lives by.
Respect
Respecting people for who they are and helping them achieve their full potential is one of the key core values Unilever employs. The workplace is safe and fair, and the employees are treated with dignity and respect.
Responsibility
The employees have the responsibility to act according to Unilever policies and standards, both internally within the organization and externally, when dealing with people from outside the company.
Pioneering
Unilever is big on innovation, so pioneering is one of the most important core values of this company.
Vigilance and confidence
While the company has methods and policies relating to dealing with inappropriate behavior and similar problems, the employees are encouraged to be vigilant in recognizing these issues and to be courageous and confident in reporting them.
Conclusion
Unilever is one of the biggest companies selling consumer goods worldwide. Its success can be attributed to clear, action-driven, and specific mission and vision statements. Apart from that, the company has core values that further add to the quality of its whole operation. Considering that this company has specific goals and deadlines to achieve its mission and vision, we can only expect even bigger success in the foreseeable future.
