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UNILEVER SOUTH AFRICA: CONTEXTUAL LEADERSHIP OF CULTURE FOR INCLUSIVE…
UNILEVER SOUTH AFRICA: CONTEXTUAL LEADERSHIP OF
CULTURE FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH
Time Line
1890
2007
201October 2017,
People
Tony Mun-Gavin, business unit head
for Personal Care for Unilever South Africa,
Zola Bebe, Lux brand manager in South Africa,
Sphe Mjadu, Unilever’s public relations manager,
Unilever founder, William Lever,1 a member of the English nobility,
Unilever’s global chief executive officer (CEO), Paul Polman,
young
woman, Bongiwe. (soweto resident)
Lira, Moneoa, and Nhlanhla, from the group Mafikizolo.
Unilever South Africa was part of Unilever Pty. Ltd.
(Unilever), one of the world’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies.
The immersion that day of the team into the environments
juxtapositions within the vast township on the
outskirts of
overall agenda, which placed sustainability at the heart of every brand within
the Unilever stable.
Lux billboard, sun-bleached and peeling,
position a superficial brand with no moral appeal and remain true to its
overarching vision of empowering women.
While Unilever was invested in driving a sustainability agenda, it
made no apologies for being a for-profit organization.
BACKGROUND TO UNILEVER’S MISSION
he developed a mission to make a difference in the living
conditions of the poor.
Unilever’s lifelong intention in the
1890s with Sunlight, a brand that aimed to make cleanliness and hygiene commonplace
In 2007, Unilever made what was then considered a risky decision: to shift its focus from America and
Europe and actively move projects, people, and other resources to the developing world.
opportunities in emerging markets and had since seen results
Unilever had also identified key health and wellness opportunities in its food and beverage businesses, taking the reduction of fats and salts in these products seriously in response to the changing preferences of its consumers
specifically the skin and hair care segments, which were projected
to own 9.04 per cent of this market by 2024.
echoing Lever’s initial pledge to create a
virtuous company.
Polman had boldly stated that there was no business case for enduring poverty and runaway climate
change.
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan,
help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being,
halve the environmental
footprint of products,
and enhance the livelihoods of people across the value chain.
Lifebuoy had
evolved to become the world’s bestselling and most trusted germ-protection soap.
Competitors
Beiersdorf AG put
skincare at the forefront of the strategy outlined in its “Blue Agenda,”
L’Oréal Group was the world leader in beauty and had a CSR commitment to share beauty with all
The Proctor & Gamble Company had committed to a sustainability agenda
centred on climate, waste, and water that enabled consumers to make more responsible choices
Colgate-Palmolive Company, Johnson & Johnson, Danone, and Nestlé.
DIVERSITY IN THE UNILEVER SOUTH AFRICA PERSONAL CARE TEAM
Mun-Gavin’s colleagues had grown up in townships very
similar to Soweto,
In contrast, children who thrived within informal settlements
unapologetically shouted “Makhi” (neighbour) to gain the attention of well-loved neighbours
Unilever’s leadership had worked hard to galvanize a culture of inclusive
growth among all employees.
The team had proven its commitment by
putting the consumer at the core of its campaign;
In Soweto, contrasts were obvious,
Mun-Gavin could hear vernacular and cursed under his breath that all of his world-class education
had never taught him an African language.
Bongiwe-South African women, she was the official mother to two children and
surrogate mother to another five.
Mun-Gavin recalled the tragic story about the death of
Nhlanhla’s five-year-old daughter in a car accident in 2009,17
Lira had recently been in the news for her debt-free decade—using money to
live a full life as opposed to constantly paying off excessive commitments.
Moneoa had overcome
heartbreak and embraced her new feminine physique, and was a top talent in South Africa’s music
In South Africa, over 2.3 million
children had been orphaned by HIV and AIDS.21
THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DRIVING A SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA
Lux was only one example of Unilever’s many brands dedicated to a sustainability
Lifebuoy, Dove, and Vaseline. These were some of the
brands associated with a Department of Education campaign targeting more than 15,000
Dove was another proud example of a Unilever brand that prioritized what was right; it was one of the only
brands in the world to position authentic beauty in all shapes and forms at the heart
In South
Africa, Dove had run a self-esteem program for three years, reaching over 300,000 high-school girls.
In October 2017, the brand was criticized for a
seemingly racist campaign.22
The Lux brand had reinvented itself through a deep understanding of the market; unpacking subtle narratives, the brand had been re-shaped and re-crafted to celebrate that women were more than just superficial beauty.
MOVING FORWARD
celebrating women’s natural beauty,
acknowledged the need to be both inclusive
and contextual.
Mun-Gavin considered what it meant to be a contextual leader.
even deeper understanding of the dynamics of their South African marketplace, their company’s values,
and the requirements for a true sustainability-inclusive growth culture.