Unilever at a glance

We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life, meeting their everyday needs for
nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands and services that are good for them and good for
others.

Key facts
• On any given day, two billion people use our products.
• We employ 163,000 people in around 100 countries worldwide. In 2009 our worldwide
turnover was €39.8 billion.
• Our products are sold in over 170 countries around the world. In many countries we
manufacture the products that we sell, while we also export products to countries where
we do not have manufacturing operations.
• The top 25 brands in our portfolio account for nearly 75% of our sales.
• We are the global market leader in all the Food categories in which we operate : Savoury,
Spreads, Dressings, Tea and Ice Cream. We are also global market leader in Mass Skin
Care and Deodorants, and have very strong positions in other Home and Personal Care
categories.
• In 2009 we invested €891 million in research and development.
• We have 264 manufacturing sites worldwide, all of which strive for
improved performance on safety, efficiency, quality and environmental impacts, working
to global Unilever standards and management systems. Around 50% of the raw materials
that we use for our products come from agriculture and forestry. We buy approximately
12% of the world’s black tea, 6% of its tomatoes and 3% of its palm oil.
• We invested €89 million in community projects worldwide in 2009.

Our history
Unilever's corporate vision – helping people to look good, feel good and get more out of life –
shows how clearly the business understands 21st century-consumers and their lives. But the spirit
of this mission forms a thread that runs throughout our history.

Helping people get more out of life

In the 1890s, William Hesketh Lever, founder of Lever Bros, wrote down his ideas for Sunlight
Soap – his revolutionary new product that helped popularise cleanliness and hygiene in Victorian
England. It was 'to make cleanliness commonplace; to lessen work for women; to foster health
and contribute to personal attractiveness, that life may be more enjoyable and rewarding for the
people who use our products'.

This was long before the phrase 'Corporate Mission' had been invented, but these ideas have
stayed at the heart of our business. Even if their language – and the notion of only women doing
housework – has become outdated.

In a history that now crosses three centuries, Unilever's success has been influenced by the major
events of the day – economic boom, depression, world wars, changing consumer lifestyles and
advances in technology. And throughout we've created products that help people get more out of
life – cutting the time spent on household chores, improving nutrition, enabling people to enjoy
food and take care of their homes, their clothes and themselves.

Balancing profit with responsible corporate behaviour

In the late 19th century the businesses that would later become Unilever were among the most
philanthropic of their time. They set up projects to improve the lot of their workers and created
products with a positive social impact, making hygiene and personal care commonplace and
improving nutrition through adding vitamins to foods that were already daily staples.

Today, Unilever still believes that success means acting with 'the highest standards of corporate
behaviour towards our employees, consumers and the societies and world in which we live'.
Over the years we've launched or participated in an ever-growing range of initiatives to source
sustainable supplies of raw materials, protect environments, support local communities and much
more.

Through this timeline you'll see how our brand portfolio has evolved. At the beginning of the
21st century, our Path to Growth strategy focused us on global high-potential brands and our
Vitality mission has taken us into a new phase of development. More than ever, our brands are
helping people 'feel good, look good and get more out of life' – a sentiment close to Lord
Leverhulme's heart over a hundred years ago.

Building on this heritage, our priorities now are inspiring people to take small everyday actions
that can add up to a big difference for the world – from laundry brands that help minimise wasted
water and packaging to nutritious, easily prepared and affordable meals and snacks.
Timeline

19th Although Unilever wasn't formed until 1930, the companies that joined forces to
century create the business we know today were already well established before the start of
the 20th century.
1900s Unilever's founding companies produced products made of oils and fats, principally
soap and margarine. At the beginning of the 20th century their expansion nearly
outstrips the supply of raw materials.
1910s Tough economic conditions and the First World War make trading difficult for
everyone, so many businesses form trade associations to protect their shared
interests.
1920s With businesses expanding fast, companies set up negotiations intending to stop
others producing the same types of products. But instead they agree to merge - and
so Unilever is created.
1930s Unilever's first decade is no easy ride: it starts with the Great Depression and ends
with the Second World War. But while the business rationalises operations, it also
continues to diversify.
1940s Unilever's operations around the world begin to fragment, but the business
continues to expand further into the foods market and increase investment in
research and development.
1950s Business booms as new technology and the European Economic Community lead to
rising standards of living in the West, while new markets open up in emerging
economies around the globe.
1960s As the world economy expands, so does Unilever and it sets about developing new
products, entering new markets and running a highly ambitious acquisition
programme.
1970s Hard economic conditions and high inflation make the 70s a tough time for
everyone, but things are particularly difficult in the fast-moving consumer goods
(FMCG) sector as the big retailers start to flex their muscles.
1980s Unilever is now one of the world's biggest companies, but takes the decision to
focus its portfolio, and rationalise its businesses to focus on core products and
brands.
1990s The business expands into Central and Eastern Europe and further sharpens its
focus on fewer product categories, leading to the sale or withdrawal of two-thirds of
its brands.
The 21st The decade starts with the launch of Path to Growth, a five-year strategic plan, and
century in 2004 further sharpens its focus on the needs of 21st century consumers with its
Vitality mission. In 2009, Unilever announces its new corporate vision – working to
create a better future every day with brands that help people look good, feel good
 and get more out of life.

Introduction to Unilever
On any given day, two billion people use our products. From feeding your family to keeping
your home clean and fresh, our brands are part of everyday life.

Life partners
With 400 brands spanning 14 categories of home, personal care and
foods products, no other company touches so many people's lives in so
many different ways.

Our brand portfolio has made us leaders in every field in which we work. It ranges from much-
loved world favourites including Lipton, Knorr, Dove and Omo, to trusted local brands such as
Blue Band and Suave.

From comforting soups to warm a winter's day, to sensuous soaps that make you feel fabulous,
our products help people get more out of life.

We're constantly enhancing our brands to deliver more intense, rewarding product experiences.
We invest nearly €1 billion every year in cutting-edge research and development, and have five
laboratories around the world that explore new thinking and techniques to help develop our
products.

Continuous development

Consumer research plays a vital role in our brands' development. We're constantly developing
new products and developing tried and tested brands to meet changing tastes, lifestyles and
expectations. And our strong roots in local markets also mean we can respond to consumers at a
local level.

By helping improve people's diets and daily lives, we can help them keep healthier for longer,
look good and give their children the best start in life.

We also believe that the very business of conducting business in a responsible way has a positive
social impact. We create and share wealth, invest in local economies and develop people's skills
– both inside our organisation and in the communities around us.
Today Unilever employs 163 000 people, sells products in 170 countries worldwide, and
supports the jobs of many thousands of distributors, contractors and suppliers.

Health & personal care

• First launched in France in 1983, our leading male grooming brand, Axe, now gives guys
the edge in the mating game in over 60 countries
• Our oral care brands Mentadent, Peposodent and Signal have teamed up with the world's
largest dental federation, the FDI, which represents over 750 000 dentists around the
world
• Lux became the first mass-marketed soap when it launched in 1924. Today it achieves
annual global sales of over €1 billion
• Domestos is a best-selling brand in nine of the 35 countries in which it's sold
• Recent breakthroughs at Rexona include Rexona Crystal, a deodorant that eliminates
unsightly white deposits on dark garments
• Our Small & Mighty concentrated liquid fits into a smaller bottle, requiring half the
packaging, water and lorries to transport it, making it kinder on the environment
• Hindustan Unilever in India has launched a hand-wash product, Surf Excel Quick Wash,
with a low foaming formulation, reducing the amount of water needed for rinsing by up
to two buckets per wash.

Foods

• Knorr is our biggest food brand with a strong presence in over 80 countries and a product
range including soups, sauces, bouillons, noodles and complete meals
• Lipton's tea-based drinks include the international Lipton Iced Tea range, the Lipton
range in North America and Lipton Yellow Label, the world's favourite tea brand
• Becel/Flora pro.activ products have been recognised as the most significant advancement
in the dietary management of cholesterol in 40 years
• In the mid-1990s we led the industry with our programme to eliminate almost all trans fat
from our margarine
• We're the world's largest ice cream manufacturer, thanks to the success of our Heartbrand
which includes Magnum, Cornetto, Carte d'Or and Solero, and Ben & Jerry's and Breyers
in the US.

Our vision
Unilever products touch the lives of over 2 billion people every day –
whether that's through feeling great because they've got shiny hair and a
brilliant smile, keeping their homes fresh and clean, or by enjoying a great
cup of tea, satisfying meal or healthy snack.
A clear direction
The four pillars of our vision set out the long term direction for the company – where we want to
go and how we are going to get there:

• We work to create a better future every day

• We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services
that are good for them and good for others.
• We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can add up to a big difference
for the world.
• We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of our
company while reducing our environmental impact.

We've always believed in the power of our brands to improve the quality of people’s lives and in
doing the right thing. As our business grows, so do our responsibilities. We recognise that global
challenges such as climate change concern us all. Considering the wider impact of our actions is
embedded in our values and is a fundamental part of who we are.

Purpose & principles

Our corporate purpose states that to succeed requires "the highest standards of corporate
behaviour towards everyone we work with, the communities we touch, and the environment on
which we have an impact."

Always working with integrity

Conducting our operations with integrity and with respect for the many people, organisations and
environments our business touches has always been at the heart of our corporate responsibility.

Positive impact

We aim to make a positive impact in many ways: through our brands, our commercial operations
and relationships, through voluntary contributions, and through the various other ways in which
we engage with society.

Continuous commitment

We're also committed to continuously improving the way we manage our environmental impacts
and are working towards our longer-term goal of developing a sustainable business.

Setting out our aspirations

Our corporate purpose sets out our aspirations in running our business. It's underpinned by our
code of business Principles which describes the operational standards that everyone at Unilever
follows, wherever they are in the world. The code also supports our approach to governance and
corporate responsibility.

Working with others

We want to work with suppliers who have values similar to our own and work to the same
standards we do. Our Business partner code, aligned to our own Code of business principles,
comprises ten principles covering business integrity and responsibilities relating to employees,
consumers and the environment.

Supplier partner code

It is Unilever’s policy to formally request that all our suppliers respect the principles of our
Supplier Code and adopt practices that are consistent with it.

The Code
Unilever’s Supplier Code states that:

• There shall be compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of the country where
operations are undertaken.
• There shall be respect for human rights, and no employee shall suffer harassment,
physical or mental punishment, or other form of abuse.
• Wages and working hours will, as a minimum, comply with all applicable wage and hour
laws, and rules and regulations, including minimum wage, overtime and maximum hours
in the country concerned.
• There shall be no use of forced or compulsory labour, and employees shall be free to
leave employment after reasonable notice.
• There shall be no use of child labour, and specifically there will be compliance with
relevant International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.
• There shall be respect for the right of employees to freedom of association and
recognition of employees’ rights to collective bargaining, where allowable by law.
• Safe and healthy working conditions will be provided for all employees.
• Operations will be carried out with care for the environment and will include compliance
with all relevant legislation in the country concerned.
• All products and services will be delivered to meet the quality and safety criteria
specified in relevant contract elements, and will be safe for their intended use.
• Business will be conducted with integrity. There will be no payments, services, gifts,
entertainment or other advantages offered or given to any Unilever employee or third
party which are intended to influence the way in which the Unilever employee or third
party goes about his or her duties. Similarly Unilever will not offer or give such
payments, services, gifts, entertainment or other advantages to any supplier which are
 intended to influence the way in which the supplier goes about his or her duties. There
will be no actual or attempted money laundering.
• Unilever's direct suppliers will take responsibility to require adherence to the principals
of this Supplier Code from their direct suppliers and exercise diligence in verifying that
these principles are being adhered to in their supply chains.

160 million times a day, someone somewhere chooses a Unilever product. From
feeding your family to keeping your home clean and fresh, our brands are part of
everyday life

Innovation in Unilever
Innovation is the engine of Unilever’s growth; the lifeblood of our business. Our future depends
on our ability to bring bigger & better innovations to market more quickly than our competitors.

Our leadership
Chief Research & Development Officer, Professor Geneviève Berger
and President Global Foods, Home and Personal Care, Michael Polk,
outline how our R&D teams create unique products with proven benefits
for consumers around the world.

Research & development in Unilever

Research & development plays a key role in delivering proprietary
breakthrough innovations. At Unilever, R&D is treated as an investment
aligned closely with our overall business strategy.

The science behind success

The common thread running through all our R&D activities is a direct
connection between science, technology and consumer needs.
Areas of innovation
Unilever is recognised as a world leader in R&D, both in terms of
innovation (new products and mixes) and renovation (refreshing existing
products).

How we work
We employ more than 6000 R&D professionals in six global research
centres, 13 global product development centres and regional development
& country implementation centres.

Responsible innovation
We believe our products make a real contribution to an individual’s
wellbeing and that of their community, while having the least possible
adverse effect on the environment at every stage in the product lifecycle.