To achieve these figures, all three brands—in addition to product quality—rely on the widespread impact of their communication campaigns. These three brands exemplify how Unilever Vietnam implements "healthy communication" to drive sustainable growth, as shared by Ta Thu Huong, the company's Communications and Digital Advertising Director, at the Vietnam iContent Awards last weekend.
In her speech, Huong emphasized Unilever Vietnam's perspective: "A strong community leads to a strong economy – a stable community leads to a stable economy." She stated that marketing professionals at Unilever must serve two missions simultaneously: community benefit and economic development. This principle also guides Unilever's business operations. The company's communication activities integrate a commitment to a healthy business environment with the development of core brand values that serve the community. The intersection of these three elements—policy, brand, and public—enables marketers to create communication content that is "clean, meaningful, and has widespread impact."
Since the 1990s, Unilever has pursued the vision of "community health care and improving the lives of Vietnamese people" through Lifebuoy and P/S. This journey began with educational activities teaching children proper handwashing and oral hygiene habits.
Over three decades, Lifebuoy has organized hundreds of school programs to help children develop proper handwashing habits. When Covid-19 arrived, the brand donated over 1,4 million products, valued at VND 50 billion, supporting 3,000 schools and 610 medical facilities, reaching over 37 million Vietnamese people. Commemorating its 30-year journey, Lifebuoy renovated and built five hospitals, expanding healthcare access for children in remote areas. With this widespread effort, millions of people now trust Lifebuoy products daily, from soap and hand sanitizer to body wash and shampoo.
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Lifebuoy is present in schools, teaching students proper handwashing. Photo: Unilever |
Lifebuoy is present in schools, teaching students proper handwashing. Photo: Unilever
Meanwhile, P/S has also implemented numerous free dental check-up education programs, bringing dental services to remote areas. Through schools and media channels, over the past 35 years, the brand has educated more than 50 million people on oral health care. Additionally, in collaboration with dentists from the Vietnam Odonto-Stomatology Association, P/S has provided direct examinations for 7 million children in rural areas.
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P/S collaborates with celebrities in a series of free dental health check-up and consultation events from 11/2023 to 1/2024 at 45 Co.op Mart supermarkets nationwide. Photo: Unilever |
P/S collaborates with celebrities in a series of free dental health check-up and consultation events from 11/2023 to 1/2024 at 45 Co.op Mart supermarkets nationwide. Photo: Unilever
Omo, since 2020, has initiated a program to plant one million trees across Vietnam, working with communities to combat climate change and natural disasters. After 5 years, the program has reforested 472,6 ha in 21 provinces and 12 national parks. The brand innovated by applying drone technology for tree planting, donating 35 rare endemic tree species to 12 national parks, thereby revitalizing ecosystems and biodiversity.
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Omo sponsored the planting of 70,000 acacia trees in the upstream river basin in A Luoi, Hue, contributing to forest restoration, 3/2022. Photo: Unilever |
Omo sponsored the planting of 70,000 acacia trees in the upstream river basin in A Luoi, Hue, contributing to forest restoration, 3/2022. Photo: Unilever
According to Huong, these achievements are the result of collective efforts from the community, ministries, agencies, experts, artists, and notably, the media influence of celebrities.
Emphasizing the power of community, Huong also suggested that for a message to reach small communities, it cannot rely on a single voice. Therefore, official sources are needed to build trust, and everyday voices are essential to connect with emotions. A message not only needs to spread widely but also to penetrate deeply to create changes in thoughts and behaviors.
The spirit of valuing community at Unilever was reiterated by Nguyen Thi Bich Van, Country General Manager of Unilever Vietnam, when she presented the "Organization for the Community" award at the Vietnam iContent Awards. Van stated that responsible, creative, and humane content communication will help Vietnamese communities develop sustainably.
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Nguyen Thi Bich Van and journalist Xuan Tan present the "Organization for the Community" award to a representative of Hoa Sen Group (far left) and the Tram phong tuong lai project (second from right). Photo: Quynh Tung |
Nguyen Thi Bich Van and journalist Xuan Tan present the "Organization for the Community" award to a representative of Hoa Sen Group (far left) and the Tram phong tuong lai project (second from right). Photo: Quynh Tung
Unilever has been present in Vietnam since 1995, currently operating in four product groups: home care, personal care, beauty and wellbeing, and nutrition. The group has consistently been listed among the "Top workplaces in Vietnam," employing over 1,300 direct personnel and a network of 10,000 indirect personnel. Since 2022, the company has collected more plastic than the amount of plastic packaging it introduces to the market.
Hoang Anh
