Unilever is turning fans’ passion into brand engagement with value-adding partnerships

• Unilever using “passion partnerships” to engage consumers where their passions are, working closely with rights-holders to add value to sponsorships
• Defining brand purposes allows Unilever to target different demographics without cannibalising its own product lines
• Nimble activation strategy helps brands remain “relevant and authentic” to consumers

Long one of the world’s biggest spenders when it comes to marketing and advertising –  according to Business Insider, only the $10bn outlay of American rival Procter & Gamble exceeded Unilever’s global marketing spend of over $9bn in 2017 – Unilever has begun to shift the way it looks at sport sponsorship as it attempts to engage consumers through their passions, and use partnerships to create and reinforce distinct brand identities for each of its product lines.