Another feature of the site which helps build relation-
ships with consumers, is the monthly e-newsletter, then
known as ‘Messing About’. In 2003, there were about
75,000 subscribers. The e-mail contains content from
publisher partners such as IPC’s Family Circlemagazine
and a ‘make and do’ feature at the bottom; for example, a
pair of glasses to cut out and colour in. Revolution(2003)
reported that around 17 per cent of recipients click
through to the Persil site, with figures rising as high as 24
per cent for some segments. Users who click through to
the site spent 15 to 20 minutes there, although the e-mails
are designed so that customers don’t have to visit if they
don’t want to.
A branded ‘Messing about’ application was set up on
partner sites such as Schoolsnet (www.schoolsnet.com)
and femail.co.uk. Users could register for the e-mail and
use the activity finder application. There are also ‘stain
solver’ applications, which let users get advice on the
removal of a range of stains. Bailey explains the impor-
tance of partner sites: ‘We've created applications that
we’ve distributed to places where we would expect our
consumers to go, so we're not expecting them to just visit
our site. We’re not kidding ourselves – we are a detergent
brand. The aim is for people to have the experience of
Persil wherever they are. So there is a variety of places
such as Tesco.com, iVillage, Schoolsnet and femail, where
Persil now has a presence.’
Another approach is sampling – sub-brands, such as
Persil Capsules, Persil Silk & Wool, Persil Aloe Vera have
been used to gain trial and to explain more about the
product. For example, when Persil Aloe Vera launched
46,000 asked for samples online – a third of the total.
Bailey explains: ‘Persil Aloe Vera was a big launch. People
see the ad on TV and wonder what else the product does,
and they can't get much information from a 30-second ad.
But they can get it online.’
A final approach Persil uses to communicate with its
audience is to use it to connect with the online ‘directed
information seekers’ – for example, people look for advice
on ‘stain removal’ via the search engines and detergent
brands can gain visitors and ‘time with brand’ through SEO
and PPC search engine marketing. Bailey says: ‘Washing
your clothes sounds really simple, but you’d be surprised
what people don’t know about getting their clothes clean
and how many people use the site for that reason.’The role of the corporate site
Although Unilever owns many brands, the corporate web
site is still important. New Media Age(2005c) reported that
Unilever is using the Internet to unify its brand worldwide,
by re-launching its corporate site and 25 localised country
web sites. The sites have been redesigned to reflect the
company’s mission statement: to meet everyday nutrition,
hygiene and personal care needs through its products.
The new online image is also intended to make con-
sumers aware that the sub-brands they buy all fall under
the Unilever umbrella. The sites will present a clearer mes-
sage that brands such as Dove, Knorr and Domestos
originate from Unilever and will provide links to them.
Unilever online communications manager, Tim Godbehere,
who oversees its web strategy, explained toNew Media
Age: ‘Everyone knows Hellmanns and Knorr, but not many
are aware that Unilever is behind them. But only 10% of
visitors to Unilever’s corporate site were made up of the
media and investors, even though it was designed to reach
this audience. The rest were consumers. The Web sites are
about getting consumers to make that connection and
bringing Unilever to the forefront.’
Sources: New Media Age(2005c), Revolution(2003)Questions
1 Summarise how Unilever and its agencies have
used the marketing communications characteristics
of digital media to support their brands.
2 Explain how Unilever can use specific online com-
munications tools to reach different target
audiences and achieve different objectives.
3 Select a Unilever brand not represented in the case
and identify appropriate communications tech-
niques to reach its audience.Summary
Summary
1 Online promotion techniques include:
Search engine marketing– search engine optimisation (SEO) improves position in
the natural listings and pay-per-click marketing features a company in the spon-
sored listings.
Online PR– including techniques such as link-building, blogging, RSS and reputa-
tion management.