Some of the winning companies include: Africori, NewAer, Songza, LifeSum, and Thoughtful Media Group. These companies and two others will partner with CLEAR, Hellmann’s, Magnum, Pro.Activ/Flora, Surf, Vaseline and Unilever Project Sunlight to develop groundbreaking digital marketing campaigns.
Unilever will give each of the companies selected US$100,000 in cash, mentorship, and a range of services in exchange for a customised digital marketing pilot in the area of content, mobile, or connected devices. These campaigns will take place in markets across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America by leveraging Unilever’s global reach in more than 190 countries.
“We are delighted by the response received to the launch of Go Global with Unilever. Several hundred companies applied to the program from 46 countries across six continents. After a very careful process of assessing a high calibre of proposals, we have chosen the companies that we feel are the best fit for our brands,” says Olivier Garel, Head of Unilever Ventures.
New initiative offers tech companies cash and mentorship
Marc Mathieu, SVP Marketing, adds, “It is important as marketers to constantly adapt and get ahead of the world we live in. With technology – and even more so with mobile technology – the pace of change is accelerating exponentially. Working with young, high-growth companies that are partly inventing the future will enable us to continue to pioneer new technologies and platforms which can help our brands engage more meaningfully with people around the world.”
The aim of Go Global with Unilever is to work with small to medium-sized, established businesses to expand their global reach. The program focuses on three spaces: Content, Mobile, and Connected Devices. ‘Content’ includes technology that can help brands create, curate, and distribute content that informs and inspires consumers. ‘Mobile’ includes both advanced mobile solutions for developed markets and innovative ways to connect with the billions of people in emerging markets who are typically using feature phones. The third area of ‘Connected Devices’ explores opportunities which help people track and leverage their personal data, to improve their livelihoods.
About Africori
Africori is a leading digital music service provider in Africa. It offer the African music business services such as, digital distribution, music licensing and brand partnerships. Africori represents hundreds of labels and artists and is also home to "Coolspot Music", one of South Africa leading independent record labels. Africori is based in Johannesburg and has offices in Lagos and London and representation in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Ghana.
About Lifesum
Lifesum is a Stockholm-based digital health startup that offers its users a flexible platform to support and encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Having already achieved over 6.5 million downloads across Europe, the Lifesum app is available on Android and iOS, and can be tailored by individual users and adapted to specific goals and aims, offering personal guidance based on personal data. Lifesum wants to make people healthier and happier by helping users to forge good habits on their journey towards a better lifestyle, as well as an improved overall quality of life.
About NewAer
NewAer has developed a software platform for next generation beacon and location-based services enabling any application to be triggered from the presence of existing WiFi or new Bluetooth Smart radio signals.
About Songza
Songza is a digital music service which uses seven data points to predict what users are doing or feeling and then serves an expertly-curated playlist to improve that moment. Songza offers a variety of playlists for activities such as waking up, working out, commuting, cooking, unwinding, entertaining, and sleeping.
About Thoughtful Media Group
Thoughtful Media Group is a global multi-channel network (MCN) operating across Youtube and the top video platforms in China. We create, maintain and aggregate online video channels that have unique, highly engaged and engageable audiences, and helping the world’s leading brands and their agencies effectively reach these audiences. Thoughtful has offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai, and is made up of professionals who have significant experience in television, film, digital media, marketing, market research and advertising.