Showing leadership
We use our expertise to develop innovative, affordable products that can help more people live healthier lives. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw that people were searching for sanitising laundry products to combat the virus, so we introduced OMO laundry sanitisers. But we know that products alone are not enough; people need to know how to use them effectively. During the pandemic for instance, Lifebuoy created public service health campaigns to show people exactly how they needed to wash their hands with any soap – not just Lifebuoy soap – to combat the coronavirus.
Through our detailed research, we’ve shown that TV can be a powerful source of influence – especially on helping young people and new parents to form good habits early on. So we devote airtime to encouraging people to adopt healthy habits.
Across our business – from e-commerce to sourcing our palm oil sustainably – we’re transforming our practices using digital technologies. Health and hygiene is no exception. Backed by sound science, we’re using digital platforms to get our life-saving messages across to more people in timely, creative and cost-effective ways. Lifebuoy for instance, has started to offer free doctor teleconsultations on pack and through its communications while our Pepsodent toothpaste brand has trialled free WhatsApp dental consultations during Covid-19 restrictions. And we’re learning more and more about how to use text alerts and gaming to good effect.
We’re transforming our brands – not only unstereotyping our advertising, but also using our insights to create programmes such as Glow & Lovely Careers that empowers women with skills or Dove’s initiative on the CROWN Act to tackle deep-seated discrimination.
Partnerships are crucial to systemic change
By joining forces with others who share our ambitions – including governments, civil society and development agencies – we can have an even bigger impact. For many years, we’ve worked with partners to scale up our programmes and pilot new approaches.
Our key policies, sustainability data and details of our material issues can be found in our Sustainability Reporting Centre.
Together with the UK government for example, we created the Hygiene & Behaviour Change Coalition in response to Covid-19, bringing together many partners to reach 1.2 billion people. In the US, Dove co-founded the Crown Coalition in partnership with the National Urban League, Color Of Change, and Western Center on Law & Poverty to advance anti-hair discrimination legislation called the CROWN Act.
We continue to push for what’s right through groups like the Toilet Board Coalition and the Global Handwashing Partnership. Advocating policy changes at major world events like the UN General Assembly (UNGA), World Economic Forum and World Business Council for Sustainable Development also helps to accelerate change.
We want to transform the systems that hold individuals back by advocating new policies, laws and social norms that will promote health, wellbeing and greater inclusion for all members of society. Our aim is to drive positive change through our brands.