SUSTAINABILITY
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“ When I ’ m advising British companies about their approach to the Japanese market , I always emphasise the value of a longterm perspective : loyalty will be repaid with loyalty ”, said British Ambassador Tim Hitchens .
“ Unilever provides the perfect illustration — there can ’ t be a household in Japan now that does not have a Unilever product in their kitchen or bathroom .
“ At a time when Japan is trying to position itself as a base for Asian headquarters , it ’ s fascinating to know that Unilever ’ s first factory — 100 years old this year and still in production in Kobe — was seen as their bridgehead for entering the Chinese market , too .
“ There is much for both Britain and Japan to learn from Unilever ’ s story ”.
Ray Bremner OBE is president and CEO of Unilever Japan Customer Marketing K . K .
By Megan Waters
Founded in 1930 , Unilever now boasts products used daily by more than 2bn consumers around the world .
The firm ’ s portfolio of over 400 brands includes food , beverages , home and personal care products .
The firm resulted from the merger of British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie . In 1905 , William Lever , founder of Lever Brothers , came to Japan — already an export market for Lever products — where , in 1913 , he set up Lever ’ s first factory in Kobe . It still stands today .
Lever was convinced that Japan was a market of the future and that he should invest heavily in the country . In 1928 , the factory closed . The firm made a comeback to Japan in 1964 , the year of the Summer Olympics , and then invested heavily here to expand the business , entering several new categories by exploiting the strength of their global presence .
One of Unilever ’ s earliest personal care brands is Lux , which became the brand leader in hair care in Japan while , at the end of the 1990s , Dove was launched with great success .
To meet the needs of highly demanding Japanese consumers , Unilever adapts their brands in all points from formulations to advertising . Further , Lux has developed over 20,000 shampoo prototypes to date for the Japanese market .
The founder of Lever Brothers , William Lever , came to Japan in 1905 .
With women making up 75 % of their consumer base and most of the purchases of Unilever products made by women , Unilever is a firm believer in diversity .
In Japan , many still believe that women should be devoted mothers and housekeepers . This can often hold them back from building a career .
“ As a principle , Unilever is against the idea of quotas , as we believe employees should be promoted on merit and not gender ”, said Ray Bremner OBE , president and CEO of Unilever Japan Customer Marketing K . K .
“ Our challenge is that , as you go through the organisation , the more senior the post , the fewer women we have ”, he said .
To attract and retain talent that is reflective of its consumer base , Unilever has introduced a number of changes to create an inclusive environment and promote work-life balance .
These include flexible working hours , the option to work from home , as well as a number of different types of child support .
“ The number one challenge we have in business , I think , is the amount of overtime that is perceived as being necessary to fulfil your obligation to the company .
“ We ’ re trying to really cut that , so people leave the office much earlier [ than before ]”, he said .
22 | BCCJ ACUMEN | JUNE 2013