It's Me, Gracee: Unilever

Shopee and Unilever Say Yes to Equal Opportunities and Continue its Support for Local Sellers through its Positive Beauty Campaign

Lifestyle Saturday, May 15, 2021

As more Filipinos shift to online shopping for their daily necessities, many businesses are also turning to digital platforms to widen their reach and establish a strong online presence - especially the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). To cater to the growing number of online sellers, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, continues to partner with organizations to support MSMEs who are looking for better opportunities in e-commerce.

In 2020 Unilever and Mano Amiga, a non-governmental organization that advocates for community transformation and inclusive growth through education, first partnered with Shopee for their Beauty That Cares Campaign, to offer assistance to 25 micro-entrepreneurs. Through this partnership, Mano Amiga sellers gained a strong understanding of e-commerce and learned how to maximize the digital space’s full potential. Sellers had access to monetary funding, entrepreneurship training programs, and Shopee’s e-commerce tools to help them expand their reach. Two Mano Amiga sellers share how Unilever and Shopee supported their business growth:

Janette Lagundi of JTL Trading (https://shopee.ph/alexandermoses_0503)

For Janette Lagundi, a mother of two, it was tough when she first started her online business. Despite having no prior entrepreneurship experience, she decided to start selling cleaning products and home decor items such as Himalayan salt lamps, to get her family through the pandemic. She admitted that it was difficult for her to adjust to selling on e-commerce platforms as she was not very tech-savvy.

Through learning the ropes at Shopee, Janette saw her business thrived. “Because of Shopee, not only are my sales increasing, my store is also gaining better recognition through plenty of promotions. I learned a lot about selling online through the training programs and masterclasses. I am determined to explore more opportunities on e-commerce, and I’m glad that Shopee and Unilever helped me adjust and adapt amid the pandemic,” she said.

She added that the support from Shopee and Unilever helped her family immensely. “This business is my bread and butter and I feel more confident in growing my business because I am more competent now. Because of this opportunity, I can provide for my children.”

Cecilia Comia of C plus D Design (https://shopee.ph/designbycplusd)

Cecilia Comia used to run a food business and even designed her own food stalls, but due to the pandemic, she had to shut down her food business and focus on selling decal stickers and labels instead. “We started our business in 2018 with a passion for good design and we wanted people to appreciate and see how small design details can change an entire product or experience,” she said. The strategy shift, although promising, posed some obstacles. “The competition is tough online. Reaching a wider audience and achieving effective customer engagement are both constant challenges. We are still struggling when it comes to establishing our business. The prices of our competitors are tough to match,” she added.

Shopee and Unilever provided her with the much-needed support. “Unilever’s program connected us with Shopee. It gave us an edge in terms of knowledge in selling online. Unilever’s financial assistance also helped us with our cash flow and allowed us to increase our stocks and improve our equipment.”

To support the transition and growth of MSMEs in the digital landscape, Shopee partners with Unilever once again to give MSMEs a spotlight at their Yes to Positive Beauty Sale this May 17 to 19, 2021. The campaign is part of Unilever’s renewed purpose and commitment to bring about positive change through real actions - to do more good, not just less harm, for people and the planet.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “We are proud to partner with Unilever to support a cause that aims to uplift the lives of local sellers and their loved ones. Shopee believes that every Filipino entrepreneur can succeed in e-commerce as long as they have the right tools, opportunity, and platform. We will continue to collaborate with brands like Unilever to support the local communities, their livelihood, and their families.”

Dorothy Dee-Ching, Vice President for Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever Philippines, said, “Yes to Positive Beauty is a movement for all Filipinos to champion a new era of beauty and personal care that’s inclusive and sustainable. As the number one beauty and personal care company in the country, we acknowledge the part we play in being a force for good, and Yes to Positive Beauty encompasses our commitment to do this through our brands. This includes championing for equal opportunities, which we have been able to do through our continued partnership with Shopee and Mano Amiga, as well as lending a helping hand to MSMEs, especially those greatly impacted by the current crisis.”

To provide consistent support for the sellers, Shopee’s relationship managers worked closely with them to create irresistible discounts to attract more customers, and also assisted them in mapping out advertisements for their products via social media. With the sale happening in just a few days, both sellers are preparing to stock up on their inventory to meet the expected increase in demand. To support sellers like Cecilia and Janette, check out the Yes to Positive Beauty Sale this May 17 to 19, 2021.

For more information about Unilever’s Beauty That Cares campaign, visit https://shopee.ph/m/unilever-super-brand-day.

Shop, buy load and pay bills with ShopeePay. Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

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Unilever, Smart and Cebuana Lhuillier Partners for Environmental Sustainability

Cebuana Lhuiller Thursday, February 12, 2015

Last February 11, Unilever, Smart and Cebuana Lhuiller held a sustainable living #BrightFuture event at Mandaluyong Elementary School.

These three industry leaders—Unilever, through its number one laundry brand Surf, Smart Communications and Cebuana Lhuillier—have renewed their commitment to champion environmental sustainability. With their shared mission to improve Filipino lives, the partners launched the third year of their Sachet Recovery Program. Through their joint efforts to create a process that is easy, convenient and rewarding, the program involves and educates more consumers about sustainability and waste recycling.

Unilever Philippines Chairman and CEO Rohit Jawa thanked their partners for their continued support in the endeavor to reduce the environmental impact of sachets. This, according to Jawa, is in line with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan that aims to double their business while cutting their environmental footprint in half, and in the process, bringing a brighter future to one billion people worldwide.

“We owe the Sachet Recovery program’s success these past two years to the valuable contributions of Smart Communications and Cebuana Lhuillier. This year, their bigger participation will definitely produce greater results for the benefit of the environment and Filipino communities,” Jawa said.

Since 2013, the Sachet Recovery Program has been teaching proper waste segregation and recycling by encouraging millions of Filipinos to collect empty Surf sachets in exchange for free Smart texts at any Cebuana Lhuillier branch nationwide.

Unilever Philippines Vice President for Home Care Benjie Yap shared the achievements of the Sachet Recovery Program from the previous years. “In Year 1, we collected 4.5 million sachets, which we converted into 45,000 pavers. In 2014, we collected an additional 7.5 million empty sachets nationwide,” Yap said, adding that some of the pavers were readily donated to Barangay Union Coastal of Mayorga, Leyte and served as foundation to the environmentally-friendly laundry facility, Surf Labahan.

In 2015, the three industry leaders plan to make the Sachet Recovery Program bigger and better than the first two years. For every sachet surrendered in any of the close to 2,000 Cebuana Lhuillier outlets, consumers will receive 10 free texts from Smart. With this increased incentive, more people will be involved in and educated about recycling empty sachets.

“As we enter the third year of this worthy undertaking, Smart is expanding its support for this program. Starting this year, Talk ‘N Text and Sun subscribers will also be able to exchange their Surf sachets for free SMS. This opens the door to engaging millions more of Filipinos in this endeavor,” said Napoleon Nazareno, Smart Communications President and CEO.

Cebuana Lhuillier, on the other hand, will add newly-opened outlets to facilitate the redemption of Surf sachets. “Our growing branch network, which now totals close to 2,000 outlets, will provide a convenient way for millions of consumers nationwide to participate in the Sachet Recovery Program,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO.

During the event, the partners also donated 7,000 cement pavers to the Mandaluyong Elementary School. The construction materials—made from hundreds of thousands of shredded empty sachets—will form pathways to improve school grounds and make walking around the school more convenient for students.

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Domex celebrates World Toilet Day with over 1M pledges for clean toilets

1 Million pledges for Clean Toilets Monday, November 24, 2014

Unilever Philippines, through its leading toilet-cleaner brand Domex, and its partners, celebrated World Toilet Day 2014 at the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila by announcing the success of their One Million Clean Toilets Movement.

Some of their respected guests were Vice Mayor of Manila Mr. Isko Moreno, Tin Tin Bersola Babao & Barbie Almalbis. Delamar hosted the said event.

Observed annually on November 19, World Toilet Day aims to put a spotlight on the 2,5 billion people across the globe who do not have access to clean, functional toilets. Of these, almost half—1.1 billion people—practice open defecation and are exposed to infectious diseases brought about by poor toilet sanitation.

Along with its partners—the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Philippine Public Health Administration (PPHA), city government of Manila, and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation—Unilever revealed that the One Million Clean Toilets Movement has garnered a total of 1,274,038 pledges nationwide, exceeding its target set a year ago.

In November 2013, the movement was launched to advocate disease prevention through improved toilet sanitation. By pledging support for the movement via social media and on-ground activities, homeowners agreed to conscientiously maintain their own clean, safe, and hygienic bathrooms. For every pledge received, Domex donated P5 to UNICEF's Sanitation Program, a global fund aimed towards improving access to basic sanitation in deprived areas around the world, including the Philippines.

"We are thankful that more than one million people became part of our proper toilet sanitation advocacy. They not only pledged to keep their household toilets clean, but they also helped Unilever and UNICEF provide clean toilet facilities to communities which need it most," said Chito Macapagal, Unilever VP for Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.

Toilet sanitation: Reach more to teaching more

Building on the success of the One Million Clean Toilets Movement, Unilever and its partners have also announced the second phase of this advocacy. In 2015, they will be teaching effective household toilet sanitation to another one million people in over 2,000 barangays nationwide.

"In line with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan which aims to improve the health and well-being of more than one billion people worldwide, Unilever Philippines wiH embark on a nationwide campaign for proper toilet hygiene in barangays, where intervention will have more impact on peoples' lives, especially those of children," said Dennis Chua, Domex brand manager.

Watch VM Isko Moreno's speech during the World Toilet Day

For more details:

https://www.facebook.com/DomexPhilippines

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Global Handwashing Day 2014: Pledge Hands to Save Lives

7 steps to handwashing Thursday, October 23, 2014

An estimated 3.5 million children die every year due to diarrhea and respiratory diseases. Millions more suffer from hepatitis A, influenza and measles. These illnesses and deaths can be prevented through the simple act of proper handwashing which eliminates disease-spreading germs.

Prevention is better than cure and this was best exemplified by Unilever during the recent Global Handwashing Day celebration in the country where students were taught how to wash their hands with soap and clean water to eliminate disease-spreading germs, to help prevent absenteeism and incidences of deadly illnesses such as diarrhea and respiratory diseases.

At the Mandaluyong City Elementary School, Unilever kicked off this year’s Global Handwashing Day campaign via a commitment ceremony. The country’s leading personal care company, Unilever, and its partners—UNICEF, the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Philippine Public Health Administration (PPHA), Fit for School, Knowledge Channel and Manila Water Services—pledged to educate 1.5 million school children this 2014 on proper handwashing.

Present during the event were Unilever VP for Personal Care Gina Lorenzana, Unilever VP for Corporate Affairs Chito Macapagal, Unilever PR Head Apples Aberin, Unilever Corporate Communications Manager Liza Vengco, Philippine Public Health Association President Maluh Orezca, UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist Jon Villasenor, Fit for School Country Program Manager Irene Mercado, DepED Adopt-A-School Program Project Officer Romy Parayno, Knowledge Channel President Rina Lopez-Bautista, Manila Water Foundation President Ferdinand Dela Cruz. They were joined by Mandaluyong City Councilor Charisse Abalos and First Lady of Mandaluyong City Menchie Abalos, as well as hundreds of students, teachers, parents and school administrators.

Dimples and Jericho demonstrated to the students how to properly wash their hands with soap and clean water using a 7-step, 20-second process.

For the second straight year, Unilever is partnering with the Knowledge Channel to introduce proper handwashing lessons to students through video presentations and actual thorough handwashing activities during homeroom sessions. The kids will also receive kits on proper hand washing and Unilever soaps to take home.

On top of this, Unilever also partnered with Manila Water Foundation to teach more than 8,000 children the proper way of handwashing using soap and clean water through various events in malls and schools nationwide.