Our HistoryIn the 1890s, William Hesketh Lever, founder of Lever Bros and later Lord Leverhulme, wrote down his ideas for Sunlight Soap his revolutionary new product that helped popularise cleanliness and hygiene in Victorian England. It was 'to make cleanliness commonplace; to lessen work for women; to foster health and contribute to personal attractiveness, that life may be more enjoyable and rewarding for the people who use our products'. This was long before the phrase 'Corporate Mission' had been invented, but these ideas have stayed at the heart of our business, even if their language - and the notion of only women doing housework has become outdated. In a history that now crosses three centuries, Unilever's success has been influenced by the major events of the day economic boom, depression, world wars, changing consumer lifestyles and advances in technology. And throughout we've created products that help people get more out of life cutting the time spent on household chores, improving nutrition, enabling people to enjoy food and take care of their homes, their clothes and themselves.

The Lifebuoy brand is one of Unilevers oldest brands, launched in the UK in 1894 as Lifebuoy Royal Disinfectant Soap. Lifebuoy was the first affordable soap, supporting people in their quest for better personal hygiene. Lifebuoy soap has been sold across the world from the start of the 20th Century, in countries as far apart as USA, India and Malawi, and today it is market leader in every Asian market where it is sold. Lifebuoy has been championing health through hygiene throughout its history and its core promise of unbeatable protection is at the heart of the brand name itself Lifebuoy. Campaign slogans for Lifebuoy throughout the 20th Century illustrate this consistent message: for example, a 1930s campaign in the US encouraged the use of Lifebuoy soap to remove germs on hands that can cause health issues, with the slogan Clean Hands Help Guard Health. And today Lifebuoy continues to champion health through hygiene through its hygiene programmes in countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Lifebuoy is Indias largest selling soap brand and has been so for a long time now. Lifebuoy first came to India in 1895 in Bombay. It was an instant success. Remarkably, over the next 109 years the brand has never veered away from its original platform. It has consistently stood for Washing away germs to keep you protected and healthy. Constantly evolving and keeping pace with the times, the brand has undergone huge makeovers and still delivers a distinctive, compelling promise of health for the whole family. The latest formulation was introduced in the market in 2002. Today, this soap continues to be the most effective against germs and also has an invigorating and very distinct perfume that makes every bath enjoyable. Keeping in line with its objective of providing Health and hygiene for everybody, Lifebuoy has added to its repertoire, Lifebuoy Active Green (with the goodness of neem and tulsi) and Lifebuoy Active Gold (with the goodness of milk cream). This is of course, in addition to Lifebuoy Active Red and Lifebuoy Active Orange which are the trusted choice of millions. There is also the Lifebuoy liquid soap that ensures that hands are protected from germs.

Some of the thoughtsEverybody wants brands. And there are a lot more poor people in the world than rich people. To be a global business and to have a global market share you have to participate in all segments. -Keki Dadiseth, erstwhile Chairman, HLL.

BRAND BUILDING Nurturing a brand into a strong, profitable brand is a challenging task. It is worth examining the case of Lifebuoy which provides an instance of successful brand building. Lifebuoy is probably the oldest toilet soap available today. From its small beginnings in England in 1894, Lifebuoy has come a long way to become one of the most popular and largest selling soaps in the world. In the Indian market, Lifebuoy has been enjoying a place of prominence ever since it was introduced in its red tablet form in 1895. From a sale of 200 tonnes, Hindustan Lever now sells 1.25 lakh tonnes of Lifebuoy which accounts for 39 percent of the total 3.20 lakh tonne toilet soap market of India. When Lifebuoy was introduced in the Indian market 100 years ago, its positioning was clear. Lifebuoy was the soap that would destroy germs and keep the body healthy. To quote Hindustan Lever "It was the clean, honest hardworking brand with no frills". Though the properties were clear, the brand found the going tough especially in rural markets where the concept of using toilet soap was alien. Most rural people were accustomed to bathing with plain water Therefore, HLL decided to launch Lifebuoy as soap for hand wash. After initial resistance, the brand began to look up.

By 1900, it had established itself as a good medium for hand wash. At this stage the brand's inherent properties were expanded and Lifebuoy was repositioned as bath soap. 'Where there is Lifebuoy, there is health" became a very popular jingle. In 1964, the brand was relaunched with a slight change in its shape and wrapper design. The relaunch was also backed by advertising the health aspect. Rural promotions were intensified with mobile display-cum-sales vans. And during this period Lifebuoy started associating itself with sports events. This kind of sales promotion helped Lifebuoy to gain a more 'macho image' and it was getting accepted as a champion's soap. By the seventies, competitors also entered the market; Lifebuoy's supremacy was being challenged, especially in the rural markets. Those were anxious years for HLL as the rural markets were the brand s mainstay. The USPs in the soap market was also fast changing from health care to deodorant-based products. HLL defended Lifebuoy from the challengers by reinforcing the brand. HLL now launched Lifebuoy Personal - perfumed, pink-coloured, 75 gm soap. But the brand suffered because it did not carry the USPs of health and value for money.

HUL subsequently mended these drawbacks. In the eighties HLL made special attempts to make Lifebuoy more acceptable to urban consumers. To quote HUL, "Lifebuoy was considered down-market especially in the urban areas. So, to instil a sense of pride in the user and not be ashamed of using Lifebuoy". This thinking resulted in the launch of Lifebuoy Plus, which basically was the old Lifebuoy with a new perfume. Backed by high-powered advertising, HUL managed to popularise Lifebuoy Plus 'With Lifebuoy Plus, HUL could widen the appeal to new urban consumers. By this time Liquid Lifebuoy also staged its entry to strengthen the brand's presence in the urban market. In the rural markets Lifebuoy continued its dominance; there was the old, stubborn user in the rural areas who continued to patronise Lifebuoy. Even today 60 percent of lifebuoy sales are from rural areas. The brand remains the largest selling brand and a Cash Cow for HUL.

Lifebuoy Liquid Hand Wash All Lifebuoy Liquid Hand wash variants offer laboratory-proven protection, in a convenient format, to protect hands from harmful germs. For use whenever you need to wash your hands. Total: Protects hands from harmful germs that may cause stomach infections such as diarrhoea. Nature: Protects hands from harmful germs, the natural way. Offers laboratory proven protection using the goodness of natural ingredients. Care: Protects hands from harmful germs and moisturizes to leave hands feeling soft & supple. Offers laboratory proven protection to hands that need special care. Deofresh: Protects hands against harmful germs and unpleasant kitchen odours. Offers laboratory proven protection and freshness that lingers longer.

The Original Red Lifebuoy Soap

Our slogan says it all: a name you know.hygiene you can trust The Original Red Lifebuoy Soap (sometimes called Carbolic Soap) is one of the most famous soaps in the world. It has been on the market for over 100 years. Red Lifebuoy Soap is still manufactured in many countries by Unilever and its subsidiaries. In most of these countries Lifebuoy soap is the market leader.

Total: The soap for total family protection. Offers clinically proven, long lasting protection from infection causing germs. MildCare: The soap for mild & gentle skin cleansing. Offers clinically proven balanced all-day protection from germs. Deofresh: The soap for a lingering healthy freshness. Offers clinically proven all-day protection from germs that cause body odour.

Lifebuoy ShowergelAll products in the Lifebuoy Showergel range protect and cleanse deep into the pores for healthy glowing skin. Total Protect offers laboratory-proven all day protection against infection causing germs. NaturePure offers laboratory-proven all day protection that is natural and safe on skin. Contains the goodness of Nature MildCare offers laboratory proven all-day protection to skin that needs special care. Mild & Gentle on skin, cleanses away infection causing germs. ActiFresh offers laboratory proven all day protection against odour causing germs. Keeps you fresh and fragrant for longer.

Lifebuoy ClearSkin

Lifebuoy ClearSkin is an Acne Cleansing Bar, developed with dermatologists. This Lifebuoy bar is an anti-acne expert, clinically proven to reduce moderate to severe acne by up to 70% in just 6 weeks! Regular use leaves skin looking visibly clearer and healthier. Use twice daily for best results, or whenever you bathe.

The Ad.Tandurusti Ki Raksha Karta hai Lifebuoy, Lifebouy hai jahaan, Tandurusti hai wahaan. Lifebuoy!

Innovation

Since 2000, major changes have been made to the classic Lifebuoy soap bar to ensure that it provides improved hygiene protection and a more enjoyable healthy washing experience for its billions of consumers.Lifebuoy soap's classic hard red brick shape has been replaced with a new signature Lifebuoy shape. The new shape makes the bar easier to grip and use The Lifebuoy Brand team have developed a new formulation providing even better germ protection which creates a rich lather on the skin Lifebuoy soap's characteristic medicated, carbolic smell has been replaced with a more enjoyable and contemporary 'health' fragrance Lifebuoy has become more than just a red bar of soap today the brand provides hygiene and health solutions for families, including a range of bar soaps, hand wash liquids and liquid shower gels. The most recent Lifebuoy innovation addresses the number one skin hygiene and health concern for teens and tweens: oily and acne prone skin. Lifebuoy Clear Skin is a bar soap formulated using radical new technology that is clinically proven to reduce even severe acne, by 70% in 6 weeks. Regular use, twice a day is proven to prevent and reduce the recurrence of acne

Key factsToday Lifebuoy is mainly sold in Asia and parts of Africa. It is market leader in every Asian market where it is sold. Lifebuoy soap has been proven in laboratories to provide 100% more effective germ protection than ordinary soaps To date, 70 million people in rural India along have experienced the pioneering, Lifebuoy sponsored Health Education programme the single largest private hygiene education programme in the world In 2005, Lifebuoy was awarded a 'Citizen Brand' accolade in Indonesia in recognition of the work the brand has undertaken in hand wash education Nearly half of the Lifebuoy brand's consumption is in rural Asia, where most of the population live on less than US$1 per day Lifebuoy's 'Swasthya Chetna' (Health Awakening) campaign is educating people in India about basic hygiene habits, including washing hands with soap

The basic objective of Project Shakti is to economically empower underprivileged rural women by creating income-generating capabilities and providing a sustainable microenterprise opportunity in addition to improving rural living standards through health and hygiene awareness. -Sharat. Dhall, Marketing Manager -Rural, HLL

Social ResponsibilityWeber Shandwick, one of the largest PR Agencies in the world has carried Lifebuoy, world s largest selling soap s, social initiative to the Government, making Lifebuoy the first brand to be lauded by the Indian Postal Department. Department of Post under the Ministry of Communications issued a Special Postal Cover to encourage the invaluable contribution of Lifebuoy for its pioneering social initiative, Lifebuoy Swasthya Chetna (LSC). Minister of State for Communications and IT, Government of India released the Special Postal Cover on the occasion of World Health Day. Also present at the occasion was Ms. K Noorjehan, Chief Post Master General, and Maharashtra Circle. Some Of the Key Facts.

The Lifebuoy s pioneering rural health and hygiene education initiative, Lifebuoy Swasthya Chetna (LSC). Launched in 2002, this ground-breaking groundprogram has covered more than 17000 villages across the country, with no signs of slowing down.

The Lifebuoy Swasthya Chetna campaign was divided into various phases. In the initial phase, the Lifebuoys Health Development Facilitator (HDF) and his assistant interacted with students and the influencers of the community like the Sarpanch, medical practitioners, Panchayat members, etc. A number of tools like a pictorial story in a flip chart format, the Go-germ Godemonstration and a quiz with attractive prizes to reinforce the message used to make the module interactive and successfully gained involvement and

participants from the school children.

Speaking at the occasion Mr. Nitin Paranjape Executive Director, Hindustan Lever Limited said We are delighted to be India s first personal wash brand to receive the honour of the special Postal Cover and have Dr Shakeel Ahmed himself to unveil the same for Lifebuoy. Lifebuoy Swasthya Chetna movement has successfully educated 70 million rural people across 7 states and created awareness about the threat of unseen germs and basic hygiene practices. So far we have covered 17,000 villages and are happy to extend our efforts to another 12,000 villages as part of the phased program.

Swasthya Chetna established the existence of invisible germs through GlowGlow-Germ demonstration and the associated risk of infection. It has taught people about maintaining good health through practice of basic hygienic habits including the hand wash habit. Lifebuoy s Health Development Facilitators have interacted with students and the influencers of the community in rural India like the Sarpanch, medical practitioners, Panchayat members, etc to reinforce the message of Health and Hygiene through these interactive modules

Lifebuoy supports the Berbagi Sehat programme, which has been successful in communicating the importance of handwashing with soap in Indonesia 84% of people touched by the campaign subsequently washed their hands with soap after defecating, compared to 58% in a control group. Lifebuoy sales increased by 22% in 2006, a convincing case for sustained investment in the programme. Since 2004, Lifebuoy has invested in health infrastructure and facilities, run education programmes in schools, organised handwashing ambushes in shopping malls, produced healthy hands booklets and hosted seminars for teachers, among many other activities. In 2005, Lifebuoy was awarded a 'Citizen Brand' accolade in Indonesia in recognition of the work the brand has undertaken in education about handwashing and health benefits.

Coming back to India, Lifebuoy's Swasthya Chetna (meaning "Health Awakening") campaign is the single largest rural health and hygiene education programme ever undertaken in India, aiming to reach 200 million people over five years.

According to Unilever, The theme of the campaign is based on the serious implications of laxity in Health Care, like Diarrhoea. In India a child succumbs to diarrhoea every 30 seconds. This results in almost 3 million deaths a year! However, a report by WHO showed that simple handwashing with soap and water can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by up to 48%. This was leverage by Hindustan Lever to develop the campaign. To add to this, health care in Rural India is given importance due to its direct impact on labor productivity, and in turn, loss of income. Also, productivity, for decades, Lifebuoy has been synonymous with soap in rural India. All these factors led to Swasthya Chetna! According to a Press Release on Lifebuoy in 2002, HUL announced the launch of LIFEBUOY SWASTHYA CHETNA on 9th May, the first May, single largest rural health and hygiene educational program. The objective? To develop a sustainable model to educate and apprise rural customers in 15000 village in 8 states across India, about maintaining good health through practice of basic hygienic habits including the handwash habit. It aimed at changing the underlying behavior and attitude of the villagers, which was a definite challenge indeed.

25,000 women distributors in IndiaProject Shakti , ( power in Hindi) in India is using innovative distribution methods. Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), Unilever s operating company in India, selected entrepreneurial women from hard-to-reach villages, hard-tounreached by traditional distributors and dealers and trained them to become distributors, providing education, advice and access to products. In 2005, there were 25,000 such entrepreneurs, reaching 100,000 villages and visiting 1,000,000 homes a month. Women selected from existing self-help groups selfhad to invest 40 Euro to get a loan of 160 Euro with which to buy Hindustan Lever hygiene products.

Lifebuoy is involved in partnerships with other organisations, such as UNICEF and the Discovery Channel s Global Education Partnership, in working to find commercial solutions to social problems. In December 2006, Lifebuoy hosted a workshop to share knowledge and best practice around encouraging behaviour change among children. The workshop was attended by experts and partners from the worlds of water and sanitation, marketing and communication, and organisations that work with children.

During the Blitz of London in 1940, Lifebuoy soap provided free emergency mobile washing facilities to Londoners. Lifebuoy vans were equipped with hot showers, soap and towel. In the aftermath of the Tsunami in Asia in December 2004, Lifebuoy bars were a key element in the relief packages distributed in Southern India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases so endemic in the aftermath of such disasters. In 2005 over 200000 bars of Lifebuoy soap were donated to UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross to support their earthquake relief operations in Northern India and Pakistan. Lifebuoy is India s largest selling soap brand and has been so for a long time now. It is the only soap brand to have ever crossed 100,000 tonnes in sales in a single year.