The article in the url link below presents an interesting tension between for-profit and non-profit priorities in the developing world (Issues: Philanthropy, p196; Profit, p200):
“In their work to promote handwashing, partners say Unilever tends to be in a hurry to get things done, while some donors and aid workers get entangled in their own red tape. … One of toughest challenges faced by Unilever’s marketing experts has been to persuade partners that radio ads and roadshows need to be run at particular times of the year to be effective, and cannot always wait for consensus-building.”
Unilever’s involvement in the campaign to increase hand washing in Uganda hangs on the firm being able to get its branded soap (“Lifebuoy”) associated in the public’s mind with hand washing. Unicef’s goal, however, is to just get people to wash their hands, but they benefit from the marketing and distribution expertise that accompanies private sector involvement. It is easy to see how the two organization’s goals are compatible, while being awkward at the same time:
“Donors would never pay for a branded campaign that told the suspicious residents of Muko to “wash your hands with Lifebuoy”, Ms Sidibe says, and some are not comfortable with a multinational brand on the same list as campaign supporters. “But they are realising it’s the only way to keep us interested. It’s important the brand gets recognised otherwise it’s impossible to justify our involvement.””
Take care
Dave
Bill Werther & David Chandler
Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility
© Sage Publications, 2006
http://www.sagepub.com/Werther/
Unilever looks to clean up in Africa
The consumer goods group is piggybacking on public health networks to promote its antibacterial Lifebuoy soap.
By BARNEY JOPSON
1064 words
15 November 2007
Financial Times
London Ed1
Page 20
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ed8386ce-92cd-11dc-b9e6-0000779fd2ac.html
