Growth Marketing Connects To Sales, Says Unilever’s Esi Eggleston Bracey

Creativity grows brands and businesses. Many companies have quoted data to elucidate this point and Unilever, who won Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year 2024, is no different. The company’s Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, Esi Eggleston Bracey cited the FMCG major’s global reach, touching 3.4 billion people worldwide daily with products ranging from Hellman's mayonnaise and Magnum ice cream to Dove personal care products and Vaseline. “We are focused on making our brands preferred and desirable more than any other brands. And we call that delivering unmissable brand superiority,” said Bracey, attributing this success to the central role of creativity.

Expressing pride in the ‘Creative Marketer of the Year’ award, she acknowledged the marketing teams and agency partners that have been pivotal in Unilever's success. “The recognition at Cannes Lions shows the company’s commitment to creative excellence and innovative marketing strategies,” she noted.

The Dual Meaning Of ‘U’

Bracey draws attention to the ‘U’ in Unilever's marketing philosophy. The first U/you’ refers to the consumers who use Unilever products daily. “That is our inspiration,” she explained, explaining the importance of seeing consumers as whole individuals with complex needs and desires. The second ‘U/you’ pertains to the marketers and brand leaders, who are encouraged to bring their skills, passions and experiences to address consumers’ needs.

One of the examples Bracey talks about is Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which began two decades ago. “Only 2 per cent of women saw themselves as beautiful," she recalled, highlighting how this insight led to an idea that tripled Dove’s sales to Euro 6 billion.

In the present day, there are artificial intelligence (AI) imposed challenges as well in the context of beauty standards. “What kind of beauty do we want AI to learn? This is a critical question driving our efforts to ensure authenticity in beauty representation,” Bracey said.

The Future Of Marketing: Inclusive And Impactful

Bracey’s own journey of embracing natural hair illustrates the broader impact of Unilever’s initiatives like the Crown Act movement. This legislation, aimed at ending race-based hair discrimination, has been enacted in 26 US states, protecting millions and normalising natural hairstyles.

She also quotes examples such as Omo and Hellman's through consumer-centric campaigns. Omo's ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign transformed a small brand into a Euro 4 billion powerhouse by embracing the joys of getting dirty as a vital part of childhood. Hellman's innovative ‘Make Taste, Not Waste’ initiative creatively tackled food waste, leveraging humour and integrated media strategies to drive social conversations and sales.

Bracey envisions a future of marketing that is more inclusive, innovative and impactful. Her advice is to understand the importance of growth marketing. “Growth marketing starts with creativity but doesn’t stop with inspiration, it connects to sales,” she said.

Noor Fathima Warsia

BW Reporters A veteran journalist in business and corporate journalism, Noor Fathima Warsia is the Group Editorial Director of India’s oldest business publication, BW Businessworld. In her role, Noor leads the editorial initiatives across BW Businessworld’s flagship product and communities focused on education, startups, healthcare and wellbeing, media & marketing, gaming, HR and legal among others. In a career spanning more than two decades, Noor has led the publishing of the flagship BW Businessworld magazine and its community magazines, guided the online editorial team and led communities such as BW Marketing World apart from working on editorial-led IPs such as BW Most Influential Women, BW India’s Most Sustainable Companies, BW Top 50 Marketers and more.