Unilever's UAE Sustainability Initiative spurs 12% sales uplift, strengthens consumer support for green choices

Zawya

04-03-2025

United Arab Emirates: Unilever's UAE mangrove restoration campaign, 'A Great Deal for Everyone', has delivered measurable impact, driving a 12% uplift in sales.
Sustainability remains a priority for consumers, but a long-standing value-action gap persists. Unilever's campaign sought to address this gap by making sustainability easier, more accessible, and rewarding. Partnering with LuLu Group, Mastercard, and Emirates Nature-WWF, the initiative linked purchases to real-world impact. It combined promotions, education, digital engagement and the restoration of 6,000 mangroves and over a hectare of land, offsetting 120,000 kg CO2e over five years.
A Unilever commissioned post-campaign study by Kantar among 883 UAE consumers reinforced consumer willingness to support sustainable brands. The research revealed that while 67% of shoppers agreed the campaign will help them make more sustainable choices in the future, we saw a 6% uplift in consumers prepared to invest their time and money in companies that prioritize doing good, while 65% felt it empowered them to contribute to protecting the environment.
Beyond sentiment, the campaign saw strong engagement across digital and in-store touchpoints. The initiative generated 63 million impressions and reached 9.8 million people—14% above projections. Video content performed exceptionally well, with 7.1 million views, exceeding forecasts by 70%. Additionally, campaign awareness rose by 7.9 points, significantly outperforming the industry benchmark of 1.1 points. These figures highlight not only heightened awareness but also a willingness to engage with sustainability content when it is made relevant and rewarding.
'We are encouraged by these early survey signals, which highlight that consumers respond positively when sustainability is made accessible.' said Shazia Syed, General Manager Personal Care Unilever Pakistan, Turkey, Arabia and Bangladesh and Head of Arabia. 'Consumers are looking for brands to take the lead in sustainability, but accessibility remains a challenge. These findings suggest that, alongside improving accessibility, a combination of clear incentives and other supportive measures is needed to influence consumer behavior, laying the groundwork for potential long-term change.'
By integrating consumer engagement with tangible climate action, Unilever demonstrates how brands can scale sustainability efforts using the power of marketing. While no single campaign can fully close the value-action gap, Unilever's mangrove restoration initiative is part of a broader commitment to environmental stewardship.
'With this campaign, we've taken an important first step toward fostering long-term behavioral change,' added Syed. 'Through innovation and partnerships, we aim to turn sustainable choices into second nature for consumers.'
Unilever's initiative reinforces that purpose-driven campaigns can drive both commercial success and measurable climate action— demonstrating the power of brands to influence meaningful change.
About Unilever
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Foods and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 128,000 employees and generated sales of €60.8 billion in 2024.