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UNILEVER

UNILEVER: It all starts with Butter

Monique Cox

Arizona State University

OGL 260 – Unit 1

October 13, 2018

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UNILEVER

Unilever isn’t a household name or so you think. It is a multinational corporation responsible for

producing many of the items in your cabinets today. To understand its impact worldwide, we must take

it back to the beginning. Their history begins with butter and expands into more products than one

realizes. It is a story of small beginnings growing into major market and a series of handshakes that turn

it into a multinational corporation.

It started with the Jurgens family back in the early 18 th century. They were a “family of

carpenters who began selling butter that they received as payment” (Unilever, n.d.). Seeing the profit let

them to focus on butter trade in the Netherlands. The Jurgens meet the Van den Bergh family who has

already established themselves as having the “biggest market for Dutch butter” with their exports to

England (Unilever, n.d.). In 1870, the Jurgens learn about this stuff called margarine and “acquire the

patent from its inventor” (Unilever, n.d.). They take it to the Van den Bergh family who develop

something similar. This opened up a new market for the “use of raw materials rather than just animal

fat” (Unilever, n.d.). While the Jurgens and the Van den Bergh family were working on margarine and

butter, Lever and Lever & Co began producing a new soap called Sunlight in 1884 that “lathered more

easily that soaps made of animal fat” (Uniliver, n.d.). Sunlight soap was the” first brand to advertise in-

home” by featuring the brand in “cartoons, calendars, and in 1893 as postage stamps” (Unilever, n.d.).

The soap sold so well that William Lever purchased a large factory in 1887 that provided “housing,

amenities and leisure facilities” for its workers (Unilever, n.d.). In 1890, “the Lever Brother become a

limited company”, Lever Brothers Ltd (Unilever, n.d.).

Business is going great for all three families however in 1900, with the demand up, there was

trouble acquiring the supplies of oils and fats used to produce soaps and margarine. They decided to

search for “stable sources of raw materials” (Unilever, n.d.). Lever Brothers, now present in South

Africa, Europe, Canada, Australia, and the United States, decide to create “their own supply source by
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developing a palm plantation in the Solomon Islands” (Unilever, n.d.). Jurgens and Van den Bergh decide

to a “secret pooling agreement to pool their profits and set up a joint palm-planting venture in Africa”

(Unilever, n.d.). Let’s jump to 1927, “Jurgens and Van den Bergh join forces and become Margarine

Unie” (Unilever, n.d.). Their union attracts new members which makes them the place where “almost all

good created from oils and fats” are produced (Unilever, n.d.). They then “acquire the French-Dutch

Calve-Delft group with their factories in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia”

(Unilever, n.d.).

In 1929, the increased demand for wartime supplies has dissipated which brought about a

discussion on who is going to control the market over certain products. Margarine Unie and the Lever

Brothers had plans to keep out of each other’s space however ultimately decided to become one. In

1930, Unilever is officially established making it one of the “biggest industrial unions in European

history” (Unilever, n.d.). In the coming years, Unilever would expand their market to frozen food,

canned goods, and ice cream. The 1950’s brought them to Africa and Asia. They begin to research

nutrition which develops into the Unilever Food & Health Research Institute. They also introduce Sunsilk

shampoo in 1954 that became “the leading brand and available in 18 countries by 1959” (Unilever, n.d.).

Do you have any Dove in your home? Unilever also launched dove in the US in 1955. Dove covers “body

washes, hand and body lotions, facial cleansers, deodorants, and hair products” (Unilever, n.d.). To

further expand, Unilever continues to acquire more companies allowing for diversification and

innovation throughout the world. They open their own packaging sector in 1965 called the 4P Group.

They expand into tea by acquiring Lipton International in 1971.

As the years go by, Unilever continues to expand its portfolio to provide everyday use of

products for the average household. They monitor the behavior of the consumer and shift to

accommodate the ever changing daily need. I chose to learn the history of Unilever because it is a
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company made by many little things. They expanded their business by catering to the family unit with

focus on the female members. Their advertisements created a gentler view of household products and a

faster way to get food on the table or a better way to keep the house clean. Due to their multinational

reach, they were able to create products that catered to the various cultures around the world.
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REFERENCES

Our history. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 18, from https://www.unilever.com/about/who-we-are/our-

history/#timeline 2D 515805