H1 2025 Performance - Unilever's H1 2025 underlying sales growth (USG) was 3.4%, driven by 1.5% underlying volume growth (UVG) and 1.9% underlying price growth (UPG)[10] - Power Brands' Q2 2025 USG improved to 4.4%, with 2.1% UVG and 2.3% UPG[12] - The company's turnover decreased by 3.2% year-over-year, from €31.1 billion in H1 2024 to €30.1 billion in H1 2025, impacted by net disposals and adverse currency effects[48] Segment Performance - North America achieved 5.4% USG in H1 2025, representing 23% of Group turnover[13] - Europe saw 3.4% USG in H1 2025, with 3.7% UVG and 1.6% UPG, accounting for 21% of Group turnover[15, 16] - Asia Pacific Africa (APA) experienced 3.5% USG in H1 2025, while Latin America had 0.5% USG[19] - Beauty & Wellbeing segment achieved 3.7% USG in H1 2025, with a €6.5 billion turnover[21, 22] - Dove's H1 2025 USG was 4.8%, driven by 3.3% UPG and 1.4% UVG[26] Strategic Initiatives - The Ice Cream business demerger is on track for mid-November, with Unilever retaining less than 20% stake in TMICC[8, 45] - Post demerger, based on FY 2024 financials, Unilever expects approximately €52 billion turnover, +160 bps GM, +100 bps UOM, +100 bps ROIC, ~100% cash conversion, and ~2x expected leverage[70] Financial Outlook - The company is on track to deliver its full-year 2025 outlook, including an improvement in FY underlying operating margin and USG within the 3-5% range[62, 63] - The company expects second half margins of at least 18.5%[63] - The company completed €1.5 billion share buyback in H1 2025[61]

Sales Performance - Unilever's sales increased in the second quarter [1] Business Division - Growth was fueled by personal care brands like Dove Soap [1] - Strong performance in the ice cream division, which is planned for spin-off [1]

Core Insights - Nescafe is targeting the growing cold coffee market to attract younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, who are increasingly consuming iced coffee [2][3] - The company aims to reposition coffee as an all-day beverage, moving beyond traditional morning consumption [3][11] - Nescafe's new product, Espresso Concentrate, allows for customization and is part of a broader strategy to innovate within the coffee category [6][7] Company Strategy - Nescafe and Nespresso are two of Nestle's six key priorities for 2025, indicating a strong focus on coffee as a growth area [3] - CEO Laurent Freixe emphasizes the need for fewer but more impactful innovations, with coffee being a category with high potential for success [5] - The company is exploring adjacent markets, including traditional tea markets in India, China, and Japan, and positioning coffee as a sophisticated alternative to alcohol [9][11] Market Trends - One-third (32%) of out-of-home coffee consumption is iced, highlighting a significant trend towards cold coffee beverages [2] - Younger consumers are drinking less alcohol, creating an opportunity for coffee to be marketed as an adult beverage alternative [10][11] - The launch of Nescafe Espresso Concentrate in various international markets, including the U.S., U.K., and China, reflects a strategic expansion plan [8]

Core Insights - ONAR Holding Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Retina.ai, an AI-powered marketing intelligence platform that enhances customer value prediction and marketing ROI [1][2] - The merger aims to integrate Retina.ai with ONAR's predictive analytics platform, Cortex, to provide real-time insights into customer profitability [2][3] Company Overview - ONAR is a marketing technology company focused on delivering integrated, AI-driven marketing services to drive revenue growth [6] - The company operates a network of performance-driven agencies and is actively seeking to acquire additional agencies to expand its network [6] Strategic Highlights - The integration of Retina.ai's platform with Cortex is expected to sharpen targeting capabilities and accelerate growth initiatives, ultimately enhancing long-term shareholder value [3] - Retina.ai's platform is already utilized by notable brands such as Unilever and Dollar Shave Club, indicating its credibility and effectiveness in the market [2][5] Technological Advancements - The acquisition will enhance ONAR's capabilities by adding deep-learning customer lifetime value (CLV) prediction, churn forecasting, and campaign-level ROI modeling [8] - The integration will unify first-party and third-party data, providing clients with actionable insights in a significantly reduced timeframe [8]

Core Insights - Colin Selikow, Chief Creative Officer of DDB Chicago, has been named to Campaign US's 2025 40 Over 40 list, recognizing executives in advertising, marketing, media, technology, and communications [1] - Under Selikow's leadership, DDB Chicago has achieved significant accolades, including being named Campaign US' 2024 Creative Breakthrough Agency and winning over 300 international awards [4] Company Achievements - DDB Chicago has earned the title of Campaign US' 2024 Creative Breakthrough Agency, reflecting its innovative approach and successful campaigns [4] - The agency has received over 300 international awards, including 49 Cannes Lions, 31 D&AD Pencils, and 46 One Show Pencils, showcasing its creative excellence [4] Leadership and Impact - Colin Selikow is recognized as the 1 Most Awarded Executive Creative Director in the World by The Drum in 2024 and The One Club in 2023, highlighting his influence in the industry [2] - Selikow's leadership has fostered a culture of creativity and mentorship at DDB Chicago, contributing to the agency's growth and success [3] Notable Campaigns - Selikow led the creation of the "Apologize the Rainbow" campaign for Skittles, which won a 2025 Global Grand Effie, marking it as one of the most awarded campaigns of 2023 [4] - DDB Chicago recently secured the global creative and strategy assignment for Bimbo Global, demonstrating its competitive edge in the market [3] Industry Recognition - The judges for the Campaign US 40 Over 40 Awards are established professionals, ensuring that the winners represent the pinnacle of creativity and leadership in the industry [5] - DDB Worldwide has been recognized as the 1 Most Awarded Agency Network in the 2024 Effie Global Best of the Best and has received multiple accolades from Cannes Lions and D&AD [8]

Group 1: Leadership Changes - Unilever has appointed Jochanan Senf as the new CEO of Ben & Jerry's, following the abrupt firing of former CEO David Stever [1][4] - The independent board of Ben & Jerry's, which oversees the company's social activism, accused Unilever of improperly terminating Stever [2][9] Group 2: Board Dynamics - The independent board was not allowed to participate in the selection process for Stever's replacement, as stipulated in the acquisition agreement from 2000 [3] - Unilever claimed that the board declined to engage in the appointment process, despite being offered the opportunity to do so [6][7] Group 3: Corporate Strategy - Unilever plans to spin off its ice cream unit, including Ben & Jerry's, and rename it the Magnum Ice Cream Company, with plans for a separate listing in the Netherlands [10][12] - Despite the spin-off, Unilever has stated it has no intention of selling Ben & Jerry's, countering a bid from the brand's founders [11]

Unilever has appointed a new CEO for Ben & Jerry’s, continuing a dispute with the ice-cream brand’s independent board https://t.co/xyin1LWa0s ...

Business Transaction - Unilever sells its Venezuelan ice cream business [1] - The buyer is automotive company Mack de Venezuela [1] Economic Factors - High inflation and political uncertainty are impacting Venezuela's private sector [1]

Marketing Strategy - Unilever utilized influencers and AI to promote a cookie-scented Dove product line [1] - The company intends to replicate this strategy to revitalize underperforming toiletry products [1]

Corporate woke wars have found their latest battleground in a freezer. Semaphore reporting that Unilver cutting off funding to Bett and Jerry's foundation. This after a clash over transparency and ideological control. Joining us right now to get into it all, Liz Hoffman, Salfor's business and finance editor. This is a fascinating story. Um, tell us what's really going on here. So, you know, Unilver bought Ben & Jerry's 25 years ago and kind of first they really like their kind of quirky progressive politics ...