Latest news with #FernandoFernandez
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Unilever acquires Dr. Squatch, valuing brand's viral marketing to Gen Z men
This story was originally published on Marketing Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Marketing Dive newsletter. Unilever is acquiring men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch from private equity firm Summit Partners, according to a press release. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal is part of the CPG giant's efforts to align its portfolio around premium and high-growth verticals. Unilever praised Dr. Squatch's 'built-in-culture' brand, which has been established through viral social media marketing and partnerships with influencers and celebrities like Sydney Sweeney. Unilever is broadly ramping up its spending on social media and influencers to reach different global markets and consumer groups. Snapping up Dr. Squatch also sees the company return to direct-to-consumer (DTC) acquisitions, a strategy that has not always panned out. Unilever is dipping back into the DTC well with the acquisition of a brand that has successfully captured the attention of a desirable cohort of Gen Z men (and previously been cited by the Dove and Hellmann's owner as a rising competitive threat). Founded in 2013, Dr. Squatch sells a line of grooming products, including soaps, lotions and shampoos, that boast natural ingredients and are available through e-commerce, national retailers like Walmart and subscription bundles. The DTC aspect of the business gives Unilever more first-party data to work with at a time when refining personalization and targeting are of pressing importance for marketers. Dr. Squatch has also proved savvy with social media-first marketing, another priority for Unilever. The company's new CEO Fernando Fernandez plans to allocate half of Unilever's advertising spend to social while significantly expanding its brands' work with influencers. Dr. Squatch has become well known for a particularly bro-friendly bent, with ads packed with sexual innuendo and recognizable stars. A viral campaign launched last year features Sydney Sweeney as a 'Body Wash Genie' who responds to men's desires (for natural grooming products, of course). The two recently partnered to sell limited-edition soap containing some of the 'Euphoria' actor's bathwater in a stunt indicative of Dr. Squatch's go-for-broke approach. In a statement around the acquisition, Unilever personal care president Fabian Garcia called out the upstart's 'clever digital engagement strategies' and teed up an expansion beyond its home market. 'Building on its success in the U.S., we are excited to scale the brand internationally and complement our offering in the fast-growing men's personal care segment,' said Garcia. Unilever has been busy restructuring, with the goal of shedding low-performing units and reorienting around premium verticals. It has previously used acquisitions as a way to modernize, with mixed results. In 2016, the company purchased Dollar Shave Club, an innovator in subscription-based shaving, for $1 billion, one of the biggest bets legacy CPGs had made on the DTC model at that point. Unilever sold a majority stake in the razor brand in 2023 to private equity. Recommended Reading How Dr. Squatch turned Sydney Sweeney into the 'Body Wash Genie'
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Consumer Goods Giants Slim Down to Spur Growth
For US consumer giants, smaller is better. Procter & Gamble, the maker of Tide laundry detergent and other household goods, announced a restructuring plan last week that includes cutting 7,000 people from its workforce and potentially exiting certain product categories over the next two years. READ ALSO: Ripped Job Market Swipes Left on New Grads and Wall Street's Elite Get Serious About Debt Alarmism 'We are evolving into the next phase of our organization design with a program that we have just announced today,' P&G executives said at a Deutsche Bank conference in Paris. 'The strategy is inherently dynamic. It adapts to the changing needs of consumers, customers, society, and the geopolitical dynamics around us.' Scale for scale's sake appears to have become passé, with conglomerates jockeying for market share with a more focused brand identity than in the past: Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Huggies diapers, said on Thursday it would sell a majority stake in its international tissue business to Brazilian paper company Suzano, which agreed to pay $1.73 billion in cash for 51% of the unit. The deal is expected to close next year. General Mills, the maker of Cheerios, completed the sale of its Canadian yogurt business to Sodiaal in January and received regulatory approval last week to offload its US yogurt unit to Lactalis. The companies plan to close the transaction later this month. J.M. Smucker Co., the maker of Folgers, finalized its sale of Cloverhill, Big Texas, and private-label products to JTM Foods in March. Some 400 employees are part of the transaction. Those brands in the baked goods category were under Hostess Brands, which was acquired in 2023. Unilever, the maker of Dove soap and Hellmann's mustard, is selling plant-based food brand The Vegetarian Butcher as part of its plans to slim its portfolio. It is in the process of spinning off its ice cream business, including Ben & Jerry's and Talenti; the company announced last year that it would cut 7,500 jobs to simplify operations. Newly appointed CEO Fernando Fernandez said he was focused on 'portfolio quality over portfolio scale' during his first earnings call as chief in April. Breakups Pay Up: Shedding misaligned businesses can help boost growth, according to PwC. The Big 4 accounting firm's analysis of US divestitures from 1998 to 2017 found that sellers tended to show higher growth in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) in the years following a transaction. Record levels of US corporate cash and the dry powder sitting at private equity firms may also be inspiration enough for yard sales. This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive delivering razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chandler family fundraising for son's ultra-rare disease treatment
The Brief A young Chandler boy named Marco was recently diagnosed with beta-mannosidosis. It's an ultra-rare genetic disorder and there are only five known cases in the United States. Marco's parents are raising money through the Lost Enzyme Project to help fund a treatment for the progressive disease. CHANDLER, Ariz. - A Chandler family is turning to the community to help with fundraising for their son. He's one of only five kids in the country battling an ultra-rare genetic disorder. What they're saying At first glance, Marco is a curious little boy like most, playing with his toys and cars. What you can't see is an ultra-rare genetic disorder. He's been diagnosed with called beta-mannosidosis. "The symptoms vary so much from person to person, but the one thing we know for sure is, this is progressive," Fernando Fernandez, Marco's father, said. The disorder has only five known cases in the entire United States. Remarkably, two children diagnosed live just ten minutes apart from each other in Chandler. Marco was born with hearing loss and has been wearing hearing aids since he was three-months-old. His parents noticed his behavior was off and took him to a specialist who diagnosed him with ADHD and low cognitive function at 6-years-old. They then learned of his non-curable disorder this past March. Why you should care "We need funds to provide, so they can have the treatment they need. There's only five kids, including my son, with this condition in all the United States. It's very, very rare, and they are working on a treatment, but we need the money to pay for it," Melissa Fernandez, his mother, said. They came across the Lost Enzyme Project, a nonprofit that raises awareness of the rare disease. They're raising $500,000 for a life-saving treatment in development. Without treatment, the disease can cause progression of blindness and inability to walk. The family says they want to move quickly by spreading the word about the disease. "I will just put all my effort into helping my son and all the other kids affected by this condition," Fernando said. What you can do You can learn more about the Lost Enzyme Project and donate to it by clicking here.
Forbes
01-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Brands Can Unlock The Creator Economy
Future of the creator economy. getty An estimated 150 million Americans watched Apollo 11 land on the Moon in 1969. Brands like Volkswagen, IBM, Sony, General Electric, General Motors and Panasonic capitalized on the spectacle through broadcast advertising. Many of the world's most recognized brands have been built on the back of TV advertising. Back then, attention was easy to buy if you had a hero campaign and a respectable media budget. Today, audience fragmentation makes it more challenging and more expensive to reach the same number of people. To unlock growth, marketing spend is shifting from traditional TV to influencer marketing. New WFA research shows that 54% of multinational brand marketers plan to boost influencer marketing spend in 2025. In a recent interview, Fernando Fernandez, the new Unilever CEO, highlighted the FMCG's ambition to build 'desirability at scale.' Unilever plans to spend half of its ad budget on social media and work with 20 times more influencers. Fernandez stated, 'Messages of brands coming from corporations are suspicious messages.' He added, 'Creating marketing activity systems in which others can speak for your brand at scale is very important.' The rationale is clear. People trust people more than they trust faceless corporations. However, if brands want to unlock the creator economy's value, they need to overcome three major challenges. Influencer Fatigue Becoming a TikToker or YouTuber is now officially the number one career aspiration for Gen Alpha. Since I first wrote about the creator economy, the market has doubled and is estimated to reach half a trillion dollars by 2027. As more money flows into the sector, the creator content space will become oversaturated and commodified. In summary, a higher proportion of creator content will be brand-sponsored. This is an inherent attribute of marketing. Where attention goes, money flows. However, most people don't follow their favorite creator to learn more about mustard, Marmite or mayonnaise. Unless managed carefully, people suffer from influencer fatigue as their feeds get inundated with inauthentic brand promotions. We are already seeing the rise of digital detox and the resurgence of real-life experiences amongst Gen-Z. Young people want to break free from social media and find human connections again. To avoid influencer fatigue, brands need to surrender control and give creators the creative freedom to communicate with their audience in their own unique way, instead of reading out a corporate message. Nonetheless, working with thousands of creators can dilute brand consistency and equity. Each creator will have a slightly different approach, messaging and audience. Brand managers can't control the narrative like in broadcast media. Therefore, making brands more susceptible to backlash. As seen with Poppi's vending machine controversy, Bud Light's boycott and Shein's influencer backlash after a factory tour. Brands should focus on relevant micro-communities with shared values, interests and passions. Creator-Owned Brands Brands are no longer competing with other brands for consumers. They are now in direct competition with a new generation of creators establishing and growing their own brands. Creators have a strong parasocial relationship with their audience, whereas brands must continuously pay to reach their desired audience. A recent survey shows that 88% of creators have already launched their own product. Moreover, 33% of Gen-Z have purchased a product from a creator-founded brand. Creators are not just distribution channels. They are brand builders. Though most creator-owned brands are small and medium-sized DTC operations, we are starting to see the emergence of global creator-owned brands. For example, Huda Beauty was ranked the number one beauty brand in Q1 2025, above NYX, Dior Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury. Hailey Bieber's skincare brand, Rhode, was recently acquired by E.L.F. Beauty for $1 billion. And Emma Chamberlain's coffee brand is projected to hit $33 billion in revenue this year. For brands, the relationship with creators has to expand beyond a transactional social post into a strategic partnership founded on shared values. Brands bring global scale and resources; creators have a highly engaged community. Building joint ventures and brand ambassador programs should be a top priority. Deinfluencing The deinfluencing hashtag has over a billion views across more than 75,000 posts on TikTok. Deinfluencing is when creators tell followers what not to buy and which brands to avoid. Young people are using social media to discourage needless consumption. The cost of living crisis, growing awareness of the climate emergency and micro-trend fatigue are motivating a growing number of creators to deter their friends and followers from buying more stuff. If the trend continues to gain momentum, it poses a serious risk to brand advertising and influencer-backed campaigns. Deinfluencers often offer hacks, DIY alternatives and better-quality options. The aim is to make people more conscious of their consumption habits. If people still need to buy, a deinfluencer usually signposts their audience to the most ethical and sustainable option. The movement will make creators more wary about the brands they collaborate with. For brand marketers, deinfluencing requires a shift to more honest communication, ethical products and circular business models. Otherwise, your brands and products will be at risk of being deinfluenced. Already, 64% of Gen-Z have decided not to spend with a brand as a direct result of engaging with deiinfluencer content. In the words of Jeff Bezos, founder of the world's biggest e-commerce company: 'Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room.'
Business Mayor
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Raising Our Fair Value Estimate for Wide-Moat Unilever
Editor's Note: This analysis was originally published as a stock note by Morningstar Equity Research. We are transferring coverage of Unilever ULVR, a leading global player in home and personal care, and packaged foods, with significant exposure to emerging markets, accounting for 58% of revenue in 2024. The bottom line: We raise our fair value estimate by around 3% to EUR 59/GBX 4,940/USD 66. We maintain our wide economic moat, standard capital allocation, and Low Morningstar Uncertainty ratings. At current levels, shares offer a modest upside of around 6%. Over the past 18 months, Unilever's shares have risen about 25%, driven by a strategic reset focused on driving productivity savings and stepping up brand and marketing investment and innovation efforts to rekindle volume growth. The wide moat rating reflects Unilever's strong retailer relationships, brand strength across some key categories, particularly in personal care, and cost advantage stemming from its scale and operational efficiency. Big picture: Under new CEO Fernando Fernandez, the company is embarking on the next stage of its transformation. Fernandez's agenda focuses on sharper market execution and more impactful, scaled innovations to improve brand appeal in an increasingly fragmented competitive landscape. Management targets consistent volume growth of at least 2%, supplemented by premiumization efforts to drive mid-single digit organic sales growth, alongside modest operating margin accretion led by gross margin gains. This is supported by continued portfolio rotation toward higher growth categories like beauty and wellbeing, as well as the company's strong presence in emerging markets where population growth, urbanization, and rising incomes should support long-term demand. Read More Nvidia GTC 2025: Winners & Losers Key stats: We model 3.8% organic sales growth, including 2.2% from volume. Our 2029 operating margin forecast is 18.9%, 50 basis points ahead of 2024, reflecting a 100-basis-point contribution from gross margin and overhead reduction, partly offset by brand and marketing reinvestment. The author or authors do not own shares in any securities mentioned in this article. Find out about Morningstar's editorial policies. SaoT iWFFXY aJiEUd EkiQp kDoEjAD RvOMyO uPCMy pgN wlsIk FCzQp Paw tzS YJTm nu oeN NT mBIYK p wfd FnLzG gYRj j hwTA MiFHDJ OfEaOE LHClvsQ Tt tQvUL jOfTGOW YbBkcL OVud nkSH fKOO CUL W bpcDf V IbqG P IPcqyH hBH FqFwsXA Xdtc d DnfD Q YHY Ps SNqSa h hY TO vGS bgWQqL MvTD VzGt ryF CSl NKq ParDYIZ mbcQO fTEDhm tSllS srOx LrGDI IyHvPjC EW bTOmFT bcDcA Zqm h yHL HGAJZ BLe LqY GbOUzy esz l nez uNJEY BCOfsVB UBbg c SR vvGlX kXj gpvAr l Z GJk Gi a wg ccspz sySm xHibMpk EIhNl VlZf Jy Yy DFrNn izGq uV nVrujl kQLyxB HcLj NzM G dkT z IGXNEg WvW roPGca owjUrQ SsztQ lm OD zXeM eFfmz MPk READ SOURCE
