Unilever Launches 'Internet of Things' Partner Search
Five briefs on the theme of ‘Internet of Things’ launch via The Unilever Foundry, the company’s single entry-point platform for innovative start-ups seeking to partner with the company.
Since launching The Unilever Foundry in May the platform has received an overwhelming level of engagement from innovative companies and this is the first time specific Internet of Things briefs have been shared with the startup community through Unilever.com/foundry.
Marc Mathieu, SVP Global Marketing, explains, “As the world’s second largest advertiser, Unilever is always looking for new ways to engage with our consumers. The Internet of Things is transforming the home, the way we shop and the way people engage with brands. We want to inspire and lead that transformation.”
“We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020, and we believe that Internet of Things is an important enabler of helping people take small actions which add up to a big impact” adds Mathieu.
The new briefs which can be found at foundry.unilever.com/projects/, are:
Smart Bathrooms
Enabling families to plan, organize and enjoy their personal care and grooming regime and products more efficiently is an opportunity through ‘Smart Bathrooms’. We are looking for innovative technology which has the potential to generate tremendous value for individuals and families in this area and may encompass elements from tools and diagnostics through to the delivery of connected services.
Smart Packaging
Smart packaging technology is undergoing a radical transformation, bridging the physical and digital divide at retail. We are looking to incorporate innovative technology into our packaging solutions and ultimately encourage our consumers to have physical & digital experiences that would help build brand engagement in new ways.
Smart Wardrobe
We’re looking for technology that helps people understand what clothes they have available, the condition of those clothes, and offers ‘what to wear’ recommendations based on schedules, the weather and other factors. We’d like to help people better use and manage their clothing collection more effectively - we believe there’s an opportunity to do this through the digital wardrobe.
Smart Ice Cream Cabinets
We are looking for new, innovative ways to bring our 3 million ice cream cabinets to life around the world. We believe these provide a prime opportunity to engage with people and we’re looking for technology and ideas on how the cabinets should not only house ice cream but really work for our brands and consumers.
Smart Laundry Advice
Cleanipedia is the online resource for cleaning advice and tips, enabled through best-in-class cleaning products by Unilever. This brief aims to expand the Cleanipedia reach through innovative content delivery, with focus on mobile especially in developing and emerging markets.
Briefs are posted on The Unilever Foundry and startups are invited to pitch their technology to Senior Brand leaders. Following a filtering and selection process, at least one company is generally moved forward to launch a paid pilot with Unilever. Successful pilots may then be scaled and new strategic partnerships created. This pitch-pilot-partner process dramatically accelerates its speed to market, whilst reducing the cost of experimenting, enabling Unilever to pioneer new technologies much more effectively and efficiently.
Since launching The Unilever Foundry in May the platform has received an overwhelming level of engagement from innovative companies and this is the first time specific Internet of Things briefs have been shared with the startup community through Unilever.com/foundry.
Marc Mathieu, SVP Global Marketing, explains, “As the world’s second largest advertiser, Unilever is always looking for new ways to engage with our consumers. The Internet of Things is transforming the home, the way we shop and the way people engage with brands. We want to inspire and lead that transformation.”
“We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020, and we believe that Internet of Things is an important enabler of helping people take small actions which add up to a big impact” adds Mathieu.
The new briefs which can be found at foundry.unilever.com/projects/, are:
Smart Bathrooms
Enabling families to plan, organize and enjoy their personal care and grooming regime and products more efficiently is an opportunity through ‘Smart Bathrooms’. We are looking for innovative technology which has the potential to generate tremendous value for individuals and families in this area and may encompass elements from tools and diagnostics through to the delivery of connected services.
Smart Packaging
Smart packaging technology is undergoing a radical transformation, bridging the physical and digital divide at retail. We are looking to incorporate innovative technology into our packaging solutions and ultimately encourage our consumers to have physical & digital experiences that would help build brand engagement in new ways.
Smart Wardrobe
We’re looking for technology that helps people understand what clothes they have available, the condition of those clothes, and offers ‘what to wear’ recommendations based on schedules, the weather and other factors. We’d like to help people better use and manage their clothing collection more effectively - we believe there’s an opportunity to do this through the digital wardrobe.
Smart Ice Cream Cabinets
We are looking for new, innovative ways to bring our 3 million ice cream cabinets to life around the world. We believe these provide a prime opportunity to engage with people and we’re looking for technology and ideas on how the cabinets should not only house ice cream but really work for our brands and consumers.
Smart Laundry Advice
Cleanipedia is the online resource for cleaning advice and tips, enabled through best-in-class cleaning products by Unilever. This brief aims to expand the Cleanipedia reach through innovative content delivery, with focus on mobile especially in developing and emerging markets.
Briefs are posted on The Unilever Foundry and startups are invited to pitch their technology to Senior Brand leaders. Following a filtering and selection process, at least one company is generally moved forward to launch a paid pilot with Unilever. Successful pilots may then be scaled and new strategic partnerships created. This pitch-pilot-partner process dramatically accelerates its speed to market, whilst reducing the cost of experimenting, enabling Unilever to pioneer new technologies much more effectively and efficiently.