Unilever UK (Flora pro.activ) - Marketing Diet and Health

According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the principal cause of premature death worldwide. As awareness increases concerning the negative wider impact of poor diet and nutrition, firms run a reputational risk if they do not take proactive steps to address the health issues of their consumers.  Unilever have been developing innovative products to help their consumers make healthy eating choices. Working in partnership with the World Heart Federation and national groups promoting heart health, Flora launched its pro.activ range in 2000.

Process

Flora pro.activ

Flora was created after the medical profession asked Unilever to create a healthy alternative to butter, lard and hard margarines in 1964. The end result was a spread that was high in polyunsaturated fat and low in saturated fat.

The Becel/Flora pro.activ range was originally launched as a spread to help people reduce cholesterol levels in order to help their hearts. Versions of the product are now available as milk drinks and yoghurt products. Flora pro.activ is now at the centre of many schemes to promote healthy hearts.

There is a website with games for children, information about how to stay healthy and a section for health professionals. From April to July 2006, Flora pro.activ hosted roadshows across the UK, offering free heart health checks with qualified nurses and expert advice on diet and lifestyle. They also have a partnership with BUPA which offers 15% off selected health assessments whenever you buy a pro.activ product as well as sponsoring the London Marathon and launching the “Flora Fit Street” campaign which worked with the Clapham Park community in South London to help improve their heart health.

Impact

  • Between 2003 and 2005 sales of the pro.activ range grew by 40% and it now reaches some 13 million households.
  • Recognising the benefits, several health insurance companies in Europe are now encouraging their customers to use Flora pro.activ.
  • The Flora pro.activ range is one of the UK’s best-selling cholesterol-lowering food brand.
  • Independent clinical trials prove that gram for gram, no other spread is more effective at lowering cholesterol as part of a healthy diet than Flora pro.activ spread. (On their recent roadshows, Flora tested over 70,000 people at over 200 locations nationwide.)
  • Unilever has consistently worked with the medical profession throughout the development and the product has been rolled out world-wide.
  • The technology has been introduced to a variety of products and the brand is now associated with responsibility.
  • Flora will continue to innovate to produce new health improvement related products.

See also

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