Page title

Introducing Unilever Online

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 1 28/06/2005 11:19:55

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Unilever is united under one brand and a single mission. So around the world, we now follow a single consistent approach to communicating online.

By using the same technical platform and following a single set of guidelines, we can share resources, shorten the time it takes to launch a new site, and keep sites up-to-date easier than ever before. And we’ll be able to achieve a consistent consumer-focused design on our country sites and Unilever.com which perfectly communicates our brand and vividly expresses vitality.

This document showcases the online ‘look and feel’ and explains the thinking behind it. It also shows how, by following the guidelines, your country website can easily achieve consistency with Unilever.com and help promote Unilever as a truly multi-local, multi-national.

Introducing Unilever Online

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 2 28/06/2005 11:19:56

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Unilever is united under one brand and a single mission. So around the world, we now follow a single consistent approach to communicating online.

By using the same technical platform and following a single set of guidelines, we can share resources, shorten the time it takes to launch a new site, and keep sites up-to-date easier than ever before. And we’ll be able to achieve a consistent consumer-focused design on our country sites and Unilever.com which perfectly communicates our brand and vividly expresses vitality.

This document showcases the online ‘look and feel’ and explains the thinking behind it. It also shows how, by following the guidelines, your country website can easily achieve consistency with Unilever.com and help promote Unilever as a truly multi-local, multi-national.

Introducing Unilever Online

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 1 28/06/2005 11:20:01

The new online look and feel�

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 2 28/06/2005 11:20:07

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Our brand unites us all behind a single vision, with a shared mission, identity and values. Through the internet we can bring this to life, with websites that live the brand and exude vitality.

In the past, our corporate sites have had little consistency. We now need to ensure that we use the same approach to design, copy, content and structure. And we must follow a single set of guidelines that enables us to present Unilever consistently around the world while meeting the information needs of local markets.

So we’ve created a new way of setting up and managing websites to meet this brief and we’ve used these guidelines to create new sites, including Unilever.com, and our sites in Argentina, China, the UK, the Netherlands and USA.

In the Unilever Online manual, you’ll find all the advice you need to set up and manage a new branded country site. And by following the guidelines you’ll find it easier than ever before. This approach reduces duplication of cost and effort and by using the same technology, we can update sites faster – ensuring they remain interesting, lively and topical for the many people around the world who visit them.

Brand keyOur corporate website brand key summarises the background, objectives and key differentiators for our corporate websites.

A new way of working

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 3 28/06/2005 11:20:23

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The Online manual

The guidelines enable you to...• Source globally relevant content from Unilever.com

and tailor it for your local market.

• Provide locally relevant information, written and illustrated for your local market, but structured in a way that’s consistent with Unilever.com and other country sites.

• Promote topics that are important in your local market direct from the homepage.

• Promote and provide access to local brands direct from the homepage.

• Offer your visitors more opportunities for feedback.

• Showcase local advertising.

• Increase the value of local brand sites and consumer relationship-marketing sites by linking to them, and including content from them.

... and much, much more.

But you don’t need to...• Contract an agency to create and implement

design – it’s already created for you. You only need to maintain content and imagery within the guidelines provided.

• Arrange your own hosting or domain registration.

• Purchase software such as a Content Management System (CMS) and search or reporting tools.

Consistent design featuresThe framework ensures that design features are consistent across all websites – you don’t need to create them and you won’t be able to change them. Features include:

• Page layouts – every type of content has a specific page layout

• Colour scheme – you won’t need to make decisions about colour

• Structure and navigation – you don’t have to think about how the site is organised or create navigation menus

• Images in the page headers and footers – you only need to maintain images that specifically relate to page content. We have 30 multicultural images for you to chose from.

Country site homepage

Globally consistent design template, but:

1. Local topic promotions and brands

2. Multilingual capability

3. Ability to choose homepage header image

The Online guidelines

Our guidelines to creating new websites include:

Consistent page layouts • Page layouts have been designed to meet

all requirements: there’s one for almost every eventuality and they’ve been tested with consumers.

Consistent technology • All website editors have access to Tridion, a shared

Content Management System (CMS) that puts you in control of publishing and editing content.

• Tridion gives you access to all appropriate content created for Unilever.com, which you can translate and adapt for your local market.

• Tridion is in English but the system provides support for multiple languages (including double-byte character sets).

• You can also easily access website usage reports.

See page 6 for more details about the CMS. There is also a section in this manual dedicated to the subject.

Training • Website editors will be trained to use the CMS.

The training is designed for those of us working in Corporate Communications – not for technical specialists.

• A manual is also provided.

The Unilever Online manual makes creating and running a corporate site easier than ever before. You don’t need to worry about finding a hosting platform or rely on IT teams

to publish your content. And you don’t need to use external agencies to design your

homepage or navigation. Instead you’re free to

concentrate on what really matters – providing

fresh, exciting, consumer-focused content.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 4 28/06/2005 11:20:33

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The Online manual

The guidelines enable you to...• Source globally relevant content from Unilever.com

and tailor it for your local market.

• Provide locally relevant information, written and illustrated for your local market, but structured in a way that’s consistent with Unilever.com and other country sites.

• Promote topics that are important in your local market direct from the homepage.

• Promote and provide access to local brands direct from the homepage.

• Offer your visitors more opportunities for feedback.

• Showcase local advertising.

• Increase the value of local brand sites and consumer relationship-marketing sites by linking to them, and including content from them.

... and much, much more.

But you don’t need to...• Contract an agency to create and implement

design – it’s already created for you. You only need to maintain content and imagery within the guidelines provided.

• Arrange your own hosting or domain registration.

• Purchase software such as a Content Management System (CMS) and search or reporting tools.

Consistent design featuresThe framework ensures that design features are consistent across all websites – you don’t need to create them and you won’t be able to change them. Features include:

• Page layouts – every type of content has a specific page layout

• Colour scheme – you won’t need to make decisions about colour

• Structure and navigation – you don’t have to think about how the site is organised or create navigation menus

• Images in the page headers and footers – you only need to maintain images that specifically relate to page content. We have 30 multicultural images for you to chose from.

Country site homepage

Globally consistent design template, but:

1. Local topic promotions and brands

2. Multilingual capability

3. Ability to choose homepage header image

The Online guidelines

Our guidelines to creating new websites include:

Consistent page layouts • Page layouts have been designed to meet

all requirements: there’s one for almost every eventuality and they’ve been tested with consumers.

Consistent technology • All website editors have access to Tridion, a shared

Content Management System (CMS) that puts you in control of publishing and editing content.

• Tridion gives you access to all appropriate content created for Unilever.com, which you can translate and adapt for your local market.

• Tridion is in English but the system provides support for multiple languages (including double-byte character sets).

• You can also easily access website usage reports.

See page 6 for more details about the CMS. There is also a section in this manual dedicated to the subject.

Training • Website editors will be trained to use the CMS.

The training is designed for those of us working in Corporate Communications – not for technical specialists.

• A manual is also provided.

The Unilever Online manual makes creating and running a corporate site easier than ever before. You don’t need to worry about finding a hosting platform or rely on IT teams

to publish your content. And you don’t need to use external agencies to design your

homepage or navigation. Instead you’re free to

concentrate on what really matters – providing

fresh, exciting, consumer-focused content.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 5 28/06/2005 11:20:35

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A single, shared technical platform

Unilever.com and our country sites will now use the Tridion Content Management System (CMS).

What is a Content Management System?• A CMS is a web tool that lets you publish and

edit content online without needing any technical knowledge.

• It stores all content and generates pages using templates.

• It enables us to publish many websites using the same structure and design.

• It’s administered through your web browser – you don’t need to install any software.

How does it work? Web editors access the Tridion CMS to enter content for their site, using templates shared by all other sites.

• All editors can use content already created for Unilever.com.

• Editors can publish the content to a secure staging site for testing.

• Search and Reporting tools are provided by separate software and are available to all websites.

Consumer-focused design and content

The online guidelines ensure sites are appealing to consumers, both through their content and the use of fresh, vibrant and colourful design.

Why?• For the first time, the Unilever brand has become a

consumer brand, as well as being a corporate brand.

• Research shows that consumers are by far our largest online visitor group (34%), and consumer tasks (ie brand-related) are the most popular reasons for visiting.

• A large proportion of visitors (30-50%) also identify themselves as consumers and are interested in brand content.

• It should be clear to everyone visiting our sites that we are a Foods and Home & Personal Care company first, and a corporation second.

How we make our sites more consumer-focused• Consumer articles on the homepage.

• Quick access to brand information with familiar brand logos on the homepage.

• Consumers engaged in conversation, from simple polls to product surveys.

• More consumer content including magazine-style articles and advertising.

• Vitality values expressed visually: colourful, dynamic, informal.

Homepage with prominent consumer features. Every time you visit, the homepage is a different colour, with a

matching header image, from a selection of four.

‘Our brands’ section, showing lifestyle categories with

magazine-style content.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 6 28/06/2005 11:20:36

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A single, shared technical platform

Unilever.com and our country sites will now use the Tridion Content Management System (CMS).

What is a Content Management System?• A CMS is a web tool that lets you publish and

edit content online without needing any technical knowledge.

• It stores all content and generates pages using templates.

• It enables us to publish many websites using the same structure and design.

• It’s administered through your web browser – you don’t need to install any software.

How does it work? Web editors access the Tridion CMS to enter content for their site, using templates shared by all other sites.

• All editors can use content already created for Unilever.com.

• Editors can publish the content to a secure staging site for testing.

• Search and Reporting tools are provided by separate software and are available to all websites.

Consumer-focused design and content

The online guidelines ensure sites are appealing to consumers, both through their content and the use of fresh, vibrant and colourful design.

Why?• For the first time, the Unilever brand has become a

consumer brand, as well as being a corporate brand.

• Research shows that consumers are by far our largest online visitor group (34%), and consumer tasks (ie brand-related) are the most popular reasons for visiting.

• A large proportion of visitors (30-50%) also identify themselves as consumers and are interested in brand content.

• It should be clear to everyone visiting our sites that we are a Foods and Home & Personal Care company first, and a corporation second.

How we make our sites more consumer-focused• Consumer articles on the homepage.

• Quick access to brand information with familiar brand logos on the homepage.

• Consumers engaged in conversation, from simple polls to product surveys.

• More consumer content including magazine-style articles and advertising.

• Vitality values expressed visually: colourful, dynamic, informal.

Homepage with prominent consumer features. Every time you visit, the homepage is a different colour, with a

matching header image, from a selection of four.

‘Our brands’ section, showing lifestyle categories with

magazine-style content.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 7 28/06/2005 11:21:01

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CONTENT NAVIGATION

Simple navigation

Why is it designed this way?• Research looked at visitors’ main tasks and

expectations. The navigation was designed around these findings and tested to ensure that it’s easy to use.

• Simple navigation supports message clarity.

• Our sites shouldn’t look like corporate websites.

• Avoiding a ‘busy’ appearance improves accessibility.

• ‘Our brands’, ‘Our values, ‘Our company’ appear in one line – these words summarise the purpose and contents of the website.

How does the navigation work?The site is divided into three main sections – ‘Our brands’, ‘Our values’, ‘Our company’ – accessible from all pages.

• Our brands show what we do while providing interesting information for consumers.

• Our values show how we operate, from our environmental and social policies to our commitment to innovation.

• Our company is where we talk about the business, with dedicated sections for investors, journalists and prospective employees.

The whole site follows a simple two-column layout, with content coming first, and a single navigation column on the right.

Two-column layout for all pages

The roles of Unilever.com and country sites

The information included on Unilever.com and our country sites should be organised in the same way. That’s why we use the same navigation system, with menus and titles positioned in the same places.

Together with consistent design, this ensures that no matter which Unilever site you visit, its appearance and the navigation always feel familiar.

Consistent main navigation: Unilever.com and two country sites compared

The advantages• It’s easier for visitors to find content when

navigating from one site to another.

• Editors are provided with global content that can be translated, if necessary.

• It’s easier to share common design elements.

• It’s easier to decide how to organise content.

• Creating and maintaining sites is more cost-efficient.

• There’s less duplicated effort.

• There’s less risk of inconsistent messages.

• The structure has been developed and tested by a leading digital agency to meet the needs of the typical Unilever site visitor.

Consistent subnavigation

A country site (right) may not have all the pages or sections that

Unilever.com (left) has, but where it does they should be named and

organised consistently. Further pages can of course be added if necessary.

See section 9 for more details about the differences in structure

between country sites and Unilever.com

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 8 28/06/2005 11:21:11

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CONTENT NAVIGATION

Simple navigation

Why is it designed this way?• Research looked at visitors’ main tasks and

expectations. The navigation was designed around these findings and tested to ensure that it’s easy to use.

• Simple navigation supports message clarity.

• Our sites shouldn’t look like corporate websites.

• Avoiding a ‘busy’ appearance improves accessibility.

• ‘Our brands’, ‘Our values, ‘Our company’ appear in one line – these words summarise the purpose and contents of the website.

How does the navigation work?The site is divided into three main sections – ‘Our brands’, ‘Our values’, ‘Our company’ – accessible from all pages.

• Our brands show what we do while providing interesting information for consumers.

• Our values show how we operate, from our environmental and social policies to our commitment to innovation.

• Our company is where we talk about the business, with dedicated sections for investors, journalists and prospective employees.

The whole site follows a simple two-column layout, with content coming first, and a single navigation column on the right.

Two-column layout for all pages

The roles of Unilever.com and country sites

The information included on Unilever.com and our country sites should be organised in the same way. That’s why we use the same navigation system, with menus and titles positioned in the same places.

Together with consistent design, this ensures that no matter which Unilever site you visit, its appearance and the navigation always feel familiar.

Consistent main navigation: Unilever.com and two country sites compared

The advantages• It’s easier for visitors to find content when

navigating from one site to another.

• Editors are provided with global content that can be translated, if necessary.

• It’s easier to share common design elements.

• It’s easier to decide how to organise content.

• Creating and maintaining sites is more cost-efficient.

• There’s less duplicated effort.

• There’s less risk of inconsistent messages.

• The structure has been developed and tested by a leading digital agency to meet the needs of the typical Unilever site visitor.

Consistent subnavigation

A country site (right) may not have all the pages or sections that

Unilever.com (left) has, but where it does they should be named and

organised consistently. Further pages can of course be added if necessary.

See section 9 for more details about the differences in structure

between country sites and Unilever.com

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 9 28/06/2005 11:21:23

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The roles of Unilever.com and country sites

Unilever.com and our country sites work together to communicate our brand and our messages.

Unilever.com – representing Unilever globally• Unilever.com is many people’s first stop.

• It’s a trusted source of globally relevant information to all audiences.

• It provides quick and easy access to country sites, brand sites and ancillary sites like www.yatayata.nl.

• It provides a window onto country content.

• It directs traffic to country or brand sites for more information relevant to the local market.

Country sites – our presence in the the local market• Speak to you in your own language (or a choice of

languages if appropriate).

• Contain content found on Unilever.com, adapted to the local context where appropriate.

• Provide market-specific information on Unilever, like news, about brands or related to corporate responsibility.

• Direct traffic to Unilever.com or local brand sites where appropriate.

Unilever.com and country site homepages

• Consistent design, layout and colours

• Consistent header and footer images

• Country site features locally relevant content and brands

• Ability to choose homepage header image

Header area comparison: Note country indicator, link to

Unilever.com, and language selector on country site.

Unilever.com will display a message in your language if a new

corporate site in your country and language is available.

It will also provide a link to EU product ingredients information in

your language, if available.

Footer area comparison: Unilever.com (above) and a country site

below, including a link to www.unilever.com and a country-specific

message:

Information on this website pertains to the [country name]. For

global information visit Unilever.com

More inForMation

For more information about howUnilever.com and our country sites work together see the document ‘Country Site Integration’ in Appendices

Homepages

Homepages aim to...

• Make a strong impression – fresh, bold and colourful

• Showcase the brands and discuss product issues that consumers care about

• Provide shortcuts to products, publications and other Unilever websites

• Offer fast-track access for specialised audiences, such as investors and journalists

• Provide a clear entry point to the ‘Our company’ section. Brand carousel

Scrollable display of brand logos, linking to brand profiles

HeaderExpresses vitality, product values and reflects homepage colour scheme

Main navigation

Featured topicsMain article and related articles, with image

Company section shortcutsDirect access to the most important company content

FooterConsistent throughout site

Language and country detection messages

Search tools (drop-downs menus) and ‘fast track’ links

Colours and header image

Every time you visit, the homepage is

a different colour and has a matching

header image from a selection of four.

Note: Homepage colours and header

images will be supplied – you do not

need to create them.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 10 28/06/2005 11:22:05

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The roles of Unilever.com and country sites

Unilever.com and our country sites work together to communicate our brand and our messages.

Unilever.com – representing Unilever globally• Unilever.com is many people’s first stop.

• It’s a trusted source of globally relevant information to all audiences.

• It provides quick and easy access to country sites, brand sites and ancillary sites like www.yatayata.nl.

• It provides a window onto country content.

• It directs traffic to country or brand sites for more information relevant to the local market.

Country sites – our presence in the the local market• Speak to you in your own language (or a choice of

languages if appropriate).

• Contain content found on Unilever.com, adapted to the local context where appropriate.

• Provide market-specific information on Unilever, like news, about brands or related to corporate responsibility.

• Direct traffic to Unilever.com or local brand sites where appropriate.

Unilever.com and country site homepages

• Consistent design, layout and colours

• Consistent header and footer images

• Country site features locally relevant content and brands

• Ability to choose homepage header image

Header area comparison: Note country indicator, link to

Unilever.com, and language selector on country site.

Unilever.com will display a message in your language if a new

corporate site in your country and language is available.

It will also provide a link to EU product ingredients information in

your language, if available.

Footer area comparison: Unilever.com (above) and a country site

below, including a link to www.unilever.com and a country-specific

message:

Information on this website pertains to the [country name]. For

global information visit Unilever.com

More inForMation

For more information about howUnilever.com and our country sites work together see the document ‘Country Site Integration’ in Appendices

Homepages

Homepages aim to...

• Make a strong impression – fresh, bold and colourful

• Showcase the brands and discuss product issues that consumers care about

• Provide shortcuts to products, publications and other Unilever websites

• Offer fast-track access for specialised audiences, such as investors and journalists

• Provide a clear entry point to the ‘Our company’ section. Brand carousel

Scrollable display of brand logos, linking to brand profiles

HeaderExpresses vitality, product values and reflects homepage colour scheme

Main navigation

Featured topicsMain article and related articles, with image

Company section shortcutsDirect access to the most important company content

FooterConsistent throughout site

Language and country detection messages

Search tools (drop-downs menus) and ‘fast track’ links

Colours and header image

Every time you visit, the homepage is

a different colour and has a matching

header image from a selection of four.

Note: Homepage colours and header

images will be supplied – you do not

need to create them.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 11 28/06/2005 11:22:17

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Why we created these guidelines

For the business• Our online strategy was developed to promoted the new Unilever brand.• With the Unilever brand on packs, more people will be encouraged to visit our websites.• ‘One Unilever’ compels us to simplify – a key theme of the strategy.• We need to consistently build the new Unilever brand.• We need to develop trust in Unilever to support our brands – websites play a vital role in this.• We must build confidence that vitality will deliver, so a consistent approach is essential.

For corporate communications• We need to simplify our approach to delivering corporate websites. • We must reduce duplication of cost and effort.• A single technology platform and approach to content management will allow us to be more proactive on key issues and respond faster to changes in our markets.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 12 28/06/2005 11:22:25

Why we created these guidelines

For the business• Our online strategy was developed to promoted the new Unilever brand.• With the Unilever brand on packs, more people will be encouraged to visit our websites.• ‘One Unilever’ compels us to simplify – a key theme of the strategy.• We need to consistently build the new Unilever brand.• We need to develop trust in Unilever to support our brands – websites play a vital role in this.• We must build confidence that vitality will deliver, so a consistent approach is essential.

For corporate communications• We need to simplify our approach to delivering corporate websites. • We must reduce duplication of cost and effort.• A single technology platform and approach to content management will allow us to be more proactive on key issues and respond faster to changes in our markets.

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 13 28/06/2005 11:22:25

Introduction Section.v3 AW.indd 14 28/06/2005 11:22:41