It is shaping up to be a blockbuster summer for women’s sport in the UK, with the Lionesses aiming to defend its European Championship crown in Switzerland, whilst the country will host the Women’s Rugby World Cup this August.
Recognising the fan and commercial growth of women’s sport over the last several years, Unilever has joined as an official partner for both the Women’s EURO 2025 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Speaking to Insider Sport, Willem Dinger, Global Head of Sport & Entertainment, Personal Care, at Unilever, said how its brands are aiming to “drive unmissable brand superiority” this summer.
Dinger also delved into what makes an effective marketing strategy that has universal appeal to all demographics, as well as revealing some of the fan engagement plans Unilever has in store for Women’s EURO 2025 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Insider Sport: How will Unilever cater to the women’s football audience this summer as a partner of EURO 2025? How will this differ from the sponsorship agreement from the men’s EURO 2024 last summer?
Willem Dinger: 2025 is the year of women’s sports and we are excited that some of Unilever’s best-known Personal Care and Foods brands, including Dove and Rexona (also known as Sure in the UK), are Official Sponsors of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
Women’s football is on a sharp upward trajectory. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup saw record attendance of close to two million, while a combined 1.12 billion people tuned in to watch the tournament.
As Official Sponsors of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, our activations and brand campaigns spanned 40+ markets with 35,000 Point-of-Sale (POS) activations. This resulted in Rexona/Sure being the top-recalled brand in key markets during the tournament. And for our previous sponsorship of the UEFA EURO 2024, we activated across 16 brands, 24 markets, and over 126,000 stores. This summer we hope to replicate the same success with the women’s game.
Brands heavily invested in women’s sports have seen an average 24% increase in consumer engagement and a 16% boost in brand loyalty, according to a 2023 Nielsen Sports report. Women’s football attracts a diverse and engaged audience, including families and younger viewers. This can help brands reach new demographics and expand their customer base.
The evolving landscape of women’s football also allows for creative and innovative marketing campaigns that capture the attention of a modern, socially conscious audience. It’s not just about putting logos on ads. It’s about community engagement and forging emotional connections that extend beyond the final whistle. It’s about building appeal, driving inclusivity, and investing in the next generation.
IS: What makes football a natural partner for some of Unilever’s brands and how crucial can fan engagement tools be in order to gain a better understanding of your audience, no matter what demographic?
WD: With an estimated 3.5 – 4 billion fans worldwide, football is the most popular sport in the world, and we know its influence is only getting bigger. Streaming services grew their spending on sports rights worldwide by over $3bn between 2022 and 2023. Football partnerships insert Unilever brands into culture, aligning on positive values and visions for change, and ultimately driving revenue through awareness.
Unilever Personal Care’s commitment to better serve the sports fan is also deepening our consumer and customer relationships. By meeting consumers where they already are and improving their fan experience, we are driving greater affinity for our brands.
We’ve learnt that our activations and campaigns need to have universal appeal. By only targeting your campaigns at male or female audiences based on who’s on the pitch, you’re ignoring a huge portion of the total audience.
IS: Unilever also agreed a Rugby World Cup sponsorship recently. Could you discuss some of the different strategies Unilever will market its products at Rugby World Cups?
WD: In addition to the Women’s EUROs this summer, the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 will be kicking off on August 22 in the UK. It is expected to break new records as the biggest celebration of women’s rugby to date, with over 275,000 tickets sold – already twice the total sold for the 2021 edition in New Zealand.
As an Official Supporter, our portfolio of Personal Care brands will activate integrated campaigns, tapping into a fast-growing audience, while enhancing the fan experience, boosting visibility, and inspiring the next generation of athletes.
IS: How valuable is it being a partner of UEFA and World Rugby and how do they help Unilever grow in different markets just by associating with these sporting bodies?
WD: Partnering with sport governing bodies, such as UEFA and World Rugby, provides an opportunity for our brands to tap into significant cultural moments and meet consumers where they already are.
However, value for us isn’t just about association. It’s about integrating our brand campaigns to reach consumers in, at, around and away from the stadium, and emotionally connecting in a more meaningful and deeper way with our audience.
IS: Similarly, with the likes of Vinicius Jr and Jack Grealish being brand ambassadors, could you define what makes a suitable representative for some of your brands and how do these sporting figures elevate some of your marketing strategies?
WD: Talent and celebrities are quickly becoming their own media distributors, with many owning their own platforms and starting YouTube channels. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, has recently started the fastest-growing YouTube channel.
This is changing the shape of sports marketing as we know it, because it means that brands increasingly don’t just have to go to big media partners to distribute their content. As with any partnership deal, it’s about working with talent that is aligned with our brands and values.
IS: Now a recognisable name in sports, how has sports sponsorship evolved over the last decade and are sporting bodies/leagues/players placing more emphasis on fan connectivity than ever before?
WD: Through our strategic partnerships with international sporting bodies, such as FIFA, UEFA, and World Rugby, we are building universal appeal into our brand campaigns and activities.
This provides an opportunity to tap into fast-growing groups of sports fans – such as women, families and Gen X and Gen Alpha – to get in front of new consumers. At the same time, we are innovating with new marketing approaches to deepen relationships with existing audiences through a social first approach.
IS: How valuable are brand integrations across in-stadium and hospitality areas in order to enhance the Unilever brand.
WD: The ultimate objective of our sports partnership activity is to drive unmissable brand superiority and competitive growth. Given sport sits at the epicentre of culture and is deeply embedded in the lives of our consumers and customers, our sponsorships allow us to meet consumers where they are – so we’re building brand equity while also promoting our products.
And due to the convergence of retail and media, we are seeing that activations build loyalty through digital content, which subsequently translates into product purchases.
IS: Are there certain sports Unilever are interested in sponsoring which they have not ventured into before?
WD: The sporting world is ever growing with many new sports gaining momentum and attention. We are delighted to be partnering across football, rugby, cricket and others. But watch this space for future opportunities!
