Unilever is declaring that it wants to craft "brands for life," and is launching its transformational philosophy in India.

The U.K.-Dutch CPG giant says it believes that the new approach will boost its corporate mission of doubling its business and halving its environmental footprint, Unilever CMO Keith Weed told the Times of India. The basic idea is to put people first — not brands — and to disrupt traditional thinking as pathways for unleashing the true and long-term power of its brands. That includes putting "an environmental and social mission at [the] core" of brands such as Lifebuoy and Surf Excel, Weed said.

"It's a new approach to marketing," he said, which "stands on three pillars. The first is putting people first. Second is the power of the brands. And the last thing is a classic piece of what we call 'unlock the magic' ... some kind of a spark that can catch people's attention."Continue reading...

Starbucks execs likely haven’t had to caffeinate to get energized for the job ahead of them in the United Kingdom, even as they promote the annual 12 Days of Gifting and a holiday promotion via LivingSocial.

Sales are declining in the market, customers aren’t happy, and a House of Commons committee report singled out the brand along with other multinationals for avoiding taxes.

Starbucks has made £1.3 billion ($2 billion) in the UK over the last three years but has shelled out no corporate taxes in that same time, reportedly paying only £8.6 million ($13.7 million) in UK income tax since 1998.

The company claimed that it was losing money on its paperwork while telling investors that it had a profitable business in the UK, and chairman and CEO Howard Schulz reassured British customers of the company's commitment to the UK.Continue reading...

So did News Corp. have a better day today? In a word, no. Some of the challenges rattling the media empire that Rupert Murdoch built:

• Scotland Yard has notified only 170 of 4,000 suspected victims, according to Sue Akers, deputy assistant commissioner of the London Metropolitan police in charge of the phone hacking scandal, at a hearing today. Akers told a group of MPs she’s taking a "very broad" approach to the inquiry in ‘Operation Weeting,’ which is examining 11,000 pages of material containing the names of the 4,000 possible victims. Murdoch has been called before a parliamentary committee to answer questions on the hacking scandal, according to a BBC report, along with his son James and Rebekah Brooks, the CEO of News International.

• News Corp.'s BSkyB bid is in trouble, with British politicians crossing party lines to support a motion which reads, "The house believes that it is in the public interest for Murdoch and News Corporation to withdraw their bid for BSkyB." Asked if the government expected News Corp to heed parliament, a spokesperson said: "Ultimately, that is a decision for News Corp but we would always expect people to take seriously what parliament has said." The House of Commons is scheduled to vote on it Wednesday, with Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly backing the motion.Continue reading...

The proverbial glass ceiling is still intact, according to one corporate watchdog — which is a shame for brands. Women and minorities are still underrepresented on US corporate boards according to the recent report, “Missing Pieces: Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards — 2010 Alliance for Board Diversity Census,” by the Alliance for Board Diversity.

“Missing Pieces shows that, six years after the first Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD) Census, not much has changed. While research points decisively to the benefits of a diverse boardroom— including enhanced financial performance—white men continue to dominate corporate boards and have, in fact, increased their presence since 2004. Women and minorities are still vastly underrepresented.”Continue reading...

More than 100,000 people are expected to go barefoot today thanks to TOMS Shoes. The goal of One Day Without Shoes, as the brand tweeted, is "to raise awareness of the impact a pair of shoes can have on a kid's life."

As TOMS gets ready to kick off its own shoes, celebrities endorsing this year's event include Charlize Theron, a host of Canadian musicians, and brands including Google and AOL. Participants are tweeting using the official hashtag, and also checking in via Gowalla.

The 2011 Pepsi Refresh project officially kicks off today. Applicants have until midnight on Friday, April 8th to apply. Details on what's new for year two of the corporate giving initiative are posted in the online FAQ. Watch the video above to see how one enterprising 17 year-old recipient used his grant to stage a concert to help his community.

YouTube is celebrating the WWF's global Earth Hour event today with a visual twist. All video-watchers today will see a light switch above each video player, to the left of the video name and beneath a special Earth Hour logo. Click the switch to view the video in the dark via a black background, just as Earth Hour is asking consumers to switch off for their light for an hour tonight, starting at 8:30pm.

Below, how Coca-Cola is supporting Earth Hour.Continue reading...

The Business Development Institute brought together brand marketers for The Social Consumer conference this week in New York.

The event kicked off with “Digital Fitness,” a social media pep talk from by PepsiCo’s Director of Digital and Social Media, Bonin Bough, fresh from spreading the Pepsi gospel at South by Southwest (above).

His remarks were fascinating for what he did mention — and didn't.Continue reading...