Innovate bigger brands
Successful innovations and strong brands go hand in hand. During 2018, Essity launched 29 innovations that simplify everyday life for people and strengthen Essity’s brands and market positions. Essity’s innovation strategy is to consistently deliver better, safer and more environmentally sound products and services to our customers and consumers. We intend to increase the pace and impact of our innovations as well as capitalize on global economies of scale and ensure that we have a competitive portfolio of innovations.
Innovation for a sustainable and circular society
During the year, Essity’s unit with global responsibility for customer and consumer brands and innovation was given a new name: Global Brand, Innovation and Sustainability. The unit now also covers sustainability and public affairs, since innovation and product development are crucial for pursuing and improving our sustainability efforts. We are developing offerings and business models that promote a sustainable and circular society, both to meet the needs of our customers and consumers and to reduce our environmental impact. We strive to develop better solutions for efficient recycling or composting of our products.
Digital applications
To increase customer and consumer benefit and to strengthen Essity’s brands, digital offerings are developed in the various product categories. In Baby Care, for example, with the Libero brand, Essity developed a new app in 2018 that includes a pregnancy calendar, tips and facts from the Libero Club’s own midwife, a parenting forum and the opportunity to create a photo album for the family.
Effective taboo-breaking marketing
Essity’s marketing is often about breaking taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation and incontinence. In 2018, Essity received more than 50 awards, including Cannes Lions Titanium, Grand Prix Glass Lion for Change and Grand Prix of Excellence at the Marketing Society, for the #bloodnormal advertising campaign. This marketing was a joint initiative for our various Feminine Care brands and had one mission: to break the taboos surrounding menstruation and that are holding back women. We are running the campaign in Mexico under the Saba brand, in the UK under Bodyform and in Malaysia under Libresse.
Awards and initiatives
In 2018, Essity won the “Technological Innovation of the Year” award for the Tork EasyCube® and the “Best Practice: Sustainability” award for Tork PaperCircle™ at the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards. These are examples of how Essity’s innovation efforts drive increased customer benefit and reduced environmental impact.
Essity joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastic Economy Global Commitment “A line in the sand” in 2018, where we are working toward 100% recyclability of the company’s packaging by 2025.
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