What determines sales success in the busy aisles of chemists and supermarkets? Not your marketing budget. Not your brand strategy. It is whether a consumer recognises their favourite brand in three seconds and understands what your promotional offer entails. For Unilever, with 400+ brands competing against Nestlé and Procter & Gamble, every square centimetre on the shelf is sacred ground. Every missed recognition is a lost customer. Every confusing promotion is turnover to the competitor. We have been Unilever's partner for over 15 years, ensuring flawless, recognisable POS materials, promotions and omnichannel campaigns that win those crucial three seconds.
FMCG point-of-sale materials designed to win the 3-second shelf decision
Brand consistency maintained across 400+ products in crowded retail environments
Fourth-eye quality control ensuring flawless execution before any asset reaches retail
Dedicated two-person design team that knows every Unilever brand without checking guides
15+ year always-on partnership evolving from projects to integrated fee structure
The challenge
How do you ensure that 400+ brands remain consistent, flawless and instantly recognisable at the crucial point of purchase, without getting bogged down in complex content planning and promotional cycles?
The solution
A dedicated team that knows the brands inside out creates flawless, recognisable POS assets that perform even in the busiest retail situations, combined with omnichannel expertise that ensures seamless customer journeys from digital to shelf.
Unilever x iO: 15 years of winning the moment that matters
Unilever is a global leader in consumer goods, with brands like Dove, Rexona, Axe, Signal and Lipton Ice Tea. Their mission: helping people look good, feel good and get more out of life. For this, they need a partner who brings their brands to life through exceptional customer experiences at every touchpoint.
We have been that partner for over 15 years. We ensure flawless, recognisable and clear always-on advertising, POS materials, promotions and OOH campaigns for retailers like Kruidvat and Trekpleister. We build digital communities and create seamless omnichannel experiences. Our partnership is characterised by a dedicated team that needs only half a word to deliver consistently, and a long-term vision resulting in seamless customer experiences.
Why the 3-second decision moment defines FMCG success
Picture an average chemist with thousands of products fighting for attention. A consumer has approximately three seconds to decide which product to pick up. In those crucial moments, everything must be perfect. An unclear promotion, a deviating colour, an incorrect price, and the customer picks the competitor.
What can go wrong in those three seconds:
Brand confusion: "Is this Dove or something else?"Unclear promotions: "2+1 free or 30% discount?"Visual chaos: "Where should I look?"Inconsistency: "This looks different from the advert..."
In FMCG, seconds determine market share. All digital investments, all brand campaigns come down to that one moment when a consumer stands before the shelf. Retail is the final exam of all marketing.
How to maintain brand consistency across 400+ products in FMCG retail
The complexity of working with Unilever lies in the scale: multiple business units, hundreds of brands, constant promotional changes. Dove has different guidelines than Axe. Rexona requires different colour tones than Signal. Every brand has its own visual language, its own positioning, its own rules.
Our dedicated team of two full-time designers knows every Unilever brand so well that they make the right choices without consulting brand guides. They know which colour tone belongs to Rexona, how large the Axe logo should be, which fonts Signal uses. This deep brand knowledge, built over 15 years, means half a word is enough to deliver consistently.
Consistency is everything, especially at the decision moment of barely three seconds. When consumers see Dove in a digital campaign and then encounter Dove on the shelf, it must feel like the same brand. Same colours. Same visual language. Same brand promise.
How to create POS materials that perform in crowded retail environments
Creating POS materials for FMCG retail is not about being the loudest. It is about being the clearest. In a crowded retail environment, materials need to:
Deliver instant recognition: Brand guidelines applied so effectively that Dove stands out among 50 productsCommunicate crystal-clear promotions: Price, discount and benefits are immediately understandableCreate visual hierarchy: The eye is led to what matters, brand, product, benefitMaintain consistency across touchpoints: From online ads to the shelf, the same brand promise and feeling
For personal care and wellbeing brands like Dove, Rexona and Signal, we create POS materials that stand out without being garish. The challenge: distinguishing between similar products whilst maintaining brand trust.
The fourth-eye principle: flawless execution guaranteed
With complex clients like Unilever, accuracy is crucial. One wrong price, one incorrect product image, one misaligned promotion can damage brand trust and lose sales. That is why we work according to the principle of the 'fourth eye': nothing goes to retail before at least two pairs of eyes have critically reviewed it.
This quality control process gives Unilever customers exactly what they need: clear, unambiguous and flawless information so they can immediately find their favourite brand and understand the promotion. It also protects Unilever's brand equity by ensuring every touchpoint reinforces rather than undermines brand trust.
How to build a long-term creative production partnership for multi-brand FMCG
Our partnership with Unilever has evolved significantly over 15 years. What started as project-based assignments has grown into a fixed fee structure with allocated budgets per business unit. This evolution reflects mutual trust and demonstrates a partnership that continues to prove its value.
The recent expansion to handle all POS materials for Kruidvat Netherlands and Trekpleister confirms this value. It demonstrates that iO is the ideal partner for multinationals who need reliable, flexible expertise.
As a permanent partner of a multi-brand giant, shared, tight planning with fixed lead times is essential. Yet we maintain flexibility for 'extras' and last-minute adjustments, especially for Unilever. Flexibility without quality loss is our approach.
From digital to shop: seamless omnichannel execution
Our strength lies not only in perfect POS materials, but in seamlessly connecting all touchpoints in the customer journey. We ensure flawless, recognisable and clear always-on advertising, POS materials, promotions and OOH campaigns. We build digital communities and create seamless omnichannel experiences.
Only this way can Unilever's brands maintain and expand their position. Customers find their trusted products, understand the promotions immediately, and feel the brand promise in every retail moment.
The biggest compliment we received from Unilever: 'you're part of our team.'
The numbers
1+
POS designs delivered per year
1+
Years of continuous partnership
1
Full-time dedicated designers who know every brand
1%
Brand recognition maintained across all touchpoints
Brands that grow through flawless retail execution
In a sector where brand recognition and loyalty make the difference between success and failure, Unilever presents its brands flawlessly and recognisably on the shelves. Consumers find their favourite products at a glance and can easily understand and enjoy the promotions.
The evolution of our collaboration, from project-based work to an integrated partnership with fixed budgets per business unit, proves a model that continues to demonstrate value. Our approach of 'half a word is enough' combined with the 'fourth eye' principle ensures perfect balance between efficiency and quality, exactly what an FMCG giant needs in an increasingly complex market.
For Unilever, this means their brands maintain and expand market position through consistent, flawless retail presence. For their customers, it means finding trusted products instantly and understanding promotions clearly. And for iO, it confirms our capacity as a leading digital agency to grow with client needs, anticipating challenges and always ready to go the extra mile.
