Unilever, P&G war over which is most ethical; Touting programs that benefit humanity offers big payoff for marketers.(News)(cause related marketing)

Advertising Age, March, 2008 by Neff, Jack

Byline: Jack Neff

Procter & gamble Co. and Unilever have battled over many things over the decades, from soap shares to spy scandals. But the latest battleground may be the most surprising and intriguing-a race to show who's best at saving the world.

Nothing indicates the growing hold "ethical marketing'' has on the industry better than the concept's growing embrace by the world's two biggest spenders. While both have been engaged in such efforts for years, they're talking about them, and particularly advertising them, like never before.

No less than Bill Gates recently mentioned Unilever as a top-of-mind example of a company involved in sustainability efforts in a CNBC interview from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Unilever...

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