UP537 The Buy Side: Inside Unilever's FIFA World Cup Strategy

Today, we are joined by Ben Curtis, Global Brand Vice President for Rexona—the brand known as Degree in the US, Sure in the UK, and Shield in South Africa. Ben oversees the global strategy for a brand that Unilever identifies as the "cultural engine" of its Personal Care business group, making it the primary vehicle for activating their massive FIFA and UEFA partnerships.

As the marketing world prepares for the unprecedented scale of the FIFA World Cup in North America, we are diving deep into the strategic blueprint required to activate at this level. This isn't just a conversation about logos on LED boards; it is a masterclass in how a global giant moves a brand from a three-second-a-day consumer habit into a "culturally sticky" space where it can build a genuine emotional connection with an audience of billions.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Strategy of Confidence: How Rexona is leveraging the concepts of science, performance, and control to align with elite sport and solve the "problem" of sweat and odor on the world’s biggest stage.
• Managing Global Complexity: The challenge of maintaining distinctive brand assets (DBAs) across fragmented brand names like Rexona and Degree, and why the "tick" and the "it won't let you down" promise are the keys to global consistency.
• Activation at Scale: An inside look at the "House of Fresh" content studio, limited edition player-ambassador packs featuring stars like Vinny Jr., and the "world-first" in-game authentications being planned with FIFA.
• The Gender Balance: Why Unilever is giving equal billing to the Men’s and Women’s World Cups, treating the 2027 tournament in Brazil as a major commercial priority rather than a mere "purpose play".

For any executive navigating the geopolitics, logistical hurdles, and cultural nuances of a 48-team World Cup in the US, Ben provides a rare look at the high-stakes decision-making happening inside one of the world's most sophisticated marketing organizations.

Unofficial Partner is the leading podcast for the business of sport. A mix of entertaining and thought provoking conversations with a who's who of the global industry.
To join our community of listeners, sign up to the weekly UP Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and TikTok at @UnofficialPartner

We publish two podcasts each week, on Tuesday and Friday. 

These are deep conversations with smart people from inside and outside sport. 

Our entire back catalogue of 500 sports business conversations are available free of charge here. 

Each pod is available by searching for ‘Unofficial Partner’ on Apple, Spotify and every podcast app. 

If you’re interested in collaborating with Unofficial Partner to create one-off podcasts or series and live events, you can reach us via the website.