The World Food Program
Unilever’s mission is to “add vitality to life.” As one of the world’s largest food companies, it believed that this mission clearly extended to the 850 million people around the world suffering from hunger and malnutrition. This case outlines briefly the partnership that Unilever created with the UN World Food Program (WFP) to address this issue, through 3 core activities: (1) Cause-related marketing; (2) national/school feeding support; and (3) employee engagement. Some of the activities and challenges of the employee engagement program, covering 200,000 people worldwide are covered in more detail.
This case can be used to stimulate discussions with leaders around how to address the challenges and realize opportunities from CSR initiatives. Questions it can stimulate discussion around include: How do you gain the support of the wider organization for centrally developed initiatives? How do you align the objectives and messages of initiatives, such as the WFP, with those of your strategy and core brands? What does it take to overcome the hurdles?
2006 – 2008
Cranfield University
Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]
NUCB Business School
1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]
IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

#post_excerptHannele Jakosuo-Jansson of Neste and Finnair shared key insights on board roles in CEO transitions and culture shifts with IMD’s High Performance Boards program.

An intelligent organizational sensory system detects, processes, and acts on change signals, giving your company a strong competitive edge.

Three Ways to Deal with Your Boss when they act against civility, empathy, and ethics. Discover strategies to handle difficult workplace dynamics effectively.

Six ways leaders can shape corporate reputation building strategies within their organizations, drawing on key insights from a Bloomberg Media study.

To navigate a turbulent business environment, CEOs must understand their landscape and align leadership thinking priorities, advises IMD’s Michael Watkins.
Case B describes the unprecedented challenges faced by CO-RO in 2020. The implementation of the sugar tax in its largest Middle Eastern market led to a near 50% volume drop in CO-RO’s sales, and Covid-19 lockdowns impacted the Asia-Pacific (APAC) ...
The CO-RO Group is a manufacturer of fruit-based still drinks, concentrates and ambient ice (home-freeze popsicles) headquartered in Denmark. Although production takes place in Denmark, most of its products are sold internationally, with the compa...
The case explores TBC Bank Group’s remarkable journey from a small Georgian bank to a regional leader in digital financial services across Central Asia. Founded in 1992 with just US$500 in initial capital, TBC evolved into Georgia’s largest financ...
The board of Nestlé S.A. announced that Anna Mohl would become the CEO of Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) — a global leader in nutritional science — on 1 January 2024. She was delighted to hear about her new position but knew there was little time to...

Are you struggling to lead successfully in the face of relentless disruption and uncertainty? Now’s the time to master the art of strategic thinking, starting with these six key skills.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Case reference: IMD-7-2636 ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications