Which Unilever Public Relations Team to Contact?
The correct Unilever PR team depends on your inquiry type and location. For global corporate matters, contact Press-Office.London@Unilever.com. For regional media inquiries in North America, reach MediaRelations.NA@unilever.com. Brand-specific questions should go to the designated agency contacts listed on Unilever’s media contacts page.
Understanding Unilever’s PR Structure
Unilever operates a three-tiered public relations system designed to handle different types of inquiries efficiently. The company restructured its organization in 2022 into five distinct business groups—Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream—which impacts how PR inquiries are routed.
At the top level sits the global corporate PR team based in London. This team handles company-wide announcements, financial results, major acquisitions, and strategic initiatives that affect Unilever as a whole. Regional PR teams manage location-specific news and media relations for their respective markets. Brand-level PR typically flows through specialized agencies that represent individual products or product lines.
This structure ensures media inquiries reach the right people while preventing overload on any single team. Understanding which level your inquiry fits into determines your contact success rate.
Who Should Contact Which Team
Journalists and Media Professionals
Media contacts are explicitly designated for journalists, editors, and broadcast professionals. Unilever’s PR teams maintain strict policies about responding only to verified media inquiries due to high volume.
Global corporate stories belong with the London headquarters team. This includes quarterly earnings, executive appointments, sustainability initiatives affecting multiple markets, and company policy changes. If you’re covering Unilever’s overall business strategy or writing about the company as an entity, this is your primary contact.
Regional business news goes to the appropriate geographic team. A story about Unilever’s North American operations, local market performance, or region-specific product launches requires the regional contact. These teams understand local market dynamics and can provide context relevant to their geography.
Brand and product stories need brand-specific contacts. Each major Unilever brand works with dedicated PR agencies. For example, Dove inquiries go to Edelman’s Dove team, while Ben & Jerry’s has its own in-house PR contact. The Unilever USA media contacts page lists specific email addresses for 20+ major brands, each managed by agencies like Edelman, Weber Shandwick, or MC Saatchi.
When reaching out, always include your outlet name, story angle, and deadline in your initial email. PR teams prioritize requests with clear timelines and legitimate media credentials.
Non-Media Inquiries
Unilever’s media relations teams cannot respond to non-journalist inquiries. The company directs these through different channels.
Product questions or complaints should go through customer service, not PR. Each brand typically lists contact information on product packaging, or you can use Unilever’s general contact form at unilever.com/contact.
Business partnership proposals require the general contact form or specific departmental contacts. The company maintains separate pathways for supplier inquiries, sponsorship requests, and licensing opportunities.
Career inquiries belong on the careers portal, not with PR teams. Unilever processes job applications through its dedicated recruitment system at unilever.com/careers.
Investor relations questions have their own team. Contact Shareholder.services@unilever.com for investment-related matters rather than using media relations contacts.
Primary Contact Information by Region
Global Corporate Team
Email: Press-Office.London@Unilever.com
Address: Unilever House, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DY, United Kingdom
Use for: Company-wide announcements, global strategy, international acquisitions, overall corporate positioning
When contacting the global team, specify your media deadline prominently. The high volume of inquiries means requests with clear timeframes receive priority.
North America
Primary Email: MediaRelations.NA@unilever.com
Alternative: mediarelations.usa@unilever.com
Phone: +1 201-500-9100
Address: 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Coverage area: United States, Canada, sometimes Latin America coordination
The North American team handles regional business news, market-specific product launches, and stories about Unilever’s operations in the region. They can also direct you to brand-specific contacts when appropriate.
United Kingdom & Ireland
Email: ukpressoffice@unilever.com
Address: Lever House, 3 St James Road, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 2BA
Coverage area: UK and Ireland markets
Include both your contact information and deadline in your subject line or opening paragraph. The UK team explicitly requests this information to manage their response priorities.
Netherlands
Email: mediarelations.NL@unilever.com
Phone: +31 (0) 10 217 4000
Address: Hofplein 19, 3032 AC Rotterdam
Coverage area: Netherlands, sometimes broader European coordination
The Netherlands team serves as the European hub contact for certain inquiries, particularly those related to European operations or manufacturing.
Brand-Specific Contacts
Unilever brands work with specialized PR agencies that handle day-to-day media relations. This approach allows for focused expertise on each product line’s target audience and market positioning.
Major Brand Agencies
Edelman represents the largest number of Unilever brands in North America. Their clients include Dove, Degree, Vaseline, Suave, TRESemmé, Good Humor, Breyers, and several others. Contact information varies by brand, but Edelman team members like Carly Serrano handle multiple brands within the personal care portfolio.
Weber Shandwick manages Hellmann’s and related food brands. Their approach focuses on food media relationships and culinary angles.
Specialty agencies handle brands with unique positioning. Seventh Generation has its own in-house PR contact, while newer acquisitions like Liquid I.V. maintain independent press operations before full integration.
For a complete list of brand contacts, Unilever USA maintains an updated page at unileverusa.com/news/media-contacts with direct email addresses for each brand’s PR representative.
When to Use Brand Contacts
Choose brand-specific contacts when your story focuses on a particular product line rather than Unilever as a company. Recipe features, product reviews, lifestyle angles, and influencer collaborations typically belong with brand teams.
These specialized contacts understand their product’s positioning, can speak to specific formulations or features, and have access to product samples or brand ambassadors. They’re also better equipped to coordinate photo shoots, provide brand assets, or arrange interviews with brand managers.
How to Determine the Right Contact
Start by identifying your story’s primary focus. Ask yourself: Is this about Unilever as a business, a regional operation, or a specific brand?
Corporate focus indicators include terms like earnings, acquisition, executive leadership, company strategy, or organizational changes. These signal global or regional corporate team territory.
Brand focus indicators include product names, specific ingredients, lifestyle angles, consumer tips, or anything tied to an individual product line’s marketing message. These belong with brand-specific contacts.
Geographic indicators matter when your story centers on a particular market’s performance, regional operations, or location-specific initiatives.
For overlapping stories that touch multiple areas, start with the most specific contact. A story about Dove’s sustainability initiative in North America goes to Dove’s PR agency first, not the global corporate team. The agency will coordinate with corporate communications if needed.
Response Time Expectations
Understanding realistic timelines helps manage your story planning effectively.
Corporate announcements typically come with embargoes and advance notice. Major financial results or strategic announcements follow scheduled release windows that PR teams communicate weeks ahead.
Brand inquiries for features or reviews often move faster than corporate stories. Product-focused requests might get responses within 24-48 hours if they align with current marketing priorities.
Complex requests requiring internal coordination, legal review, or executive approval need longer lead times. Requests involving data, financial information, or policy positions can take several days to a week.
Always communicate your deadline clearly in your initial outreach. PR professionals work backward from publication dates to determine whether they can accommodate your timeline.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using media contacts for non-media inquiries wastes everyone’s time and may get you blacklisted from future media lists. Unilever’s PR teams explicitly state they only respond to journalists.
Sending generic pitches to multiple contacts simultaneously creates confusion about who should respond. Choose the most appropriate contact and give them reasonable time to reply before escalating.
Failing to specify your outlet makes it impossible for PR teams to assess your request’s legitimacy and reach potential. Always identify your publication or platform prominently.
Omitting your deadline leaves PR professionals guessing about urgency. A request for next-day coverage requires different handling than one for a piece publishing in three weeks.
Contacting brand teams for corporate stories or vice versa creates unnecessary handoffs. Take time to identify the correct contact initially rather than forcing redirects.
What Information to Include in Your Outreach
Structure your media inquiry to facilitate quick responses and demonstrate professionalism.
Opening paragraph should identify you (name, outlet, position), your story angle, and your deadline. These three elements let PR professionals immediately assess relevance and urgency.
Story description explains what you’re covering and why it matters to your audience. PR teams field dozens of inquiries daily—clarity about your specific angle helps them determine if they can add value.
Specific requests list what you need: interview access, data, product samples, statement, background information. Being explicit about requirements helps PR professionals assess feasibility and gather necessary materials.
Context about your outlet matters for brands and products where audience fit is crucial. A brief note about your publication’s focus and readership helps PR teams evaluate alignment with their communication goals.
Contact information should include email, phone number, and best times to reach you. Making yourself accessible demonstrates you’re serious about moving the story forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I contact Unilever PR for a school project or research paper?
No. Unilever’s media relations teams only respond to journalists and media professionals. For academic research, use publicly available information from annual reports, press releases, and the company website. If you need specific data not available publicly, try the general contact form at unilever.com/contact, though response is not guaranteed.
How do I get samples of Unilever products for review?
Contact the brand-specific PR agency listed on Unilever’s media contacts page. Include your outlet’s name, typical audience size, posting schedule, and specific products of interest. Brand teams evaluate sample requests based on your platform’s reach and alignment with their target audience.
What if I don’t get a response from my initial contact?
Wait 3-5 business days before following up. If your deadline is tighter, note that in your original subject line. For urgent matters, try calling the phone number if one is listed. If you still don’t receive a response, your inquiry may not align with their current priorities or you may need to redirect to a different contact.
Can influencers contact these PR teams?
Some brand-specific agencies manage influencer relations, but many partnerships run through dedicated influencer marketing channels rather than traditional PR. Check individual brand websites for influencer programs or partnership pages. The media contacts listed are primarily for journalists, not influencer collaborations.
Note: Contact information changes as agencies and team structures evolve. Always verify current contacts on Unilever’s official media contacts pages before reaching out. The global page at unilever.com/news/press-and-media/media-contacts provides the most up-to-date information across all regions.