Unilever cuts deal with SPH in integration bid

<p>SINGAPORE: Unilever has signed an agreement with Singapore Press </p><p>Holdings (SPH) to use its on and offline advertising platforms in a move </p><p>which it hopes will better integrate its communications. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The consumer goods company launched its first initiative under the deal </p><p>late last month for a Lipton tea promotion, which involved the Straits </p><p>Times newspaper and web portal AsiaOne. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Lipton's print ads have a four-digit number, which is used to play an </p><p>online game at AsiaOne's women's site, NewAsiaWoman.com. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>SPH is working to bundle its digital offering in with traditional media </p><p>so "we can help clients by ensuring everything is integrated </p><p>seamlessly", said Seshadri Sampath, executive vice-president of SPH </p><p>Prism, which brokered the deal. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He said Unilever was receptive because it was moving towards </p><p>communication channel planning, involving advertising, and event, direct </p><p>and online marketing, and point-of-sale, and it was also building a </p><p>stronger digital presence. Last year, Unilever established an </p><p>interactive brand centre in Singapore, which works with Unilever's </p><p>different operating units on digital brand strategies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Singapore is only one of only two cities in the world where Unilever has </p><p>established such a centre. It was chosen because of its high internet </p><p>penetration rate. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>