Unilever Food Solutions Relaunches with Enhanced Services and New Look, Bringing 'Inspiration Every Day' and Insights on Key Issues to Customers

LISLE, Ill., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its global brand relaunch, Unilever Food Solutions North America has introduced enhanced service offerings designed to help customers tackle key issues in today's competitive foodservice industry, as well as unveiled a new logo and tagline.

The new Unilever Food Solutions logo features the recognizable Unilever "U" to more closely align with and capitalize on the equity and strong reputation of Unilever, but in orange to clearly distinguish the foodservice division of the global brand. The brand's new tagline of "Inspiration every day" expresses the company's new vision to inspire chefs and operators every day by providing them with professional ingredients and services to help them succeed.

"We know that many foodservice operators are struggling to keep ahead of their guests' demands and expectations," said Simon Marshall, president, Unilever Food Solutions North America. "We want our customers – present and prospective – to know that Unilever Food Solutions is the single company that not only brings them professional ingredients under the brands Hellmann's, Lipton and Knorr, but now also offers expert services to help them succeed. Our services help them consistently and efficiently serve tasty, nutritious meals that keep their guests coming back for more."

The relaunch of Unilever Food Solutions in North America is part of a global rollout in all 74 countries in which the company operates, and represents a key step toward its goal of doubling its growth rate while reducing its environmental impact.

'Inspiration Every Day' Through Enhanced Services

In order to support chefs and operators in their mission to satisfy their guests every day, Unilever Food Solutions is putting a heightened focus on its service brand offerings. These enhanced consulting solutions coincide with Unilever's new vision and its "Inspiration every day" tagline.  By working closely with chefs and operators, Unilever Food Solutions helps them achieve the critical balance between satisfying guests and making a profit, and also addresses important food issues identified by consumers.

Unilever Food Solutions has enhanced its services in three key areas, all of which are vital to the brand's and its customers' daily operations:

• Understand more about guests ("Your Guests") – Unilever Food Solutions works with restaurants and operators to keep up with their guests' changing tastes and desires, so that they can serve delicious and wholesome meals. To help do this, Unilever Food Solutions created the World Menu Report, a global survey measuring consumers' attitudes and behaviors toward eating out.
• Deliver nutritious, healthy and profitable menus ("Your Menu") – Unilever Food Solutions provides ideas and inspiration that help chefs and operators keep their menus fresh, exciting and nutritious.
• Keep kitchens efficient and thriving ("Your Kitchen") – Unilever Food Solutions creates ingredients and ideas that save precious prep time in the kitchen without compromising flavor or flair. These products and services help chefs and operators run their businesses more effectively.  

"While services are not necessarily new to Unilever Food Solutions, the difference is that we are now focusing on them as part of our overarching identity and making them accessible 24-7 to all prospective customers through an enhanced web presence," said Ted Skodol, director, Customer and Channel Marketing, Unilever Food Solutions North America. "We understand the valued partnership that binds chefs to their guests, and we use our expertise to help chefs and operators better understand their guests. With the best professionals in the business, we help our customers evolve with the ever-changing foodservice landscape."

The Inspired Restaurant Makeover Contest

Unilever Food Solutions North America also launched its first-ever Inspired Restaurant Makeover Contest, designed to demonstrate the positive impact of the company's enhanced service offerings by helping one winning restaurant's business grow.

Open to Small Independent Operators/Full-Service Restaurants (SIO/FSR) in the U.S. with an annual revenue of $2 million or less (per restaurant location) and three or fewer locations, the contest will award a prize package valued up to $100,000, which includes:

• More than 100 hours of one-on-one consultation services from Unilever Food Solutions across the areas of "Your Guests," "Your Menu" and "Your Kitchen," including access to Unilever Food Solutions' Certified Master Chef and Registered Dietitian
• One-year supply of free Unilever Food Solutions professional ingredients (awarded as reimbursement up to $55,000)
• $5,000 in cash to invest in front-of-house/back-of-house improvements to the winner's restaurant
• An Inspirational Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Experience Weekend for up to four members of the winning restaurant's team to attend the world-famous CIA to work with the Unilever Food Solutions Culinary Team and CIA instructors to improve the restaurant's menu

To enter, contestants must submit a brief application explaining their need for assistance across Unilever Food Solutions' service offerings and how they would use the prize package if selected.

Contest entries can be submitted online at www.InspiredRestaurant.com and will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. ET on May 31, 2011. The contest winner will be announced in July 2011. For additional contest details and to see a complete list of the contest rules, please visit www.InspiredRestaurant.com.  

For more information about Unilever Food Solutions' brand relaunch and enhanced service offerings, please visit www.unileverfoodsolutions.us.

About Unilever Food Solutions North America

At Unilever Food Solutions, we help chefs all over the world serve tasty, wholesome meals that keep guests coming back for more. We create ingredients that save precious prep time in the kitchen, without compromising on flavor or flair. And constantly provide ideas and inspiration that keep your menu fresh and exciting. Our ingredients are some of the staples of professional kitchens in 74 countries around the world: Knorr, Hellmann's, Lipton and more. We've been in the foodservice industry since the 1880s. We have more than 300 chefs on staff around the world, so we understand that critical balance between impressing your guests and making a profit. And how to keep your menus and recipes fresh and exciting, as times and tastes change.

SOURCE Unilever Food Solutions