• Bloomberg, Monday, November 16, 2009 10:31 AM

Unilever expects the first results from its Genesis projects -- a code name for scientific breakthroughs usable across the company's product lines -- to trigger new products next year, its chief innovation officer Genevieve Berger tells Jeroen Molenaar.

"We'll start with personal care and have a clear road map of applications in other categories," says Berger. She claims the products will be "big wins" but declines to go into any details.

Innovation is widely seen as a missing ingredient at Unilever in recent years but has been a priority under new CEO Paul Polman. "Compared to marketing and price cuts, which boost volume in the short term, innovation will lift volumes in a more sustainable way and will help lift prices," says Allianz Nederland Asset Management analyst Jan van der Hout. "In contrast to Unilever, P&G has always been able to grow by innovating."

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