Unilever Hunts for Top 50 Marketing Startups at Cannes

Startups are not only transforming marketing at Unilever, but they’re also pioneering the future of the industry, according to Jeremy Basset, head of Unilever Foundry.

Unilever Foundry is consumer goods giant Unilever’s initiative to forge partnerships with startups. “Through the Foundry, we want to enable our brands and businesses to connect and engage with startups,” Basset tells ClickZ.

At Cannes, Unilever Foundry teamed up with Lions Innovation to pick the 50 best marketing startups. The Foundry 50 were chosen by a panel of experts, including Marc Mathieu, senior vice president of global marketing for Unilever, Olivier Garel, chief executive officer of Unilever Ventures, and Rob Dembitz, head of Lions Innovation.

Unilever has already been working with some of the winners to experiment with innovative marketing technologies.

“We want to help startups scale up. We see them as long-term partners,” Basset said. “The Foundry 50 is not about a new shiny toy. It is about finding partners who we can pioneer the future with.”

Unilever is not the first major brand that is looking to leverage the power of ad-tech startups. Mondelēz International has also initiated a digital marketing program called Shopper Futures, where the snack and beverage conglomerate worked with select startups to solve pressing business challenges in retail.

How important are startups for big brands? What is the selection criteria for The Foundry 50? Watch ClickZ‘s video interview below to hear what Basset had to say.