Bracey, who currently leads Unilever’s U.S. business and oversees the personal care division across North America, will take over the new position of chief growth and marketing officer following the departure of Unilever veteran Conny Braams.
Adweek understands that the decision to promote Bracey comes down to Unilever’s plans to look to a new era of marketing and creative excellence, creator-generated content, digital growth, artificial intelligence and performance marketing.
With a collective marketing budget of around $8.3 billion, Unilever is one of the world’s great marketing businesses. Bracey takes the reins after six years there, having initially held the position of executive vp and chief operating officer of North America beauty and personal care.
The company has been announced as a main sponsor for the UEFA European Football Championship in the summer. The soccer tournament will be led by brands Hellman’s, Dove, Lynx and Sure, which will no doubt provide some major activations, while Hellman’s will also once again be featured during the Super Bowl.
On top of marketing, Bracey will be dealing with the U.K.’s Competitions and Markets Authority, which announced an investigation into Unilever’s green claims. The results could go some way toward changing how other brands relay their environmental credentials as the stamp-down on greenwashing begins.
“We’ll be drilling down into Unilever’s claims to see if they measure up,” said CMA CEO Sarah Cardell.
Nicole Hubbard Graham, CMO, Nike
