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Unilever extends MSFT tie
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February 2, 2000: 8:33 a.m. ET
Corporate giants to cooperate on brand ads in France, Germany and U.K.
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LONDON (CNNfn) - Microsoft and Unilever announced an agreement to collaborate in online marketing in several European countries Wednesday, extending an interactive branding cooperation that began in the United States.
Unilever, one of the world's biggest makers of household goods, will sponsor several sites on Microsoft's (MSFT: Research, Estimates) online network, MSN.com, in particular the Womencentral channel, and will have dedicated Web sites and displays in France, Germany and Britain.
Financial terms of the deal, which is set for three years, were not disclosed. The accord follows a similar agreement in the United States that began in July 1998.
"This is a great opportunity for many of our key brands to experiment with this medium in Europe and to develop original content and interactive marketing and communications strategies," said Christoph Michalski, director of Unilever's Interactive Brand and Customer Center.
The proliferation of Web-related advertising has provided boom conditions for Europe's advertising industry, as customers have turned to the new medium, and promoted online offerings through traditional channels.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the companies hoped to tap into growing Web usage by women, who currently make up around one third of Internet users in Europe. In the U.S., by contrast, there is an even split between male and female Web surfers.
The newspaper also said that Microsoft's network attracts a much lower percentage of all Web traffic in Europe than it does across the Atlantic, and the Unilever agreement would attempt to redress that.
Unilever, a Dutch-British company with share listings in both Amsterdam and London, announced plans in September to axe 1,200 brands from its 1,600-strong portfolio, concentrating its marketing spending on its strongest assets. Unilever makes consumer good ranging from shampoo to health products and food.
Unilever stock was down 2 percent at 371 pence in London Wednesday. 
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