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The Honest Company Unilever Marketing

Unilever reportedly hitting acquisition trail again with Jessica Alba's Honest Company in its sights

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By Cameron Clarke, Editor

September 17, 2016 | 2 min read

Unilever is reportedly in talks to buy Hollywood actress Jessica Alba's household goods firm The Honest Company.

The Honest Company

Jessica Alba's Honest Company

FMCG giant Unilever, whose brands include Dove, Lynx and Ben & Jerry's, is discussing a deal "valued at over $1bn but significantly less than the $1.7bn valuation that was placed on Honest in a fundraising round last year," sources told the Wall Street Journal.

It is taking to the acquisition trail once more having already snapped up another promising startup, the Dollar Shave Club, in July.

On that acquisition, Unilever's chief executive Paul Polman hailed the subscription company's "innovative and disruptive" approach and "cult-like" following.

Honest's similarly avid advocates and comparable business model – it has built a loyal customer base of young mothers, with many buying its household goods through monthly subscriptions – may well be factors in this deal.

Its "natural" and "green" credentials will also be attractive at a time when major organisations such as Unilever are advancing a social good agenda, though a Wall Street Journal investigation did question whether some of Honest's products were as green as they purported to be.

Both Unilever and Honest declined to comment on the proposed deal. The business was co-founded by Alba in 2011.

The Honest Company Unilever Marketing

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